The lingering heat of summer got you down? News of the day has you a wee bit depressed? I've got the solution. Make a bucket list of things to do for fall and then do them!

I know most of us have a a mental list of things we want to do for fall--go to the church's fall festival or check out the local pumpkin patch. But this year, add to your list and DO THEM! There are some great autumn bucket lists online and I will provide you with some links at the end of this blog. Let's do this!

Here are some items I've gleaned from various websites. Some you can do with your grandchildren of course; that's what this blog is about. But most you can do on your own. Here's a sampling:

• Attend a fall festival
• Buy a chiminea or fire pit for your backyard
• Roast marshmallows
• Make apple crisp
• Take a nature walk
• Carve a pumpkin and put on your doorstep 
• Take a camera on your nature walk
• Make some pumpkin bread
• Have a pumpkin carving contest with your friends or family
• Make a fall wreath
• Have a weiner roast with the grandkids
• Watch some Halloween movies
• Go to a community pumpkin patch
• Take your grands on a nature scavenger hunt
• Make a thankful tree
• Create a fall display for your home
• Paint some kindness rocks with a fall theme and drop around your neighborhood
• Go on a hayride or take your grands on a hayride
• Buy your grands some autumn-themed books
• Begin a gratitude journal
• Collect things in nature for an autumn wreath or collage
• Make pumpkin bread and deliver to a friend
• ​Go camping--fall camping is the best in Texas!

Make that autumn bucket list and see how many you can accomplish. 

I've read that taking a much needed vacation or weekend trip adds points to your internal happiness meter. And I've also read that just PLANNING for that weekend or trip adds joy to your happiness bucket! I would think the same would hold true of creating a bucket list for fall. Just the writing down of all the items on your fall wish list would bring a smile to your face. But this year do as many of those items as you can!

Fall bucket list links:

design.mobeltrends.com/create-the-ultimate-fall-bucket-list-with-these-ideas-plus-this-is-a-great-buc/

​collegelifemadeeasy.com/fall-activities-things-to-do

Link to the recipe:

​iwashyoudry.com/pumpkin-mug-cake-recipe/

Looking for another fun craft idea to do with your grandkids? How about making prayer jars.

I saw this one on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea. And just like doing any craft at any time with your grandchildren, it really turns out to be a quiet, sharing time with them. In fact, my 5-year-old grandson was heard to mutter, "I love craft time with you." Now really....it doesn't get any better than that. And quite often those "teachable moments" come up as well.

As you can imagine, it's really a straight-up task. I don't think you need any instruction from me. It's basically a jar or cup, and the craft sticks for writing the names of the people you are praying for. The jars I saw on Pinterest were glass--I decided to forego that--didn't want anything that would break and cause an injury. In fact, it looks to me like the ones on Pinterest were created by recycling baby food jars, and we have none of those at our house. So it was off to the craft store to see what I could find.

Craft stores are always a good idea!

You can see we found some plain yet sturdy paper cups. They turned out to be fine for gluing on all our embellishments. You could paint them as well. And several came in a package so there was enough for all the grandkids and for any adults helping with the craft. 

My grandson was at school, so I shopped alone. But if you can, have your grandkids join you so they can pick out exactly what they want on their cup/jar. Here are some things I found:

And there's more!

​Of course my grandson went to get all his art supplies. He got out his markers which were great for adding names to the craft sticks. 

Let the craft project begin!

Of course we had to brainstorm a list of all the people he wanted to include in his prayers each night. I made a list so he could copy the names on his craft sticks. And we were set to go!

​I really recommend doing crafts with your grandkids. 

It just seems to lend itself to sweet and meaningful conversations with your grandchild. More so than other activities like playing games or watching PBS Kids together.

Here is that blog with the cute prayer jars:

​www.ssww.com/blog/how-to-make-prayer-jars-religious-craft-activity-lesson/

​

Never kept a travel journal? It's not too late to begin! 

I never kept one either....until I retired and found the time. The time to both travel and to record my impressions. I'll repeat this quote from a writing institute I took years ago--"How can I know what I think until I see what I've written." Besides keeping a record of your travels, it's also an exercise in personal reflection. You learn a lot about yourself. And if your grandkids peek into your journal after you've gone, they'll learn much about you. So just do it!

Learning the value of keeping a travel log~

Years ago when my husband taught in high school, we had the opportunity to travel abroad. He became a chaperone with Foreign Study League, a travel/study tour group for high school students. We traveled with a counselor from the high school where he taught. She had taken high school students to Europe for several years. She always kept a journal, and encouraged us to do the same. And not just for personal reasons; she said she recorded favorite restaurants and museums and shops so she would know which places she wanted to return when she went back to that country. I've never forgotten that lesson. And I've been able to see the value now.....in the age of Facebook. When my Facebook friends travel, I notice that other Facebook friends often ask--what are good restaurants? What tours are good? So keeping a travel diary has practical implications as well as personal reflections and self-discovery.

I always do research for my blog, and this week was no exception. Some people really jazz up their journals. Some of them I found online almost look like a smash book! They are full of sketches, fun clip art, personal photos, stickers, small keepsakes, postcards, and tour itineraries. They are just plain FUN! Fun to create and fun for others to read! To my way of thinking, it's like living the travel experience at least three times: 1) the real time travel; 2) the recording of it at the end of the day or when you return home; 3) the reading of it after you've got it all in your journal. 

One gal whose travel journal was pictured online said she takes all her stickers with her when she travels, as well as various colored pens. I'm not so industrious, but I have come to discover that at the end of the day when I'm back on ship or back in the cabin in the woods, it's a perfect time to record events in my journal. And I can embellish it when I get back home.

Add the travel stickers to your journal before you leave home.

That works too, especially if you record just basic things like a list of restaurants or museums that you visit. 

A favorite section of my journal~

Another section of my journal that I often include is, "I want to remember." This came about when my husband and I were in Atlanta. We were riding the MARTA from the airport to downtown Atlanta to do some shopping. A sweet grandmother-type and what appeared to be her grandson got on our car. They sat in front of us, and she patiently told him about all the sights they were seeing from the train. She would say things like, "That's where your daddy went to school." Or, "That's the factory where your grandpa worked." I loved her descriptions for her grandson--it just really touched my heart. It might seem a trivial thing to you, but I wrote about it in my travel journal. I've never forgotten it.

And don't forget to add favorite photos when you get home--those are really treasures.

When I travel with my grands, I'm always sure to include a photo or two. One such experience is when I took them to an outdoor musical in Palo Duro Canyon in my home state. As luck would have it, a favorite aunt was able to join us. For sure I've included that picture in my journal. 

Grandparents and grandkids! I really recommend keeping a travel journal. A narrative of your day is fine and very important. But embellishing it with some of the items above makes it really fun, and a delightful project after you get home! Try it!

Favorite travel quotes:

"​Stop worrying about potholes in the road and enjoy the journey." Babe Heffman

It is not the destination where you end up, but the mishaps and memories you create along the way. Unknown

Fun blog with ideas for creating a power-packed travel journal:

​www.kerrymaymakes.com/blog/travel-journal-pages?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=564304700_20771080_278633