The transition from the fun of summer is not easy for those who deal with the cold temps, snow, sleet and sliding around on icy roads just to get to that class that wasn’t canceled because your schools doesn’t give a damn about your well-being. Autumn is, for lack of a better term, gorgiful. I made it. Gorgeous-beautiful. Because it deserves that.

So in honor of the return of fall, I conjured up a list of activities that I make sure get done this time of year. Even if you are still basking in the hot Florida sun, I am pretty sure you can find some of these weekend mini-adventures somewhere.  I will do my best to keep you entertained with updates of said activities as they are completed.

1. Get your butt to a haunted… anything!

You do not have to be a kid to enjoy haunted hayrides, houses, or cornmazes. Pick a day two weeks from now and send out a mass text to all your friends. You would be surprised how fast they get that time free. This is the only time where high school punks in zombie costumes can scare the bejesus out of you without getting a good punch to the gut.

With this photo, I started the kissy duck face craze that swept the nation.

2. Go pumpkin picking.

It is autumn all over the country no matter how high those degrees be reachin’ in October. Find a family-owned farm in your area and spend a few hours totally focused on family or friends. I usually look through every last pumpkin with three in my hands (or the hands of my boyfriend) before making that totally life-changing decision. No lie, I am a pumpkin pro. At carving? Not so much.

My best friend Sean and I at an orchard last autumn

3. Salem Massachusetts.

This small town 30 minutes outside of Boston is loaded with history. Ever hear of the Salem Witch Trials? Of course you have! During this time of year the town really goes out of its way to put on the best show for its tourists. There are witch trial reenactments, museums, and guided candlelight tours that will ensure you get in all the education you can while having a fun time doing it. At this rate, I am a Salem historian. Take a break at one of the many restaurants (seafood, people, order the seafood!) that will serve you up the freshest Sam Adams Octoberfest you will ever drink aside from the brewery itself. Do look into making that weekend trip. (Ps: it’s totally kid-friendly).

Myself (brown coat) with friends in Salem last October

4. Bake

This time of the year is best for apple and pumpkin picking.  Even if you are not in the mood to go spend quality time in nature for 30 whole minutes to extend one arm and pluck gorgeous apples from their trees, at least get to a grocery store. Bake up a nice pie, and always, please for me, make your own pie crust. sarah On The Go pie crust tip of your lifetime: wet your hands (after washing them, of course) to spread the crust dough out on a flat surface- not in the pie dish. You can slide the dough around and smooth it like you did in high school ceramics making your first A+ ashtray. Once your lay it in the oven-safe dish, you can continue to patch up areas and mold it if your hands are wet!

The best tasting (and looking) apple pie I ever did make

5. Crafts

Whether you are taking a million photos of all the above mentioned activities and need a place to put them (ahem, scrapbooking), or making use of all those fresh-picked goodies, crafting is the answer! Try out an A.C. Moore or Joann Fabrics for anything and everything you need from sewing, knitting, scrap-booking, baking, handmade interior design projects and paint. I prefer painting and scrap-booking, but there is something for everyone. There is so much to be inspired by this time of year. Crafting is not for little old ladies only. Get to it!

A little creation by yours truly

I can careless that school is still in session for K-12 students, because I am a college student, so that ended for me early last month.

Today is June 1st, the beginning of a magnificent month. June is my favorite in so many ways (putting aside that my birthday falls on the longest day of the year) this mid-year marker is the absolute in weather, which leaves open a whole slew of possibilities. Practically anything you love to do can be done outside, sitting on a lawn chair under the glow of perfectly warm sunlight. Running errands all day does not seem like such a drag because you know that when you are all done hauling your butt around town the sun will still be up, and your friends are more likely to want to hang out still because there is a certain spirit of “can’t stop, won’t stop” that rips through our bodies that have been frozen, chilled and rained on for so many months.

In the Southern Hemisphere, June marks the beginning of winter. Lucky for us up North, it is time to party.

Here are some tidbits of June trivia I pulled together for a fun, easy-going Friday post. 

Flower: Rose and Honeysuckle

I wonder if kids still pick these and suck on them for their sweetness like I used to, probably not. sigh.

Zodiac Signs: 5/22-6/21 Gemini and 6/22-7/22 Cancer

Gems: Moonstone, Pearl and Alexandrite

Alexandrite, yes why of course I’ll have some!

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Hey, health-nuts and those with a permanent sweet tooth! It is both National Candy Month and National Fresh Fruits and Veggies Month

OR….

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Happy Birthday today to…

Marilyn Monroe, June 1, 1926

If you want to read a great book, grab The Assassination of Marilyn Monroe by Donald Wolfe. Reading this gave me a whole new outlook on her death. Thanks, grandma!

Brief overview by Amazon.com: “ For the first time in 80 books and acres of newsprint, the complete story of her demise is revealed. It includes the reasons why so many joined the conspiracy of silence. Marilyn’s universe is where the glitzy world of Hollywood, the sinister one of the Mafia and the secret one of Washington DC meet. Wolfe uses newly released FBI files and the information of insiders who have broken their silence to give us the resolution of one of this century’s most enduring mysteries.”

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More birthday shoutouts: Morgan Freeman, 1937, Heidi Klum, 1973, Alanis Morrisette 1974

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Kind of a Big Deal

June 1, 1967: UK Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is released and becomes one of the most iconic music albums of all time. The album in its release sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

Two years later John Lennon would record “Give Peace a Chance” with Yoko Ono.

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Quirky fact

June 1, 1938: Baseball helmets were used for the first time

Protect your pretty little head Jeter, always.

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Nerd Alert

June 1, 1938: Superman appeared in the first issue of Action Comics

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Nostalgia Overload

June 1, 1954: In the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz, character Linus debuts his security blanket for the first time. (I still have one)

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Oh, thank heavens!

June 1, 1961: FM radio is introduced to three states

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Happy Friday, Happy Weekend, Happy June!

I am coming through to promote Halloween! Surely, most of you are already doing your planning for this beautiful Friday evening but you can go to that bar any day of the week. After hearing endless promotions on the radio and Facebook, pick one with a theme this weekend. If you do not already have a handful of costume parties to attend, do a little internet research to see which bars in your area are holding costume contests, Halloween themed parties and reduced cover and drink specials because of this grand ol’ holiday.

This weekend and the next are the only two weekends of the year where it is totally okay to look like a cheap hooker. While going the scary/gory route is always fun to see at parties, I am truly entertained by the originality and hard work put into those costumes worn by the busty bleach blondes in fishnets. There are always at least seven girls at the party wearing various colored fishnets they proudly overpaid at VIP just to say they went into an adult store. There is nothing wrong with this. Anyway, the weather in Connecticut this weekend is supposed to be nothing but sun and the typical autumn cool. Live it up! And keep in mind the following:

1. Put Some Effort Into Your Costume

I am no stranger to slacking last-minute to pull together a costume. Digging up in the attic boxes labeled “Halloween” from ten years ago, pulling out your 5th grade costume is not entirely a good idea, although I am not innocent of this whatsoever (“sexy” maid circa 2009). Besides, the tighter the better! However, we are old enough now to fork out at least $20 bucks for a costume. I am making mine from materials I purchased at Jo-Ann Fabric and pieces from Goodwill. I am one cheap woman, but creativity this year will not lack because of it. If you sincerely cannot afford a costume, go back up those creaky attics stairs and find something old you can splash fake blood on. Concentrating on a good “dead look” will totally distract from your father’s old work shirt which you took a scissors to. Put a good amount of effort into your makeup and voila! You can be a dead anything in no time.

2. Pregame

If there is one thing I am religious about, it is the power of a good pregame. Not to sound like some egocentric alcoholic but it takes me some time and quite a few drinks to feel that perfect drunk. If I went to the bar without a little whiskey in me before, I would end up spending a fortune. Gather your friends an hour before the bar and pregame lightly. You do not have to take shots and chug down beers. Sit and talk with one another, make a cocktail or two and head over to the bar when you feel that little spark turning on inside. Designated drivers are a must right now. The 5-0 will be everywhere for the next two weeks.

3. Take Pictures

I like to call it “documenting life” to make it sound less obsessive, but you can simply refer to it as taking pictures. If you know you are going to look hot as a 2011 version of Pocahontas, bring the camera along! There is nothing to be shy about. First of all, who does not like to have their picture taken? Especially around Halloween when everyone is dressed to be ogled at. I am never one to back down from a great photo opportunity. A group of all your old friends huddled around the beer pong table will resonate memories and good laughs down the road. I know a lot of people who have said they do not take their camera out because they do not want to be “that person” and hope for someone else to do the job. You will be completely upset in 50 years when you have absolutely no pictures to look back on. These are the best days of your life!

4. Make Quality Best Friend Time

If you plan on doing some fall activities during the day this weekend, do them with the people who matter most. If you have yet to pick your pumpkin, make a scarecrow, roll around in leaves or channel your inner 6 year-old, call up your best friend to join. We may consider two to four people our best friends, but single out someone who you know may need an afternoon out. Get your pumpkin (document life) grab some cider (add some whiskey to it), break a little law or two, laugh, and be together. Carve your pumpkin and as I stated in an earlier post, have a contest! Make your sister or roommate be the judge, winner gets a drink later that night. Another fun thing to do, especially now that we are all responsible for those leaves piling up, make a scarecrow! When was the last time you did that? Make Halloween cookies or cupcakes and spend a good hour decorating them all. Before you know it, the dead of winter will be here, post-Christmas, and there will be nothing going on. Embrace the season.

Myself (in a barely sexy but naughty school girl costume) amongst great friends

I cannot deny myself a bar trip between now and Monday (I live in a world with 3 full days of weekend). As much as I would love to party it up every night, I need to conserve for the greater good, Halloween! So what is there to do this weekend?

I plan on taking a refreshing, much-needed hike at Sleeping Giant in Hamden. Spending an hour or more in the woods is a great way to clear your mind, get some exercise, and breathe fresh air which has seemingly become limited to us these days. Activities like hiking, or just frolicking leisurely, are pathways to great ideas. The phone is in the car, Facebook is a galaxy away, it is just you and the woods, and maybe your best canine friend. I try to get this in once a week as I concluded a long time ago that it is a great meditative way to start or end a day.

Every year I go to Jones’ Tree Farm in Monroe for pumpkin-picking fun. It is up on a hill with great scenery and lots of room to move. There are most likely large family run orchards like Jones’ in your area, so get searching. I just tested it out on Google and I was swamped with results for pumpkin patches, corn mazes and cider mills. Gather friends, pick out some pumpkins, then make a silly competition about who can carve the best Jack-o-Lantern. Make sure to bake the pumpkin seeds until golden brown with lots of salt. They are a tasty snack alongside a lager or dark ale beer.  

There are no rules to how you should spend your free time. The only guideline I suggest you follow is that there is no picking up a pumpkin by its stem. You will break it off and ruin the chances of a poor pumpkin finding a home. If I see you do it, I will cringe, swear, scare little children and ruin their perfect family outing. Besides,what did I ever do to you? Sure, this venture will take up only an hour or so of your day, but is that not enough? Relax, reserve and refresh yourself for later.

I was thinking about making my Halloween costume this weekend as well. Another great, fall-related activity that is time-consuming and will get you in the spirit. You can do this on any budget, trust me right now, I am on one hell of a budget. Well, first of all, I am planning on being Hello Kitty. AC Moore and Jo-Ann Fabrics will be my choice destinations as I begin my quest for fabrics to sew my oversized signature HK bow together. I will also be making stops at Goodwill and local consignment shops for pieces to complete the look. I plan on doing this all for under $30 dollars.

I am leaving my bar plans up in the air as of right now. I would like to see a local show and drink Octoberfest (which I have recently become absolutely friggen obsessed with). Maybe I will go to a cute little restaurant on the shoreline with great deals (thanks, Groupon) and eat so much seafood that I will get seasick. Who knows? Remember that spontaneity heals. Long work week, relationship issues, or school stress, now is the time to get up and beat those post-summer blues.

Enjoy this beautiful October Friday.

Dancing around a mini castle at the top of Sleeping Giant State Park