Whether I want to admit it or not, fall is very quickly approaching. Five days from today is the first day of autumn (also, Christmas is 100 days from today, but who cares, right? I know I don't give a shit about getting piles and piles of presents).

It's a little sad to see summer go, but fall is my favourite season. September and October are the very best months of the year. The weather is the best, clothes are more fun, the air smells awesome and there are lots of sports to watch or partake in, if that's what you're into. I love the changing colours, the crisp evening and morning air and the way the sky looks extra blue in fall.

My fall favourites include...

Pumpkin Spice Lattes
I always do a little *squee* dance when the pumpkin spice latte is reintroduced at Starbucks. H2B and I like to get these and walk through the public gardens on Saturdays in September and October (one of my very top-notch fall activities). As with all good things, it was brought to my attention that the pumpkin spice latte is not the most waistline-friendly for us calorie-conscious folk. Starbucks does not offer a sugar free "skinny" version. A tasty alternative is to get a regular skinny latte and pump that sucker full of nutmeg and cinnamon. You can also make one at home using canned pure pumpkin and vanilla soy milk and some other stuff...I can't remember the recipe, but I think you can find it on Hungry Girl.

Pumpkin Carving
I loooove carving pumpkins. I love pulling out the pumpkin guts and making a pumpkin face that would be cool if a 6-year-old had created it. In my case, it's just sad.

Apple Picking
Every Thanksgiving weekend my brother and sister and I go apple picking at the orchard near our house. It's a bit of a thing. We take cameras and ride on a hay wagon to get to the orchard. We also like to be kind of hungry when we go so we can eat apples while we pick and not feel ill.

Scary Movies
Fall is the best time to watch scary movies--the closer to Halloween the better. My little brother and I used to have a scary movie marathon where we'd watch two or three super gross movies late at night. I think we missed it last year...we'll have to bring that back this Thanksgiving.

Pies
I only eat pies in fall. They must be pumpkin or apple.

Thanksgiving
I'm happy that Canadian Thanksgiving is in October because it's still pretty and semi-warm. If we had our Thanksgiving in November it'd be an uber drag. I LOVE Thanksgiving dinner. All the goodness of Christmas dinner without the hustle and bustle. Thanksgiving is like the most relaxed day of the entire year, a day dedicated to being lazy, not working, and appreciating good eats. What's not to like?

Halloween
Coming up with the perfect costume was always one of the most stressful things of the year for me. But then in the past year I crashed my car, got engaged and switched jobs. Suddenly, agonizing over whether to dress up as Catholic schoolgirl Britney or fedora-wearing Britney or shaved-head Britney seems like a vacation. Plus--candy.

Football
I don't even LIKE football but in the fall I convince myself I like it enough to watch at least a game. It's a good excuse to drink beer and eat chips.

Mittens and Hats
Yes, the first mitten-wearing of the season is another favourite. Same as the first toque incident of the year. Being cozy is lovely!

The Clothes!
Summer clothes are hard to pull off because it's no easy feat to look professional and pulled-together without melting into a sweaty greasy mess. In winter, you've got slush to your knees and hat head. Spring equals rain equals flat, frizzy hair. Fall doesn't have any of those issues. You can wear a soft cardigan or a cute lightweight coat.
You can wear boots and tights (aka you don't have to be quite so diligent about shaving your legs). WIN!

September Issues of Magazines
They're always the thickest issues with a gazillion fashiony inspirations for how to waste money over the upcoming season.

Being Scared
Corn mazes and haunted houses and other spooky delights abound during October and I love them!

In short, fall is the best time of year for a plethora of reasons. The weather, the prettiness, the food, the sports, the air, the overall vibe...it's all good. It's why we decided on an October wedding. What do you like about fall?

Thanks to Mama Kat for the prompt!