Fall and I have been going steady for almost 19 years now.
And just when I thought we were about ready to tie the knot, I move away to college and realize that I can’t fit him in my life the way I used to. I can’t spend hours collecting ombre-toasted leaves or raking up monstrous piles to jump in. Nor can I drive to pumpkin patches to search for the perfect specimen and host extremely messy jack-o-lantern sessions. No more delicious pumpkin schmear from Noah’s Bagels (Sorry Einstein Bros, I’m a Cali girl!) or copious cups of maple spice lattes. My wallet just can’t afford fall like it used to, and my schedule can’t handle the mess. What’s an autumn lovin’ girl to do?
I wasn’t ready to give up on my relationship with fall, but I definitely had to make some adjustments to keep him in my life. First I had to deal with my new budget. Instead of buying expensive cinnamon-peppered beverages, I decided to make my own cup o’ autumn.
Apple Spice Smoothie for One (Trust me, you won’t want to share!)
All you’ll need is:
1 apple
1 cup of almond milk or ¾ cup of vanilla yogurt
1 cup of ice
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
Sugar, to taste
Throw all the ingredients in the blender and voila! You now have fall in a cup. If you’re feeling super healthy or adventurous, add a handful of spinach!
Next I had to deal with our incompatible schedules. As much as I love going to pumpkin patches, I figured that wasn’t going to happen with all my schoolwork. Instead, I searched for the perfect pumpkins at Trader Joe’s and decided on a less messy decorating strategy. As much as I love squishing my hands into pumpkin goop, I knew my roommate (and carpet) would appreciate my decision not to carve into my pumpkins this year.
For my no-carve pumpkins, I grabbed some gold and black paint, Mod Podge, paint brushes, candy corn, Sharpies and, of course, ample amounts of glitter. As my best friend likes to say, glitter is the herpes of all my art projects. From there, the decorating is up to you: Leave the pumpkin bare and draw on designs with a Sharpie, paint it gold and add some polka dots, or my favorite, dab on Mod Podge and cover the entire thing in sparkles. If you’re wondering why candy corn is in the list of supplies, it’s clearly the best fall candy everyone loves to hate, so you’ll want to snack on it while you decorate. Not only do you forgo the sticky pumpkin guts, but the un-carved pumpkins will also last through Halloween for you to admire.
With these fall fixes, I know my relationship doesn’t have to end just yet. They say true love lasts forever, right? And I do love crunching in those leaves.
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