5 Reasons To Be Excited For Fall

Not sure what all the hype about Fall and October is? I can name a few reasons, to say the least. And yes, I know there are still six days left in September...but whatever. From cooler weather to the transition from iced to hot coffee, here are five reasons to be more than excited that Fall has arrived:

1. Cooler Weather. This in itself should get you jumping up and down with excitement. Even down here in Florida, we can already feel the temperatures cooling down as the weeks go by. Time to bring out our long sleeve tees and enjoy some nice 70 degree weather!

2. Pumpkin Spice Everything. Come on, you knew this would be on here. Our favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte has been back on the Starbucks menu for a few weeks now, but it only feels right to start drinking them now that Fall has officially begun. There's also delicious pumpkin bread to enjoy with our coffees! Walk into your local supermarket and you'll notice that a lot of things are already being sold in the seasonal pumpkin flavor. I even saw pumpkin spice pancakes yesterday, which I have to try. Side-note: Starbucks has a new Fall flavor (first new one in four years, by the way!!): Toasted Graham Latte. I'll have to try this one for myself.

3. Halloween. Who doesn't like getting to dress up and party like there's no tomorrow (safely... of course)? Whether you're dressing up as a cop or a bunny, or coordinating a matching costume with your significant other (now accepting ideas, please), Halloween is always a fun part of Fall. And we can't forget about candy... in my world you're never too old to trick or treat.

4. Hot Coffee. We can finally stop ordering all of our coffee over ice so we don't have heat strokes throughout the day. It's finally time to order our coffee and use one of those coffee collars to prevent our fingers from burning (great invention, by the way).

5. The smell/feel of the air. You know what I'm talking about. October & November just have this feeling to them. Everyone is happier, people want to cuddle up with blankets, and suddenly, spending time outside doesn't seem too bad. I don't know about you, but I actually enjoy being outside and appreciating the crisp autumn air around this time of the year. It isn't hot outside, and you don't need a giant coat and gloves to stay warm. It's legitimately perfect outside and everyone around you can feel it too.

Enjoy this Fall season to the best of your ability. Try a new coffee flavor at Starbucks, buy a new sweater, or go to Halloween Horror Nights like we all did in the old days. Feel like being a potato at home? Don't worry, there's always ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween movie marathon (potatoing sounds good right about now). This is a beautiful time of the year and we should all try to do something awesome to make it even better.

I hope you enjoy the season as much as I do!

NG

An Open Letter To Anyone Afraid To Love

A year ago today, I would have never thought my life would be the way it is right now. If you know me, you'd know I was an avid "forever alone" and emotionless person when it came to all things "relationship". My best friends all had boyfriends, and as much as I love them, I'd gag whenever they said how much they loved or missed their significant other. I'd ask them how they could possibly talk to someone all day (which I still don't get...but whatever) and not go crazy. I guess you could say I was afraid of love. 

I never really thought about it until now. I was scared to start liking a stupid boy (yes, they're all stupid) just to have my heart broken. I don't know why I thought that; everyone else seemed to be having fun jumping from relationship to relationship all through high school... and then there was me, single NG (sidenote: I gave a ton of *great* relationship advice to everyone for being the only single friend). I'm not complaining; everything happens for a reason and I had an amazing time with all my friends being the official third wheel. 

Love isn't something we should be scared of; it should excite us. I never thought I'd act the way I do around a guy but hey, people change. I've literally turned into one of those annoying people who call their boyfriend "muffin" and "blueberry" and I just can't with myself. It's sickening (in a cute, I-don't-want-to-admit-it kind of way). 

I guess I just want to tell anyone out there who may feel the same way I felt that they shouldn't be scared to love. If you think someone could be good for you, give it a try. Don't be scared to get into a relationship because of what may (or may not) happen. Life is about taking chances and whatever is meant to be, will be. Just go for it. I did, and I've never been happier. I've never had a boyfriend so I don't really know what I'm doing, but it's fun learning as time goes by. You'll grow as a person and who knows, you may actually like the non single version of yourself a lot more than you thought you would. And if you're afraid to love because of a previous relationship, I have some advice: it gets better. Don't let your past hold you back from making your future better and brighter. 

Lots of love,

NG

Yes this is a cheesy quote but whatever. Enjoy it. Live it. Love it.