I Made One Change at Home and Apparently It’s Way Too Soon

My Fall Decorating Timeline Might Be Controversial

I have to admit, I’m a creature of habit. I have a routine for pretty much everything, and I’m also one of those people who fully commits to every season.

I like my home to feel like whatever time of year we’re in. Spring gets its moment. Summer gets its moment. Christmas definitely gets its moment. And when fall rolls around? Give me the pumpkins, warm colors, cozy scents and all the seasonal flavors.

The problem is, when exactly does fall “roll around?”

Because apparently, according to some people, August is NOT the answer.

Callie Sue

How Early Is Too Early for Fall?

We all know how quickly time goes by. It feels like one season barely gets started before the next one is already knocking on the door.

Normally, I like to enjoy each season while it’s here. But I also really enjoy decorating my apartment and making it feel cozy.

Home is my safe space. It’s where I go after a really good day, a terrible day and every kind of day in between. So, I’ve made it a point this year to decorate for the seasons and make my space somewhere I genuinely enjoy being.

I decorated for winter. I decorated for spring. I decorated for summer. And now that we’re starting to circle back around...

My apartment is officially pumpkin spice and everything nice.

Yes. In August.

Then I Told Bobby...

I casually mentioned to Bobby that I had decorated for fall over the weekend, and that started a debate that I feel like people have VERY strong opinions about.

When is it actually acceptable to start decorating for fall?

There are the people who see August on the calendar and immediately start thinking about pumpkins, Halloween, football, apple cider and cooler weather.

Then there are the people who look outside, see that it’s still 90 degrees, and say, “Absolutely not.”

And listen, I get it.

It is still hot as heck outside. People are still doing cannonballs into swimming pools. We’re still wearing shorts. Technically, we have more than a month until the first official day of fall.

So, am I early? Absolutely.

Am I going to change my ways and feel guilty for being early? Absolutely not.

Callie Sue

I Have a Method to My Seasonal Madness

Here’s the other thing: I have a system.

I want enough time to actually enjoy each season instead of decorating for it and then feeling like I have to pack everything away two weeks later.

For me, September and October belong to fall. Those are my two full months for pumpkins, fall decorations, cozy scents, seasonal flavors and anything else that makes my home feel like autumn.

Then November and December?

Those belong to Christmas.

And yes, before you ask, I am one of those people who starts decorating for Christmas on November 1.

I am not ashamed.

Now, I don't put ALL of my Christmas decorations up that early. I still save some of the full-on Christmas decorating for after Thanksgiving.

But the tree?

Oh, the tree is going up November 1. Lights, ornaments and all.

That means if I want two solid months to enjoy fall before Christmas takes over, I have to give myself a little head start. In my mind, decorating toward the end of August just means everything is ready to go when September arrives.

See? There is a method to the madness.

Adulting Has Taught Me One Very Important Lesson

There’s also another part of my defense.

One thing I’ve learned about being an adult is that when you magically have both the time AND the energy to knock out something you know will eventually take you a couple of hours, you do it.

You don’t ask questions. You take advantage of it.

I had a free weekend. My mom was visiting. I had the motivation. The fall decorations were sitting there waiting for me.

What was I supposed to do tell the pumpkins to come back in September?

Plus, decorating is part of the fun for me. If putting out a few pumpkins and making my apartment extra cozy makes me happy, why should I wait for the calendar to tell me I’m allowed to do it?

Callie Sue

So, When Do YOU Think Fall Actually Starts?

Maybe you refuse to acknowledge fall until after Labor Day. Maybe September 1 is your official decorating day. Maybe you’re waiting until the temperatures finally drop below 80 degrees.

Or maybe your house already looks like a pumpkin patch and you’re reading this thinking, Finally, someone gets it.

So now I’m bringing my debate with Bobby to you: Is August way too early to decorate for fall, or are you team “decorate whenever you want”?

And while we're settling debates, I need an answer to one more question: Is a November 1 Christmas tree acceptable, or did I just make my case even worse?

Sound off and tell us when you decorate for fall and when that Christmas tree goes up at your house.

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