Fall Reset ✨🍁🕯

Spring cleaning is overrated, fall is the time to nest and prepare for hibernation in our homes and selves.

I don't pick favorite seasons but if I did it would be fall 🤫

Every year as fall approaches, I feel a deep urge to reset my home and routines. Perhaps it’s the back-to-school effect, a rhythm ingrained in me from my own school days and now, once again, as a parent to school-aged children. Or maybe it’s the transition to spending more time indoors that compels me to create a space that feels comfortable and inviting during the colder months. Whatever the reason, this time of year stirs in me a desire to declutter, deep clean, and recalibrate how I spend my time. With fall being my favorite season, I’m eager to make the most of it before the holiday hustle begins, ensuring my energy is spent on what truly matters rather than on clutter and overstimulation.

With my older boys back in school and our basement renovation nearing completion, I’m addressing the areas in my home and life where things have accumulated, aiming to create more margin once again. I find joy in the ritual of putting pen to paper, thoughtfully planning how I want to spend my time, and incorporating lists and challenges that keep me aligned with my goals. And, of course, I have a printable fall reset kit to share with my paid subscribers (ILY 🥲) if you’re on a similar journey.

As we welcome fall and the season of retreating indoors, here’s a glimpse of what I’m prioritizing. Are there areas in your life that could use a reset? Are we tackling some of these together? I’d love to hear from you in the comments—I always enjoy learning how others embrace a new season.

Fall Regroup

As the leaves change and fall, animals gather and prepare for winter, and life itself seems to retreat inward, I too feel a need to reflect on what I want to shed and what I want to carry with me through the rest of the year. Setting a few clear goals and adopting a phrase or mantra helps me stay focused on what truly matters. Alongside nurturing my inner self, I also find it essential to care for my physical body and home. Focusing on four small buckets for how I want to reset from the end of summer into fall gives me a moment of intention and prioritizing before getting swept away with the season.

Routines

With the days growing shorter, it's important for me to be thoughtful about routines that support my and my family's well-being. Making the most of daylight and ensuring the start and end of my day leave me feeling grounded and rejuvenated is key to navigating the darker months ahead. I like having a few key rituals to start and end my day with to stay grounded in through the darker months.

Decluttering

I recently discovered the Mins Game from this video, and it felt like a fun way to gamify decluttering in our home. Over the past year, things have accumulated, and I know we all function better with less clutter. The challenge is simple, declutter the corresponding number of items to a number on the page (you need not go in order, start with a larger number for a boost of momentum!) and color the numbers/flags in as you go. Watch this for inspiration.

Bucket Lists

Every new season, especially fall, fills me with excitement for the books, movies, and activities I want to indulge in. However, that excitement can sometimes turn into overwhelm, causing me to miss out on the things I most look forward to. Creating a simple bucket list of the activities I want to enjoy, the books I want to read, and the movies I want to watch helps me prioritize what truly matters. I simply can’t let fall pass without diving into some spooky books from my TBR, watching my favorite movies (Beetlejuice, Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus!), and embracing all the cozy activities this season has to offer. Will I check off everything on each bucket list? No! But mentally I like having the space to list things out and turn to when I need an idea or am stumped by “what to read/watch” next.

Simple and Seasonal Nourishment

My recent pantry deep clean inspired me to focus on simpler meals in the coming months. Choosing seasonal produce and creating nourishing meals with staple ingredients will help me maintain a sense of ease during the busiest season of the year.

Journaling

I’ve been an inconsistently consistent with journaling my entire life and in recent years I've felt a pull to revisit it in a more consistent manner beyond my one line a day journal (which I do very much love BTW). If I'm going to add anything new to my routine right now, I want it to be something as rewarding and beneficial as journaling. I’m printing off some simple prompts (in the reset kit!) to help move past the overwhelm of facing a blank page. Journaling feels like a small but meaningful investment in myself that I’m excited to take on again this fall.

Seasonal Mood Board

One of my favorite rituals at the start of each season is creating a mood board on Pinterest. The simple act of pinning ideas and inspiration feels almost like reading my own palm. Without much conscious thought, I gather images that speak to me, and then I love to scroll through them to uncover themes or insights about what I might be needing or craving. It's always an instant mood boost and a fun way to step into the new season. Here are my top tips for using Pinterest to create a seasonal mood board. I'll be sharing my fall mood board in next week’s Lovin’ Lately if you’re looking for a little inspiration.

Don’t forget to print off your fall reset kit over at the printables section of my Substack and let me know, what are you excited to start first?!

Cheers to enjoying the last days of August (*cue August by Taylor Swift* 🥲) and the joys of fall ahead!!