In today's post, I'm taking you with us on a recent date day we took ourselves on!

Sean and I were both feeling like it had been a while since we made time for frivolity.  We've been so focused on our house projects, dealing with our own mental stuff, and laying low as we save for a future vacation, so things were feeling pretty heavy and monotonous.

We planned a day out doing fun fall activities that we could just enjoy with no pressure.  It ended up being an incredibly fun and much-needed day of laughter and enjoyment.  (And too much sun.  Next time I go to a pumpkin patch, it better NOT be over 80 degrees again.  I am serious.)

So please enjoy these photos from the Portland Greek Fest, Frog Pond Farm, and Yesteryear Farms.

I wanted to dress in boots and a cute vest and hat but, as I mentioned, it was still over 80 degrees when we went to the pumpkin patch.  I wanted to be on Samhain theme, so I went with my sun and moon off-shoulder top and capris.  This was the first time taking my new Ryka sneakers out for a spin (I definitely needed a wide width in these).  I am on the lookout for stylish, comfy sneakers and sneakers-but-not-really-sneakers for my city-heavy vacation next year.  These felt supportive and comfortable and seemed to have a bit more cushion than my favorite Ons. 

Portland Greek Festival

The first stop on our date excursion was the Portland Greek Festival!  We love to go every year to enjoy the delicious Greek food and take in the atmosphere.  We've discovered the best time for us to go is during the day on Friday when there are way fewer people.  Last year we made the mistake of going on Friday night and it was packed!  In the last couple of years, the organizers have introduced chipped bracelets that allow you to add money via your phone - even before you come to the event, which I highly recommend - that you use to quickly pay for the goods you want to purchase.

Last year they ran out of loukoumades before we could have any, so this year we made sure to get some early on.  Loukoumades are fried balls of dough tossed in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon. They are delicious!  Our other food favorites are souvlaki (seasoned meat on a skewer) and spanakopita (spinach, onion, and feta filling inside a puff pastry).  We ended up trying a few of the smaller dessert offerings as well, including kourabiethes (a shortbread-type cookie made with ground almonds) which ended up being my favorite!

While the day was supposed to be warm, at lunchtime it was perfect.  We stood under this big tree (below) and enjoyed the breeze, people-watching, and the tasty food offerings.

We left the Greek Fest and headed out to a couple of pumpkin patches we had yet to visit!  Frog Pond Farm was our first choice because they had lots of animals.  While this pumpkin patch is geared way more towards kids (there is a playground and yard games for example), going in the middle of this particular Friday was pretty chill.  We really don't like to be around other people's rambunctious children and most places don't offer child-free times.  There were some judgy moms who looked really unhappy and gave us the stink eye for being cute and having fun, but we also weren't the millennial couple who spent five minutes posing for selfies like their lives depended on it, so I don't think we deserved the scrutiny.

This farm has a general admission entry fee of $12, with a cup of animal food available for additional purchase.  There were llamas, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, a mini horse, a wee donkey, a camel!  I had the best time watching the animals and talking to them.  Had it been cooler, I would have happily done it for hours.  I think the animals and activities are spread out nicely.  There's a good flow to the place, but there are still lawn games, kid stuff, and the like all over the area.  There are a few cute selfie spots along the path and a large pumpkin patch in the back.  Plus, the items in the gift shop were really fun to browse through.

Our second pumpkin patch of the day was Yesteryear Farms.  This patch is smaller, but so adorably decorated!  The courtyard "maze" (below) was so freaking cute, but also had some shaded spots, tables and benches, hay bale seats, and a cornhole game!  Sean and I played cornhole for a bit (he won) and had so much fun!

When we were there, they were gearing up for a movie night so there were also little food truck carts offering popcorn, kombucha, and alcoholic beverages.  The gift shop has a little bit of everything and seems fairly priced.  There was also lots of fun garden/yard decor along the porch of the gift shop.

This was definitely a more "Instagrammable" patch if that is what you are looking for.  But I think the decor lent so well to the fun atmosphere and, again, would LOVE it if places had child-free times so I could further enjoy myself without somebody's asshole kid kicking rocks at me or screaming for no reason.  (True happenings.)