Sarah Warsi

Well, we blinked and just like that, it’s September. A time to reflect on the summer, the year we’ve had thus far, and what is to come. It means back to school, back to work, back to routine. It also means the return of the very much unwanted guest that is – ragweed! And oh boy, has it ever arrived on time. (achoo!)

I find that as we approach the end of August, leading into September, there is always a feeling of finality that enters the air – it’s like the universe knows that summer is coming to a close, and you feel it. There is literally the smell of change in the air.

I’ll say this much: when it comes to the weather, the summer of 2025 definitely won first prize – at least in the GTA. For the better part of June through August, we experienced nothing but sunshine and soaring temperatures. Yes, at times, it was easily too hot to be outside for too long, but I’ll take extreme heat over extreme cold any day.

“September is the other January.” — Gretchen Rubin

This quote by New York Times author and blogger Gretchen Rubin definitely resonates as it is symbolic of looking at September as a mid-year fresh start, a chance to hit the reset button. It’s a time to refocus and prioritize your goals for the remainder of the year.

It’s officially ‘PSL’ season

Alas, we have entered the pumpkin spice latte era. Call me old, but I had to look up the acronym ‘psl’ the other day. It must be a Gen Z thing. lol While a ‘psl’ is not my personal go-to beverage, I can appreciate the sentiment it brings. 🙂

THE BEAUTY OF FALL

This is also a time to appreciate the natural beauty that surrounds us at this time every year. It never stays for too long, so we must appreciate it while we can. Many of us dread the ‘dark at 4pm’ days, so we have to relish the time we have to enjoy the beauty around us.

sweater weather and hoodies galore

September is also a time to mentally prepare for the colder and shorter days ahead. It means making the big switcheroo from your summer wardrobe to your fall/winter collection. It’s time to put away the open-toed shoes and say hello to boot season. I personally love fall fashion so I’m all for it.

BASKING IN COMFORT FOOD

Along with the warm and fuzzies come your favourite comfort foods to indulge in. I always love a good recipe and there are a ton of great cookbooks out there, but I wanted to share one in particular that just came out:

It’s called Deliciously Nourishing Eats by Aleyda Batarse. Aleyda is a Toronto-based food blogger and also a former colleague of mine. She is an exceptional cook with a vibrant and thriving Instagram feed called TheDishOnHealthy with over 300k followers and a sea of delicious recipes.

The cookbook was just released last month and is already within the top 5 of the Globe and Mail’s Bestseller list on Amazon. It covers over 100 allergy-conscious recipes that cover breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. The recipes are quick and perfect for busy households with minimal time. The book was inspired by Aleyda’s personal blog The Dish on Healthy.

If you’re looking for some fall-inspired recipes (or any kind of recipe), then I would highly recommend Aleyda’s cookbook. You can pick up your copy on Amazon here. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I am personally going to try a variation of her recipe for roasted creamy tomato soup because we all know that a good hearty soup always hits the spot in the colder months. If it turns out well, I may share the experience here. However, I have some pretty big shoes to fill, so we shall see. 🙂

Dust off that Cover

Another great thing about this time of year is that it can be a good time to get back to those books that you started reading months ago that are now sitting on your shelf collecting dust. I must admit that I am a culprit of this. I had started reading a Dan Brown novel at the start of the year with the hopes of finishing it before his new instalment comes out on September 9th, and lo and behold, I am not even halfway through yet! I always have the best of intentions but we can’t help if things come up. Ces’t la vie.

Anyways, as Gretchen’s quote eludes to, September is a time for a renewed mindset, a feeling of optimism and a time to make the best of the rest of the year.

What are some of your favourite activities to do in September? Share in the comments below.