Ahh, the crisp smell of autumn air is among us. I, for one, love fall. I truly love the few last months I get of (usually) snowless weather before the Minnesota (colder than) cold hits. I honestly used to not be as big of a fan of fall as I am now. Fall meant back to school, no more sleeping in, and no more sunny days at the beach...and I love my beach days. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate autumn for the awesomeness that it is. Now, since I’ve grown fonder of the season, there are a few things that I consistently look forward to along the way. I know we’re not quite all the way into the season yet, but here are five of my favorite things that I’m looking forward to this fall.

1. The warm clothing.

I LOVE leggings. I don’t care if you don’t think they count as pants. To me, they are. The right leggings are key. And yes, I sound very basic, but a lot of the things I love are basic; even though I myself, am more complex. But clothing to me doesn’t need to be complex. I know the clothing and styles I like, the stores I like to get my clothes from, and how often I’m going to wear these items. And I wear nothing as much as I wear leggings. Leggings are God’s gift to girls. They’re comfy, cute, and can be casual or dressed up. I personally hate wearing jeans; I just want to be comfortable. Leggings are just the way to go, and they’re perfect for fall weather. Along with my classic black leggings, I like to wear sweaters. I am genuinely always cold in the fall and winter, so sweaters are the other classic staple in my wardrobe. I like them soft, never scratchy, and usually in a more neutral color. And then there are the boots! I can’t do anything with a heel on account of my superior clumsiness and talent of tripping over my own feet, so combat boots are my go-to. I like the ones with a low-to-the-ground, minimal heel, and only a few inches up past my ankle. I don’t like tall boots, I’m just weirdly picky like that. I like my classic combat boots the way they were meant to be worn — with possibly every outfit I own.

2. Pumpkin everything.

I’m going to be super basic now and tell you how much I love pumpkin. I love pumpkins even on their own; they’re cute, make for good decoration, and they’re fun to carve. They are the epitome of fall. Pumpkin flavored things aren’t all that bad either. I love the smell of pumpkin candles so much I have to physically resist wanting to taste them, that’s how good I think they smell. I’m also a fan of pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin butter, and though I eat them separately, I’m sure there’s a delicious combination to be made somewhere. And of course, I can’t forget pumpkin spice lattes. Even though I’m not much of a coffee person, I find it hard to pass up one of these tasty treats. All props go to Caribou and Starbucks for that one, all of us basics love you for these dessert drinks, while others judge us mercilessly as we relish. Sorry guys, but I’m not sorry.

3. Apple orchards.

This was a tradition that was started with my family at a young age. My family and I would pick a random Saturday or Sunday during mid-fall, and we would go to one of the nearby apple orchards in town. We’d ride on the tractors, sitting on the barrels of hay, and when we would arrive at the long, vast fields of apple trees with our basket in hands, we would pick as many apples as we physically could hold. The famous honey crisp apples were always go-to, but we grabbed other kinds as well. When we made our way back to the inside of the barn where you pay, we would always grab a few containers of fresh honey for the many breakfasts ahead to cover our toast with. I have a lot of fond memories of those apple orchards, and they’re memories that I’ve continued to expand on over the years. That apple orchard shut down a few years ago, so in my attempts to find a new one, I came across Emma Krumbee’s Apple Orchard (Farm & Restaurant) where I’ve been going for the past two years. Emma Krumbee’s is located in Belle Plaine, MN so it’s a bit outside of the cities, but the spot is worth the drive. Emma Krumbee’s is a pretty large orchard with pick yourself options or you can just buy already picked ones on the spot in several areas. There’s a large general store filled with goodies like apple cider mini donuts, caramel apples, kettle corn, and lots of little autumn, Halloween, and Christmas inspired trinkets. It’s an Etsy-er’s dream come true in there (as well as mine). There’s also small, large, warty, and the cutest mini jack be little and ironside pumpkins available for sale outside on the grounds; I always get at least one mini pumpkin just to put in my room and then a larger one to carve closer towards Halloween. There’s a restaurant on the other side of the orchard closer to the parking lot that’s a hit with the elders and young ones, and people like me, Leslie Knope, and Ron Swanson who just want some waffles, bacon, and eggs in their life. And last but not certainly not least, Emma Krumbee’s every year does a Scarecrow Festival, and it’s my favorite thing ever. This 33rd Annual Scarecrow Festival started on September 10th and lasts until October 30th. The runway-like lineup outside on the farmland includes over 100 unique, handcrafted scarecrows that are created locally, are entered in, and then are put up on display. I have seen some pretty creative ones over the last two years, to ones that made me laugh from pop culture references, to ones that actually kind of creeped me out because it can be hard to not make a scarecrow look like it’s going to murder you. I’m very much looking forward to seeing the new lineup this year! Also, one more bonus about this apple hunting day of adventure is the little activity you can throw in your day on the side. On the way to Belle Plaine, you pass Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store in the town of Jordan. I highly recommend stopping inside if you’ve never been on your way home (or way there— it’s really up to you). It’s a very large place with almost any kind of treat or candy you can imagine. It’s Minnesota’s version of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (RIP Gene Wilder), but even weirder perhaps, if you’d like to get your hands on a tub of bacon-flavored cotton candy, or for the more timid, a packet of razzles to take you right back to your childhood. See you very soon, my sweet sweet friend.

4. Halloween.

This fun, freaky day of All Hallows’ Eve is my absolute favorite holiday. I love everything about Halloween, from the decor to the (pastime of) trick-or-treating, to the dressing up in costumes. I love being able to get creative with costumes and I enjoy coming up with pair or group costumes you can wear with others. When I was in elementary school, before young fun became overthrown and shadowed with rules and regulations, they used to do a costume parade throughout the hallways of the school. I loved being able to do those costume parades where I would get to show off my latest creation. One year a princess, one year Pocahontas, and one year a pop star by reusing an old dance costume and fake glittery microphone. I was always that person who wanted to start trick-or-treating the second I got home— I had absolutely zero patience. I eventually quit trick-or-treating when it no longer became socially acceptable as I got older, but my love for Halloween has never diminished. I love to look around closer to the holiday and see the lengths some people will go to decorate their homes, and though I’m a huge baby and not much for cheap thrills like haunted houses, I don’t mind super scary things as much on this day. I’ll probably dabble in a scary movie or two, minus the ones involving masks because I don’t need to give myself one more reason to be paranoid when I’m home alone, but I will abso-frickin-lutely watch “Hocus Pocus” and “Halloweentown” because they’re easily the best Halloween movies of all time. I will also dress up (most likely as one part of a couples costume) and head out on the town for a fun night of Halloween fright. My absolute favorite costume I ever did was for Halloween of 2013 and it wasn’t even a costume actually, but a slit throat my roommates and I did ourselves using homemade fake blood. If anyone is in need of a recipe, we used corn syrup, red food coloring, and cocoa powder. It tasted really sweet, looked rather realistic, and dripped slowly down my neck, eventually drying in thick red lines. It was a cheap and effective look for the night that I will absolutely recreate one of these Halloween's— only next time, I will wear my hair up. Waking up with sticky fake blood stuck in your hair requires quite a few washes to get out.

5. Cozy nights in, TV shows back on.

Sure, fall festivals and Oktoberfest is great, but I like to just stay in sometimes— specifically while sandwiched between a tie fleece blanket and my couch. I’m an ambivert, so I like my quiet time, as well as my people time — fall means I get both, without having to hang out with anyone. Once September hits, the shows start rolling in. You know the deal, they typically begin in September and end sometime in May. Some shows I enjoy air over the summer, which is nice, but most of them are regularly scheduled. Therefore they’re coming back people — and I’m ready for them! I have always been the person who has a distinct few shows that I love and I always watch religiously each season. I enjoy watching the lives of the main characters grow along with mine and I genuinely get invested in the character’s struggles and hardships, even though they’re fictitious. Fall time means I get to set aside an hour (or two) of my night, one to three (or four) days a week, and I get to forget about my own life and invest in someone else’s. I think having a favorite TV show is a great way to escape when you need to. Music, movies, and books are great for escaping, but you can’t always get new chapters of them every week because they reach conclusions within minutes, hours, and days and don’t always return with another album or sequel. TV shows are great because they keep you entertained for months. This year I plan to keep up with the likes of shows such as “Scream Queens,” “American Horror Story,” “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Originals” (kind of a packaged deal), “New Girl,” and “Shameless.” I’ll be sure to pick up a few new shows along the way that I’ll probably abandon half way through, but I do have a list I try to remain loyal to. Now, if only the second season of “Stranger Things” was on Netflix already. Sigh...