It's Official: Fall is Here!

Yesterday marked the first day of fall: the Autumn Equinox.  

Here in Southern California, that means stores are stocking pumpkin candy corn, and we finally have temperatures below 85 degrees. (But we might get an "Indian Summer" in October).


Oh, how I've been waiting for this!  I LOVE FALL!  Why?  If you check out my Pumpkin/Turkey/Fall Time Board on Pinterest, you'll see why:

Stories like Pumpkin Moonshine, by Tasha Tudor -

Now It's Fall, by Lois Lenski -

Peter in Blueberry Land, (and many more books) by Elsa Beskow -

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Rooibos Herbal Tea...

source

Recipes - like homemade Pumpkin Coffee Creamer

source

and Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting:

source

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Spice Bars:

source

Also - Baked Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal, and Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream Frosting

Look at these Mums! ($13 from Costco!)

source

DIY Pumpkin Bird Feeder via Martha Stewart:

(Non Scary) Halloween fun...If you've followed my blog for very long, you know I like to find ideas that are family friendly and book themed for Halloween -- like a "Storybook Pumpkin Patch", "Literary Themed Parties for 'tweens and Teens",  "Book or Treat", and "Literary Pumpkins".

source

source

Watch for this year's Halloween ideas - coming soon!

A Storybook Pumpkin Patch full of Book-O'-Lanterns

What child wouldn't love to help make a storybook themed Jack-O'-Lantern?  Low on the scary scale, high on the fun factor...

Have you every wondered how the tradition of Jack-O'-Lanterns started? Every October, carved pumpkins peer out from porches and doorsteps in the United States and other parts of the world. Gourd-like orange fruits inscribed with ghoulish faces and illuminated by candles are a sure sign of the Halloween season. The practice of decorating “jack-o’-lanterns”—the name comes from an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack—originated in Ireland, where large turnips and potatoes served as an early canvas. Irish immigrants brought the tradition to America, home of the pumpkin, and it became an integral part of Halloween festivities. [source: history.com]

POOH BEAR

source

source

OLIVER JEFFER'S PENGUIN

source

SOME HUNGRY CATERPILLARS

[source]

source

VARIOUS LITERARY SPIDERS

source

source

Lots of schools host "no-carve-pumpkin" contests each year. I couldn't resist posting these cute book pumpkins that I found on the blog, "Sunny Days in Second Grade". Click here to see more!

FROG AND TOAD!

RAINBOW FISH

Source: Unless noted otherwise, all the bookish Halloween pumpkins featured in my post are from parents.com.  Click HERE for how to's.