Oh, hello, September. Where did you come from you sneaky little bugger? Per usual the summer flew by, but I just revisited my summer bucket list and am happy to report that I checked almost every single thing off of it! I hope to do the same this fall.
I’ve always been a homebody, so one of the things I love most about fall is the cozy days and nights at home curled up in blankets with family and friends. So I plan to do a lot of that but also want to get out and explore our new neighborhood as much as possible and show my daughter how fun this season can be.
It is our last week in our Stamford house so it’s going to be very emotional for my whole family. Thinking about the fun fall activities we can do in our new house is a good distraction from all of the change. Beyond the usual pumpkin picking and hayride goals, I have added a few personal goals that I want to accomplish in the next few months that have nothing to do with the season.
I want to continue with my clean swap challenge and add 5 more to the list and be better about gossiping. That might seem random, but I’ll explain more in tomorrow’s post when I announce September’s wellness challenge.
Similar Sweater (Mine is old and sold out) / ChappyWrap Blanket / Hunter Boots / Striped Mug
FALL BUCKET LIST
Move into our new house!
Get to December without drinking a single pumpkin spice latte 🙂
Bake an apple crisp
Start decorating our new living room
Go pumpkin picking
Commit to 5 more clean swaps
Make homemade apple cider
Read a book on our screened porch under a cozy blanket with tea
Explore our new town
Try a new restaurant
Quit gossiping
Volunteer at a local dog shelter. I’ve been wanting to do this forever and am finally committing to it this fall.
Cut down on my phone screentime
FALL BUCKET LIST WITH AMALIA
Potty train her… for real this time
Jump in a big pile of leaves together
Carve pumpkins
Go on a hayride
Go trick-or-treating. Last year she had no idea what was going on when we tried!
Help her pick out a Halloween costume
Have a cozy picnic at the beach with sweatshirts and blankets
What’s on your fall bucket list?
Oh no! Why no pumpkin spice?? Too commercialized now? I think come October I’ll e ready to drink one, but by then I bet all the peppermint stuff will be out!
Mostly because I don’t like them 🙂 but also this: https://foodbabe.com/starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte/
FYI that article is years out of date… this is the ingredient list: https://www.starbucks.com/menu/drinks/espresso/pumpkin-spice-latte
Wow I can’t believe how much they cleaned this up! The ingredient list looks so much better. Not perfect, but much better. I’m impressed!
I loved pumpkin flavored food! However, I know the PSL is full of sugar and crap so I brew my own coffee at home and add pumpkin spice & cinnamon to the coffee grounds and then froth some milk. I get to enjoy the flavor without the fake ingredients.
Great idea Katherine!!
Love that. I don’t actually drink coffee but I’m going to do this with my black tea one morning!
My best friend just moved into the Boston area (where my husband and I live) so I am excited to do all the fall things with her! I actually just sent this to her for inspiration!
Exciting! My best friend lives in Alabama and my dream is for her to move near me.
Happy Fall.
Hope all goes well with your transition and move.
I just made pumpkin banana bread this past weekend. Perhaps a bit early but people tend to like it.
Yum! I have a great paleo pumpkin bread recipe that I totally forgot about until you said that. Going to make it once we move: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/paleo-pumpkin-bread/
Here’s my go to version of the PSL… all of the fall-love with a fraction of the crap…
https://megbiram.com/cheaper-healthier-pumpkin-spice-latte/
Picnic on the beach and sweatshirts sounds amazing!
Fall is my favorite (just not quite ready for it)!
Sharing in case it helps: The fact that Amalia is in daycare is a huge potty training benefit in my opinion (my sons are too). I tried potty training my oldest on my own but with not much progress, we tried again when most of his class was doing it at school. Once they have all of their friends doing it, it became so easy I couldn’t believe it! So I guess my advice is don’t try and rush it.
Love that you have a list of what to do with your daughter. I painted my daughter’s closet door in chalk paint and each season we make a list of things to do and put it on her door — helps me remember to do them!
That is such a fun idea! I want to do a chalk wall in our new basement. I might steal your list idea too 🙂
Happy September, Julia!! Would you do a GF apple crisp recipe post (or do you have a great recipe already because every one I have tried is not good, haha!)
I already planned an apple picking day with my girlfriends, and am so so pumped!! 🙂
xx Libby
https://premedwearspearls.blogspot.com/
I haven’t tried one but I think you could just make it with gluten-free oats! I also have a great paleo pumpkin bread recipe (also GF) if you want that: https://lemonstripes.com/recipes/paleo-pumpkin-bread/
I think I’ll try one gf oats and no gf flour! Also that pumpkin bread looks AMAZING!! Thanks for sharing, I’ll be making it this weekend! Happy almost Friday, Julia!
xx Libby
Cozy picnic on the beach at sunset sound great. I am totally “steailing” this idea and putting it on my phone.
I want to just explore Central Park one afternoon with no plans just walk through it. Sounds crazy, but I am always running through it.
Steal it! And I love your idea. I always wanted to do that when I lived in Manhattan and never did. Such a big regret. Fall is the best time in CP. Enjoy it!
Julia,
I really appreciate this fall bucket list! It balances fun fall things with real life things like quit gossiping and holding yourself accountable to do the things you’ve wanted to do forever. It also feels accomplishable. I’m usually not the bucket list kind of girl but this is the kind of bucket list I can get behind. I’m making one of my own during my journaling time this week!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Hunter! Hope yours goes well 🙂
I didn’t even have a Fall Bucket List…until NOW!!! No Pumpkin Spice Latte though – not sure about that one. However, I’m in Miami – so, “Fall” is basically non existent. 🙂 Happy Fall to all -my favorite season.
Hahah this PSL situation is quite polarizing I’m realizing!
I love your list, although since it’s currently still in triple digits here in Austin, TX, my fall still feels very far away. 🙂
I especially encourage you to follow through on volunteering at the dog shelter. I started volunteering with dogs at our local shelter about 18 months ago, and it’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done in my life. Making their lives better while they wait to get adopted brings me more joy than I can adequately articulate.
Happy fall!
Triple digits? Oh man! It’s cooled wayyyy down up north.
I’m so excited to volunteer with the pups. Although Anel thinks I’m going to end up bringing one home 🙂
Congrats on the new house! What an exciting time.
xx, Merritt
https://thestylescribe.com/
I’m from Upstate NY so I love Fall! Living in the South right now. The leaves, the smell, and the color of the sun all make me so happy! Pumpkins, crisp apples, cider; and Fall Festivals. I have one friend; our favorite is the Naples Grape Festival in the Fingerlakes. I also have some bittersweet memories in the Fall, so it’s a time of reflection, and gratitude for me. I can’t collect enough cozy throws. Love offering them to friends when they come by. Also pumpkin waffles, best Fall breakfast!