Every year, September gets skipped.

I was at a store the other day and they had a string of pumpkins and skeletons strung across the walls. It was August 25th. I’m not a math genius, but that’s more than two months ahead of the actual day we celebrate skeletons — and at least a month ahead of pumpkin season. My aunt grows pumpkins here in Illinois, and she doesn’t see her first ripe one until mid-September at least. So why in the world are we jumping the gun with pumpkins before the tomatoes are done ripening? Planning for October before August is even over? Crazy.

We’re skipping one of the best months of the year. (I can say this now that my kids are grown and I’m not running around like a frantic lunatic trying to manage all the back-to-school chaos!) But even in the chaos, if you can find a moment to stop and take in the golden light of September, with its cool mornings and new beginnings, I think you’ll thank yourself. And do it soon, because it’ll slip right past before you know it. And did I mention? This is the best month of the farmers market. Almost everything is in season.

This list is my quiet little protest against the great September skip.

Not a to-do list. Not twenty more things to accomplish. Just twenty small invitations to notice the month you’re actually in — because there is still something worth savoring here.

The List

1. Take your coffee outside on the first cool morning
2. Buy apples at a farmers market
3. Read outside before the evenings get too chilly
4. Make something with cinnamon
5. Take an evening walk without your phone
6. Put fresh flowers from the yard on the table
7. Cook one dinner using only what’s in season
8. Sit outside at sunset and stay a few minutes longer than you meant to
9. Visit a local bookstore
10. Start a book you’ve been saving
11. Make soup on the first genuinely cool day
12. Notice the first tree beginning to change
13. Have someone over for an easy, no-fuss dinner
14. Light a candle after supper
15. Watch the light change earlier each evening — and let it slow you down
16. Pick one thing from the garden (or the market) and build a meal around it
17. Send a real card to a friend, just because
18. Sleep with the windows open
19. Say no to a few things so you can linger in the present
20. Write down three things you’re enjoying about this season of life

Don’t rush into the next season. There is still something worth noticing here.

Take the list with you

I turned this into a free printable — pretty enough for the refrigerator, small enough to tuck into your planner. Get the September Simple Joys List →

And this isn’t a one-time thing: a new Simple Joys List comes out every month, along with my letter on what I’ve been reading, writing, and cooking. Sign up once and each month’s list arrives in your inbox — no pressure, no productivity, just a gentle nudge toward the season you’re actually in.

Already on my list? The printable came straight to your inbox.