Awesome Home and Garden Ideas for Fall

To add more cheer and discover gratitude in daily living, I suggest you place fall colors or décor accents in your kitchen, home, apartment, or garden. Then take a spin around your neighborhood to look for signs and sights of Autumn in the air. 

Post Updated 8/29/21

The ideas in this blog post show you a selection of things I enjoy seeing, doing, or eating, as well as the awesome creations of the season from fellow bloggers near and far. 

Which ones appeal to you? Please let me know in the comments section below. 

How to Use Fall Colors to Awaken Your Senses

When you prepare, serve, and eat a colorful array of fall fruits and vegetables, you'll get important nutrients your body needs to work and play at an optimum level.

Favorite Fall Fruit and Vegetables

For Stunning Tablescape Ideas Drop by at Clearissa Coward's Command Center and see Seven Fall Tablescapes for Your Inspiration



Then travel over to  

Carol Chappell’s blog, Through My Front Porch for a Fall Home Tour. It highlights the lovely autumn touches in her farmhouse décor with traditional ideas too.

Next in line is a tip from me to envision the beautiful colors of autumn leaves.

Gold, rust, amber, scarlet, and browns of autumn leaves and soil remind us of transitions. These colors provide grounding energy  to center you and connect you to Mother Earth. 

Then, find more ideas at Improve Health Spend Quality Time in Nature.

What things are you grateful for this fall? Please share that with us in the comments section below. 

I'm thankful for the cooler weather here in Tucson, and happy to be getting outdoors more often.

I'm so grateful for my eyesight, hearing, sense of smell, touch, and taste. 

One day at a time, I'm thankful I follow through on self-care practices that keep my body, mind, and spirit fit. 

As we age, being consistent with self-care is such an important thing we can do for ourselves. 

Another biggy is to appreciate what we have, and give thanks for our blessings. An attitude of gratitude and willingness to learn new things goes a long way in promoting good health, serenity, and happiness. 💓 GIVE THANKS!

Fall can be a time to look inward, and re-evaluate your priorities. Do you feel the need to do that? Please share your thoughts on that as well.

Wishing you a Happy, Safe Halloween and Awesome Fall. Before you go, share the love on social media.

See me on Pinterest for more. 💖

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How to Use Fall Colors to Awaken Your Senses

Want to use fall colors to help you feel more centered, happy, and mindful this autumn?

This post is designed to help you understand ways to surround yourself with autumn colors that resonate with you. 

This post has been updated 10/1/2023

I use many of these color ideas to breathe in the beauty of this season.

Colors work at the sensory level and transcend thinking. 

Glance at colors that appeal to you, and you'll feel immediate satisfaction. 

They  may also help you be more fully present from moment to moment, as you engage in daily life.

An effective way to start including fall colors in your lifestyle is to bring out your inner light by wearing autumn colored clothing, while you engage in hobbies, sports, and leisure time activities you enjoy.

Envision fire maple, rust, marigold yellow, burnt orange, sage green, and autumn leaf brown in your mind's eye. What sensations, ideas, or feelings arise when you use your imagination this way?

The colors you choose for your home, the ones you pick for your wardrobe, and those in your work and play environment, have power to bypass reason and influence your emotions at the cellular level.

Try this on for size. Imagine pleasing shades of orange as “helpers." When you use this bright autumn hue, it supports you and enables you to process emotions, thoughts, and feelings with self-compassion. 

Display burnt orange or rust colored mums in a large flower pot. Place this colorful autumn hued plant at your front door or in your front yard to welcome guests.

Jump in the car for a fall foliage tour and admire autumn's earthy beauty.

Read Favorite Fall Fruit and Vegetables . Discover which fall fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients to help you stay healthy and feel energized this fall.

Observe Eva Cassidy sing Autumn Leaves on YouTube and sing along.

 

Paint an accent wall or accent piece in your home or office a beautiful fall color. Rust or burnt orange, sage green, grounding brown, amber, garnet, golden yellow, brilliant scarlet, or maroon are top fall favorites.

This autumn colored bench is in my foyer

Don a cap or tee shirt in a hue that reminds you of autumn leaves. Then see "Wear your colors to feel great about yourself." 

Pick pumpkins in the pumpkin patch.

Get outdoors to hike or mountain climb.

Crunch through fall leaves, hug a tree, collect chestnuts, or gather pine cones.

Paint, draw, finger paint, or use chalk to make autumn leaf or autumn tree pictures.

Frolic and tumble in a pile of autumn leaves, with or without your children and pets.

Visit a nature preserve, go birdwatching, and admire the aliveness of all living creatures.

Reserve time to witness an autumn sunrise or sunset. See with wonder and each day becomes a new fresh experience.

Visit an arboretum, plant nursery, or public garden and let the energy from vegetation and crisp fall air refresh you.

Snap fall photos.

Gather a bushel of farm fresh apples and munch on a juicy one.

Cozy up by the fireplace, with a good mystery, romance, or other fun reading.

Slip into your favorite flannel shirt, sweatshirt and jeans, or wear pajamas all day.

Make a pot of steaming vegan chili with beans, corn, and plenty of spices.

Plant hyacinth and daffodil bulbs.

Participate in a Color Run.

Take family or friends on a hayride.

Listen to an Audio Meditation called Eyes Closed from Dean Sluyter, author of Fear Less: Living Beyond Fear, Anxiety, Anger, and Addiction.

Dean's soothing voice helps me slow down, nurture my spirit, and connect to places in my body and mind that need care.

Give the audio mentioned above a try, and please let me know ways listening to it helps you.

Fall is a reflective period, a time to celebrate the harvest, show gratitude, and recognize endings.

If emotions including grief and loss surface, do your best to identify and name them. 

Then, imagine feelings flowing through you and going into the ground, as autumn leaves do in the fall.

In this season, you can learn to release "dying relationships, situations, or painful life experiences," to have closure and make room for something new. 

Remember not everyone deals with emotions in the same way or is attracted to the same colors. 

Take time for self-care this fall. There are many color visualizations online that can bring you relief from stress, and provide healing, peace, and joy.

Awaken your senses by observing yourself right now. Look inward as well as outward to feel and appreciate the wonder of fall colors and the blessings in your life.

Before you go, please take a moment to comment below.  No links in comments please; they won't be published that way. Thanks for understanding.💓

What are your favorite fall colors and/or activities? 

Which fall color tips have you tried? Did they work for you? Please explain.

Shares and pins are greatly appreciated. Love comments and wish you'd visit again.

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Favorite Fall Fruit and Vegetables

It's economical and healthy to pick up scrumptious fall fruits and vegetables including sweet potatoes, apples, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and pears at a local farmers market, grow them in your home garden, or get sale items in the produce sections of neighborhood markets. 

Updated 9/26/2026

Fresh seasonal fruits and veggies are loaded with nutrients needed to maintain wellness. Produce mentioned in this post is at the peak of flavor in the fall. 

In-season local produce is usually less expensive and fresher than stuff that is imported and/or has to travel thousands of miles to get to your market. 

Most of us know it's important to serve the freshest foods we can find at the most economical prices, don't we?

Note: I’ve mentioned this before in earlier posts, but it bears repeating. I encourage my readers to purchase certified organically grown foods. 

Ongoing research on organic foods shows that the likelihood of exposure to contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals can be greatly reduced through the purchase of certified organic products. 

Now Back to my Fall Favorites

yellow and orange fleshed Sweet Potatoes, and deep purple skinned piece of Japanese Sweet Potato

SWEET POTATOES and yams are comfort foods for me. Perhaps it's mouthwatering taste is the same reason that this tater is so popular for Thanksgiving dishes and autumn meals. 

Although sweet potatoes and yams taste sugary, eating them without butter or other fatty toppings is helpful in lowering your glycemic index and reducing your hunger and sweet cravings. 

Orange or golden yellow fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and nutrients including Vitamin C. Eat the skin as well as the rest of this vegetable to reap the best nutritional reward. 

Sweet potatoes are a good source of potassium, Vitamin B6, and magnesium too. All work to lower stress, and munching on a sweet potato is a healthy way to fill yourself up without filling you out. 

Sweet potatoes and yams are rich in beta-carotene, which can prevent Vitamin A deficiencies, promotes healthy eyesight, and generates retinol production for healthy skin. 

For a treat you and your family are sure to love try this delicious Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts recipe from Katie Koteen at Well Vegan. It combines two of my featured veggies and is so delicious.

APPLES are juicy, loaded with goodness, and make a perfect snack when you’re at home or on the go. Farmers nowadays grow thousands of varieties, ranging from sweet to tart. 

Red and Golden Delicious are among the sweetest apples. Pink Lady and Crispin are sweet and tart combined. Braeburn and Fuji apples are slightly tart. Granny Smith apples are the most tart, but retain their texture best during cooking. 

Whole apples are a much better nutritional choice than apple juice. Whole apples are richer in dietary fiber. Juicing drastically reduces the polyphenolic phytonutrient concentrations found in the whole fruit. 

Apples are loaded with vitamin C, and almost half of an apple's vitamin C content is just under the skin. That’s why it's important to eat apples with their skins. 

Apples contain insoluble fiber and water, which provides bulk and liquid in the intestinal tract that cleanses and moves food quickly through the digestive system. In addition, apples have soluble fiber, pectin. This nutrient helps prevent cholesterol from building up in the lining of blood vessels, which in turn helps prevent atherosclerosis and heart disease. 

Taste wise, apples are their best from September to November. Eat those that are organic and grown local for best flavor.

Miso Sesame Seed Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa, Beet Greens, and Brussels Sprouts

BRUSSELS SPROUTS are strong (bitter) tasting and yet I love them. This dark green veggie has special cholesterol-lowering benefits. The most nutritious way to cook them is to steam them. 

The fiber-related components in Brussels sprouts do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract, when the sprouts have been steamed. 

Want to lower cholesterol levels? Eat more steamed Brussels sprouts. This bold tasting green vegetable tops the list of commonly eaten cruciferous vegetables. 

Total glucosinolate (a phytonutrient and anti-cancer agent) content is greater than the amount found in mustard greens, turnip greens, cabbage, kale, or cauliflower. 

Consuming one cup of Brussels sprouts at 38 calories provides 195 percent of the DV for vitamin K, 125 percent of vitamin C, 3 grams of protein, and 10 percent or more of vitamin A, vitamin B-6, folate, potassium, and manganese needs for the day. Brussels sprouts fulfill your DV for calcium, with 37 mg per cup. 

Recipe for Roasted Brussels Sprouts

My favorite way to prepare Brussels sprouts is simple and satisfying.

I purchase 2 cups of Brussels sprouts or roughly a pound. I like those that are sold loose or on the stalk. That way, it's easy to pick and choose the best. Select small Brussels sprouts, as they are the most tender and sweet.

Clean off wilted outer leaves and cut off bottom. Soak for a few minutes and then rinse in cool water. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise, and place in a baking dish. Mince 5 or 6 cloves of garlic and sprinkle on sprouts. Pour 1/4 cup water over the sprouts and stir so water and garlic is spread throughout.

Roast in a covered baking dish or roasting pan in a preheated 425 degree F oven for 1/2 an hour.  

Test to see whether the sprouts are thoroughly cooked. Brussels sprouts should be crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. If they aren't crispy on the outside, brown them uncovered for 10 minutes more.

Drain off any water that remains and place on a platter or into a serving bowl. 

Drizzle on 1 Tablespoon of extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. Add fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste. If you'd like, add a splash of fresh squeezed orange, lemon, or lime juice for zing.

Since Brussels sprouts are in- season fall, winter, and early spring in most places, it's a great veggie to serve in those seasons.

Sprouts make a delicious addition to Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, Easter, and Passover meals. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH is a favorite too. It is a type of fall/winter squash that has a sweet nutty taste and tan-yellow skin. The flesh is bright orange. 

Peel off the skin and roast the squash until tender. It makes a tempting side dish along with lentil or bean and rice burritos. Cut butternut squash into chunks and add it to a tossed salad. 

Butternut squash is low in calories but high in many nutrients including Vitamin A, Vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.

PEARS are a luscious yellow, green, brown, or red skin fruit that keeps us hydrated. It contains a lot of water, and packs a variety of helpful nutrients. 

Each medium-sized pear provides about 24% of the Daily Value of fiber. Much of its fiber is in the form of pectin, which reduces cholesterol and decreases the risk of heart disease. 

The fiber in a pear also helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, ensures bowel regularity, and reduces the risk of colon cancer. 

Pears are an ideal snack food that is a good source of vitamin C, and provide 190 mg of potassium. Pears have phytonutrients, including anti-inflammatory flavonoids, anticancer polyphenols and anti-aging flavonoids. 

Studies regarding pear nutrition have linked the fruit’s consumption with lower levels of constipation, kidney stones, high cholesterol, and even diabetes.

Well folks...that's my take on Favorite Fall Fruit and vegetables. Eat color intense fall produce to maintain your health as well as enjoy their distinctive flavors.

This post is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. Although I research and fact-check every post, if you seek medical or nutrition advice, see a health care provider.

Before you go, please take a moment to comment. 

Scroll down, and comment at the bottom of this post. Please put no links in your comment as I won't be able to publish it that way.

Please tell me about ways you like to serve fall fruits and vegetables. 

What new tips or facts did you learn about fall fruits and veggies? 

Why not let me know what are your fall favorites?

If you like what you see, like this on social media and drop by again.

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