post–grad:

absolutely nobody requested this, it’s mid-august and 105 degrees outside, here it is anyway. as usual, this is based on my own personal taste, which turns to delta blues, spiked cider, and ghost stories in the fall. italics are favorites. (winter) (summer)

jams

• spooky: creepy covers / southern gothic megamix / in the woods / witch hymns / dark delta blues / me & the devil
  
• indie & folk: as autumn leaves turn / a chill in the air / cozy log cabin / fallen leaves 
  
• instrumental: autumn rhapsody / november / infinite instrumentals / autumn overture

ambiance

• stovetop magic. put a 2 or 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. add apple slices, orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon. heat on low until your whole house smells amazing. don’t forget to turn the burner off when you’re done.
• pomanders, you guys. get yourself some firm oranges and stick some cloves into them. dry them for a few days in a cold, dry room, or dust with orris root to keep from getting moldy. you can leave them in a bowl or hang them up by the window, and they smell incredible. (example - you don’t have to score the peel if you don’t want to)
• it’s decorative gourd season.
• candles! fall is a good time for darker, woodsier scents – cedar, fir, etc. i still like my candles to smell light and clean, though, so finding a “heavier” scent cut with a sharper one – citrus, lemongrass – is nice.
• background sounds: hogwarts library / autumn cold front / autumn in the suburbs / the comforts of home / autumn crows / kitchen witchery

study break material

• spooky book recs (crowdsourced)
• movies & tv
• 100 halloween movies (missing practical magic, the best spooky movie in existence)
• best halloween tv specials (again, i’m offended, the psych specials aren’t listed)
• most popular horror tv series
• ghost adventures masterpost

snacks

• beverage of choice: warm spiced cider. heat up some cider in a saucepan before you pour it into a to-go mug. maybe get fancy and drop a cinnamon stick in there. i use trader joe’s spiced cider because i’m no longer living in the land of a thousand apple orchards.
• the adult version: hard cider (or a pumpkin beer!) with a cinnamon sugar rim. dip the rim of a tall glass in your choice of liquid – i usually just use water, but you can also use simple syrup, apple juice, or even maple syrup for a stickier rim. then dip it in a mix of cinnamon and sugar. pour your cold cider in there and enjoy~
  
• homemade salted pumpkin seeds. pumpkins: in season, ubiquitous, cheap. buy an ugly-lookin one from the discount bin, scoop out the guts and separate the seeds into a bowl. swish them around in water until they’re mostly clean and pat dry on a paper towel. add olive oil and salt (and pepper, if you like), pour them onto a tray, and bake for 30-40 minutes at 300. yields a crunchy, salty snack that’ll last you a few days. 
• that’s the classic version; here are six different seasoning options.
• you can add those seeds to other seasonal trail mix ingredients (granola, pretzels, dried cranberries, nuts, etc.) for a snack that’ll last a full week.
• in-season veggies: squash, broccoli & cauliflower, brussels sprouts, radish, lettuce & chard, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, turnips, pumpkin.
• in-season fruit: pears, apples, cranberries, grapes, kumquats, pineapple, persimmons, pomegranates.
• baked goods
• pumpkin bread (or pumpkin muffins, you know yourself best)
• pear cranberry gingersnap crumble. it’s so good. i’ve made it three times now and every time it blows my mind
• easy apple cake i beg my roommate to make me every few months
• mini french apple cakes, in case you want to take a fancier apple-themed bake break.
• actually, just have smitten kitchen’s entire fall line-up. 

study advice

• open that window! it’s crisp as hell out there!
• it often feels like september is the real beginning of the new year, rather than january 1. it’s a good time to do some cleansing & purging. organize your desk! donate some clothes! sage your whole house to dispel negative energies!
• if you’re trying to start out organized, this term-long to-do list might help you out.
• set a budget for your school supply shopping, and for god’s sake, take stock of what you already have in the back of your closet before you buy 7 more notebooks.
  
• layer. you know those academic buildings haven’t figured out how their climate control works yet, plus it’ll be cool in the morning and roasting by two, so give yourself some options.
• i know many of us really look forward to getting back into the school schedule after the summer, but it’s okay if you’re not feeling energetic or excited about it. it’s really okay. just do yr best :)

post–grad:

absolutely nobody requested this, it’s mid-august and 105 degrees outside, here it is anyway. as usual, this is based on my own personal taste, which turns to delta blues, spiked cider, and ghost stories in the fall. italics are favorites. (winter) (summer)

jams

• spooky: creepy covers / southern gothic megamix / in the woods / witch hymns / dark delta blues / me & the devil
  
• indie & folk: as autumn leaves turn / a chill in the air / cozy log cabin / fallen leaves 
  
• instrumental: autumn rhapsody / november / infinite instrumentals / autumn overture

ambiance

• stovetop magic. put a 2 or 3 cups of water in a small saucepan. add apple slices, orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon. heat on low until your whole house smells amazing. don’t forget to turn the burner off when you’re done.
• pomanders, you guys. get yourself some firm oranges and stick some cloves into them. dry them for a few days in a cold, dry room, or dust with orris root to keep from getting moldy. you can leave them in a bowl or hang them up by the window, and they smell incredible. (example - you don’t have to score the peel if you don’t want to)
• it’s decorative gourd season.
• candles! fall is a good time for darker, woodsier scents – cedar, fir, etc. i still like my candles to smell light and clean, though, so finding a “heavier” scent cut with a sharper one – citrus, lemongrass – is nice.
• background sounds: hogwarts library / autumn cold front / autumn in the suburbs / the comforts of home / autumn crows / kitchen witchery

study break material

• spooky book recs (crowdsourced)
• movies & tv
• 100 halloween movies (missing practical magic, the best spooky movie in existence)
• best halloween tv specials (again, i’m offended, the psych specials aren’t listed)
• most popular horror tv series
• ghost adventures masterpost

snacks

• beverage of choice: warm spiced cider. heat up some cider in a saucepan before you pour it into a to-go mug. maybe get fancy and drop a cinnamon stick in there. i use trader joe’s spiced cider because i’m no longer living in the land of a thousand apple orchards.
• the adult version: hard cider (or a pumpkin beer!) with a cinnamon sugar rim. dip the rim of a tall glass in your choice of liquid – i usually just use water, but you can also use simple syrup, apple juice, or even maple syrup for a stickier rim. then dip it in a mix of cinnamon and sugar. pour your cold cider in there and enjoy~
  
• homemade salted pumpkin seeds. pumpkins: in season, ubiquitous, cheap. buy an ugly-lookin one from the discount bin, scoop out the guts and separate the seeds into a bowl. swish them around in water until they’re mostly clean and pat dry on a paper towel. add olive oil and salt (and pepper, if you like), pour them onto a tray, and bake for 30-40 minutes at 300. yields a crunchy, salty snack that’ll last you a few days. 
• that’s the classic version; here are six different seasoning options.
• you can add those seeds to other seasonal trail mix ingredients (granola, pretzels, dried cranberries, nuts, etc.) for a snack that’ll last a full week.
• in-season veggies: squash, broccoli & cauliflower, brussels sprouts, radish, lettuce & chard, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, turnips, pumpkin.
• in-season fruit: pears, apples, cranberries, grapes, kumquats, pineapple, persimmons, pomegranates.
• baked goods
• pumpkin bread (or pumpkin muffins, you know yourself best)
• pear cranberry gingersnap crumble. it’s so good. i’ve made it three times now and every time it blows my mind
• easy apple cake i beg my roommate to make me every few months
• mini french apple cakes, in case you want to take a fancier apple-themed bake break.
• actually, just have smitten kitchen’s entire fall line-up. 

study advice

• open that window! it’s crisp as hell out there!
• it often feels like september is the real beginning of the new year, rather than january 1. it’s a good time to do some cleansing & purging. organize your desk! donate some clothes! sage your whole house to dispel negative energies!
• if you’re trying to start out organized, this term-long to-do list might help you out.
• set a budget for your school supply shopping, and for god’s sake, take stock of what you already have in the back of your closet before you buy 7 more notebooks.
  
• layer. you know those academic buildings haven’t figured out how their climate control works yet, plus it’ll be cool in the morning and roasting by two, so give yourself some options.
• i know many of us really look forward to getting back into the school schedule after the summer, but it’s okay if you’re not feeling energetic or excited about it. it’s really okay. just do yr best :)