" I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house. So I have spent almost all the daylight hours in the open air." - Nathaniel Hawthorne.

This could not be more true for my family and me! We try to spend as much time outside as possible when it's fall—enjoying the autumn breeze and sun, smelling the crisp air and earth aromas and appreciating the beautiful sunburnt leaves.

This time of the year is fantastic to enjoy a meal outside, as it is not scorching hot. And no flies, mosquitos, and bugs are bugging you (see what I did there ;-) You also don't have to dress like an Eskimo to spend some time outside!

So, we decided to enjoy a lovely early dinner outside by candlelight to make more fall memories! I am sharing this post along with my friends in our Seasons of Home series. See my last post for it HERE

A Magical Picnic

One of our favorite fall traditions is having a picnic, and this year we chose to do it right here in our backyard.

And this is what makes it so magical and memorable - you do not have to go somewhere specific to have a picnic; you can do it in your garden, on the patio, or in the living room! It even makes the logistics (especially when having a toddler!) easier!

Often times it is the act itself and the people you enjoy it with rather than the location or fancy equipment.

I chose our patio for our outdoor fall picnic and decided to set both a beautiful table and a picnic setting on the floor.

This way, we can comfortably enjoy our meal at the table but still relax and enjoy fun moments on the floor with Ava. Kids like it much more on the ground, anyway!

Creating A Cozy Setting

As this was a magical fall picnic, after all, I wanted to make it extra special and beautiful. We all deserve a beautiful setting every now and again, right?!

So I used dehydrated hydrangeas, roses, and fresh dahlias from the garden to add a lovely feminine touch. The pinks and oranges go perfectly with my pumpkin decor to create a soft fall ambiance.

Since it is fall, I simply had to use my cute mini decorative pumpkins. They add such a fun element!

And, obviously, there were candles! Give any setting candles, and the whole vibe is immediately relaxed, calming, and magical.

Using candlesticks and tealight candles with different heights gives an appealing visual interest.

For the floor picnic setting, I kept it simple, practical, and comfy. A few cozy blankets and scatter cushions are all you need, and if you have cozy poufs, add those too!

Ava had a great time playing and eating on the picnic blanket as if she had her own special spot. It was so inviting, even our cat made himself comfortable!

Picnic Food

Of course, you need food and refreshments at a picnic! So I made a few of my favorite fall recipes to celebrate this golden season and all its yummy produce.

I have these fun pumpkin soup bowls, and we had a bit of a rainy day, so butternut squash soup was the perfect dish to serve!

Butternut or pumpkin soup may just be the most typical fall dish! And for great reason! Pumpkins and butternut are in season; it has all the fall flavors, such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and it warms you up!

You can find my favorite butternut squash soup recipe here!

It's kind of an unwritten rule that you must serve bread with soup, right?! I think that's why most of us eat soup - it gives us an excuse to eat thick, warm, fresh slices of bread slathered with butter!

Store-bought or freshly homemade bread, the choice is yours! This sourdough bread recipe from Country Life Natural Foods is one I often enjoy making.

I also served a yummy arugula salad as a side dish to get in those much-needed nutrients and vitamins. Simply toss some fresh arugula, sea salt, and olive oil together and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

For something sweet, I placed delicious chocolate pumpkin cookies in beautiful Ball® home canning glass jars. It serves as both a sweet treat and a lovely gift your guests can take home! I will share this recipe soon!

I also made delicious hand apple pies with hints of cinnamon and ginger, all wrapped up in a yummy crescent roll. They are the perfect sweet treat for picnics!

Here is the recipe for the mini apple pies!

For more fall and picnic foods and drinks, these are some of my favorites:

Delicious pumpkin muffins

Autumn harvest hummus

Mini fall harvest apples

Fig and caramelized onion galette

Fall harvest mocktail

Fall Family Fun

Make your picnic or outside meals even more memorable with activities or playing some fun games! Some ideas:

Look through old photo albums

Create new memories and take fun polaroid photos

Build a puzzle

Take turns reading a favorite book as a family

Roast marshmallows over the candles

Send the kids out on a scavenger hunt while the grown-ups eat. Here is a fun fall scavenger hunt for the kids!

I hope I have given you some inspiration today to make the most of the lovely fall weather. Also, to make every occasion an opportunity to make it fun and memorable!

Love, Annette xx

More fall inspiration:

Candlelight and fall decorations in the greenhouse

Cozy fall decorating ideas

Farm-themed pumpkin carving

A fall family picnic