We all have our favorite time of year.  Some live for Summer. Others can’t wait for Winter and the Holiday season – but if you ask me, nothing beats Fall!

Fall is colorful foliage and crunchy leaves. It’s football games and tailgates. It’s cool weather clothing and brisk mornings. It’s pumpkin lattes and hearty meals. Fall is a time to savor the crisp air, the slower pace.

There’s something different about the air when Summer is on its last legs. Even on those hot Indian Summer days, it just feels different. The trees start to change, the light is different, the days gradually shorten and the temperature dips into the comfortable 60s and 70s.

I was an October baby and an October bride. My first child was born in the Fall. So, there’s a lot of autumn milestones in my life – but I think my love of the season has more to do with it being a transition the between the hyper-active outdoor Summer and the hunkering down of Winter.

In the Midwest, we savor every minute of sunshine and warmth, but by the time late Augusts rolls around, I’m ready to usher in a new season and slower pace. Fall has a more laid-back feel.

When my kids were young, the start of Fall was marked by beginning of the school year. The trips to Target for classroom supplies and clothes shopping to replace apparel they’d outgrown over the summer.

Now, as an empty nester, the shift in seasons is more subtle. Summer activities and clubs wind down. My Wednesday morning golf league has switched to later tee times as we squeeze in some Fall rounds – searching for stray balls that settle beneath the falling leaves. It’s also nice to postpone the early morning dog walk to later the day without worrying about the heat stressing either of us.

While Spring has the “cleaning” theme, Fall entices us to prepare for the gradual changeover into cooler weather living. These are the months I do my “Fall fine-tune.”

This includes a closet refresh whereupon I purge clothing I’ve been holding onto for way too long. It’s also my most dangerous clothes shopping season – because Fall ushers in a most welcome wardrobe change. Time to replace sandals with cute boots and trade out sundresses and shorts for jeans and leggings.  I’m ready for sleeves again. And long pants. And my embarrassingly large collection of plaid shirts.

Outside, I empty the flower pots of leggy petunias and vines and replace them with autumn friendly mums. I bring in the outdoor cushions and clean off the patio and porch. In the kitchen, I assess my spice rack and throw out suspiciously old containers – some embarrassingly dated. I do the same for the pantry and fridge. It’s time to transition the kitchen to cooler weather recipes. Which brings me to one of my favorite features of Autumn, the food…

While I do enjoy an occasional pumpkin Chai latte, there’s more to Fall flavors than that ubiquitous squash. I love the seasonal change-over in the produce section. Fat tomatoes and sweet corn lose top billing and are replaced with bags of crisp apples and varieties of squash.

Sugary apple-cider donuts shamelessly tempt shoppers as they enter the store. They are impossible to pass up – and why not just indulge? They are a rite of Fall, after all. There are miniature pumpkins and gourds on display, along with dried corn stalks. It’s all so festive.

It’s hearty food season. Time for meatloaf, pasta and big batches of chili. Meals that don’t show their face in the heat of the summer. I’m stocking up on ingredients for crockpot recipes instead of light summer fare. And hello baking season! I’ve got my pumpkin bread recipe memorized and the loaf pan ready to go. After a long Summer of outdoor grilling, my oven is feeling somewhat neglected.

Soon, I’ll be heading to a local Orchard to stroll through the outdoor attractions and peruse the tantalizing offerings at the market. As always, I’ll end up purchasing bags of apples along with various soup mixes, cider and other delicacies. And of course, a selection of pumpkins and pumpkin themed treats. It just wouldn’t be Fall without them.

Here’s to the reveling in the beauty of the season. Hello Fall!

Readers share their Fall favorites:

Dori Levanti: “Fighting Illini football game days! Tailgating with family and friends is so much fun! We particularly enjoy seeing old college friends on homecoming weekend.”

Tish Stanner: “Sweatshirts and jeans. Fall colors and everything pumpkin.”

Kim Hubbard: “Fall reminds me to embrace change and all the beauty that ultimately follows.”

Sue Staples: I love the long shadows, warm sunny days with cooler mornings. It reminds me of football and fireplaces…  that leads to thoughts on more reading and reflecting. Preparing for winter with sweaters and hot chocolate.”

James Beberman: “Fall’s got a feel to it. A crispness in the air. Colorful trees. Illini football. Caramel apples. Halloween. Burning leaves (in the old days.)”