Our responses to the crisp, cool days of fall can vary pretty widely. Some of us discover a squirrel-like brisk energy, a sort of back-to-school excitement. Then there are the bears among us, a little grouchy and wanting to sleep more as the nights get longer, while others just get plain blue when the sun backs off and winter looms ahead.

As my storytelling friend Jack says in one of my favorite stories of his, take heart! No matter how the fall affects you, we have some cozy, homey, and just plain heartwarming ideas for making bringing more warmth and light into this complex and beautiful season. Find out how to celebrate the fall, right here:

Light Candles
When dusk falls, we can make it an occasion of celebration (instead of despair!) by lighting a special candle. My family likes beeswax for its amber color and sweet honey scent–it’s like bringing a little sun indoors. Some of us have to get up in the morning when it’s still dark, too, and the same candle can add a little warmth and encouragement to the darkest morning. I actually love the soothing peace of getting up early and writing down my dreams by candlelight. You might, too.

Tea Ritual
Our Japanese friends have made high art out of the ritual of making tea. But we can institute a very simple tea ritual to welcome children home from school, or to signal the end of a busy working day, or to make a pause between daytime activities and the rest of the evening and night. If the caffeine of black tea jangles you, there are thousands of relaxing and restorative herbal teas on the market. Just boil some water, fetch a pretty teapot or some brightly-colored mugs, and make you and your family a cheering cup of tea. On cool evenings, it becomes a pleasure to hold a warm cup, inhale the soothing steam, and take sip after delicious sip. It’s fun to play with honey as a sweetener, too: the sunny color and sweet scent are pure bliss.

Soothing Bath
A warm bath, especially scented with just a few drops of essential oil, can be a perfect way to warm up and unwind after a chilly day. You can add honey for a sweet skin-nourishing treat, or fill a small muslin bag with oatmeal and rub it all over: oats are terrifically soothing to the skin.

Comfort Nook
Make sure you have at least one cozy, comfy place in your home where you can curl up in a golden circle of warm lamplight with a good book and a soft blanket or throw over your feet. Creating a little sanctuary of warmth and comfort is a must when the temperatures drop. If you have young children, you’ll find that they respond to a Comfort Nook, too: prepare your lap for lots of cuddling and storybook-reading!

Toasty Toes
It’s become something of an autumn ritual in my house to bring out the fuzzy socks and soft felt slippers that keep our toes warm and toasty throughout the colder months. Because we have such pleasant associations around them, it feels celebratory to put those socks and slippers on again after the warm months without them. Your little ones may enjoy having a pair of VSS (Very Special Slippers); my son had a colorful felt pair decorated like dragons that he wore long after he had outgrown them because he loved them so much!

Hearthside Pleasures
If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, it can become the focal point for family gatherings now that it’s chilly enough to want a fire burning indoors. Back when I had a fireplace, the first fire of the season was always a very big deal with my family: we would throw a handful of ground cinnamon on it, or add a bundle of special twigs gathered from the ground and tied with a piece of raffia. One year, we experimented with dipping small pinecones in melted beeswax and then rolling them in cinnamon and cloves. They smelled fabulous sitting in a basket on the hearth, and they made great fire starters.

For some ideas on bringing the autumn magic of nature indoors, see:
Colors of Fall.