October Is A Great Month To…

October is a great month to…Here are over 100 ideas and reasons why October is a month worth celebrating! There is so much to love about October! Read this post, and you will want to celebrate October too!

Happy October, Friends! October is one of my very favorite months! The weather is glorious, the leaves are saturated with color, and pumpkins dot the fields here in Lancaster County! It’s also birthday month. Not mine, but so many people I love are born this month, so we do a lot of celebrating!

If you love October, let me know in the comments below!

Actually, from now until the New Year feels like one big holiday!

Let’s look at some favorite things to do in October!

Fall Home Tours

October is a great month to visit fall home tours! Make sure to check out two of my most recent home tours for 2023. My home tour this fall featured lots of fall organics, real and faux! I really enjoyed decorating our home this year. Come visit our Simple And Organic Fall Home Tour and our Fall Kitchen Tour.

I decorate for a fall tour every year. I like to change my decor up to give you lots of ideas for your fall home. Come see my 2022 Use What You Have Fall Home Tour and our 2022 Fall Kitchen Tour.

On a side note, it will be four years on October 14th that we have been living at our Tanglewood house. Come see what it looked like a few days after we moved in! Sometimes, I think we are moving so slowly because we still have several projects to complete. Then I look at the images of our most recent fall tour and think we are progressing along just fine. Decorating and renovating take time.

October Is Pumpkin Month

One of the things that make October so special is pumpkins! What is it about the humble pumpkin that makes it wildly popular? I think it might be the shapes and the stems. Or the array of colors pumpkins come in.

Whatever it is, that je ne sais quoi, pumpkins are on the top of the October list.

And let’s not forget that pumpkins are squash, and we love their diversity too!

Celebrate Pumpkin Month by making one fun pumpkin DIY! Here are a few pumpkin DIYs that are easy to make and will help October decorating look so much prettier!

Blue And White Chinoiserie Pumpkins are not only easy to make and beautiful, but they are fun! Even if you are not crafty, you can make a few to use in your fall home.

Here’s another easy pumpkin DIY. Carve out the center of a baby boo pumpkin and drop of votive inside, making the sweetest Fall Pumpkin Candle.

And aren’t these Mini Succulent Topped Pumpkins adorable? They are so easy. I used them on my Thanksgiving table.

I just posted 10+ Best Fall Pumpkin Decorating Ideas, easy and tried and true ideas for decorating with pumpkins. So grab a few real pumpkins to decorate with and enjoy them inside and out this month!

Hunter’s Moon

The full moon in October is called the Hunter’s Moon and graces the sky on October 28th. I think fall full moons are the best! Wrap up warmly and go outside to enjoy this beautiful moon. And hope for clear skies!

Making Changes In Fall Decor

October is also a great month to make some changes to your fall decor. I decorate for fall a bit early, and my decor reflects the earlier part of the season. As the middle of fall rolls around, I want to add more pumpkins and warmer colors and fabrics and organics like pheasant feathers and brambly wreaths to our home.

No more apples or dried hydrangeas and a lot less green. Out comes the deep orange and gold tartans and brown dried gourds, and I add a bit of metal like brass and silver to reflect the candlelight I love this time of year!

Our front porch gets a makeover in October, too. I like to hang a wreath with lots of deep fall colors on our front door!

See how easy it is to make this gorgeous, Bright And Brambly Fall Wreath.

October is the best time to start thinking about how to transition from all the fall decorations in our home to Thanksgiving and then to Christmas.

Over the years, I’ve found an easy way to ease from one month to another. I usually put a lot of my fall decor away by the end of October. I pair it down to some of my best Thanksgiving decor. This makes taking the Thanksgiving things away when I’m ready to start decorating for Christmas so much easier!

Make sure you check out The Smart Girl’s Guide To Fall Decorating. I share a step-by-step plan for the easiest way to decorate any season. This is a post you will want to read, bookmark, and pin! I like a “slow roll” when it comes to adding, editing, and putting away seasonal decor. So October is the time to think about the decor for the rest of the year!

Holidays And Other Days In October

October is brimming with holidays and official days for this and that! Grab your calendar and mark the days you want to celebrate!

October 1st- World Vegetarian Day, 2- National Day Of Non-Violence, 3- Mean Girl Appreciation Day (the movie), 4- National Cinnamon Roll Day, 5- National Be Nice Day, 6- National Garlic Day, 7- National Frappe Day, 8- National Pierogi Day, 9- International Beer and Pizza Day ?.

10- National Anglel Food Day, 11- Southern Food Heritage Day, 12- National Gumbo Day, 13- National Fossil Day, 14- National Dessert Day, 15- National Cheese Curd Day. 16- National Liquor Day, 17- National Pasta Day, 18- National Cupcake Day ?, 19- National Friend Day, 20- National Brandied Fruit Day.

21- International Day of Nachos, 22- Eat A Pretzel Day, 23- National Boston Cream Pie Day, 24- National Bologna Day, 25- National Art Day, 26- National Pumpkin Day?, 27- American Beer Day, 28- National Chocolate Day, 29- National Cat Day?‍⬛, 30- National Haunted Refrigerator Night, 31-Halloween ?.

Did you know that more babies are born on October 5th than on any other day of the year? I bet you can figure out why?

October’s weather is known as sweater weather. How wonderful.

Other Reasons To Love October

Here are just a few reasons to love October. Share the reasons you love October in the comments.

Football, candles, beautiful leaves, bonfires and fire pits, apple and pumpkin picking, hayrides, coffee with pumpkin spice creamer, carving jack-o-lanterns, Reese’s peanut butter pumpkins, falling leaves, apple cider, mulled wine, fall festivals, mums, Pumpkin Spice Lattes, corn stalks, wearing cozy scarves, Oktoberfest, walking on crunchy leaves, kids in cute Halloween costumes, dogs and cats dressed up in adorable costumes, eating roasted pumpkin seeds, family birthdays, and so much more. Add to this list in the comments!

October is so special. Do something to celebrate it every day!

Peruse Your Christmas Decorating Stash

NOW is the best time to head to where your Christmas decor is stashed with a smartphone and a pen and paper.

If you have not culled and curated your Christmas decor in a while, now is the time to do it. Tired or broken decor or decor that is not your best is just taking up precious storage space or even mental space. Get rid of it! Let it go!

Once the task of getting rid of old decor is done, you will be left with the decor you can use! October is a great month for creating a plan for Christmas decorating! To help you remember what you have that you will want to use, do two things…

Now you know exactly what you have to work with.

Begin A Christmas Decorating Plan

Now is the time to give thought to your Christmas home. Seriously, it’s not too early. December 2nd is only nine weeks away! And you will probably want to be decorating then, if not before.

I like to start by perusing blogs, magazines, and Pinterest for Christmas decorating ideas. It’s the smart thing to do! Inspiration and a little visual image will help me start forming my own Christmas plans. I have a blogging friend who finds images from all over and prints them out in color. She keeps files of these images, so when it is time to make her Christmas decorating plan, she has tons of ideas right in front of her! She’s a smart one! I am doing the same this year!

You might like to visit a few of my past Christmas Tours for a little inspiration …

Choose A Christmas Color Story In October

You might want to decide on your Christmas color palette in October. If you have never done this before and have lots of Christmas decor, it is a great way to give the decor you have a designer look!

Instead of using all your decor, pick out the best you have in a Christmas color palette you love and set your decor aside. So when you need it, you will know exactly where it is!

Here’s a little sneak peek at the colors I’ve chosen for Christmas 2023.

I loved the colors from last year’s Christmas decor, so I’ll be using a lot of the same elements throughout our home but in different ratios. More red and some citron green.

October is a great month to decide on some basic Christmas decorating!

More Christmas Thing To Check Off Your List Starting In October

I know! I hear you when you say that it’s too early to think about Christmas. But we are multi-taskers! We can walk and chew gum at the same time, right? We can enjoy October and plan for Christmas. Believe me, the earlier we plan for the holiday season, the easier it will be!

You can start by…

October is such a celebration. It is nice to have a bit of Christmas planning added in, too!

Swap Out Summer Bedding For Fall

Now is a great time to do a deep cleaning under and around your bed. And change up your bedding for light but warmer layers. I’ll be using my brown velvet quilt and shams on our bed this fall with a big chunky throw so I can pull it up when I want to take a quick nap.

October Eats

If you are a seasonal eater, like we are, then you are so excited for warming, fall flavors and hearty filling food.

Soup is big in our home any time of year, but it tastes so good as the weather gets cooler and the days get shorter!

Fall Football Food

We are big football fans and spend time rooting for our teams. Sunday lunch/dinner often involves the whole family!

We set up a Chili Bar on the kitchen island, make a big pot of chili, and put out all kinds of yummy things to go alongside the chili!

We like to set up a soup bar and let everyone help themselves at halftime.

FALL SOUPS

This week is a big birthday week at our house so I’m also making soup to have on hand for lunches. And next weekend, we are having our extended over for soup and dessert. I’m making a new soup and will get the recipe up on the blog soon after.

Until then, why not try one of the soups below.

All these soups can be doubled and frozen. I like to freeze soup in four-cup containers because they make a nice meal.

Last month, I raved about my favorite September dessert, Raw Apple Cake.

October’s sweet treat is so easy to make. It’s made doctoring up a box mix! Pumpkin Spice Cake With Maple Glaze is an autumn must-make! The maple glaze makes this pumpkin cake a winner!

And make sure to try Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake With A Streusel Topping And Vanilla Glaze.

OCTOBER IS A GREAT MONTH TO BUY FALL DECOR ON SALE

Once October rolls around, lots and lots of fall decor goes on sale. Businesses want to make room for Christmas decor that will, if not already, be showing up on store shelves and online.

If you like StoneGable style, then you will love the Harvest Shops At StoneGable!

I’ve curated pretty fall decor with you in mind, and lots of items are on sale. Check back often to see new items going on sale this month.

You might also like my Amazon Shop. Every week I add seasonal decor, clothing, and other goodies to the shop.

And look for the StoneGable Christmas Shops at the end of the month.

GRAB A PLAID OR TARTAN THROW

October is the time to start displaying and using all those gorgeous fall-textured throws. My favorite, without a doubt, are tartan and plaid throws.

Sure, drape one over a chair or sofa or across a bed, but also think about using a fall throw in other ways, too!

Here are other ways to put your throws to work…

SPEND LOTS OF TIME OUTSIDE

Soaking in the gorgeous colors of fall and cooler weather is a must in October. Even if your weather or scenery does not change much, it’s still important to get outside!

I’m a collector as I walk! Here are my favorite things to look for this time of year…

• acorns
• pinecones
• black walnuts in their husks
• pretty fall leaves
• wildflowers and other flora
• bark
• moss

Just remember you might bring home a few critters along with your treasure from your walk. Acorns can be full of bugs. And pinecones can be sap ladened.

To get rid of the pinecone sap and bugs… put the pinecones on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Stick the baking tray into a 200° oven for about 20 minutes. Let the pinecones cool, and that’s it! Use them in your decor!

Debugging acorns is not as cut and dry! First, inspect your acorns and toss any that have cracks or tiny 1/8-inch holes in them. They are notorious for being a home to weevil larvae. Remove the tops of the acorns and set them aside. Wash the acorns well and let them dry for 24 hours. Then place the acorns on a foil-lined baking sheet in a single layer and pop them into a 200 ° oven for 2 hours. Keep the door cracked to let out any steam, and turn them every 30 minutes.

Cool completely and discard any burnt acorns. Now they are ready to be used. Hot glue acorn tops back onto the acorns if you wish.

My favorite thing to collect is fall leaves. I usually come home from a walk with a bunch in the pocket of my jacket!

Using one or even several pretty leaves, you can make this easy Fall Leaf Candleholder. This is one for the not-crafty bunch! You will feel so accomplished.

Add a few real or faux acorns to the base of the glass hurricane! So pretty!

Back To Christmas

Did you know that the event I wait for all year happens in 18 days! On Friday, October 20th, The Hallmark Chanel starts their Christmas Movies! Yay! Here’s a preview of their Countdown To Christmas Countdown. and get the schedule guide Here.

My favorite Christmas Movies are…

Haul Out The Holly, Lacy Chabert’s first foray into comedy. She was adorable! And this Christmas, Haul Out The Holly: All Lit Up is brand new! Three Wise Men And A Baby is another. That synchronized dance is hysterical, and the baby is adorable.

I also like A Shoe Addicts Christmas, A Christmas Detour, Christmas In Rome, and the Christmas in Evergreen Series, just to name a few.

Make sure you add your favorites in the comments.

Halloween And Trick Or Treat

I’m not much of a Halloween fan, but I do love to hand out goodies when trick-or-treaters come to our door. Since we moved to our home on a golf course, we don’t get trick-or-treaters. Such a disappointment!

But this year, our son and his family now live close to us, so we will hopefully be giving them a hand at home while they take the little kids around the neighborhood. I might just dress up as a dinosaur and hand out candy! And yes, we do have an adult-size dinosaur costume. Bobby has scared many a little kid on trick-or treat night.

If you don’t get trick-or-treaters at your home, think about giving a family who has kids some help. It will make their time and yours on this spooky night extra fun! And many churches have safe trick-or-treating events. Donate wrapped candy or help out.

I hope you have enjoyed all the things October holds. Can you think of anything October special about this amazing month? Please share in the comments.

Click On The Video Below For More Fall Inspiration