Arielle O'Shea

I wouldn’t have otherwise been able, to hear my own thoughts and feelings expressed in what others had written, and to feel like I wasn’t so alone in the world. Typing this with the intent to share creates a prickle of panic on the back of my neck and a sinking feeling in my gut, but stifling it, not writing, not sharing my imagination and what I dream, as I feel I was meant to, feels like a slow death, a gradual darkening, as if someone is applying pressure to the dimmer switch and I know, inevitably, everything will go dark. Some of the best compliments I’ve received in my life that became imbued in the depths of my being were from teachers and other adults I knew in my younger years. I intend to build entire cities, entire worlds, entire people, and the intricacies of their minds through my words.

I don’t feel very inspired but most of all, I just keep thinking that it won’t be good enough. But don’t feel bad for me because without that I wouldn’t be who I am today–nowhere close. For the person who has been battling depression and anxiety their whole life but they’re still putting one foot in front of the other and making their way through their day even if it’s so painful and it feels like there’s an invisible boot stepping on them from the sky keeping them down, I think that’s a freaking miracle and that they should be proud that they’re persisting through that. If you don’t give a crap about that, post any photo you want and don’t worry about what anyone else freaking thinks!

Still, I’ll share the fall activities that sound the most wonderful to us and we’ll aim to do at least a handful of them during this glorious golden season when the leaves turn to rust, umber, canary yellow, fiery oranges, and flaming shades of rich red and gentle drift to the ground. Potato stamp prints in the shape of leaves, pumpkins, bats, etc Have a Harry Potter-themed day: make pumpkin juice, pumpkin pasties, pumpkin pancakes, & butterbeer ice cream floats, serve stew in a cauldron, get a white owl and wear wizard hats all day if you want to lol (& watch Harry Potter movies, obviously) Take family photos & admire the fall scenery (get a tripod and set a timer, you don’t have a spend a ton on a photographer to do this! ) Teach your children about giving to others: put together some food donations, & bring them with you to drop them off Plan your meals around what’s in season Enjoy a cool day at the beach, dress warm, roll up your pant legs and walk in the surf Enjoy a sunset outside in cozy blankets with hot cocoa (add in some Peppermint Schnapps for added warmth) Sunday morning pumpkin pancakes or waffles with apple butter and bourbon maple syrup (we love the Vermont Organic one from Trader Joe’s! ) Make paper bag pumpkins with tea candles & line your front walk with them on Halloween Skip the gym and do your workouts outside in the crisp fall air Serve baked apple or pear crepes with maple whipped cream & vanilla bean ice cream for dessert Sip on Apple Cider Moscow Mules (Click here for the recipe: http://prettyplainjanes.com/2015/10/02/apple-cider-moscow-mule/ ) Follow along on Instagram by clicking the icon below and may you all have the most wonderful fall!

You can also control what you put in them which means you can ensure that they’re truly, clean, natural, organic, and don’t have a ton of added sugars, artificial flavorings or preservatives in them (aka things that no one needs in their diet, especially not little developing brains and bodies). those are the only two that taste completely natural to me, the others I’ve tried taste like that have some sort of added artificial flavoring in them even if they’re marked organic which is disappointing) You’re basically just making a smoothie and pouring it into molds to freeze and that’s it! If you have a younger child who gives you a difficult time when it comes to eating veggies, add some avocado and organic spinach to any chocolate version of these popsicles –not a ton, but maybe a ¼ of a cup depending on how many popsicles you’re making and how much of the other ingredients you’re putting in, they won’t even know it’s there and will be none-the-wiser while happily devouring their spinach cocoa pops!