10 Things I Love About September

Reflections on September

List making is one of my very favorite things. This article is part of a series of reflections on things I love about each month of the year. My hope is that in making these lists, I’ll slow down, take note of beauty, and contemplate the moments that matter. Here’s my list of 10 things I love about September.

1. Amusement Park Tradition

Our local amusement park, Oaks Park, offers a homeschool day after the public schools are back in session. Ride bracelets are discounted and the kids get unlimited rides for four hours. Thankfully, my kids are old enough to ride without me now, because my motion sickness can’t handle four hours of spinning and twirling! It’s become a fun back-to-school tradition for us in September.

2. Special Movie Night

While my two younger kids were away with grandparents, my oldest and I had a fun movie night with a rom-com double feature and random snacks à la Gilmore Girls. It was a super fun, memorable way to spend time one on one with her—made especially so since this is her senior year.

3. Chicken Schawarma Bowls

This was amazingly delicious, made even more so because my husband made it and I didn’t have to cook! He probably didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but it’s essentially the combination of flavors in the chicken schawarma bowls from Tastes Better from Scratch.

Read: What to Do in September

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4. Cinnamon Apple Tea

The scent of cinnamon apple tea feels like inhaling fall to me. Whether I take a 10-minute break to sit outside or simply bring the cup to my desk, I love the seasonality of changing up my afternoon beverage and cinnamon apple is the perfect choice for September.

5. Swim Meet

September brought my daughter’s first swim meet of the season! It’s such a joy to watch our kids participate in activities they love. While I occasionally grumble about the time commitments involved in all their extracurriculars, I know this life season will come to an end and I’ll be nostalgic for it.

6. Hymns & Praise Night

Our church held a hymns & praise night where we got together to sing old hymns of the faith together and it was lovely. My daughters came along and had an opportunity to sing some of the older songs that they don’t sing as often in our regular church services.

7. Homemade Applesauce

September brings an abundant apple crop and the combination of an instant pot and a Vitamix makes homemade applesauce so easy. I core the apples but don’t peel them and add just a little water to the instant pot with the chopped apples. After cooking for 15-20 minutes, I let it cool and then add the cooked sauce to the Vitamix in batches. This makes smooth, delicious, applesauce—no sugar added. My family gobbles it up!

8. Garden Tomatoes

The month of September is prime tomato harvesting month in our garden. We planted cherry, pear, and Roma varieties this year and they all produced fantastically. Fresh from the garden tomatoes are the last, lingering reminders of summer.

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9. Sweater Weather

With crisp, cool September mornings, we get to pull out those cozy sweaters and sweatshirts that were packed away all summer. I absolutely love sweater weather!

10. Microwave Hack Lattes

With three teen girls, specialty coffees are almost always on the menu. We’ve started making lattes by shaking milk in a mason jar (with the lid tightly closed!) until it’s foamy and then heating it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Hot brewed coffee, flavored syrup if they choose, and the shaken microwaved milk makes a quick and easy latte!