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/ September 2018

5 Ways to Prepare for the Best Fall Season with Kids

Thanks to vineyard vines & ShopStyle for sponsoring this post! And thanks to you readers for supporting the brands that make my blog possible.

It is a good thing I don’t have to make any major life decisions right now. This pregnancy is messing with my preferences. If you asked me today where I want to live and what I want to eat for the rest of my life I would happily choose to live in the Arctic and only eat raspberries till the day I die. Normally Hawaii is my go to dream home location, and I can’t imagine life without chocolate. Chances are high I would regret those life choices eventually.

Lucky for me, my Arctic wishes are lining up perfectly with the oncoming fall season. Crisp air is beginning to blow in to Pennsylvania and New York, and the need for sweaters is growing daily. Right now I am sitting by my lit fire, surrounded by pumpkin decor, doing a little back to school fall shopping at vineyard vines (their whole site is 25% off right now so how could I resist?!). I just finished a bowl of pumpkin spiced cereal, and am planning a trip to a fall farm later today. I am feeling very festive this morning! Since it is beginning to be autumn, I thought it was the perfect time to share some way to prepare for fall with kids.

5 Ways to Prepare for Fall with Kids

1. Plan Outdoor Activities in Advance

During summer days it is easy to pop outside for some play almost any time of the day. Once fall hits, bad weather will become more and more common! Make sure to prepare for fall by planning outdoor activities a couple days in advance. The beautiful farm we visited in these pictures was closed the day prior due to light rain. We almost drove the half hour there without realizing, but luckily I thought to call in advance and found out they were closed. I saved myself an hour of driving and time in the rain.

Make sure you look up fall activities and festivals in your area a few weeks before fall hits too. This year we already have season passes to this beautiful farm. We were there the first day it opened in order to get the most out of this beautiful season! Planning outdoor activities in advance also helps you dress appropriately for the weather you will be going out in, which brings me to my next point. Get your fall shopping done early to prepare for fall!

2. Get Your Fall Back to School Shopping Done Early

I bought myself and the kids a ton of fall gear while it was still hot and humid outside. I felt kind of silly getting boots, sweaters and scarves when it was 80 degrees and sunny. But when the first day of fall weather came we were already ready to get outside and enjoy the season!

One of the first places I shopped for fall clothes was vineyard vines because they combine cute, back to school styles, with practical and trendy fall fashions so you can do all your shopping in one place. They also have a great selection of fall wear for Kris and for me, and I always appreciate being able to shop for the whole family in one place. Getting your fall wardrobe ready is one of the best ways to prepare for fall, and vineyard vines makes it super easy to do that. Right now they have a friends & family sale going on – that means 25% off storewide! No code needed. You can shop here.

I would recommend buying a few new staple and statement fall pieces each season. Make sure they are high quality and will last a long time, like this beautiful cardigan I bought just recently! Once you have your basic fall staples, you can save a little money with my next tip.

3. Pull Out Last Year’s Fall Gear

Head to your storage and start pulling out all the sweaters, scarves and boots from last year! I pack away my seasonal clothing every year, and it always feels like Christmas when I pull it out and discover things I had totally forgotten. Even though the kids change size every year, I still save a lot of their fall and winter clothes. Coats and sweaters tend to be oversized for layering, so they usually will fit at least two seasons.

Bonus Tip: Save even more money by shopping off season! I always stock up on bathing suits at the beginning of fall and winter, and winter coats and sweaters at the start of spring. Prices drop drastically during this time, so I buy a size up on seasonal gear for my kids and pack it away for next year. Right now vineyard vines has an amazing summer sale and I am stocking up on everything. Head over there before I buy it all!

4. Prepare for More Time Indoors

While you are busy enjoying pumpkin spice lattes, planning hayrides and getting your back to school shopping done, don’t forget to plan for lots of indoor activities as well! Inevitably you will spend more time indoors through the fall and winter than you did during the summer. With kids this indoor time requires a little extra preparation.

Look on Pinterest for some fun fall craft ideas. Buy some extra board games and puzzles. Think of some new recipes to try that the kid can help with. You might also consider enrolling your kids in some fall extra-curricular programs. For Zoey we are looking at skating lessons for the fall and winter season! Lots of communities also offer indoor sports, swim lessons, indoor craft programs, dance classes, etc.

5. Start Decorating for Fall

This is a really fun one to get the kids involved in! Most of the fall decor in our home are pieces I have chosen out, so that they match the style of our home. But I also am planning a “Fall Art Board” in the kids playroom. This will be a place where they can hang up all their fall artwork. Zoey is really excited about this project, and I think it will be a super cute way to get them involved in the decorating.

Decorating for fall is a fun way to help the kids feel the joy and festivity of the season, and distract them from colder weather and more time indoors. Zoey really enjoyed decorating the living room for fall with me. She helped me choose where to put all the wooden pumpkins I bought. Zander mostly enjoys pulling the decorations off of the shelves… But at least he gets involved!