I am doing my best to enjoy autumn in all its gloriousness.

And it really is glorious. Especially in Welwyn Garden City, where every road is lined with trees now turning wonderful shades of yellow, orange and red. The ground is covered with fallen leaves, which I hope are providing shelter to plenty of hedgehogs. (I tread carefully through them just in case.)

The jumper drawer is now well and truly open for business and I’m so happy to be back wearing scarves and boots. I’m still getting out for those morning walks when I can and there’s something about the air being crisp that makes them all the more rewarding.

I made some diddy changes in the flat this week, to make it feel cosier. I found a new blanket for the sofa in B&M and a new cushion for my armchair in Tesco. Then I switched our neutral sofa cushions out for red, pink and brown ones. I moved the fruit bowl to the dining table and stuck a biscuit tin in its place on the coffee table. Because summer is for fruit salads and juices, but in my book, autumn is for hot chocolate and cookies.

Note to self – buy more hot chocolate.

BUT perhaps it’s also time to accept that there are things about this time of year that are tricky. It’s getting colder. The mornings are getting gradually darker. There are flus going around left, right and centre. And I think I’m going to have to allow myself some time to just be tired.

And if you’re feeling tired lately, you should too. Because before we know it, it’ll be party season and we’ll need to be full of beans.