The temps are starting to cool, down to the bones of the skeletons that decorate the front porch. I feel like everyone’s saying it, but I can’t believe Halloween is here. I love the fall and while I’m looking forward to the holidays, I find I’m wanting time to slow down. With our September wedding this year, things have especially flown by.

One thing that’s important to me, particularly around the holiday season, is tradition. And Halloween typically kicks things off.

I haven’t talked about this much here, but now that we’re married, I’d be remiss not to mention that along with being a new wife, I’m also a step (or bonus) mom to two amazing young men. One of the first things we did as a group was visit a pumpkin patch in Half Moon Bay, one of our favorite weekend destinations. It was such a fun experience, and ever since, we’ve continued to make an effort to go each year in October.

The farm we visit has a number of attractions including a hay maze that they change each year. It must have been a tough one, because it took us an hour to navigate through this time! Even though we were exhausted by the end, I love doing things like this as a family. It’s something I hope the boys remember, even when they grow out of it. And something that I cherish that my parents did for me. It wasn’t even that we went anywhere special, it was just the warmth of bringing in a new season, the familiarity of pumpkins around the house and extra treats around.

I also went into the city this weekend for a lunch with my aunt and uncle. It had been a while since I’d been downtown, and it was no where near the usual crowds (work rush or tourists). We met at the Ferry Building, which is always a great spot for local food and bespoke shops. The city, despite its challenges, never fails to inspire me. Each time I’m there, there’s a sense of wonderment and something new to see.

My husband and I also shared a perfect fall meal at one of our favorite local restaurants. The rest of the weekend was spent working on the blog, catching up on house stuff and hanging in the backyard.

I’m soaking up the fall foliage as much as possible, putting on my annual viewing of the Nightmare Before Christmas, and hoping we get more trick-or-treaters this year!

Here’s to closing out yet another month…