I love Halloween. By the time it arrives, you know you’re well into autumn.   I think everybody likes the bright, warm days of summer but there’s something reassuring and what my daughter calls ‘snuggly,’ about the cooler months. The first time I sense a real chill in the air, a switch flicks in my biorhythms and I’m a bit like a mama-bear with a list of chores to get through before winter sets in. Here are a few suggestions to make your fall more fun.

1             First up; I hit the closets.  All the summer clothes need to get put away. For me, there’s nothing more depressing than looking at a pair of shorts in December, so I box everything up and get them gone.  Summer is out of my life for now, but the autumn brings in chunky knits and ‘snuggly,’ sweat pants.  I bought a pair of wool mix loose leggings in Target about three years ago and I swear, they’re still my favorites.  They’re black so I can pair them up with any number of big, baggy sweaters and I’m all set; wrapped up and comfy!  When the summer stuff is gone, I can bring in the winter clothing that I packed away last spring. There’s always a surprise or two in there, with things that I’d forgotten I’d bought. It’s lovely. It’s the only time I ever clean out my closet – spring & fall so it’s a good thing to do.

2             The next thing I turn to is cooking.  I don’t really like cooking because I’m very bad at it, but I make a bigger effort in the winter. Maybe it’s because we’re not outside as much, so I find myself in the kitchen more – almost by accident.  Whatever the reason, the family benefits.  In the summer there’d be a lot of salads and ‘help yourself lunches.’ But in the winter, I go for the big Sunday roasts. I bake homemade apple and rhubarb pies and I even do roast potatoes. This has to be one of the high points for the family. At the first sign of those adorable, tiny new potatoes in the spring, I go on strike and refuse to peel any more spuds (which means no more roasties) but with the arrival of the colder months, comes the reappearance of roast potatoes. Everybody is relieved.

3             The fire has got to be my favorite seasonal change. It never gets lit in the summer and I LOVE fires. There’s something primal about them. A roaring fire draws all of us, even the dog into the one room. The only other thing that does that is roast potatoes!  And another personal difference for me is; I switch from white wine to red wine.  I don’t know why, but white seems to work better with summer parties and nights out but in the winter, when I want to stay warm and get cozy, the red has more appeal.  I know women who like chocolate at night (back to those biorhythms!) but not me. I don’t do it every night. If I did I wouldn’t be able to fit into those shorts next spring, but maybe on a Friday or a Saturday evening, if we’re staying in, I love to slip into something comfy, light the fire, enjoy a glass of red wine and get snuggly with Papa Bear and my little cubs.

You may not be at the same stage in life as me but as the season’s move forward, enjoy and celebrate the change. I strongly recommend you clean out your closet, peel your potatoes and light the fire.  How snuggly you get with the bear in your life, I’ll leave up to you! Happy Halloween.

Lots of love, Suzy

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Suzy Duffy is an international and #1 bestselling author. A former national radio DJ and TV presenter in her native Ireland, she moved to Boston with her husband, five children and one dog in 2009 in light of Europe’s economic downturn. Duffy’s colorful background has taken her from working in the United Nations’ Geneva headquarters to being a water-ski instructor in Greece to laboring as a corn cutter in the south of France.

Wellesley Wives, Duffy’s debut U.S. book release, is the first in a New England based trilogy of novels. She is currently working on the second installment, Newton Neighbors.

Wellesley Wives is currently available for pre-order via The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House, and will be available via all major online retailers as of September 27, 2012.

Find Suzy Duffy on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, her website and on The Writer’s Coffee Shop Publishing House site.