Your end-of-week scroll break. A cozy little catch-up full of links, loves, and things I can’t stop talking about. A spark of inspiration you didn’t know you needed.
Lately, everything feels dipped in honeyed light. The air is cooler in the mornings, my sweaters have found their way back into rotation, and I’m craving slower days with smaller joys. This season always reminds me that rest can be rich, too, especially when paired with warm mugs, flickering candles, and the first crunch of leaves underfoot. Gilmore Girls reruns on in the background, cinnamon sugar donuts, and an unreasonable number of candles lit at once. This month is about savoring. A warm mug in hand, a good book tucked under your arm, and the permission to pause.
Weekend Itinerary
What to Read: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna — a charming, witchy read that feels like a warm cup of tea in book form.
What to Watch/Listen To: Queue up You’ve Got Mail for peak autumn vibes, or pop on the Acquired Taste playlist on Spotify for low-key, cinematic background music.
What to Make: A big pot of butternut squash soup (bonus if you serve it with grilled cheese cut into dippable strips).
What to Try: Pressing fall leaves to use as bookmarks or framed seasonal art—an easy, nostalgic DIY.
What to Do: Take yourself on a solo coffee shop date. Order something pumpkin-spiced, bring a book or your journal, and linger a little longer than you normally would.
Can you do me a favor? If you like this, will you hit the heart ❤️ on the bottom of your email? I promise it helps!
Cozy Hobbies to Try This Fall 🍂
Fall isn’t just a season, it’s a whole mood. Even if it’s still warm outside, there’s something about September that makes me want to reset routines, light every candle in the house, and lean into slow, creative pastimes. If summer is all about being outside, fall is about turning inward, savoring the cozy, and letting little hobbies make ordinary days feel special.
Here are a few ideas to spark inspiration:
Pressing Leaves – Collect a few favorites on your next walk and tuck them between book pages. Frame them, use them as bookmarks, or just keep them as tiny souvenirs of the season.
Sourdough or Simple Baking – Go big with a starter if you’re up for the challenge, or keep it easy with pumpkin bread, apple crisp, or cinnamon rolls. Either way, your house will smell like autumn.
Knitting, Crocheting or Embroidery – Hands busy, heart calm. Start small with a scarf or pick up a beginner’s embroidery hoop—it’s meditative work that pairs perfectly with an audiobook.
Journaling or Scrapbooking – Capture the small joys of the season in a way that feels tangible. Print a few photos, jot down gratitudes, or collage a page of fall inspirations.
Adult Paint by Numbers – A low-pressure way to tap into your creative side. (Tip: pick a fall landscape kit for maximum cozy vibes.)
Soy Candle-Making – Melt, pour, scent, repeat. Bonus: thrifted jars make perfect vessels, and the results double as holiday gifts.
Cozy Reading – Classic, but always right. Stack your nightstand with something atmospheric and let yourself read just one more chapter under a blanket.
Substacks I loved this week:
The Best Autumn Candles Beyond Pumpkin & Cinnamon by Lizzie Campbell
A guide to fall scents that go deeper than pumpkin spice—think smoky woods, leather, herbs, and amber for a richer autumn vibe.Four Kids, One Mom, and the Quest for Quality Time by The Mama Well
Simple, creative ways to carve out one-on-one moments with your kids—even if you’ve got a full house.Seasonal Watchlist by The Style Report - Lucy Allan shares her month-by-month cozy film lineup—Practical Magic in September, You’ve Got Mail in October, Little Women in November, and The Family Stone for Christmas morning—perfect for setting the seasonal mood.
10 Days of Fall Dinner Ideas by Jen Eats Goood - Jen wraps up her fall dinner series with 10 cozy recipes in one place—think butternut squash soups, pumpkin pastas, sheet pan gnocchi, and a maple balsamic pot roast—plus a few fall favorites she’s loving right now.
As September settles in, I’m trying to move a little slower, letting the edges of my days soften as the light fades earlier and the air turns crisp.
Maybe this weekend can be about the small things, warm mugs and worn-in sweaters, a favorite book cracked open on the couch, a slow walk just to hear the leaves crunch.
Here’s to making space for the cozy, the unhurried, and the golden in-between.
If you appreciate this post, please spread the word! Passing along my Substack link helps this community grow.
The Second Act is an entirely reader-supported publication. Click here to subscribe or gift a friend a subscription here (if a friend sent you this —tell them thanks!). Anything you want covered? Questions? Reply with a comment below! You can also find me on Instagram. Please come say hi!