Astronomical autumn begins September 22nd, however, come September 1st it’s hard not to notice the shift in life pace. With back to school in full swing, Dwayne shares his fall routine with some new adjustments and goals.
A new season ushers in new ways of being, requiring a clean space streamlined for your shifts in schedule. The first step in Dwayne’s fall routine is deep cleaning and decluttering indoor and outdoor spaces to prepare for bustling back to school routines. Give the windows a good clean and dust commonly forgotten areas like lampshades and the top of cupboards and shelves. Extra points for deep cleaning the oven and refrigerator! Declutter excess buildup by clearing out your kitchen cupboards, and donating any in-date but unwanted food to your local food banks. You should end up with a clean and tidy space, making back to school prep seamless and stress-free.
The kids going back to school brings in an air of new hope, new possibilities and new schedules. With overlapping soccer practices and meetings, getting the whole family together can sometimes be a challenge. Take advantage of the remaining warm weather to get intentional about your family time, but with a fall twist! Drawing from Dwayne’s childhood roots, horseback riding provides the perfect landscape to enjoy quality time with the family while enjoying the outdoors. Not only do horses provide Dwayne with major design inspiration, but sharing this with the family provides a deeper level of connection. A grounding experience requiring everyone to take a pause from their busy schedules and be present with themselves, each other, and their environment.
Although the warmer weather will linger in sunny southwest Florida, we can still take part in the fall festivities by bringing seasonal fruits, vegetables and spices into the kitchen. One of Dwayne’s goals this fall is to get creative in the kitchen and indulge in seasonal flavors with the family. A plum and walnut tart is the perfect low-fuss in-season dessert that will set the tone for a fresh start. For the crust, take advantage of familiar fall favorites like walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Create a fresh and light filling using firm but ripe plums and dark berry jam from your local farmers market. Nothing feels more quintessentially fall than a warm tart served with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
