Fall is the best time of year by far. Green leaves give way to a rainbow of hues. Summer’s muggy air takes on a crisp edge. You finally get to break out your well-loved hoodie.
But some years fall sneaks up on us. We find our teeth chattering at the bonfire because we forgot to stock up on sweaters. Our front doors are still decorated from the Fourth of July. Even our refrigerators are still stocked with hydrating sports drinks at a time when apple cider is at its peak of flavor.
This year, don’t let that happen to you. Stock up on your fall essentials. Here are the clothing items, outdoor decorations, and kitchen products you need to greet fall’s chilly embrace with style.
But first, check out our collection of things you need right now to stay healthy and comfortable as the thermometer outside starts to dip.
Fall Self-Care: The “Get it Now” Collection
Before you get into the really fun stuff, it’s important to make sure you’re ready to care for yourself as the weather outside begins to change. That’s why we put together this list of self-care items that will keep you at your best so you can really enjoy the season of jack o’lanterns and bonfires:
1. Fancii Cool Mist Personal Mini-Humidifier
As the temperature dips, the air gets dryer and dryer. Switch on the heat in your home or office and things only get worse. That’s why you need this adorable and super-effective personal humidifier.
All you need is a regular old water bottle and you can hydrate your personal space no matter where you go. The Cool Mist Personal Mini-Humidifier is ideal for your nightstand, your work desk, or wherever life’s travels take you.
2. Himalayan Salt Exfoliating Scrub
All that fun in the sun this summer might have left your skin dry, dull, and damaged. Renew yourself for the fall season with this exfoliating scrub, which uses real Himalayan salt and oils of lychee fruit and sweet almond to refresh and reinvigorate the skin.
This scrub is all-natural and full of nutrients that can address the damage caused by summer sunshine and a few too many dips in the chlorinated pool. As an added bonus, its brilliant pink hue looks great on bathroom shelves.
Hydrating lotions are just fine for the summertime, when your sweat and oil glands are working overtime anyway, but come fall, it’s time to switch to a thick, luxurious cream. This moisturizing formula from CeraVe creates a thicker barrier than a lotion, locking in hydration to keep your skin healthy and gorgeous well into the winter.
This gentle cream is free of oils, fragrances, and irritating ingredients. It’s ideal for virtually any skin type.
The key to beating chapped, dry hands this winter is to start hydrating during the fall. This fast-absorbing hand cream from Neutrogena infuses your hands with moisture and nutrients so they’ll be ready for the cold.
This dermatologist-recommended lotion won’t leave your hands feeling greasy. It’s gentle enough for everyday use, and we recommend it for use through the fall and winter months.
The attractive spherical packaging is the first thing you’ll notice about this powerful lip balm, but it certainly won’t be the last. Its biggest perk? The delightfully soft, kissable lips you get when you use this stuff on a chilly October evening.
This lip balm contains shea butter and vitamin E to provide dependable, long-lasting moisture for your lips. A refreshing-but-subtle vanilla mint flavor completes the experience.
6. Urban CoCo Transitional Wrap
Fall weather can be confusing. One minute you’re freezing—the next, you’re burning up. That’s why this transitional wrap is a must-have. Wear it when you’re chilly, and whip it right off when the thermostat in the office, or the outdoor temps, climb higher than you expected.
Did we mention that it’s absolutely gorgeous? In Ireland, they call traditional capes like these “ruana.” Pretty, but we’ll just stick with “our favorite fall accessory.”
If you’re more of a sweater person than a wrap-wearer, we’ve got just the thing for the coming cold snap. It also boasts just the right mix of comfort and fashion.
This gray faux-wool sweater goes great with the color of changing leaves, and its casual, off-the-shoulder look is perfect for sitting around a bonfire. It’s nice and loose and cozy, so you can pull it on and off as the need arises.
The Fall Fun Collection
Once you’ve got your skincare regimen down for the fall, it’s time to have some fun. There are certain things you can only do in October, like carving pumpkins. Oh, and did we mention “pumpkin spice?” Here are a few things that will get you into the spirit of the season:
1. Glowfrost Autumn Browns Wooden Ball Fairy Lights
Your porch isn’t ready for fall until you have it decked out in magical balls of light that come in perfect shades of autumnal brown. These battery-powered LED bulbs will give you 30 hours or more on a single charge of three AA batteries. Hooray for not having to find an outdoor outlet.
Create the perfect fall ambiance wherever you go. In fact, you could just leave these in the trunk and break out a party on the fly!
Give your nice, toasty living room a delicious scent by burning this natural soy candle. The aromas of cinnamon, sugar, and pumpkin puree emanate gently from this high-quality candle.
It will burn for hours and hours. Get into the fall spirit with a candle you’ll fall in love with. You might even start burning these all winter long.
Get it from Sur La Table here.
3. Green Mountain Coffee Pumpkin Spice K-Cups
Speaking of pumpkin spice, nothing beats curling up with a good book (more on that later) and a cup of this delicious flavored coffee. Even better, it’s packaged in K-Cups for a quick service from your Keurig coffee brewer.
These beans are all fair-trade certified, so you can sip without guilt. This is a package of 24 K-Cups, so you might need to get a few. Stock up now; this is only a seasonal offering.
4. Aicok Slow-Masticating Cold-Press Juicer
In fall, the apples ripen. Get the most from your bounty with this slow-masticating juicer from Aicok.
Unlike a conventional centrifugal juicer, this low-speed model takes the time to get all the nutrients and delicious flavor from your autumn apple harvest.
5. Pleasant Hill Grain Tabletop Fruit Press
If you prefer to make your apple cider the old-fashioned way, pick up this 1.25-gallon fruit press. It comes with an anti-rotation plate that you can screw into any surface (we like a workbench). Then you’re ready to press your autumn apples until they release their sweet juices.
There’s nothing like fresh apple juice made the old-fashioned way! In fact, going to a pick-your-own orchard, bringing home the harvest, and pressing fresh juice is a terrific family activity for a cool fall day.
6. Oakwood Silk Fall Door Wreath
At a hefty 22 inches in diameter, this autumn wreath tells your visitors that you’re serious about the season. Don’t wait for the winter holidays to enjoy the beauty of a decorative wreath. Wreath season starts today!
Enjoy the look of dried gourds, pumpkins, and pine cones. The colors are perfect for the season.
7. AmazonBasics 26-Inch Portable Folding Fire Pit
Nothing says autumn like a nice bonfire in the backyard. For those of us who aren’t blessed with tons of space for a giant fire, this portable steel pit is ideal.
The legs fold up and it even comes with its own carrying bag, so you can bring the season’s spirit with you wherever you go.
8. Kindle E-Readers and the Books to Go With Them
One fall activity is greater than all the others combined: curling up by the fire with a good book. Today, in the age of the e-reader, that means picking out a perfect Kindle and the titles to go with it.
Pick your favorite Kindle, then consider setting some time aside for these recent bestsellers:
“Before We Were Yours” by Lisa Wingate
This inter-generational tale of scandal, based on real-life events, is currently No. 4 on Amazon’s most-read charts.
“Little Fires Everywhere” by Celeste Ng
This brilliant novel peers beneath the surface of a wealthy community, examining issues of race, privilege, parenthood, and even destiny.
“Beneath a Scarlet Sky” by Mark Sullivan
This historical novel tells the story of a real-life unlikely hero, an Italian teenager in love and caught up in the drama of World War II.
Of course, even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still enjoy these great fall fireside reads. Find the hardback editions here:
Happy reading, and happy fall! Don’t overdo it on the pumpkin spice…or do. It’s that time of year, after all.
