MY TOP TEN HYGGE THINGS TO DO DURING SPOOKY SEASON

Autumn is my favorite Hygge time of year. What is Hygge? Hygge, (Pronounced Hoo-ga), is a Norwegian and Danish word that relates to feelings of comfort and coziness, so to speak. It's that feeling of contenment you get when you are sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows, while snuggled up with a comfy blanket. I definitley could use more Hygge in my life, especially after a rough few years. When life gets tough, we need to do things to help us wind down, refuel, and get our groove back. That's why I wanted to write an article about some of my favorite Hygge things to do in the fall:

1. Apple Picking: Who doesn't love freshly baked apple pie? It's so much fun going to a farm or orchard and picking your own apples! Especially if the place you choose to pick from is picturesque, which most are, so you can take tons of pictures. It's a great activity for families and couples alike. Besides picking apples, there's apple cider donuts to munch, hot apple cider to drink, and depending on where you go, other fun activies. Just google, " Apple Picking Near Me," to find the orchard or farm nearest you. Once you're home with your apples, you can either eat them as they are, or make a yummy dessert. The possibilities are endless! Here is one of my favorite recipes to get you started:

Easy Peasy Apple Crisp:

Ingredients: Crumb Topper Continued:

Apple Filling: 1 cup of oat flour

10 apples of your choice Cored, peeled, and sliced) 1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup of light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda

1 tablespoon of oat flour 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 8 tablespoons of vegan butter, melted (Can use regular butter, if you like)

1/4 cup of water

Crumb Topper:

1 cup of rolled oats

Instructions:

Preheat Oven to 350

Take the sliced apples and arrange them in a 9"X13" baking dish. Pour the 1/4 cup of water in the dish. Whisk the cup of light brown sugar, in a small bowl with 1 tablespoon of oat flour, add cinnamon and mix lightly. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the apple slices. Next, place the rolled oats, flour, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl, and stir to combine. Pour the melted butter in, and use a fork to incorporate it into the mixture. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apples.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender. Serve warm with whipped topping, and enjoy!

2. Host A Bonfire: If you have a fire pit in your backyard, you can host a fun marshmallow roast. Gather some light blankets, cozy chairs, marshmallow fixins, and have at it. Tell ghost stories (Not too scary, please!), and play silly games. What if you don't have a fire pit or a backyard? No worries, you won't be left out of the fun. You can still roast marshmallows with a portable, table top s'mores maker. (I know, because I have one, and it works great!) Then take your ooey gooey treats and go outside and stargaze, or stay inside and turn out all the lights and use flashlights to tell spooky stories, watch a favorite Halloween movie, or play a fun board game. You can also find some entertaining Halloween games on Pinterest.

3.Create Your Own Halloween Costume: No need to spend a ton of money on a Halloween costume when you can make one yourself. It doesn't have to be fancy, but you can have a lot of fun making it. Be creative, get ideas from pictures on-line, or borrow some books from the library to inspire your creative juices. Thinking of being a pirate? The Dollar store usually has bandanas, fake swords, and the like. If you have a sewing machine, you can take out some sewing pattern books from the library too, or you can find free sewing patterns on-line. I don't own a sewing machine, and enjoy sewing by hand. If you're a knitter or crocheter, there's even more possibilities. You can even go to the craft store and purchase felt,( which is usually inexpensive), and some fabric glue, and compose a one of a kind original. Don't take it too seriously, and just have fun. Who are you going to be this year?

4. Have A Football Party: Gather your favorite ghouls, I mean friends, and enjoy the game with some good eats. Make some salsa or guac to serve with chips, a pot of chili, some oven baked french fries, or whatever comfort foods you and your guests love, and root for your favorite team with a happy, satisfied bellies. It doesn't have to be fancy, you can just whip up some simple Hors d'oeuvres, (Again, Pinterest is great for ideas), or do a pot luck where everyone brings a little something. Enjoy the game, and spending time with friends and family.

5. Gal Pal , Couples, or Family Movie Night: Grab your best gal pal, your partner, or the whole family and snuggle up to watch a fall themed movie. Break out the cozy blankets, light some candles, and get the popcorn ready for some festive Hygge fun. Here are some favorite autumn themed movies to get you started:

Practical Magic Hocus Pocus (kiddos)

Dead Poets Society Bettlejuice (older kiddos)

When Harry Met Sally The Goonies (kiddos)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Great for the kiddos) Halloween Town (kiddos)

Autumn in New York Halloween (Not For kiddos, lol)

You've Got Mail The Nightmare Before Christmas

Harry Potter And The Sorceror's Stone October Sky

Sleepy Hollow E.T.

Just to name a few, I'm sure you can come up with many more!

6. Don't Forget The Pumpkin Patch: Pumpkin picking goes along the lines of apple picking, well sort of. Instead of picking from a tree, you're picking out a pumpkin from the ground. Again, google pumpkin patches in your area and do some internet sluething to see which is the best place is for you. Some places charge entry fees, and some don't. Check out reviews, and see what other people are saying, so you'll have an idea of what to expect. A lot of the patches or farms have petting zoos, corn mazes, hay rides, and lots of homemade goodies. Once you take home your pumpkins, you can decorate them, carve them, or turn them into pumpkin pie.....Mmmmm, pie.

7. Visit A Haunted House: Do you love spooky places and things that go bump in the night? Visit a haunted house or spend a night at a haunted hotel, if you dare. Haunted houses can be fun, I'm talking about the amusement park kind, hee hee. There are some amusement parks that offer Halloween fun like Hershey Park in Pennsylvania, or Six Flags Great Adventure. Also, Disney World celebrates, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Universal Studios does Halloween Horror Nights, (I went there years ago, and it was a blast. Plenty of haunted houses and ghouls!). If you just want to just stay local, then googling what's in your area is the best option. You could also search for haunted hotels to stay at. I'm not sure I'm brave enough for that one yet. If you do decide to check one out, also research what else is in the vicinity of the hotel, such as, restaurants, ghost tours, places to shop, etc. Whatever you choose, have a spooktacular time!

8. Get Crafty: I love fall crafts. Something fun to do with the kiddos is collecting leaves and using them for crafts. Give each child a bag for their leaves and head out to a park or walk around your neighborhood and see how many different leaves and colors you can each find. Take pictures to use in a scrapbook later on, which can be a seperate craft for another time. Once you return home you can have the children trace the leaves and color in the tracings to make nice pictures, make collages, glue them to construction paper, and then take pictures of each artist's work to put in the scrapbook afterward. The Dollar stores have cute, Halloween and fall inspired coloring book- for all ages, crayons, and many inexpensive craft items. Once again, the librray is your best friend here. There are tons of holiday themed craft books at the library. I love thumbing through them and gazing at all of the cozy looking pictures, which definitley give me Hygge vibes.

9. Bake Something: Dust off your cookie cutters, muffin pans, and pie tins! There are bushels of fall goodies to make, (See what I did there? Don't forget those apples you just picked!), and Autumn is the season to make yummy stuff. Caramel apples, pumpkin and apple pies, fluffy muffins, Halloween cookies, and so many more delicious treats are at your fingertips. I love baking, it's cathartic for me, and then I get to enjoy something I've created. You can bake with your kids, with your partner, your friends; Or bake something for an elderly neighbor. I like to bake cupcakes for our local police and fire departments during the holidays. Baking brings smiles for many miles.

10. Just Breathe: That's right, sit back, and relax. Make some time for you. Sip a pumpkin spiced latte, or whatever your favorite hot beverage is, curl up with a good book, and just give into some self care. Self care is importatnt because we can't take care of others if we're not taking care of ourselves, by running on empty. Unwind, and go for a walk on a crisp day. Notice the beautiful colors of the fall foliage, the sweet singing of the birds, and all the nature around you. Decide what your Hygge is and surround yourself with the coziness you deserve.