10 Ideas to Help You Fall Into Fall

Instead of going with your usual dark roast or favorite flavor of coffee in the morning, switch it up with brewing something a bit more seasonal, like one that's pumpkin flavored. Add in some chocolate syrup for a sweet treat. Of course, you can never have too many pumpkin spice lattes during these next few months either...

As you sort through your warmest and comfiest sweaters to wear this season, don't forget about fun, fall fashion for your pet too. Little coats really do help to keep dogs warm on chilly morning walks, and what's even better, is football teams make pet-sized outfits, so you and your dog/cat can be matching on Broncos game-days.

Tons of restaurants and bakeries offer special menu items that are exclusive to fall, such as hearty breads, salads stocked with squash and nuts, and sandwiches featuring turkey and cranberries. Or, you can be original and just create a recipe of your own. I tried pumpkin soup the other night and up next will be sweet potato. Warm pies are always amazing at this time of year too, and bonus– if you bake one, your house will smell wonderful!

There's no shortage of delicious beer flowing around Colorado, and during fall, many breweries find unique ways to integrate pumpkin into their product. Some use puree, others opt for adding in seasonal spices, and some breweries roast their pumpkins and then throw it straight into the mash. Some of the featured brews include: New Belgium’s Pumpkick, Bull & Bush’s Ghoul Fuel, Wynkoop’s Drunkin’ Pumpkin, Odell’s Oh My Gourd, 4 Noses’ Pumpkin Booty or Denver Beer Co.’s Ichabod’s Revenge Pumpkin’d Ale.

Get into the spirit by putting some fall decor around your home. You can find tons of cheap decorations at the Dollar Store or you can browse through tutorials online that will teach you how to make your own autumn-themed wreath and other accessories. Putting an apple or pumpkin-pie scented candle in the kitchen will make you never, ever want to leave!

Warm up on a crisp night with a bowl of chili. It's a great feeling to throw everything in the crock-pot in the morning and come home to a nice, filling meal that's pretty much all ready to go. Plus, you can probably get some leftovers out of it that would go great with watching football over the weekend.

Fall being here means it's time for football season! If you're already a huge fan, celebrate your love of the sport by spending a whole day doing nothing but sitting on the couch taking in all the glory of the game. If watching on TV isn't your thing, head out to one of the local high school football games on a Friday night for a more genuine feel, or check out CSU or UNC when they have a home game.

There's something about the distinct flavor of apple cider that makes it the ideal drink for fall. Whether you guzzle down a cup cold or heat it up to warm you on a brisk day, the subtle spice and savory apple flavors will make it seem like you just stepped straight out of the orchard.

Living in Northern Colorado, we are so lucky to have the abundance of corn mazes all around us. This is something fun to do with family or friends, and there are even haunted mazes to help get you into the Halloween spirit. Fritzler's Corn Maze is currently open for the season and the Northern Colorado Corn Maze opens October 3. Hopefully you can find your way out!

Witness the changing of the seasons happening right before your eyes by walking through one of our gorgeous parks and checking out all of the colorful leaves. From vibrant yellows to radiant oranges, the trees have started to show their fall colors and it's beautiful! You could also take a drive through the Poudre Canyon or head up to Rocky Mountain National Park for even more stunning views of Colorado's transition into autumn. There's no place like the west, that's for sure!