May & September… busy, seasonal, transition months. Also might be my favorites when I really think about it. I feel like they both welcome new possibilities, changes, and opportunities.

And wow did this September sneak up on me in what’s been the longest yet quickest year ever!

Like any month though I’m focusing on five things I want us to enjoy as a family together before the end of the month.

Yep, just five. Because for me, those long bucket lists start to get overwhelming and most of the time are not possible with our busy schedules. I’m sure many can relate! But I also like to make each month memorable in its own way and in the time of year it holds space in.

So here are our family’s top 5 must do’s for September. Hoping they help to inspire you and help you slow down to enjoy the time before it passes.

Links below are apart of an affiliate program, which means at no extra cost to you I may receive a small payment for items purchased…so thanks friends, and I’m hoping this made things a little easier for you too!

1. Cooking & Baking

Do your cooking and baking routines change with the seasons?

Mine sure do. Partly because I hate heating up the house any more than I have to on a hot summer day, so we often stop baking (crushes me but then I come back at full force in the cool weather), and we take advantage of cooking out a lot more.

But if I had to pick a favorite menu, yep, we switch that up in the different seasons too, it would be the meals we eat in the colder months. Comfort food…yum!

I love that September starts to bring with it baking using apples and pumpkin too. Tasty and healthy all in one…well kind of.

2. Going For Walks

I love, love, love losing my self in a long walk. Listening to all of the sounds around us. Talking to the girls about what they see, hear, and smell. Sometimes they even doze off. It’s definitely our little time of peace.

I love it more though when I do not have to worry about us roasting on a hot, humid day, and being able to take our time being outdoors. September is the perfect month for that. Not so cold we have to start to bundle up but not so warm that it makes it more of a task than anything.

3. Planting Fall Flowers

I’m pretty sure every year I question if I should or shouldn’t buy and plant fall flowers. Living outside of Chicago, sometimes we get lucky and they last until Thanksgiving and even the beginning of December. And some years they barely make it through October.

But I LOVE them!

I love the colors. I love that it gets out my last bit of gardening urges before spring, which seems so far away at this point. And honestly, I just like the way they make my house look. And trust me I’m not big on impressing others. I’m more about decorating with what I like or with what means the most to me instead of what is trending. But I really do like how the front porch looks with all of the fun fall foliage. And gardening is something I really enjoy doing with my girls and they seem to enjoy doing too.

4. Football!

Guess what?

I have played in a fantasy football league for about 7 years now. Which means I also love watching football. On Sundays (ok and Thursdays and Mondays, hahah), we make good food, make sure everything for the day is done that needs to be, and enjoy watching football.

Now, with the girls especially though, as the weather cools down in September we also enjoy playing football and other sports like soccer, basketball, and baseball outside. Similar to our walks, since it is no longer sweltering hot out, we can enjoy these fun outdoor sports that much more in the nice cool September air.

5. Back To School Shopping

And in the special case of this year, back to work shopping too.

Honestly, I am not a big fan of shopping for myself anymore but I do love to shop for the girls and shop with them. It’s such a fun way for P especially, to express herself and share what she likes. Plus, making her apart of the process makes it so much easier to get her dressed for school or anything really because she had a say in what she picked out. As she gets older it will also be a great way to teach her about spending and budgeting.

You will basically find me shopping between Target, Old Navy, and DSW. They are easy places to find something for everyone in the family (believe it or not my husband is sometimes the difficult one!). They are budget-friendly and I can most often find plenty that we like. Old Navy had so many great options for both P and myself for work and school this year. Check them out and receive 20% Off Your Next Purchase With Old Navy Email Sign Up. You can often use it with other in-store offers which make the savings even better! They also have an offer for free shipping on orders over $50 available for you too!

I do love this time of year transitioning to fall. I love bringing out the fall candles and scented soaps. The smell of baking in the house, cozy sweaters, and snuggling up with a blanket at night to a good show or movie (before it gets bitter cold).

How about you? What is something that you look forward to once September rolls around? Share below in the comments!