As summer fades away, the leaves start to change colors and there’s a light nip in the air.  Fall is officially upon us, and here are a few ways to embrace the pumpkin flavors and cool weather before winter brings its ice and snow:

Delicious Drinks: The August 17th edition of People magazine reports a delightful recipe for a drink called ‘Chocolate Hazelnut Cream.’ The recipe is as follows: “Whisk together 1 cup strong hot coffee and 2 tbsp. chocolate hazelnut spread (Nutella) until blended. Fill a tall glass with ice, and pour in the coffee mixture. Add ¼ cup milk or cream. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.” This recipe is quick, easy, and absolutely delicious for Nutella lovers! Plus, it’s easy to make in your dorm without having to buy a ton of ingredients.

Favfamilyrecipes.com reveals a recipe for Starbucks lovers that they call the ‘Copycat Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice Cider.’ All that is needed is two cups of apple juice, two tbsp. of Starbucks Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (which can be bought from Starbucks for roughly $7 and will last you a long time), whipped cream, and caramel topping. Then simply combine the apple juice and syrup, warm it to the desired heat, and top it with whipped cream and caramel toppings! Buy the ingredients once rather than spending your minimum wage paycheck on Starbucks every week.

Fun Field Trips: There are a multitude of fun things to do around Cairn, but one of the fall favorites is Shady Brook Farm, located at 931 Stony Hill Rd, Morrisville, PA 19067. At Shady Brook, you can pick fresh crops, attend seasonal events and browse their huge farmer’s market! This trip is a perfect residence hall event or suitemate date, or even just a way to kill time on the weekends for a homework break. Equally suitable is the Froehlichs Farm & Garden, which is having a Fall Festival Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-4pm until October 31st. Hayrides, corn mazes, pumpkins and more make this a fun getaway, and it’s only half an hour away.

Cute Crafts: Looking for a way to deck your dorm out in cute fall fashion? Glue some maple leaves along the outside (or inside) of a mason jar, tie some twine around the neck, and put a battery operated tealight candle inside. All of these items can easily be found outside or bought at the Dollar Store or other low-priced shops, and they completely comply with dorm safety regulations! These cute little leafy mason jars will add some fall warmth to your room as the nights start coming earlier. As Halloween approaches, you can use the same mason jar and tealight idea and use orange and black tissue paper to make campus-safe Jack-O-Lanterns!

With these quick tips, enjoying fall festivities is easy as pumpkin pie! (See what I did there?)