It has been a cloudy, grey week in New York. I’ve been sipping my coffee hot, the golden hue of my lamp flicks on a tinge earlier, and I even wore a sweater to cover my arms on the walk to yoga yesterday.
My husband always jokes about how he can’t get me to indulge in a pumpkin-spiced drink or watch a Halloween movie until the Equinox, and he’s right. I enjoy the last possible moment of each season, but once the day of the changing of the gourd guard comes, I am all in!
The first day of Fall arrived, and by 7:30 in the morning, he returned from walking our dog with surprise PSL’s, and by 8am, we were on the road to a cider mill for the first apple cider donuts of the season.
✨ Cozy Season Has Arrived ✨
It’s time for lit candles, graveyard cakes, and crunching leaves beneath your boots.
Are you ready?
To crisp mornings + snug evenings,
Kayli
Central Park Autumn // Cozy Dinner at Gem Wine // Sunday in Bed // Fall Flowers // Rough Draft Bar & Books // Central Park Morning
🪵 Pens for Journaling with a Dirty Chai Latte
🪵 Nighttime Yoga Done in PJ’s
🪵 Notebooks That Make You Feel Like Going Back to School
🪵 A NA Fall Sip from
🪵 Mugs for Cappuccinos in Bed + a Frother to Get the Perfect Milk Consistency
🪵 Spinning a Record to Dance to While Cooking
🪵 This Article on Crying While Reading Through the Centuries
🪵 Vases a Plenty for Dahlia Blooms (I also love thrifting old crystal cocktail glasses for extra flowers that I strew around our home)
🪵 Candles Lit at the Dinner Table
🪵 Flameless Candles — So You Never Have to Turn On an Overhead Light
🪵 While We’re At It, A Candelabra for Dramatic Effect
🪵 Kin Lightwave for Winding Down at Nighttime
🪵 “Don’t talk to strangers, or you might fall in love.” | This article felt like a hug.
🪵 A Table Runner or Cloth to Set Bowls of Soup (I just got this one!)
🪵 Percale Sheets for Early Evenings Snuggling in Bed
🪵 Having Friends or Family Over to Carve Pumpkins by a Backyard Fire
🪵 Strolling Through Aeon with a Cuppa Spiced Tea
🪵 A Book Bag from Your Favorite Bookstore to Stuff New Novels
🪵 Making (+ Eating) the NYT Flat & Chewy Cookie Recipe
🪵 Listening to This Playlist by The Indie Soundtrack on An October Commute
Habit stacking has been a complete game changer for me since I read about it in James Clear’s Bestseller, Atomic Habits (Amazon, Bookshop), years ago.
It’s an intentional way to add new good habits to your repertoire by “stacking” them on top of old ones.
For example, A Habit Stacking Sequence Could Be…
“Before I exfoliate, I will brush my teeth.”
“After I brush my teeth, I’ll do 50 squats.”
“Once I do 50 squats, I’ll go for a morning jog.”
After the languid summer months, where I tend to be more go with the flow, I find this time of the year to be the perfect time for refining my routine. Especially after I complete a “Mind, Body, Soul, Dreams” assessment.
(you can read more about that here)
Clear recommends creating two columns:
Habits you already have down pat ︴And habits you’d like to have
He goes onto say that after that exercise is complete, to assess the two lists + see where in the first column, you can “stack” things from the second.
It’s important that the call to action is:
Clear — For example, “After I brush my teeth, I’ll do squats,” becomes, “After I brush my teeth, I’ll do 50 squats.”
&
Realistic — For example, if you don’t run at all currently, running 10 miles a week probably seems daunting, making it more likely you’ll quit. Start where you’re at + work your way to where you’d like to be.
For the end of the year especially, I think it’s important to have habits that feed into this cozy time + to involve seasonal wishes in your routine too.
Some Homebody Habit Stacking Ideas…
“After my weekly grocery shopping, I’ll make one sweet treat to split with a neighbor.”
“Before I vacuum the floors, I’ll energetically cleanse the space by ringing a bell with the windows open.”
“Before I read my book, I’ll rub lotion all over my body.”
“Before I wash the dishes, I’ll turn on a jazz playlist.”
“After I make my bed, I’ll kiss my partner.”
“Before I sit down to eat dinner, I’ll light a candle.”
“Before I watch A Discovery of Witches, I’ll take a 30 minute walk.”
“Before I turn down my comforter, I say 3 things I’m grateful for.”
“After I finish my coffee, I’ll journal one page.”
“Before I stroll Instagram, I will touch base with one loved one.”
“After I put on my socks, I will meditate for five minutes.”
“Before I online shop for a chunky sweater, I will check my closet to make sure I don’t have one similar.”
Et voila! What are you hoping to habit stack this Fall?
It’s the time to gather your coven for a Practical Magic movie night, make a charcuterie board for dinner, and treat yourself to seasonal goodies you’ve waited all year for. Here are my favorite cozy condiments.
Thursday Cottage’s Amaretto Butter // A Homemade Fig Jam Recipe from Food & Wine // Big Spoon Roasters Chai Spice Nut Butter // Cold Hollow Cider Mill’s Vermont Maple Mustard
Cinnamon Sauce Recipe from The Recipe Wench // Firebee Pumpkin Spice Honey // Wozz! Cranberry Orange & Cognac Chutney
🌟 Have a girls night + paint pumpkins while watching a spooky movie (shout out to my sweet friend, Hannah, who is planning this! Hi, Hannah!)
🌟 Make a cardamom spiced coffee + sip it while collaging.
🌟 Spend a whole afternoon in bed reading a book that feels like Fall. // Ideas: The Secret History, The Last of the Moon Girls, The Hours.
🌟 Go apple picking + eat lunch at a new diner afterward.
🌟 Attend a poetry reading. If you feel called, write one of your own + ask to recite it.
🌟 Make a treat to eat + spread cheer around your building or neighborhood. // May I Recommend: Chewy Maple Pumpkin Cookies, Cinnamon Sugar Apple Butter Pie, Baked Pumpkin Spice Pudding.
🌟 Wear your moodiest outfit + sit chatting with friends at a cafe.
🌟 Take a walk through your local woods or nature preserve observing the magic in the air.
🌟 Go to the farmers market and choose the flowers that speak to you the most. Come home + trim them to put around your home somewhere you’ll see them often.
🌟 Make pancakes adding fresh maple syrup and crunchy spiced pecans.
🌟 Call your grandmother or another loved one while knitting, crocheting, or working on another activity.
🌟 Go to a restorative yoga class wearing sweats + a long sleeve top.
🌟 Find fresh pressed apple cider and drink it while walking around your neighborhood listening to the Red album. I also love this Autumn in New York playlist.
Fall Fashion a la Tom Selleck…
For Finding Your Personal Style…
For a Quick Dose of a Friday Afternoon…
The Intentional Muse is a labor-intensive work of love. If you’re able, please consider becoming a paid subscriber, and as always, a share of the missives are so appreciated. 💖
Not ready for a paid subscription but would love to tip?
Love this! Makes me want to drink a cappuccino and watch Gilmore girls 🍂. And yoga in PJs sounds delightful.
loved this so much! it felt like such a warm hug <3