Fall is supposed to be upon us. Our brains have already begun to think about Halloween costume ideas, and we can get a sniff of pumpkin spice as we walk past Caffe Strada. However, the leaves are not changing, and there is not a crispness in the air, considering it’s 75 degrees. But just because it’s not fall outside, doesn’t mean it can’t be fall in our residence halls. We at the Clog are here to help capture the feeling of fall, pumpkin spice and everything nice indoors — until the outdoors decide to cooperate.
Buy a few pumpkin candles.
Smell is one of our basic human senses. To that end, what better way to make your dorm feel like a fall haven than making it smell like pumpkins? Pumpkin or cinnamon candles will make you feel like you have a scrumptious pumpkin pie baking in your non-existent oven. And, more importantly, it will overpower the smell of weed drifting in your window from freshmen who are trying too hard to live up to the UC Berkeley stereotype.
Gather some red and gold leaves.
Even though red is the color of our enemy, it’s acceptable to have some red in your dorm just this one time. Gather some crunchy red leaves from Strawberry Creek and scatter them under your window or on your dresser. Put them in that mason jar you’ve always been meaning to use. It’s a great way to capture the spirit of fall and get creative with your decor at the same time. Just make sure you wash the leaves to get rid of unwanted dirt and ants.
Buy little baby pumpkins.
Not only are pumpkins festive, but you can also keep them around from October until the end of November. If you need a stress relieving activity, consider decorating your pumpkin by carving it, painting it, adding some glitter or giving it a face! You can even paint one blue and gold in true Golden Bear spirit. Wondering where you can find pumpkins in the 75 degree weather? You can find them at Trader Joe’s or at a farmers market. Bonus: In case the heat has made you forget it’s fall, you’ll remember as soon as you walk into Trader Joe’s and see the barrels of pumpkin products everywhere.
Stock up on pumpkin-flavored everything.
Feeding in to the capitalist ploy to get us to consume all things orange and pumpkin flavored in the name of “fall” has never been sweeter. Not only is eating orange food oddly satisfying, but it also tastes delicious! Waffles, cookies, seeds, butter, cereal, bagels, soup, ravioli, oatmeal, beer … the list of pumpkin flavored food is endless — and, like we said, it’s all at Trader Joe’s. If you don’t like to cook and want to eat locally instead, we recommend the pumpkin waffles at Elmwood Cafe and the pumpkin smoothies at Jamba Juice.
Hang up pictures of animals in Halloween costumes …
… because they’re cute, will make you happy and will make you forget about the heat wave intensified by your non-air-conditioned residence hall. This is also a great opportunity to procrastinate and make Oski look even creepier than he already does by Photoshopping a pumpkin costume onto him. Your dorm will never look the same again.
