There is something about a fall weekend in Vermont that just hits differently. The mornings are cooler, the kettle is constantly on, the leaves are showing off, and suddenly I want to cook again, wear real clothes, light every candle in the house, and spend as much time outside as we can before winter rolls in.

I don’t need a packed weekend to make it a good one. Actually, these days, it’s usually the opposite.

Give me a morning where we don’t have to rush out the door, an outfit I feel good in, somewhere to wander with the kids, something delicious to eat, a little time spent making our house feel good, and a cozy dinner at home.

That’s pretty much my recipe for a really good fall weekend.

Start Slowly, But Actually Get Dressed

Weekend mornings usually start with tea for me …English breakfast with honey and whole milk, always…breakfast with the family, and hopefully nowhere we have to be immediately.

But even when we’re having a slow morning, I’ve learned that I feel so much better when I eventually get out of my pajamas and actually get dressed.

Not dressed up. Just dressed.

My fall uniform is usually some version of jeans or leggings, a great flannel or oversized sweater, Birkenstock clogs or sneakers, and a jacket thrown over everything. Maybe a hat, sunglasses and a few simple accessories.

I’ve become much more interested in having a few easy outfit formulas than reinventing the wheel every time I get dressed. If I’m comfortable, can chase after the kids, and still feel a little like myself, that’s a win.

And somehow putting on a real outfit changes the energy of the whole day…even if our biggest plan is going for a walk and picking up something good to eat.

Get Out of the House

If we have a free Saturday morning, I almost always want to go somewhere as a family.

A walk, a coffee or tea stop, wandering through a farmers market, popping into a shop, taking the kids somewhere outside, or finally checking out a place we’ve been saying we want to visit.

And Vermont in the fall makes this particularly easy.

This is the time of year when even a drive feels like an activity. The foliage is beautiful, farm stands are full, the air feels crisp, and there is always fall things happening every weekend.

Some days we lean all the way in…pumpkins, apples, cider donuts, the whole thing. Other days it’s simply a long family walk and stopping somewhere for a treat on the way home.

Either way, I like having one thing that gets us all dressed and out into the world.

Eat Something Really Good

Food is absolutely part of my definition of a good weekend.

Maybe we grab breakfast or a pastry somewhere we love. Maybe we come home and make an easy lunch. Maybe something has been simmering on the stove all afternoon.

Once the weather cools down, I get genuinely excited about cooking again. Soup, roasted vegetables, pasta sauce, apple crisp, something warm coming out of the oven… fall food just feels good.

And there is something particularly sweet about making a bakery stop with the kids and bringing home a little treat to have with afternoon tea.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. Just something delicious that makes the day feel a little more like the weekend.

Keep Family Time Simple

With two little kids, I’ve realized our best family time is usually pretty simple.

We’re outside doing something around the house. Taking a walk. Playing in the yard. Going on a little adventure. Cooking while the kids hang around the kitchen. Having dinner together. Putting on a movie when everyone has reached their limit for the day.

I don’t need to create a big plan for us to have a good weekend together.

Some of my favorite days are the ones where we’re just home, moving in and out of different things, getting a few things done and letting the kids be part of it.

Which usually leads to…

Do One Little Thing for the House

We definitely don’t spend our entire weekend cleaning… but when you own a home, there is always something to do.

And honestly, I love a family chore moment.

We might work outside, clean up the garden, organize one area that’s gotten out of control, change the bedding, tidy the kitchen, or finally tackle the random house project we’ve been ignoring.

The kids come along for the ride. We put music on. Everyone “helps” in whatever capacity they’re capable of helping. And we try to make taking care of our home part of family life rather than something we have to squeeze in around it.

Then there are the fun house things: fresh flowers on the table, a candle burning, cozy blankets back on the couch, bringing out a few seasonal pieces.

Nothing major. Just enough to make the house feel good when Sunday evening rolls around.

Leave Some Time With Nowhere to Be

This is important and a constant reminder / practice for me: not every hour needs an activity.

I love when there is a pocket of the weekend where we genuinely have nowhere to be or nothing to do.

Maybe the kids are playing and I make another cup of tea. Maybe I sneak in a bath or do my skincare. Maybe we’re outside. Maybe someone is napping and the house is miraculously quiet. Maybe we all end up piled on the couch watching something.

This is usually when the weekend starts to actually feel like the weekend.

No agenda. No rushing everyone into the car. Just being home for a while.

End With a Really Good Dinner

Cooler weather has officially brought me back into my cooking era.

On Sundays, you can almost always find me making some kind of sauce, soup or cozy dinner that takes a little longer than something I’d make during the week.

I love the whole ritual of it: music playing, something simmering on the stove, a candle lit, everyone hanging around the kitchen, and eventually sitting down together.

Sometimes family comes over for Sunday dinner. Sometimes it’s just us. Sometimes we’re tired and order something we all love or have leftovers instead.

It doesn’t really matter what’s on the menu. I just love ending the weekend around the table, nourishing the family.

The Little Things Making It Feel Like Fall Right Now

A really good knit. Birkenstock clogs. Tea all day. Soup on the stove. Candles lit before dinner. Fresh flowers or branches from outside. Family walks when the leaves are at their peak. Baking something with Coco. Cozy evenings at home. Skincare after a hot bath. Opening the windows for that perfect crisp fall air. And finding every excuse possible to be outside before Vermont turns very, very cold.

Nothing groundbreaking.

Just the things that make this season really, really good.

And maybe that’s my whole approach to weekends right now: I don’t need them to be packed to make them memorable. A little adventure, good food, a house that feels cozy, an outfit I feel good in, my people nearby, and enough empty space to actually enjoy it all.

That’s a really good weekend to me.

The Really Good Fall Weekend Edit

I’ve also rounded up some of the things I’m wearing, using, cooking with and loving at home this season over on my ShopMy… essentially everything I’d want within reach for a really good fall weekend.

SHOP THE EDIT →