Make Your Own Autumn Bucket List

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!

Going to a pumpkin patch is always a good idea.

​What's that you say? Your grands are older or don't live in town? There are still fun things to add to your list:

• Make an autumn punch and have friends over for happy hour
• Make a pot of chili and invite friends over for supper
• Have friends over for afternoon tea and make pumpkin cinnamon cake in a mug to serve with your tea (A link to recipe is provided below.)

Carving jack-o'lanterns with the grandkids.

Buy some tiki torches and a chiminea for your backyard. Makes for wonderful ambiance when you're outside enjoying the cool fall air.

Go on a nature walk with the grandkids.

Make a nature collage with items you collect from your nature walk.

Make some autumn kindness rocks to hide around your neighborhood.

Have a pumpkin carving contest with friends and family.

If you're lucky enough to travel to see the fall colors, do it! Even in Texas we have Lost Maples State Park and the piney woods of east Texas.

Plan a autumn camping trip. Nothing better than sipping spiced tea and sitting around a campfire.

List of things to search for on your walk in nature. You could even have your grands take a picture of each item as they find them.

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/