It’s officially Fall now, which means it’s time to share all of my September things with you. And they’re definitely Fall themed, despite the fact that the weather hasn’t really gotten the memo that it’s Fall.
As always, I hope my list of September things gives you some inspiration, maybe a tip or two, and definitely some insight into my life. Here you go – I hope you enjoy!
September Things 2025
Food
We are focusing only on food for my September things this time. And boy, was there food!
Old Standby – Stromboli
When I was a kid and I would go to the mall with my mom and sister, we would often get a stromboli from Villa Pizza at the food court for lunch. It was good, but when I grew up and got a stand mixer, I tried my hand at making homemade stromboli. It has been in the regular rotation ever since because man, it is so much better than that food court stromboli of my youth. It’s also one of the kids’ favorite things to eat for dinner and we have recently learned that leftovers make a great school lunch. If your family likes dough stuffed with all sorts of deliciousness, give homemade stromboli a try!
Favorite New Recipe – Meatball Wraps
It’s not often that my kids have a strong positive reaction to a new meal. They’re often extremely skeptical, which leads to a lukewarm reaction at most. So, when they give two thumbs up to a new meal, it’s a dang miracle. And when it’s the perfect weeknight meal that uses the slow cooker, comes together in minutes, and creates leftovers that can be used to make the kids’ ultimate favorite meal, you plan to make it again the next week. What is this magical meal? Meatball wraps. You’re welcome.
Biggest Food Fail – Sheet Pan Chicken Shawarma
On the other end of the spectrum are new meals that don’t get touched. Unfortunately, sheet pan chicken shawarma fell into this category. Now, sheet pan chicken shawarma shouldn’t take this personally. I quite enjoyed this meal, and so did my husband. I think it was just one unfamiliar flavor too far for my 3-year-old and 5-year-old. If your kids have a more sophisticated palate, give this one a try.
Dessert – Apple Crisp
One of my favorite September things is the availability of fresh apples. We eat them as snacks, make applesauce, use them in breakfast goods, but our favorite thing to do with apples is to make desserts. My first apple dessert of the season was an apple crisp, and man was it good. Add a little vanilla ice cream to the warm apple crisp, and you’re the closest you can get to heaven while still on earth.
Snack – Meat Sticks
We are having a meat stick moment in our house. Especially for the boys who live in the house. My husband has decided that they make the perfect snack to keep in his office at work and my son likes them for an extra boost of protein in his school lunch. Because my guys have been going through meat sticks at a pretty good clip, I feel like we have tried all the brands at this point (although we probably haven’t). The winners have been The New Primal Chicken & Maple Mini Sticks and Fatty Minis. If your family is into meat sticks, what brands do they love?
Books
I chose a pretty heavy book to read at the beginning of the month, so my September things include only one book. Thankfully, it was really good. I did better on audiobooks, though!
Best Book of September – American Dirt
I’ll be honest, I dragged my feet about reading American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. It’s a story about a mother and son fleeing cartel violence in Mexico, so I needed to be in the right frame of mind. I’m glad I finally picked it up, though, because this was a tremendous book. The writing was beautiful, the tension was constant, but the author also wove in lighter, more optimistic moments throughout the saga. If you’re ready for something a bit heavier, I highly recommend this book.
Best Audiobook – Patriot
I guess I was in a mood in September, because my favorite of the several audiobooks I listened to this month was also quite heavy. My standout audiobook in September was Patriot, Alexei Navalny’s memoir. It was hard to listen to for most of the book, but what a moving story of standing up for one’s beliefs. Of course, Alexei paid the ultimate price for his beliefs (and I knew this while listening to Patriot), so this is not an uplifting memoir. But it’s an important one.
Media
I struggled to come up with TV or movie September things. I spent most of my evenings working on other things, so I watched very little on the TV.
Football
The main focus of my TV watching in September was football. It’s back, baby! Although I watch much less football than I used to now that I have kids, I still watch when I can. Especially when my Miami Hurricanes are playing. Over the last two years, watching my Canes has been a lot more pleasant than it has been over the preceding decade (or more). I’m absolutely enjoying cheering them on from afar, and I’m looking forward to maybe even going to a game in person later this season!
The Great British Baking Show
The Great British Baking Show returned to Netflix in September and I am ecstatic! This show is definitely my favorite comfort show. I love the baking, the bakers, and the hosts. It’s perfect TV!
Clothing
The season has changed, but the weather hasn’t really yet. That hasn’t stopped me from embracing more Autumn-leaning clothes as my September things.
Chinos
If you’re in the fashion industry, listen up! Some ladies want to wear Fall pants that aren’t jeans or athletic pants. This might be a news flash because I’ve found it very hard to find casual pants that fit the bill here. I did, however, find one pair that ticked all the boxes for me. Thank you, Old Navy, for the High-Waisted OGC Chino Pants! These are great pants. They’re high waisted, roomy without being oversized, they have a button and zipper closure, and they come in great Fall colors. If you’re looking for the elusive casual pants that aren’t jeans, give these a try!
Boat shoes
I’ve been into boat shoes for as long as I can remember. They were my go-to school uniform shoes when I was in high school and I never really stopped wearing them. Because I wear them all the time, why are they on my list of September things, you ask? Well, I got a new pair. After rocking the same pair for about the last decade, I happened upon a pair at T.J. Maxx for $24.99. I couldn’t pass them up. Because I got them at T.J. Maxx, that means I can’t link them for you. Boo. I will, however, link my longstanding ride or die boat shoe, the Bluefish 2 Eye Boat Shoe. If you’re in the market for a pair of boat shoes, start there.
University of Miami t-shirt
As I mentioned above, I’m very excited that football is back. I’m also very excited that it’s fun to watch my Miami Hurricanes play football again. It wasn’t for a very long time, trust me. Part of my excitement to watch them play includes excitement over representing them on my chest (literally) on game day. I live very far away from Miami now, so no one else notices my school spirit, but that doesn’t deter me. I love to wear a University of Miami t-shirt on game day. It’s always a Go Canes!
Products
As always, my product-focused September things are all over the place. Hopefully at least one of these items can prove helpful to you.
e.l.f. Lash XTNDR mascara
I am not a makeup loving gal. I keep basic makeup in my bathroom drawer for the few occasions each year that basically require it. Otherwise, I slap on some sunscreen and call it a day. For the last occasion that required makeup (family pictures that I’ll talk about more below), I realized that my mascara was yucky and I needed a new tube before the day came. I went online and saw quite a bit of praise for an e.l.f. tubing mascara called Lash XTNDR. It retailed for $8 so I decided to give it a try. Man, am I glad I did! It goes on easy, stays in place without smudging, and comes off easily with a little warm water and gentle pressure at the end of the day. If you’re in the market for a new mascara, I recommend this one!
Slow cooker
Weeknights are hard. Follow me here for more groundbreaking insights. But all kidding aside, weekdays are a mess. I’m running two kids to two different places in the morning, working, and running around all afternoon basically until it’s time to crash at night. Unfortunately, I also have to find time in there to prepare and feed my children dinner. Sometimes it’s almost impossible. To avoid going through the drive through lane every night, I need help. And that help comes in the form of my slow cooker. I’ve tried a few slow cookers, and the best one has been the Hamilton Beach 6 Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker. It’s a real savior on busy weeknights. Would you be interested in a post about all my favorite slow cooker recipes? Let me know in the comments below!
Pruning shears
I told you that my list of September things was all over the place! I use pruning shears occasionally like most homeowners. I’m certainly not a master gardener. But this year, especially this month, I have used pruning shears almost every day.
The main driving force behind my sudden increase in use of my pruning shears was the absolute explosion of my snowball hydrangeas this year. Because we had an absurdly rainy Spring and early Summer, they grew so much that they blocked the light from coming in my front windows. It was a veritable takeover. The blooms were beautiful all summer. We enjoyed them, as did our neighbors.
But then it was time to prune. And boy did I have pruning to do. Because the bushes had gotten so bushy and were full of so many blooms, my typical September task of deadheading and pruning the hydrangeas took on a gargantuan quality. Although I wished I could hire Edward Scissorhands, I was grateful at least for my trusty pruning shears. If you have Fall gardening to do, I like my Fiskars hand pruning shears. They are reasonably priced and do the job well!
Experiences
The heart of my September things, of course, lies in the experiences. There are many more experiences than I can possibly list, but I’d love to share some highlights.
Bus stop
As a woman who lives far from home and works remotely, I have struggled to make connections in my current location. I have largely been starved of adult conversation for the last 5 years. So, imagine my surprise and delight to find a community of parents at the bus stop. I had been waving to some of these folks for years and didn’t know others existed. Now, they come together to create a highlight of my day. The 10 minutes or so at the bus stop every morning and every afternoon is slowly but surely creating a community. I can’t wait to see how it grows!
Night away
Parenting young kids is a full-time, contact sport. But unlike football, which lasts for 60 minutes, there is no end of the parenting game in sight. That’s why it’s super important to take advantage of opportunities to take small breaks when you can. Earlier this month, we took one of those opportunities and spent a Friday night away, thanks to my mother-in-law being able to hang with our kids for 24 hours. My husband was invited to speak at a conference about two hours away. The conference happened to be planned by a former coworker of his who happened to be married to one of my husband’s college golf teammates. We met them for dinner the night before the conference and enjoyed a lovely double date. It was nice break!
Family pictures
I take pictures of my kids all the time, but to get proof of mom at least once a year, I book a family picture session with our go-to photographer. I make my family wear coordinating clothes, I put on makeup, and we brace for a 20-minute adventure. Will the kids cooperate? Will my husband drop my son as he tries to throw him in the air? Luckily, the kids did largely cooperate, and even though my husband did drop my son, he caught him at the last minute. And at the end of the day we have a handful of nice pictures that will tide us over for a year.
Kid stuff
As always, I saved my kid-related September things for the end. If you have kids, keep reading.
DSG sports socks
Over the last few years, my son has gone through very distinct wardrobe phases. One year he only wanted to wear khaki pants. Another year he wore a hockey jersey every day (even on Christmas Eve). His most recent phase is centered around what he calls tall socks. He started wearing them with his tee ball uniform in the Spring and never stopped. His favorites are from Dick’s Sporting Goods – their DSG All Sport Athletic sock. The more obnoxious the color, the better!
Brush
Toddler hair is a thing. Curly toddler hair is a nightmare. Her hair legit looks like a lion’s mane and gets matted and tangled if you just look at it funny. Trying to make her look presentable for school and get the tangles out so I don’t have to cut her hair off at odd angles is a process every morning. I have developed a pretty foolproof process for dealing with toddlers with curly hair, thank goodness, but the unsung hero of my process is the brush. The 5 row Denman brush gets the tangles out without copious amounts of tears or destroying the curls. It’s a must have if you have a toddler with curly hair.
Backpack
The options for kids’ backpacks are endless. Some have great patterns, some are just the right size, some hold up well to poor treatment, but rarely do you find a kids’ backpack that ticks all the boxes. Ladies and gentlemen, I have found the one. The Crate & Kids Medium Backpack is the perfect backpack for kindergarteners. I have been so pleased with how much my son loves it, how it fits him, how much it holds, and how well it stands up to his mistreatment. My daughter has a different backpack for preschool, but she will be getting one of these when her time comes to start Kindergarten. Crate & Kids, if you’re listening, can you make a purple patterned one in 2027?
Blog posts
Did you miss any blog posts on Sara in Season in September? Here are some of the highlights from September so you can get to them easily:
What were your favorite (or not-so-favorite) September things? Share below or over on Instagram @sarainseason!