Share This… Not Your Oats And More Nobody likes to admit it but September really spells the end of the summer which means no more ice creams, flip flops or pool parties... we never had the last one either but you get what we mean. As well as the month, there are other signs that the summer is officially done and dusted, namely... 1. It's dark when you get up and go to bed Gone are the days of skipping into work with the sun coming up or the late nights spent actually doing things. Get used to it, this is life now. The sooner you learn to embrace the nights in watching the television and supping on hot chocolate, the better. 2. The X Factor is back Speaking of television, it gets pretty good at this time of year with the return of shows like The X Factor and Strictly Come Dancing (we're definitely leaning towards the latter this year). 3. Scarves, winter coats and boots are all the rage While we love nothing more than wrapping up in loads of layers and sticking on our favourite coat, it is sad to think of all those nice bright clothes going away until next summer. 4. University/ School is back It doesn't matter if you are no longer at university and don't have kids, you know when term time is back. There are 'Back 2 School' advertisements everywhere and the traffic is worse than ever. 5. "It's cold" becomes the most popular phrase ever You will hear this at least 10 times a day. Deal with it. 6. The All Ireland Finals are over And all you can do now is reminisce about how great that goal was/ how amazing the day was/ how bad you sounded the morning after the night before. 7. You or your parents start lighting the fire You have crossed the point of no return. 8. Beauty habits go to the dogs Who needs to shave their legs and wash their hair when there are these amazing creations called tights and woolly hats? Hey, we're happy, it saves us a lot of hassle. Can't say the same about our other halves though! 9. Ice-creams are on special offer And you no longer want a dozen (but you get them because you can't resist a good bargain). 10. Christmas merchandise hits the shelves Believe it or not but it's already happening (and yes, it IS getting earlier every year). From wrapping paper to selection boxes (we'd definitely have those eaten before the end of the week never mind December), it's coming.