Fall is my favorite time of year; the cool weather, changing leaves, hearty soups, Halloween, cozy blankets, and preparing for the holidays!
Here are a few of my Fall favorites that I hope add a little warmth to your season.
- Candles. All of them! I am a candle fanatic regardless of the time of year, but Fall scents are what I look forward to purchasing all year long. Marshalls and Bath & Body Works are my top two Winston-Salem destinations for candles. Whenever I’m in the mountains, High Country Candles in Blowing Rock is always on my list.Marshalls is the way to go for price and selection. They have hundreds of candles averaging $7.99-$9.99.
Bath & Body Works 3-wick candles are just awesome, although they are on the pricier side. Take advantage of their Semi-Annual Sale and stock up on your candles then. My recommendations for fall scents are their Mahogany Teakwood, White Pumpkin, and Old Fashioned Cider Donut.
High Country Candles on Main Street in Blowing Rock offers incredible selections of jars and carved candles. They’re by no means cheap, but they are made on-premises, and their scents are amazing.
- Sweater weather, baby! And boots. And jackets. And all the warm things!
I love prepping my wardrobe for fall/winter wardrobe all year long. At the end of winter, I often take advantage of clearance sales on sweaters, jackets, and accessories that are going out of season.
I’m a firm believer in shopping local when you can. Most local boutiques offer online purchases now, so you can reserve what you want and pick it up later. Three of my favorites in my area are South + Main Boutique in Bermuda Run, Wood & Thread on Brookstown Avenue in Winston-Salem, and Hip Chics on Lewisville/Clemmons in Clemmons are all “can’t miss” when you shop at any one of them.My go-to online brands are Vici Dolls for edgy and chic outerwear and sweaters, Abercrombie & Fitch for jeans and bodysuits (you may think a bodysuit is not fall attire but paired with a heavier jacket or shacket ensures comfort without being too hot), and Steve Madden for boots and booties (when I’m not wearing tennis shoes, I’m wearing Steve Madden).
- Wine? Yes, please.
Our local wineries make for perfect fall afternoon ventures. Most wineries have pop-ups for food & music on weekends, and many release their seasonal collections, like, right now!. I recommend visiting Raffaldini Vineyards in Rhonda, N.C., Childress Winery in Lexington, and Medaloni Cellars in Lewisville. What is your favorite winery?Can’t make it to a winery? Check out the selections of local and regional wines available at Poppyseed Provisions on West End Blvd (just down the hill from The Board Babe!), as well as Lowes Foods.
Let’s be honest, fall food can’t be beat! Hearty soups, chilis, stews, pumpkin bread, kettle corn, candy apples, and, of course, fall-themed charcuterie boards! BUT if you’re a candy apple fan like me, do yourself a favor and head to Miss Debbie’s Specialty Apples website to order yours. It really shouldn’t be acceptable for an apple to be that delicious. Death by Chocolate and Peanut Butter Bomb is my favorite to order, but there is something for everyone!
If you’re more of a pumpkin bread fan, here is my Pumpkin Spice Bread recipe, I make many loaves of this at The Board Babe every week!
Pumpkin Spice Bread (makes two loaves):
– 2 15oz. cans Organic Pure Pumpkin
– 3 Room Temp Eggs
– 1 Cup Melted Butter
– 3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
– 3 Cups Sugar
– 1 ¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
– 1 ¾ Teaspoon Baking Powder
– 2 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice Seasoning
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, 3 eggs, and sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, pumpkin spice seasoning, and baking powder. Slowly fold in the flour mixture until combined but be careful not to over mix. Separate into two greased baking pans and bake for 45-50 min or until completely done.
Finally, on my list of Fall Favs are the holidays. How can you not love Halloween and Thanksgiving?! I often feel like these two holidays get overlooked as people are eager to get to Christmas. Every year I love to host a Halloween party with a new theme, fun food, and great company! Covid put a damper on this last year, but this year I’m hosting a small get-together with a Creepy Carnival theme. What are you dressing up as?!
Thanksgiving is likely my most beloved holiday. I have always looked forward to cooking a meal with my mom and sharing the evening with the rest of my family around the dinner table. We eat traditional foods in my house; turkey, stuffing, green beans, deviled eggs, mac’ n cheese, mashed potatoes, gravy, and my personal favorite, my nana’s sweet potato casserole.
We’d love to hear more about your fall favorites; email us at intentionalliving@nulltheboardbabe.net.
