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It’s the most magical time of year! The air is crisp, the leaves are colorful, and coffee is mandatory. Just kidding, coffee is always mandatory.

Fall is by far my favorite. It’s the golden light before 6 months of darkness. During this time of year, wildfires have cooled, harvesting begins, and candy becomes a free commodity. Is there a better way to celebrate this time of year than falling into fika too?

What the Fig is Fika?

Historically fika meant to have a coffee break and something sweet. […] ‘Today fika can mean many things,’ Sadaf adds. ‘You can have a meeting over a fika to discuss business, you can catch up with friends or simply have a solo fika for yourself.’

Sadaf Malik from Fika London

Any excuse for sweet treats and coffee is going to have a gold seal of approval. Life is meant to be expressed in sips and sighs, not gulps and cries.

I like the idea of rambling and a missing agenda. Too much of my time is spent running from one problem to the next, never-ending to-do lists, and paperwork in and out of the bathroom. Having time and space to ramble feels like a free pumpkin spice latte.

Delicious and delightful!

At work, the volunteers are fika pros. They are always bringing donuts, cookies, and other tasty treats. I make coffee because they bring sugar, the least I can do is bring the caffeine. We have more time to socialize too, masks and all, since our visitation has slowed.

Its fun and fika!

Self-care Before Despair

Besides being festive and fun, fika is an opportunity to practice self-care.

Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, improve concentration, minimize frustration and anger, increase happiness, improve energy, and more. From a physical health perspective, self-care has been clinically proven to reduce heart disease, stroke and cancer. 

Southern New Hampshire University

With days getting shorter and the bustle of holidays getting closer, fika is one way to take a break and enjoy the moment. But, there are many ways to practice self-care that are free, fun, and fabulous.

No matter how much paperwork I accomplish today, there will be more tomorrow. Problems will come and go. And before I know it, I’ll be bringing in a New Year. I’d prefer to look back on fika fun with warm moments and crisp memories all in the hopes to avoid burnout and anxiety.

Fabulous Food

Between the pumpkin and pies, fall is a fabulous time to harvest and freeze.

Mr. BuLL and I had a small garden. Six large pots for tomatoes, zucchini, strawberries, and peppers. We love pollinators, so we have a wildflower pot too (1 in 3 bites is compliments of a pollinator!).

During our scalding summer, our garden struggled. When the cooler temperatures moved in, bringing moisture with it, our garden went into super production.

Zucchini and tomatoes started ripening faster than we could pick. Instead of dumping it into the compost, we turned zucchini into bread and froze the tomatoes.

Last night, I was rearranging our standup freezer to accommodate more of our harvest, and I felt a swell of pride. Our freezer was full. Premade pies, zucchini bread, steak, ground meat, fish, and corn were filling our shelves to the brim.

The fullness of our freezer warms the anticipation for brisk winter days.

Falling into Fun

As daylight shortens, so do outdoor opportunities. Before the land turns white and frosty, I try to partake in my favorite fall festivities.

My favorites are:

• Apple picking
• Going to a corn maze
• Reading a good book with a soft blanket
• Drinking coffee and watching the sunrise
• Drinking hot cocoa and watching the sunset
• Hiking through the fall leaves
• Stargazing before it gets frigid
• Watch wildlife and their antics while going for a run

As the days close towards winter, I want to soak in the warmth. One way to do that is by building warm memories to last through winter’s icy blast.