Opening the door, the crisp winds rush past. Upon each new day of this chilling weather, the leaves change from a gorgeous green to a bolder yellow a little more. The smell of cinnamon and nutmeg, a fire burning in the fireplace, and the warmth it gives off is all so calming. Welcome to fall, and with fall, comes Thanksgiving.

“Fall is my favorite time of year. The changing of colors on trees and the chilly fall breeze— these things warm my heart. Fall is more than a season for me; it is a feeling of home, love, and happiness,” Abby Madsen, sophomore, said.

Pumpkin pie, hot chocolate and old decorations scattered on the dining table: these are all of the dull items that always somehow find a way to get themselves into the mix of Thanksgiving. Fortunately, there are fun and easy ways to spice up the table and even keep the traditions going— just in a unique, more intriguing way.

“I like Thanksgiving because I can see most of my family again,” Hunter Stumpf, junior, said.

A way to keep the crust crispy and the filling edible in the days prior to Thanksgiving are mini pumpkin pies. Flaky, delicious crust surrounding the pumpkin spice goodness. Simply make them the same way as a traditional pumpkin pie, but use a muffin tin instead of a pie tin. In result, scrumptious pumpkin pies will be pulled out instead of a large one that will probably go to waste. These not only portion your pie intake, but they also will preserve the filling, causing them to last a lot longer.

“They look good. They are bite-sized, which is just enough to give it a try,” Laura Gentry, junior, said.

It seems as though hot chocolate is not what it used to be. The old recipes are all boring and old, and the pre-made powder somehow ends up not being stirred up enough, leaving big clumps of chocolate sand floating around the mug. The solution is homemade pumpkin spice hot chocolate. Pumpkin, chocolate goodness all in one place: a nice warm mug as you are snuggled up by the fire on a cold day. Simply combine accurate measurements of maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, milk, and unsweetened cocoa powder, and voilà. Now, you have got yourself chocolate pumpkin pie in a favorite winter mug.

“It seems really good and easy to make. I love hot chocolate, but adding a fall taste seems amazing,” Lily Wardrip, sophomore, said.

Here is an idea for a neat, inventive center piece that is cheap and still classy. Try the kernel candle. Simply find a wax candle without the glass exterior and a glass vase that the candle can fit inside of comfortably. Then, using unpopped popcorn kernels, pour the kernels into the vase with the candle in it and there you have it. You have a beautiful, cheap, in-season center piece for your meal table this Thanksgiving.

“It looks fancy and neat, but not to eat,” Anthony Campagna, sophomore, said.

All in all, Thanksgiving is a time for food and family, and there is not a better way to celebrate it than with creative snacks and innovative decorations that are both elegant and in budget.