floresnellie30 September 11, 2022

Let’s Get Ready for Fall: My Autumn Starter Pack

Fall’s finally here – or at least, September is here and in my mind, that’s basically the same thing. Fall is my absolute favorite time of year because everything about it always makes me feel so cozy and alive. The crisp weather, the holidays, the delicious food and spices, the leaves changing, the sweaters, and the colors.

Everything about autumn just makes me happy – which is why in today’s post I’m giving you My Autumn Starter Pack. I’m sharing all of my favorite TV shows, movies, music, and activities that I guarantee will give you all the Fall feels.

I’ll also be sharing some pictures of some Fall decorating I did in my house this weekend. But first, let’s jump into the first category – TV Shows.

Gilmore Girls

If you’re not watching Gilmore Girls in the Fall, are you even living? This is my absolute favorite TV show (see The Gilmore Girls Post here) all year round, but there’s something extra special about it in the autumn time. It’s about a coffee-obsessed single mom named Lorelai Gilmore and her teenage daughter, Rory, who live in the small, quirky New England town of Stars Hollow. The show follows their lives as they navigate love, family, and their wacky but lovable neighbors. This is a must-see show in general but especially in the Fall.

Friday Night Lights

Fall equals football (especially in my house, I married a football coach) and no other show will get you in the football/Fall mood more than Friday Night Lights. This show is about the Texas community of Dillon, where football is king and family is everything. It follows the lives of several football players and their friends and family as they strive to become state champions.

This Is Us

If you like cozy, family-centered dramas that will make you laugh, cry, and cheer for the characters – This Is Us is the show for you. It’s about the Pearson family and the many different seasons and years of their lives. This show has the incredible ability to weave all of the characters’ stories together to paint a beautiful and realistic picture of love and family. I totally recommend watching this when you want to spend a cozy day snuggled on the couch because it’s so warm and cozy – just have a box of tissues close by.

Broadchurch

Ok, so the next show on this list doesn’t take place completely in the Fall, but it does start in the Summer and end up in the Fall. Plus, it’s the best mystery I’ve ever seen and nothing screams Fall more than a murder mystery. This British crime drama follows the murder of an 11 year old boy named Danny Latimer and the two detectives who try to find his killer. Everyone’s a suspect, but the true killer might be closer to home than you think. This show blew my mind because the writers never give any clues about who the murderer is until the last two episodes – and trust me, you won’t believe who killed Danny.

Locke & Key

The next show on the list is perfect for autumn because it has everything you need for a cozy afternoon – a strange old house, family secrets, and mystery. It’s about the Locke family who move from Seattle, Washington to Matheson, Massachusetts to start over after the murder of their husband and father. When the family moves into the dad’s childhood home, the kids discover multiple mysterious keys that give them access to magic (and darkness) they’ve never dreamed of.

Only Murders in the Building

If you’re a fan of murder mysteries, New York City in the Fall, and Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Sheen, this show is the show for you. It’s about these three people who live in the same apartment building and listen to the same true crime podcast. Circumstances bring them together when someone is found dead in their apartment building and they quickly decide to start their own podcast to try to find the killer. This show is what I like to call dark comedy, earning it a spot on this list.

And Then There Were None

This is a three part series based on the Agatha Christie classic book by the same name. Set in August 1939, ten British strangers are invited to an isolated island by a mysterious couple named Mr. and Mrs. Owens. When the strangers arrive, they quickly realize that their hosts are nowhere to be found. That night at dinner they notice an art deco centerpiece on the table that represents ten soldiers and listen to a gramophone recording that accuses each of them of murder. The guests wish to leave but a terrible storm traps them on the island overnight and one by one guests begin to die. With each death, the killer removes one of the soldiers from the centerpiece and it’s only a matter of time until no guest is left.

Anne with an E

The last show on the list is an updated retelling of Anne of Green Gables – one of my favorite literary characters. For those of you who might not know, it’s about an orphan girl named Anne Shirley who comes to live with elderly siblings, Matthew and Marilla, on the farm of Green Gables. At first, Matthew and Marilla aren’t really sure of what to do with Anne, but as they get to know one another, they realize that she’s just who they needed to complete their family. There are a few episodes set in autumn but each episode is so relatable and cozy that I think it’s perfect to watch on an autumnal Saturday morning.

Now let’s talk about movies . . .

Stepmom

If you’re looking for a movie that will give you all the autumn feels, Stepmom is the one to watch. It’s about a family where the mom and dad are divorced and the dad begins dating Julia Roberts. The kids are not fond of her and the mom can’t stand her, but the dad asks Julia to marry him and that’s where the story gets interesting. This film is a heartfelt movie about love, family, and the unexpected changes of life. Susan Sarandon and Julie Roberts give some of their best performances. My absolute favorite scene is where Susan Sarandon and the kids sing “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell in hair brushes and run around the house.

When Harry Met Sally

This is another movie set in Fall in New York (do you see a theme?). It follows the story of two very different people – Harry and Sally – and their strange but inevitable friendship that develops over years. At first, Sally can’t stand Harry and Harry can’t seem to remember Sally, but as their lives unfold they eventually realize that they can’t live without each other. It’s directed by Rob Reiner and there are plenty of scenes of New York City in the Fall. The best word I can use to describe this film is quirky.

Frozen 2

In my opinion Frozen is one of the best movies to watch in the Winter, but if you love the characters and you want to see them in the Fall, definitely watch Frozen 2. The second film picks up where the first one left off with the sisters Anna and Elsa living happily in Arendelle with Christophe, Sven, and Olaf. Everything seems perfect until Elsa begins hearing a mysterious voice that calls her to leave Arendelle and step into the unknown. Even though this is technically a kid’s movie, it deals with topics that are universal and because it’s Disney, the colors, music, and animation are top notch.

Remember the Titans

For all my Denzel Washington fans out there, this is the Fall movie for you. Remember the Titans is based on the real life story of football coach Herman Boone and his attempt to integrate the T. C. Williams High School football team in 1971. This film deals with topics like racism, change, family dynamics, love, and of course football. You also get to see this team come together and accomplish more than just striving to win a state championship – you see them bring a town that’s heavily divided together for a common cause. This is truly one of the best football films I’ve seen and definitely worth the watch.

Knives Out

This film follows the family of a famous murder novelist, Harlan Thrombey, who turns up dead the morning after his 85th birthday party. The police believe that Harlan’s death was a suicide, but private detective Benoit Blanc suspects the novelist’s strange and neurotic family. The more detective Blanc gets to know the family the more he realizes that each of them had a reason to want Harlan dead. I think this film is perfect to watch in the Fall because it’s set in the Fall and the twists and turns of the mystery will keep you guessing until the very end.

Nightbooks

The next film on the list is a Netflix film about a young boy named Alex who loves to write scary stories but has sworn to never write them again because his friends think he’s weird. One night while his parents are fighting, he grabs his notebooks full of scary stories (that he calls ‘Nightbooks’) and rushes downstairs to burn them but on his way to the furnace he passes an apartment with an open door that calls him to enter. Once inside, he realizes that he’s been tricked by a witch named Natacha who kidnaps children to be her servants. She threatens to kill Alex but decides to let him live if and only if he writes new scary stories for her every night. This movie is great to watch on a crisp, autumn night because it’s not scary but has just enough spookiness to keep you interested.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Of all the Harry Potter films the second one always felt the most autumnal to me because you get to see the Burrow, the Weasely’s house, for the first time. The Burrow is the coziest place (aside from Hagrid’s hut) in the Harry Potter world, which is why this movie is the go-to Harry Potter movie to watch in the Fall.

These songs are the playlist I’ll be listening to all autumn long.

“Cardigan” by Taylor Swift
“Scotland” by the Lumineers
“Ivy” by Taylor Swift
“Woodland” by The Paper Kites
“Angela” by the Lumineers
“Wake Me Up When December Ends” by Green Day
“September” by Earth, Wind, & Fire
“Two Ghosts” by Harry Styles
“Autumn Leaves” by Ed Sheeran
“The Last Great American Dynasty” by Taylor Swift
“Back to Autumn” by The Oh Hellos
“The Fall Song” by Bridgit Mendler
“Soldier, Poet, King” by The Oh Hellos
“Ahead by a Century” by The Tragically Hip
“All Too Well” by Taylor Swift
“Full Moon” by The Black Ghosts
“Flightless Bird, American Mouth” by Iron & Wine
“Yesterday” by the Beatles
“Lovesong” by Adele
“Let’s Love” (Acoustic Version) by Echosmith
“The Boys of Fall” by Kenny Chesney
“Fast Car” by the Black Pumas
“Welcome to the Black Parade” by My Chemical Romance
“Monsters” by Hurricane Bells
“Autumn Town Leaves” by Iron & Wine
“Cold Coffee” by Ed Sheeran
“How to Dream” by Sam Phillips
“Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop” by Landon Pigg
“Send Me on My Way” by Guy Meets Girl

Build a bonfire and make s’mores in the backyard
Visit a local pumpkin patch & take pictures in your favorite Fall outfit
Find a delicious Fall recipe on Pinterest or YouTube and try your hand at making it
Go to your favorite bookstore and pick up a spooky book or a murder mystery and read it during a thunder storm
Make your own homemade apple cider
Read books set in autumn
Pack a basket full of your Fall favorites & go on a picnic
Go to a high school or college football game
Visit a Fall Festival at a local church
Grab some friends and go to a fair or carnival
Host a board game night
Have a Harry Potter or Twilight movie marathon weekend
Try a new coffee drink out at Starbucks or your favorite coffee shop
Pick out a new dark shade of your favorite matte lipstick to wear all autumn long
Go thrifting to find a cozy sweater
Tour a house that’s supposedly haunted