It’s no wonder that many people refer to fall as their favorite season of the year. With cooler temperatures, changing colors, the start of new school terms, Halloween fun, and football rivalries, there is a lot to enjoy and celebrate. Bringing the joys of fall into your own home can make it a festive haven for friends and family. Here are some ideas for celebrating the season at your house:
Decorate
Dressing up the outside of your home can be as simple as hanging a seasonal wreath on the front door or putting down a fall-themed door mat. If you want to take it a step further, create an autumn display with pumpkins, gourds, and straw bales or decorate your mailbox and hang Halloween lights. Inside your home, deck your mantel with colorful leaves and garlands and add a festive fall centerpiece to your dining table. Display autumn-themed dishes and towels in the kitchen, and sprinkle fresh flowers and candles in fall colors throughout your home for a cheerful feel.
Cook
Celebrating by cooking seasonal goodies has the added benefit of making your house smell like fall, too. Some popular autumnal ideas include pumpkin bread, apple cake, soups, roasted butternut squash, pot roast, Halloween sugar cookies, pecan pie, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, and butterscotch haystacks.
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Garden
Plant fall flowers, such as pansies and mums, in containers or flower beds. Ornamental peppers and cabbages also add nice texture and color. Clean leaves and debris from your turf to let sunlight in and prevent lawn disease. Fall can also be a great time to prune back shrubs and trees in many growing zones.
Gather
Fall is a great time to entertain friends and family, and it doesn’t have to be a lavish affair. Bring children into the fun by planning a Halloween party, a scavenger hunt, or a hayride. Host a chili party with all the fixings, or invite a crowd to watch football and serve hot dogs and popcorn.
Crafts
Tap into your creative side by carving pumpkins or decorating them with glitter and paint. Invite the children in your life to make leaf art, garlands, fall wreaths, pinecone turkeys, or peanut butter and bird seed feeders to hang from branches. Instead of buying Halloween costumes, take the time to create one using your imagination and items you already have in your home.
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Give
Donate to a favorite charity or an organization that needs increased financial support during colder weather. Donate your time by volunteering at a local soup kitchen, food bank, or at a pumpkin patch or corn maze that raises money for a worthy cause. Ask an elderly neighbor if you can help with leaf removal or simple home repairs. Take home-baked fall goodies to neighbors.
Plan Ahead
In anticipation of colder temperatures, have your home’s heating system serviced and inspected. If you don’t already have this valuable protection, add an HSA home warranty to protect your household budget from unexpected, covered breakdowns that can be expensive and inconvenient. Visit onlinehsa.com to learn more about why coverage is the smart choice for any season of the year.
See the plan contract at onlinehsa.com coverage details, including service fees, limitations and exclusions. Charges for non-covered items may apply.