Highly Recommend #2

it's fall, FINALLY.

Happy Monday, indeed, my friend. Have you been outside lately? Has it cooled down where you live? Keeping your windows open at night while you curl up with a cup of tea, wrapped in a soft, cozy blanket? I love it. I'm really only here for Spring and Autumn, so this bug is super snug.

I'm not "pumpkin-spice-my-life" crazy about fall, but I really appreciate the weather and how the sunlight is dimmed. And since I just moved to an entirely different part of the country, I'm excited to see how the PNW does autumn. I hear-tell of wildfires, smoky air, lots of rain, and no more sun until April. To which I say, finally, thank you, bring it, yes please, wooohoooooo!

And this brings me to this week's recommendations:

Get Lost in Your Own Town:

Pretend you're a tourist or someone who just moved to where you currently live. Take a tour, eat at places you've never been, shop where you've only ever looked through the windows, make the old new again through your eyes. Find some friends, or grab your family, and a link to a scavenger hunt you can use anywhere and have a new kind of fun. See what festivals are happening in your city or neighborhood, or even start one of your own! Have an apple cider or apple pie eating contest! The only limit is your imagination, but I really recommend doing something fun and different every time the season changes, and doing something different with the same things you see every day. You could meet new people and learn more about your hometown than you realized, and who doesn't love learning?

look at how much fun they're having pretending to be tourists - that could be you!

Pinterest:

one of many memes to provide comfort & understanding found on Pinterest.

I love Pinterest. I love saying it, spelling it, and spending too many hours of my day scrolling/pinning/searching it on my phone. It houses a disgusting amount of gifs and memes that just get me, y'know? Like, I feel very seen by these memes, and I'm sure that statement buys me a few therapy appointments, but honestly, I do not care. Pinterest is my self-care, as well as my friends because I send those gems along that I find to my precious pals and they always laugh and thank me for sending them because "uuugh, this life." You need a recipe for gluten-free, low fodmap, dairy-free family members? Pinterest has your back. Need ideas for your next haircut and color? Pinterest has that smoky-pink color you want to show your stylist. Need to know how to open your chakras, or which tarot spread to pull for this moon phase? Pinterest wants to tell you, and to show you how to make your own Halloween costumes! I love it there, it's great, go find some activities to do with your pet or baby and tell me how they worked out. 

Fall Movie List:

So, my favorite part of fall is all the spooky movies and tv to watch. All the Halloween episodes of the Simpsons, all the Scream movies, and the scary movies yet to be released. But for this list, I compiled movies from Pluto and Tubi, both free for everyone, that I have watched and loved, or want to watch this month. Since it isn't October, they won't all be terrifying, but they will be at least Fun to Watch.

Pluto:

• The Craft (1996)- ahhh, yes, it's only magic & teenagers in the 90s, what could possibly go wrong?
• Stephen King Films - a lot of them here! Christine and Thinner will be my top two.
• The Faculty (1998)- going back to school? This is the movie for you this fall! lolol
• Twin Peaks (1990) - the perfect spooky fall series, I said what I said.
• Celebrity Ghost Stories (Classics, 2009) - the first episode has David Carradine and Joan Rivers, and I thought, "They are totally haunting people and places these days, I wonder who and where..."
• Battle Royale (2000) - since this is the start of the new school, what better film to show your teen(s) than this perfect adaptation of the novel by the same name. 
• Bats (1999) - this movie is bad, but in a silly, fun way! Listen to the "How Did This Get Made" episode here afterwards. Hell yeah, Lou Diamond Phillips! 
• The Crow (1994) - the classic, the myth, the legend. This year, I might just watch all of the The Crow movies...
• Sleepy Hollow (1999) - I've always been a huge fan of this Halloween story, and Tim Burton's adaption doesn't disappoint. 
• Penelope - this is just a cute, very fall-loving film. 
• The Dark Crystal (1982) - if you can't find any Halloween costume ideas from this perfect film, then I don't know what to tell you about anything, ever, sorry.
• Mermaids (1990) - I love, love, love, this movie and the book, and the New England fall scenes. Nothing scary happens, except for lil Christina Ricci falling into that river, but it's an excellent movie about being a woman in the world. I mean, you just can't lose with Cher, Winona Ryder, and Bob Hoskins. 

Tubi:

• 13 Ghosts (1960) - I've only ever seen the 2001 version, so this is new to me.
• Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) - might have seen this as a tiny child and have no memory of it, so this is the month to rewatch.
• The 13th Guest (1932) - I thought this was an Agatha Christie book/movie, but I was wrong. Gonna watch this, anyway, lol.
• Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) - saw this as a tiny child and just want to jostle the memory as middle-aged awesome now.
• A Guy Named Joe (1943) - saw the remake of this Always (1989), so of course I have to watch the OG. Joe is basically a ghost most of the movie, that's why it works here, but it's mostly a rom-com.
• Strangers on a Train (1951) - murder-mystery September! Hitchcock works were made for autumn. 
• Coraline (2009) - this movie (and the book) sufficiently freaked out my 10-year old niece at the time, and now that she's nearly 30, she loves it and can't wait to share it with her kiddo. 
• The Addams Family (1965) - this series was so much fun to watch as a kid. I loved Wednesday's aesthetic and dancing in this show as much as I love it in Netflix's Wednesday. Hard to believe it only had two seasons!
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1932) - seven seasons of murder, mayhem, and giggles galore. 
• Autumn Leaves (1956) - Joan Crawford finds a man who's simply crazy about her! I think, I haven't watched it yet, but Joany and the director (Robert Aldrich) made Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, so it can't be that bad. 
• Lake Placid (1999) - this one made Betty White relevant again, you'll see why when you watch this diamond. You'll also get to see Det. Olivia Benson before she found Law & Order: SVU!

So there you have this week's recs. Feel free to leave comments if you find yourself trying anything listed! Considering my hometown is new to me, I'll be touring it every chance I get, like tomorrow, when I get to walk to my eye appointment! Make the mundane fun again - it isn't that tricky with an open mind and strong desire.

you're welcome ;)