Things To Do At The Weekends in September

Autumn Weekends Are Coming!

Summer’s on its way out and September’s here. Are you ready to embrace Autumn? Whether you’re already missing summer, or happily dreaming of cosy knitwear, here are some simple, seasonal things to do at the weekends in September.

September is the transitional month, the back-to-school month for many, and it has a new-start feel to it every year. As the tipping point between the dog days of summer and the crisp arrival of autumn, there’s so much to love about September.

It’s a great month to spend plenty of time outdoors (admire those changing leaves and big skies), and start the process of making your clothes, home and life a little bit cosier in preparation for the colder weather.

Things to do during the September weekends

If you’re looking for some inspiration for the September weekends, here are some ideas of simple, seasonal things you might like to enjoy this month.

1 Enjoy an Autumn Walk

As the weather cools down, get into Autumn effortlessly by going for a long walk. Dust off your wellies and get ready to soak up all those lovely Autumn colours, preferably followed by tea and scones in a cosy café, or a roast lunch at a country pub. Then home in time to draw the curtains, turn up the heating or light the fire, and settle down in front of a movie.

Scottish readers: you might be interested in some easy walks around Edinburgh.

2 Eat Al Fresco

Depending on where you live, September might be your last chance for eating outdoors before the weather gets too cold. So don’t pass it up!

Go for a last, late-summer picnic and embrace the cooler weather by leaving the sad salad at home. Flasks are your friend now. Take piping hot soup or hot chocolate with you and enjoy sipping them in the sunshine. I have a trusty Thermos flask that gets a lot of use at this time of year.

Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.

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3 Go Blackberry Picking

Sometime this month, the hedgerows will start bursting with juicy blackberries (or brambles, as we call them here in Scotland). Get out there and help yourself. Cover your arms and legs though, as the thorns can be brutal.

If you can only find a few then just eat them there and then. If you’ve picked loads, take them home and put them in an apple crumble for a delicious autumn dessert. And if you have more than you know what to do with, then turn them into blackberry jam. You’ll thank yourself when you’re spreading it on your toast in the depths of winter.

4 Do Some Autumn Cooking

Is there a chill in the air? Grey outside? Rainy Sunday? Time to retreat into the kitchen and whip up some easy comfort food. It might be time to crack out the slow cooker too.

Put your fruit picking efforts to good use with this amazing Apple & Blackberry Crumble or warm up with a delicious Lamb Tagine or Beef Massaman Curry  as the evenings get colder.

Pottering about in a warm, steamy kitchen while the wind and rain pelts the window is one of autumn’s simple pleasures. Crank up the cosy with a favourite podcast (preferable something spooky like Lore.)

5 Reunite With Your Autumn Wardrobe

Helloooo again favourite knitwear. Time to make your soft, fluffy entrance. It’s almost time to welcome back your old friends boots and scarves too. Snuggle up and enjoy.

As well as reuniting with your sweater collection, now is also a great time of year to make your wardrobe work for you by packing away your summer clothes. I know it’s sad, but you won’t need that sundress in October. And if you’ve got kids, get all their items from last year that are now too small and pass them on or donate to charity. A big clear out always feels good.

6 Plan Your Autumn and Winter Fun

For me, this means making or firming up plans for the October half-term break, and (don’t hate me) starting to book Christmas activities. I know, I know, but if you don’t get those Christmas Santa visits and festive light trails arranged soon, they’ll be all booked up by the time November rolls around.

On a smaller scale, try making some plans to visit new or favourite cafes, restaurants, museums, and other indoor activities that won’t have been on your radar over the summer months.

7 Enjoy Some Autumn Flowers

If you’ve got hydrangeas in your garden, they’re probably looking pretty great about now. Cut some and bring them inside for a gorgeous burst of late summer colour.

You’ll probably still be able to find sunflowers in the shops this month too, which are probably the cheeriest flower money can buy. Pop a bunch in a space that needs brightening up and you won’t regret it.

8 Get Your Life Prepped for Winter

Winter still seems like a long way off, but the colder weather will be here before you know it. Taking the time now to prepare a few things can really help you to get ahead.

You’re going to be spending much more time indoors from now on. After a summer spent predominantly al fresco, my house has been a bit neglected, so if you’re the same, here’s how you can get your whole house spotless in a weekend .

If you think your boiler needs checked, get it serviced now before all the plumbers are booked up in the colder weather.

Outdoors, now’s a great time to do a bit of a garden clean-up. Here’s what you should do in the garden in Autumn and while you’re out there, consider checking your gutters too. If your outdoor woodwork needs painted, do it now – as most exterior paint shouldn’t be used once the temperature drops below a certain point.

9 Bring in Some Seasonal Décor and Accessories

After you’ve got all the home essentials sorted, add some autumnal touches to your space. A new season deserves some new cushions, like these pumpkin ones in muted colours, or a new fluffy throw. Perfect for spending more time on the sofa.

Also, as the evenings get darker, you can’t go wrong with some gorgeous pumpkin-themed lighting. I’ve had this lantern for a couple of years now and it’s my absolute favourite.

10 It’s Pumpkin Spiced Latte Time!

At the time of writing, Starbucks haven’t yet launched their autumn drinks range in the UK, but everyone’s favourite baker, Greggs, have just dropped theirs. So off you go and get your first taste of autumn coffee.

I’m afraid I’m not a PSL fan, but I do usually look to see what other seasonal drinks are on the menu. Costa’s Bonfire Hot Chocolate has been the winner in previous years!

11 Lean In To Back To School Season

If you get all the feels about back-to-school and find yourself caught up in nostalgia and that lovely feeling of new beginnings, then it’s definitely time to embrace it.

Do something for yourself this back-to-school season. Learn something new. Take up a new hobby. Sign up for a class or an online course. (You could always buy yourself some new stationery or a new backpack to go with it. Optional, but fun.)

Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.

You’ve Got Mail

12 Make an Autumn Playlist

If you’re still cranking out the summer tunes on a daily basis, consider making a more reflective, slower-vibe Autumn playlist.

How about adding Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran, Zorbing by Stornoway, Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day, anything by Simon & Garfunkel, or basically the whole of Taylor Swift’s Folklore.

13 Unashamedly Assemble Fall-Scented Candles

It’s time. Get out the fall-scented candles, or go shopping for some new ones. Pumpkin spice, cinnamon, baked apples, toasted marshmallows…you know you want to.

I like this amazing 100% soy one that smells of pumpkins and cinnamon. But my favourite thing to do is head down to the nearest TK Maxx and spend far too long sniffing every autumnal variety.

14 Get Down To Your Local Farmer’s Market

This is a good idea for any weekend, but at the time of year the stalls will be abundant with seasonal produce, so it’s a great time to support local. It’s also a great way to spend a morning on an autumnal weekend, browsing the stalls with a hot drink.

Squashes, cabbages, courgettes, mushrooms, apples, nectarines and figs are just some of the foods in season in September.

15 Make a Fall Reading List

Now that you’ve got your autumn décor sorted, a cosy throw and a candle burning, find a corner to curl up with a good book.

This month I’m going to be reading The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and the new Sally Rooney novel.

And I’m going to be reading some Harry Potter with the kids, because that’s basically a requirement at this time of year!

I hope that gives you some simple ideas of fun things to do during the September weekends. It’s such a lovely month, so get out there and enjoy it.