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65 Drawing Prompts for the Fall Season

The fall season is underway. The leaves are beginning to change. Cooler weather and rainy days are perfect for creative outlets. Drawing is a simple hobby to start with unlimited possibilities.  If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following drawing prompts for the fall season.

child drawing with crayons in tokyo art class
Photo by Gu Ko on Pexels.com
  1. Autumn-themed Self-Portrait
  2. Red, Orange, and Yellow
  3. Trees
  4. Leaves
  5. Leaf Piles
  6. Leaf Fairy
  7. Apples
  8. Orchard
  9. Cider Mill
  10. Pumpkin Patch
  11. Pumpkin
  12. Gourds
  13. Cornucopia
  14. Pie
  15. Harvest Time
  16. Fall Foods
  17. Corn Stalks
  18. Scarecrow
  19. Crows
  20. Corn Maze
  21. Harvest or Full Moon
  22. Night Scene
  23. Water Scene (Underwater too)
  24. Book Cover Design
  25. Owl
  26. Fox and Den
  27. Squirrels
  28. Bonfire
  29. Lanterns
  30. Hayride
  31. Straw Bales
  32. Tractor
  33. Pinecones
  34. Acorns
  35. Wooded Scene
  36. Nature
  37. Trails
  38. Wild Animals
  39. Mushrooms
  40. Gnomes
  41. Birds
  42. Sunrise
  43. Sunset
  44. Out Your Window
  45. Current View
  46. Fall Traditions
  47. Weather
  48. Frost
  49. First Snow
  50. Hat & Mittens
  51. Boots
  52. Wind
  53. Hot Beverage
  54. Football
  55. Homecoming
  56. Tailgating
  57. Game Time
  58. Score or Cheer
  59. Friends
  60. Family
  61. Pet
  62. Favorite Place
  63. Peace
  64. Time for Winter
  65. Artist’s Choice

Enjoy!

Inspiring Autumn Quotes for a New Season

Happy 1st day of Fall! Are you excited about the new season? Fall is a great time to post to your public personal or business social media platforms. If you are searching for the right words, check out the following Autumnn quotes for inspiration.

dry leaves on the ground
Photo by Julia Filirovska on Pexels.com
  1. “When you are reluctant to change, think of the beauty of autumn.” – V V Brown
  2. “Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons.”– Jim Bishop
  3. “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus
  4. “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
  5. “And then the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep, and autumn awakened.”– Raquel Franco
  6. “And suddenly, you just know it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.”– Meister Eckhart
  7. “Autumn is the antidote to stifling summer.”– Terri Guillemets
  8. “Fallen leaves on the ground are the golden song of immortal creativity.” – Amit Ray
  9. “Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead has never watched them dancing on a windy day.” – Shira Tamir
  10. “There comes a day each September when you wake up and know the summer is over and fall has arrived.”– Ann Rinaldi
  11. “The leaves are all falling, and they’re falling like they’re falling in love with the ground.” – Andrea Gibson
  12. “Autumn. Time to dim the sunlight, cue the moody fog, and watch nature’s most charming story unfold.”– Angie Weiland-Crosby
  13. “I am most radiant and full of energy when the leaves are falling and there is a ghost of change in the air.”– Anna Madsen
  14. “Wild is the music of the autumnal winds amongst the faded woods.”– William Wordsworth
  15. “Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the autumn tree.”– Emily Brontë
  16. “There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves.”– Joe. L. Wheeler
  17. “It’s the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!”– Winnie the Pooh
  18. “I am most radiant and full of energy when the leaves are falling and there is a ghost of change in the air.” – Anna Madsen
  19. “Is this not a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love – that makes life and nature harmonize.”– George Eliot
  20. “If a year was tucked inside of a clock, then autumn would be the magic hour.”– Victoria Erickson
  21. “All at once, summer collapsed into fall.”– Oscar Wilde
  22. “Of all the seasons, autumn offers the most to man and requires the least of him.”– Hal Borland
  23. “The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”– Henry Beston
  24. “As long as autumn lasts, I shall not have hands, canvas, and colors enough to paint the beautiful things I see.”– Vincent van Gogh
  25. “Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale.”– Lauren DeStefano
  26. “Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting, and autumn a mosaic of them all.”– Stanley Horowitz
  27. “Some say fall is the season when the leaves change. I say it’s the season when my sweat pants never change.” – Katie Nicole Felton
  28. “It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.”– Sarah Addison Allen
  29. “Notice that autumn is more the season of the soul than of nature.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
  30. “Autumn leaves don’t fall, they fly. They take their time and wander on this their only chance to soar.”– Delia Owens

Cheers to great season!

Capturing Autumn: 55 Inspiring Photo Prompts

Tomorrow marks the official return of the fall season. Cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, tailgating, football, and other outdoor activities make Autumn the perfect time for photos. Get outdoors and enjoy the season. If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following photo prompts for autumn.

dry leaves on the ground
Photo by Julia Filirovska on Pexels.com
  1. Autumn Themed Selfie
  2. Single Leaf
  3. Orange
  4. Pumpkins
  5. Pumpkin Patch
  6. Apples
  7. Hot Beverage
  8. Caramel or Toffee Apple
  9. Fog
  10. Crisp Sunrise
  11. Early Sunset
  12. Hayride
  13. Farmers’ Market
  14. Harvest
  15. Scarecrow
  16. Fall Food
  17. Autumn Flowers (Mums)
  18. Autumn walk or Trails
  19. Candlelight
  20. Close Up
  21. Love or Date Night
  22. Red
  23. Leaf Piles
  24. Bonfire
  25. Autumn Landscape
  26. Yellow
  27. Nature
  28. Acorns or Pinecones
  29. Night Sky
  30. Autumn or Community Events
  31. Black and White
  32. Autumn Outfit
  33. Flannel
  34. Tailgate
  35. Football
  36. Friendship
  37. Homecoming
  38. Sweater Weather
  39. Fall Dessert
  40. Distance
  41. Soup
  42. Guilty Pleasure
  43. Cider mill
  44. Cozy Blanket
  45. Out the Window
  46. Haybales
  47. Gourds and Squash
  48. Cornstalks
  49. Vintage
  50. Corduroy
  51. Bare Branches
  52. Baked Goods
  53. Silhouette
  54. Family
  55. Photographer’s Choice

Optimize Your Fall Social Media with Hashtags

The first official day of Autumn is getting closer. Are you planning your public posts to your personal or business social media platforms? Using hashtags is a great way to attract a wider audience to your posts. If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following hashtags for fall.

autumn pathway through serene forest landscape
Photo by Elif Sevim on Pexels.com
  1. #FallSeason
  2. #FallSeason2026
  3. #FallSeasonIsHere
  4. #Fall2026
  5. #Autumn
  6. #Autumn2026
  7. #HelloFall
  8. #WelcomeFall
  9. #HelloAutumn
  10. #WelcomeAutumn
  11. #GoodbyeSummer
  12. #SummersEnd
  13. #FallIsComing
  14. #FallIsHere
  15. #MyFavoriteSeason
  16. #AutumnIsHere
  17. #1stDayofFall
  18. #1stDayofFall2026
  19. #FallBucketList
  20. #BucketListTime
  21. #ILoveAutumn
  22. #ILoveFall
  23. #FallFashion
  24. #FallOutfit
  25. #FallNails
  26. #FallHairstyle
  27. #BootsnandScarves
  28. #FallSale
  29. #FavoriteSeason
  30. #AutumnEquinox
  31. #AutumnCelebrations
  32. #CelebrateFall
  33. #FallVibes
  34. #AutumnVibes
  35. #AutumnLeaves
  36. #AutumnGoals
  37. #AutumnChallenge
  38. #FallFeels
  39. #FallIsIntheAir
  40. #FallMood
  41. #OfficiallyFall
  42. #CoolWeather
  43. #FallWeather
  44. #CrispAir
  45. #SweaterWeather
  46. #HoodiesandSweaters
  47. #JacketWeather
  48. #Harvest
  49. #HarvestSeason
  50. #HarvestTime
  51. #Pumpkins
  52. #PumpkinPie
  53. #Apples
  54. #ApplePie
  55. #Gourds
  56. #SquashSeason
  57. #PumpkinPatch
  58. #FallFoods
  59. #FallFoods
  60. #BitesandDestinations
  61. #Foodie
  62. #ComfortFood
  63. #FallBaking
  64. #SoupSeason
  65. #FallDrinks
  66. #FarmersMarket
  67. #AppleOrchard
  68. #Orchard
  69. #CiderMill
  70. #AppleCider
  71. #HotCider
  72. #ApplePicking
  73. #CaramelApple
  74. #CandiedApple
  75. #PumpkinSpice
  76. #PumpkinSpiceSeason
  77. #PumpkinLatte
  78. #PumpkinEverything
  79. #September
  80. #October
  81. #FallFootball
  82. #Football
  83. #Tailgating
  84. #FallWedding
  85. #FallBride
  86. #FallGroom
  87. #Family
  88. #Friends
  89. #Love
  90. #AutumnSquad
  91. #AutumnWanderLust
  92. #FallTravel
  93. #AutumnCamping
  94. #FirstAutumnHike
  95. #FallHike
  96. #1stFallHike
  97. #FallHiking
  98. #FallTrip
  99. #FallMorning
  100. #FallSunrise
  101. #FallSunset
  102. #CozyFall
  103. #ColorTour
  104. #NatureWalk
  105. #NatureScene
  106. #AutumnSelfie
  107. #FallSelfie
  108. #SelfieTime
  109. #AutumnPhotography
  110. #FallPhotos
  111. #AutumnLandscape
  112. #FallInspiration
  113. #PhotoTime
  114. #Nature
  115. #FallTrees
  116. #FallFoilage
  117. #FallFlowers
  118. #FallMums
  119. #FallColors
  120. #RedLeaves
  121. #OrangeLeaves
  122. #YellowLeaves
  123. #Red
  124. #Yellow
  125. #Orange
  126. #AutumnColors
  127. #CollectingLeaves
  128. #LeafPeeping
  129. #LeafPeeping2026
  130. #FallDecor
  131. #FallHomeDecor
  132. #DarkerDays
  133. #ShorterDays
  134. #CozyNights
  135. #WinterIsComing
  136. #FirstSnow
  137. #BringOnWinter
  138. #EndofAutumn
  139. #EpicFall
  140. #BestFallEver

Happy Labor Day

I just want to wish everyone a safe and happy Labor Day!

Safe travels!

Take care–Rebecca

Fun Labor Day Activities at Home

Happy Labor Day weekend! Are you planning to stay home? Don’t worry. You still can make the weekend feel like a mini vacation without crowds, traffic, and large expense. If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following ideas for Labor Day weekend fun at home.

Please note: “As an Amazon affiliate, I earn income from qualifying purchases.”

happy labor day with tools in flat lay design
Photo by Sydney Sang on Pexels.com
  1. Order takeout and spend a relaxing evening with family and friends.
  2. Host a backyard bonfire.
  3. Make S’mores.
  4. Set up a projector for an outdoor movie night.
  5. Host a game night.
  6. Make homemade ice cream.
  7. Create a Labor Day snack board.
  8. Put on a summer playlist and dance.
  9. Set up a dessert bar with all the fixing.
  10. Eat breakfast outdoors.
  11. Do a backyard picnic.
  12. Play in the sprinkler or use water balloons.
  13. Play lawn games.
  14. Make homemade lemonade.
  15. Host a BBQ
  16. Read outdoors in a hammock or on a blanket.
  17. Do a backyard photo shoot.
  18. Make friendship bracelets.
  19. Paint rocks.
  20. Host an outdoor scavenger hunt.
  21. Make homemade popsicles.
  22. Watch the sunrise or sunset.
  23. Host a themed dinner night.
  24. Take a virtual tour online.
  25. Create a scrapbook from your summer adventures.
  26. Sleep in or take long naps.
  27. Organize a small space.
  28. Create a fall bucket list.
  29. Look through old family photos.
  30. Make family time capsule.
  31. Do a DIY spa day.
  32. Engage in self0care.
  33. Try a new recipe.
  34. Do a puzzle.
  35. Make waffles.
  36. Do a pajama day.
  37. Spend an afternoon making crafts.
  38. Do a movie marathon or watch a series.
  39. Do a digital detox.
  40. Start decorating for fall.
  41. Write in a journal.
  42. Go for a bike ride.
  43. Host a sunset dinner outdoors.
  44. Set up a blanket and look at the stars.
  45. Lounge-do nothing but relax.

Have a fantastic Labor Day weekend.

Labor Day Quotes to Inspire Your Weekend

Labor Day weekend is almost here. Are you planning to post on your public social media platforms? Are trying to find the right words to go with your posts? If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following quotes for Labor Day.

Hands arranging freshly harvested carrots, radishes, and potatoes beside gardening tools
Happy Labor Day!
  1. “To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth.” — Pearl S. Buck
  2. “Inspiration usually comes during work, rather than before it.” — Madeleine L’Engle
  3. “Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou
  4. “A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.” — Colin Powell
  5. “There is joy in work. There is no happiness except in the realization that we have accomplished something.” — Henry Ford
  6. “Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” – Gail Devers
  7. “Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is the lightning that does the work.” — Mark Twain
  8. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” — Michael Jordan
  9. “Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
  10. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.” — Jimmy Johnson
  11. “Success is often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.” — Coco Chanel
  12. “You have to fight to reach your dream. You have to sacrifice and work hard for it.” — Lionel Messi
  13. “The miracle is not that we do the work, but that we are happy to do it.”— Mother Teresa
  14. “Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” — Kobe Bryant
  15. “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” — Tim Notke
  16. “I never dreamed about success. I worked for it.” — Estée Lauder
  17. “It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up.” — George Herman “Babe” Ruth
  18. “Don’t worry when you are not recognized but strive to be worthy of recognition.” – Abraham Lincoln
  19. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” — Herman Cain
  20. “I learned the value of hard work by working hard.” — Margaret Mead
  21. “Sometimes, the most productive thing that you can do is to step outside and do nothing … relax and enjoy nature.” — Melanie Charlene
  22. “There is more to life than making a living. Do not work more than you live.” — Mokokoma Mokhonoana
  23. “The supreme accomplishment is to blur the lines between work and play.” – Arnold J. Toynbee
  24. “Perseverance is the act of true role models and heroes.” — Liza M. Wiemer
  25. “You always pass failure on your way to success.” — Mickey Rooney
  26. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” — Maya Angelou
  27. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” — Newt Gingrich
  28. “If you care about what you do and work hard at it, there isn’t anything you can’t do if you want to.” — Jim Henson
  29. “The only place success comes before work is the dictionary.” –  Vince Lombardi
  30. “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi
  31. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” — Arthur Ashe
  32. “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” – Thomas Edison
  33. “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I will do what others can’t.” — Jerry Rice
  34. “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” — Shirley Chisholm
  35. “Hard work keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.” — Helena Rubinstein
  36. “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn
  37. “Without hard work, nothing grows but weeds.” — Gordon B. Hinckley
  38. “Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and, above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.” — Donovan Bailey
  39. “Hard work should be rewarded by good food.” — Ken Follet
  40. “No true and permanent fame can be founded except in labors which promote the happiness of mankind.” — Charles Sumner
  41. “For every two minutes of glamour, there are eight hours of hard work.” — Jessica Savitch
  42. “Your success and happiness lies in you.” — Helen Keller
  43. “Dedication, hard work all the time, and belief.” — Cristiano Ronaldo
  44. “Today is your opportunity to build the tomorrow you want.” — Ken Poirot
  45. “It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound reinvention.” — Conan O’Brien
  46. Magic lies in challenging what seems impossible.” — Carol Moseley Braun
  47. “Luck? I don’t know anything about luck. I’ve never banked on it and I’m afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work — and realizing what is opportunity and what isn’t.” – Lucille Ball
  48. “Everything yields to diligence.” — Thomas Jefferson
  49. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs
  50. “Be the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment, own it.” — Oprah Winfrey

Happy Labor Day weekend!

Trending Hashtags for a Memorable Labor Day

Labor Day weekend is almost here! Do you plan to post your weekend experiences to your public personal or business social media platforms? To draw attention to your posts, use hashtags. If you need inspiration, check out the following hashtags for Labor Day.

Labor Day lakeside getaway collage with grill, map, flowers, picnic blanket, and fishing gear
Happy Labor Day!
  1. #LaborDay
  2. #LaborDay2026
  3. #LaborDayWeekend
  4. #LaborDayWeekend2026
  5. #HappyLaborDay
  6. #LaborDayMichigan
  7. #PureMichigan
  8. #LaborDayBridgeWalk
  9. #Mackinaw
  10. #LaborDayTradition
  11. #ThreeDayWeekend
  12. #LongWeekend
  13. #ExtendedWeekend
  14. #Weekend
  15. #DayOff
  16. #FinallyFriday
  17. #GreatWeekendAhead
  18. #GoingShopping
  19. #LaborDaySales
  20. #WeekendVibes
  21. #LastSummerHoliday
  22. #HolidayWeekend
  23. #HolidayFun
  24. #Holiday
  25. #ThreeDaysOff
  26. #LaborDayFun
  27. #LaborDayParty
  28. #Party
  29. #PoolParty
  30. #PartyTime
  31. #LaborDayBBQ
  32. #LaborDayBBQ2026
  33. #Grillmaster
  34. #BBQ
  35. #BBQTime
  36. #GrillTime
  37. #GoodFood
  38. #Family
  39. #FamilyTime
  40. #Friends
  41. #Blessed
  42. #FamilyTraditions
  43. #LaborDaySquad
  44. #MyLaborDaySquad
  45. #Food
  46. #Foodie
  47. #Drinks
  48. #September
  49. #Monday
  50. #Spetember7th
  51. #LaborDaySelfie
  52. #SelfieTime
  53. #LaborDayPhoto
  54. #PhotooftheDay
  55. #Photography
  56. #Nature
  57. #GetOutdoors
  58. #LaborDayHike
  59. #LaborDayTravel
  60. #Travel
  61. #AdventureTime
  62. #LaborDayRoadTrip
  63. #RoadTrip
  64. #DayTrip
  65. #LaborDayActivities
  66. #MiniVacay
  67. #MiniVacation
  68. #StayHome
  69. #Staycation
  70. #WorkingHoliday
  71. #ThankYouWorkers
  72. #ThankaWorker
  73. #WorkTime
  74. #NoHoliday
  75. #NoHolidayForMe
  76. #LaborDayBonfire
  77. #Bonfire
  78. #Smores
  79. #LaborDaySunset
  80. #LaborDaySunrise
  81. #UnofficialEndofSummer
  82. #SummerIsEnding
  83. #GoodbyeSummer
  84. #BestSummerEver
  85. #FarwellSummer
  86. #BringOnFall
  87. #Peace
  88. #PrayforPeace
  89. #BestLaborDayEver
  90. #EpicHoliday
  91. #GreatWeekend

Happy Labor Day!

Inspiring Quotes to Welcome September

Happy 1st day of September! Are you ready for a new month? Are you searching for the perfect words to describe September. If you need a little inspiration, check out the following quotes for September.

september autumn decor with leaves and pumpkins
Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Pexels.com
  1. “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” – Peggy Toney Horton
  2. “Happily we bask in this warm September sun, which illuminates all creatures.” – Henry David Thoreau
  3. “September: it was the most beautiful of words, he’d always felt, evoking orange-flowers, swallows, and regret.” – Alexander Theroux
  4. “Live in each season as it passes: breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit.” – Henry David Thoreau
  5. “I used to love September, but now it just rhymes with remember.”– Dominic Riccitello
  6. “September tries its best to have us forget summer.”– Bernard Williams
  7. “All the months are crude experiments, out of which the perfect September is made.” – Virginia Woolf
  8. “September is the other January.” – Gretchen Rubin
  9. “Happy September! The world shall very soon transform into pumpkin everything.”– Keith Wynn
  10. “September has come, it is hers whose vitality leaps in the autumn, whose nature prefers trees without leaves and a fire in the fireplace.”– Louis MacNeice
  11. “For summer there, bear in mind, is a loitering gossip, that only begins to talk of leaving when September rises to go.”– George Washington Cable
  12. “Making your Christmas cake in September is perfect, as too fresh a cake crumbles when cut.”– Mary Berry
  13. “It must be September, July sun has disappeared.”– Charmaine J. Forde
  14. “No matter how many losing seasons you might have had in the past with your marriage, the good thing is that all teams get a fresh start once September begins.”– Shon Hyneman
  15. “Come September, children return to school, grownups to work, and the brain to the head.”– Roger Rosenblatt
  16. “The window is open, admitting the September breeze: A month that smells like notebook paper and pencil shavings, autumn leaves and car oil. A month that smells like progress and moving on.”– Lauren Oliver
  17. “Let’s strive to be better in September!” — Charmaine J. Forde
  18. “September days have the warmth of summer in their briefer hours, but in their lengthening evenings a prophetic breath of autumn.”– Rowland E. Robinson
  19. “By all these lovely tokens, September days are here. With summer’s best of weather and autumn’s best of cheer.”– Helen Hunt Jackson
  20. “I guess I’m just feeling all September-ish… All the trees change color, the days get very clear – with little smoke on the horizon from burning leaves. Pumpkins begin to come out.”– George Selden
  21. “We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.”– Henry Rollins
  22. “September is the month of maturity; the heaped basket and the garnered sheaf. It is the month of climax and completion.”– Patience Strong
  23. “But the days grow short when you reach September.”– Maxwell Anderson
  24. “In many ways, September feels like the busiest time of the year: The kids go back to school, work piles up after the summer’s dog days, and Thanksgiving is suddenly upon us.”– Brené Brown
  25. “How smartly September comes in, like a racing gig, all style, no confusion.” – Eleanor Clark

Have a great month!

Tips for Creating the Perfect Trail Mix

Did you know today is National Trail Mix Day? Trail mix is a great snack that you can take almost anywhere. When you make your own trail mix, you can customize your snack to your taste and nutritional goals. If you are searching for inspiration, check out the following tips for creating the perfect trail mix.

The 3:2:1 Ratio

Use the 3:2:1 ratio as a starting point for your trail mix. Remember you are creating a trail mix for you or your family. Use ingredients that you will enjoy.

  • The Base: 3 parts nuts  
  • The Fruit: 2 parts dried fruit
  • The Extras: 1-part extras like seeds, chocolate, coconut, etc.

Classic Recipe

Here is a basic recipe for trail mix. Depending on your desired results, the recipe is easily doubled or tripled to meet your family’s needs.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 1 cup cashews
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries
  • ¾ cup raisins or dried cherries
  • ½ cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, or M&M’s (optional)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Stir until evenly mixed.
  3. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month or refrigerate for longer freshness.
  4. Use small reusable containers for an on-the-go snack.

4 Mix-and-Match Options

Create a trail mix combination that is perfect for your daily activities or cravings.

1. For Energy Hikes

  • Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Pistachios
  • Dried apricots
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Dark chocolate

2. High-Protein

  • Peanuts
  • Roasted edamame
  • Almonds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • A small amount of dried fruit

3. Sweet & Salty

  • Pretzels
  • Peanuts
  • Cashews
  • Raisins
  • Chocolate candies

4. Tropical

  • Macadamia nuts
  • Cashews
  • Dried mango
  • Banana chips
  • Toasted coconut

Helpful Tips

  • Low Salt: If you want to control sodium intake for dietary restrictions, choose unsalted or lightly salted nuts.
  • Low Sugar Options: Search for unsweetened dried fruit to reduce added sugar. Take the time to read the label to view added ingredients. If possible, consider dehydrating fresh fruit.
  • Chocolate: If you are heading out on a warm day, keep chocolate to a minimum or use candies with a hard shell to reduce melting.
  • Small Portions: Consider dividing your trail mix into smaller potions. Use small bags or reusable containers. Smaller servings are perfect for a grab and go snack. Smaller portions also help to avoid overeating or food waste.  
  • Seasonings: You can experiment with flavors by adding cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt, or spices to your trail mix. For example, adding a small amount of chili powder is great for creating a sweet-and-spicy mix.

Create your trail mix for you. Experiment with different options to find the perfect mix for you or your family.