Looking for some fun activities to do this Autumn? I've got you covered. 

Personally, I love this time of year, there's something about the crisp air, crunchy leaves, and warm colours speaks to my soul. I've also learned that it's good to lean into the thing I love and make the most of my favourite time of year. Even if you're a summer baby, mourning the warmer days - these activities will get feeling the autumn love.

- Pick Pumpkins:

- Decorate Pumpkins 

Dedicate an evening (or afternoon, morning, or whenever takes your fancy really) to decorate your pumpkins. Have a pumpkin carving contest with the members of your household. Make an event of it. Not into the carving part? Some of the pumpkins we picked this year are on the smaller side, so we've decided to paint them instead. Who'd have thought one vegetable could provide so many fun autumn activities, and we haven't even discussed cooking with them.

- Making decor:

For me, each new season comes with a new colour palette and an excuse to mix things up in the home. This Autumn I decided to get a bit creative and make my own decor. I crocheted mini pumpkins and a black cat garland (I have both of which are also available to buy on my Etsy store If you don't fancy making but do fancy decorating). I found making my own bits felt really relaxing and it gave me something a bit different to do in the evenings. If you do want a creative project, I'd recommend Love Crafts (I worked with them in the past on this blog post, but I'm just sharing now because I think it's helpful!) They have tonnes of access to free knitting and crochet patterns on their website which you might want to try out. If crochet is not for you, why not give making an Autumn wreath a try? 

- Autumn walks:

- Castle visits:

- Watch Gilmore Girls:

Crochet/Knit:

- Cosy up with a blanket, some candles and an Autumn film:

An obviously one I know, but sometimes you can't beat the simple things. Netflix has a great selection of cheesy, autumnal rom-coms, which seems to be my new favourite genre of film (I've recently watched Harvest Moon and Falling Inn Love, both so bad but so good, you know?). Enjoying them with a hot chocolate and a blanket is sometimes all you need for the perfect autumn evening.

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I didn't go completely phone and laptop free, I decided I was allowed to watch Stranger Things with my boyfriend and enjoy dipping in out of an audiobook - but that social media was a no-no... To be completely honest, I did slip up, twice. I caught myself beginning to scroll twitter, and pressing the Instagram app but those 10 seconds, were a whole lot less than the hours that usually pass me by staring at the lives of strangers through my iPhone screen. 

It was really lovely. My boyfriend and I had a lazy morning at home, I did some sewing for my Etsy store, we went for lunch and I didn't pause to snap a shot of our food for Instagram stories. We visited my mum, and I didn't find myself trying to both scroll and engage in conversation. I was present. We laughed and chatted and drank tea, and I didn't tell the internet about it. It was nice to be anonymous. We drove back, listening to Harry Potter on the way, I took in the story along with passing green fields and blue skies. We returned home and I got out my paints and fell back in love with one of my old hobbies - I painted watercolour strokes on a page and tried not to be too precious about the outcome. We cosied up and watched Stranger Things and I didn't miss out on the details because I was distracted by twitter. I felt free - and when I write this a day later I feel refreshed - excited about life, offline and online. 

I can see that one day away from the small screen was the mental health day I didn't know I needed. Disconnecting gave me the chance to reconnect - with my family, my boyfriend and myself.

I won't be doing it all the time, because there's a reason I love the online world, both when it comes to consuming and creating content, but I am going to aim for a least once a month because it felt good for the soul.

Activities for a digital detox day:

- Read: I'm always wanting to lose myself in a good book, it's something I always wish I had more time for. A digital detox day is a perfect excuse to catch up with some reading. If you're after some book recommendations, you can find my book-related blog posts here.

- Spend time with loved ones: You do that all the time already right? But I bet you don't do it without digital distractions. Catching up with loved ones without scrolling is a whole lot more special.

- Games: FYI, board games aren't just for Christmas time. A digital detox day is a perfect time to dust off the monopoly.

- Jigsaw Puzzles: The same goes for jigsaw puzzles. I love getting out a puzzle during the festive season, and there is absolutely no reason you can't spend your time puzzling all year round, and they will definitely keep you entertained during a digital detox.

- Go for Walk: I've said it a million times before on this blog. I bloody love going to for a walk. I find being outside in nature refreshing.

- Go for Bike Ride: Now personally, I won't be doing this one, because I'm not the most confident on a bike - my boyfriend, however, is obsessed with going for bike rides with his friends - so if you want a tech-free activity, bike rides could be the one. 

- Drawing/painting: Growing up, drawing and painting were some of my favourite hobbies, as I've got older it's gotten a bit forgot, one of those things which get pushed aside because I don't have 'time' for it (still have time to play The Sims and scroll Instagram though). On my digital detox day, I spent a couple of hours rediscovering my love for painting, and I'm going to try to keep it up. Creativity is something to be rediscovered during a digital detox day.

- Pottery painting: A few years ago we went to centre parks (vlog here)  and we did some pottery painting and it was my favourite part. It's something I've been meaning to do since, and a digital detox day is a perfect time to do this. 

- Go for a Picnic: Sadly for those in the UK, this is kind of weather dependant. But who doesn't love taking there picnic blankets and sandwiches to the park?

- Clean/Organise: There's always cleaning and organising to be done, and although you might hate it, I find it pretty therapeutic, making it the perfect activity for a digital detox day. 

- Fruit and veg picking: I'm not the only one who feels a bit envious when I see the pumpkin picking pictures on Instagram, am I?! a digital detox day is the perfect time to arrange to go picking.

Outfit Details:

Dress: M&S (old, similar linked) | Headband: Chloe Harriets Creates | Scrunchie (worn on the wrist): Chloe Harriets Creates | Necklace: MoonglowSandals: New Look

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Today I thought I'd share some book reviews of all that I've been reading this Summer. 
It's one for all of you bookworms out there - A little update on my pages I've been flicking through and my thoughts on them.

The Kissing Booth (1 & 2) by Beth Reekles

      

* Affiliate links are used in this blogpost. 

 Today, I wanted to share some creative hobbies that are good for self-care. Hobbies which I find relaxing and fulfilling because sometimes an evening in front of Netflix just doesn't cut it.

- Crocheting:

 This post is in partnership with Love Crafts who reached out to me and asked if I'd like to feature something from their website in a blog post.  When I saw they had crochet supplies I, of course, said yes. For years I've been crocheting as a form of self-care. There's something about the repetitive movement, keeping my hands busy (if I'm ever feeling anxious I fidget like crazy which doesn't help, crocheting settles me), and the feeling of 'I made this' (I like that feeling, hence my Etsy store - gotta get that self-promo in somewhere). Until now, I've only crochet blankets, sticking to the few stitches I knew, although I'm sure my friends are have appreciated the baby blankets, for a while I wanted to make more but had no clue where to start with following a pattern and learning new stitches. This gifted opportunity gave me the perfect opportunity to push slightly outside of my comfort zone while doing one of my favourite things. I chose this pattern to be gifted, so I could make a jumper which I love - it's right up there with my style, plus the website also shows pattern difficulty levels  - and as this is my first time working from a pattern, I wanted to start easy with beginners. I went for this wool, and also have the appropriate hooks gifted. I'm still not quite finished (I had one of those baby blankets I spoke about earlier to complete before I got started on the project). Once I got stuck into it, I found this to be the perfect self-care activity. It kept me feeling like my evenings we're going to waste. Seeing the jumper begin to form is so satisfying. I get to feel a great sense of achievement and a great sense of chill when I spend my time crocheting, and sometimes even watch Netflix at the same time, the best kind of multitasking. If you're interested in starting a new crochet project, they have tonnes of free patterns available here to get you started.

- Reading:

 I've always been a big reader, but it's a hobby which is often easily abandoned when I get busy. After falling a little out of love with reading a few months back, I've recently got back into it, and boy oh boy is it a hobby worthy of my time. Reading is an easy escape from the day-to-day. I read a bit of everything. Self-development books are great for when I want something to motivate and inspire me. Fiction for when I want a break from my own life - it's always nice to dip an imaginary one. I'm currently reading My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing (*affiliate link) - this thriller stylebook is not my go-to read, but I'm hooked - it's even nice being able to look forward to picking up my book when I'm going about my day. I have an online book club, you can read more about #chloeharrietsbookclub here, you can find any book review or book-related blog post here, and follow me on Goodreads here.

- Painting/Drawing: 

I've always been a creative person, some of my favourite childhood memories include me sat on a bedroom floor drawing pictures. Similar to reading, painting and drawing are both things I go through phases of doing but when I am putting my time into them, I just feel calmer. It's a hobby which takes my focus in the most relaxed way. There's not really any right or wrong, but there's is the feeling of accomplishment when completing the picture, and the escape strokes of a paintbrush allow. My friend @staciejayneart on Instagram I find super inspiring when it comes to painting, she just paints for the process and produces such beautiful pieces - she really reminds me with should have hobbies for the joy of the process and creativity should be a form of self expression.

- Journaling: 

I'm sure I've mentioned a million times (well -  here, here and here) how much I love journaling so I won't go on about it too much - just know putting a pen to paper is often both healing and empowering. Whether you're scripting what a day in your life in will look like in the future, or getting something off your chest - moving feelings from the mind onto paper makes all the difference. 

- Dancing: 

The simple act of moving our bodies is so freeing. Listening to high vibe music, and dancing just get me feeling positive and excited for the what's to come. It doesn't need to be a big deal either. Dancing in the kitchen while you cook your dinner just adds some more fun to your evening, and who doesn't want that?!

What creative hobbies would you suggest for self-care? 

Have you tried out crocheting before? One of those free patterns on Love Crafts might just be your next self-care project!

Keep your eyes peeled for a picture on my finished crocheted jumper which I will post on my Instagram once I finish it!

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Here is a list of things to do when you're feeling unmotivated:

- Move

Sometimes we're just feeling a bit restless, our body wants to move rather than sit at a desk typing. So do exactly that. Go for a walk, a run, do a workout video, dance around your bedroom, find your zen by doing some Yoga (I have a full blog post why to do a yoga challenge here) - whatever suits you. Find a way to burn some of that energy. The combo of those post-workout endorphins and a break from the screen might be all you need to get back with that inspiration flowing.

- Change your surroundings

Sometimes, something as simple as working somewhere new can really spice things up  - or if that's not an option have a tidy and rejig of your desk. Our surrounding affect how we feel, so if they're feeling a little stale, you probably will too. 

- Listen to/watch motivating content 

Soon I will do a full blog post on the content I like to watch when I'm looking for that extra push of motivation. Don't underestimate the power of a Youtube video. I always have my most productive days when I've watched a motivating video or listening an inspire podcast while eating my breakfast. 

- Vision board

I am a big fan of vision boarding (I have a blog post on it here and videos here and here). It helps to clarify where you're heading and what you're working towards. Plus it actually freaking works (honestly I should have thought it through more when I added a magazine cutting which says "stay home, work out" to my 2020 vision board because it's certainly happened). If you don't feel motivated, it likely that it's because you've lost sight of your end goal - vision boarding will help you to figure out where you want to be heading.

- Take a walk

I pretty much say it every blogpost now (see here, here and here - I guess I'm obsessed with walking) - nature is healing, refreshing and inspiring. If you're not doing your work, you may as well take advantage of the benefits of spending time in the world around you.

- Read

You really can't bring yourself to go through your emails, write that blog post or do whatever you're supposed to be doing? Why not pick up a book? A self-development book might get you considering how to move forward with your goal or a fiction book can transport you to a new world, so your chill time will no longer include that nagging feeling of an untouched to-do list - If you're looking for book recommendations you can find tonnes of reviews here. 

Outfit Details

Lilac Tie-Dye T-Shirt (which was kindly gifted from Femme Luxe): Available here

Dungaree Pinafore (worn as a skirt with a tee over): Old, similar linked here

Sandals: Old, similar linked here

Coming to the end of this post I've realised some of my tips are very similar to what I say in my habits for happiness blog post, but what can I say, for me, happiness and motivation go hand in hand.

I hope you found this post useful! What do you do when you're in need of some motivation?