7 ways to make the most of Autumn

The first of September is technically the start of autumn in Denmark. We have been feeling a little chill in the air in the mornings and the days are rapidly getting shorter but we still have a bit of warmth during the day. In Denmark this time is referred to as sensommer, a mini season between seasons. Autumn (as long as it isn’t rainy) is my favourite season but living in Scandinavia means that you have to make some practical changes as the seasons move towards winter.

1 Daylight lamp

I have raved before about the virtues of a daylight lamp, especially when waking in the morning. As I get up at 6am it is currently just getting light then and as the weeks move on I will be waking when it feels like night time. The daylight lamp is essential for me to get a good start to the day.

2 Swapping over duvets

In England we had one weight of duvet all year round (and we still used a double one!) But since living here we have a winter weight and summer weight duvets. I have started to feel the chill at night so in the next few weeks the current duvets will be washed and stored. The heavy ones will come out for the rest of the winter, plus a blanket as the season progresses, as I like to be very toasty warm.

3 Getting your hygge on

Although hygge is an all year round thing, autumn and winter is where it comes into its own as we need the hygge to get through the dark months. For me this means bringing out the soft cosy blankets for our sofas and also changing the cushion covers to softer fabric ones and in more autumny colours. And of course the candles!

4 Relaxing time

I love to craft and create things but summer evenings just don’t have the same atmosphere for this. Once the autumn comes I usually get some knitting out to do whilst watching TV and my craft box sees a lot more action over the darker months. Whilst I do spend plenty of time online, it is very important to me to do things off-line that encourage more creative thought and relaxation. It is also a time to learn new skills (don’t forget to check out the brush lettering classes I am hosting this month – there are a few places left)

This year I have been reading a lot more books as books rather than on my Kindle and this makes me feel I get a lot more engrossed in the book. As you may recall I get most of my books from the public library.

5 Strictly Come Dancing

This quite a British thing but the start of this fabulous dance competition on the BBC marks the start of the autumn and the count down to Christmas. I first watched this when I was breastfeeding my son in the early hours of the morning nine years ago and after that I didn’t really get into it. About four years ago my mum came to visit and she asked to watch it whilst she was staying with us, after that we are now hooked every year. I know it is cheesy etc but in a world with a constant news cycle of doom and gloom a little sparkle and a programme which is non confrontational and just pure fun is what we need (as long as you avoid the poisonous tabloid press).

6 Autumn leaves and apples

The autumn is a time when nature really puts on a show and there are loads of great places in the city where you can see the beauty of autumn from Frederiksberg Have to any of the cemeteries in the city. Nothing beats a crisp day and a walk around a park in the autumn. Local Danish apples are popping up in big boxes in the supermarkets especially Irma and a juicy autumn apple is a wonderful thing to snack on or to make into a warming crumble.

7 Tivoli at Halloween

Although we are a good few weeks away from this, I am already excited about the Halloween season in Tivoli, I think this is the best time to visit the park (and I will probably be making a YouTube video all about it.