Fall Bucket List

I'm digging the change in seasons. There's something about fall that's so soothing to me this year. I'm loving the brisk, cool mornings that give way to perfectly warm afternoons and having a few more maternity clothes to wear. Hello jeans, long-sleeve tees and scarves! (Although, someone should really invent a contraption to help very pregnant ladies pull on tall boots - whoo boy).

I got all Pinterest-y and made a initial monogram pumpkin for our front porch this week. It was seriously the easiest craft project ever. I bought a fake pumpkin at Michaels for 50% off, printed out the first initial of our last name on an 8x10 piece of paper and traced it onto the pumpkin. I probably had black paint somewhere in the house but I was too lazy to look for it, so I used a permanent black marker to color in the letter. BAM! Done. I love how it looks against these beautiful mums on our porch and the fact that I can use it again and again each autumn is even better. I can't wait to visit our favorite orchard and add some big orange pumpkins to the mix.

Now that my baby to-do list is in check, I'm feeling confident in planning several fun family activities before Baby Boy arrives. I have a feeling this might be my last chance to play around in the kitchen for a while or get crafty with Tory, so I want to take advantage of every opportunity to make those memories now. Here's my October Bucket List:

• Visit Nature's Select Orchard - This is our favorite apple orchard and pumpkin patch located near the lake cabin. It's hardly ever busy, the farmers are so sweet and we've gone every year since Tory was born. It's tradition now, so we have to keep going for her sake! Plus, this year they have goats and donkeys and I know Tory will go crazy for them.

• Pumpkin crafts with Tory - I've pinned a few Halloween crafts to do together, aiming for the "toddler friendly" ones she can be actively involved in and ones that aren't heavily focused on ghosts or monsters. (No need to expose her to those scarier things if she has no idea what they even are at this point). We already made this paper plate pumpkin craft. This one, this one and this one look easy and fun (girlfriend goes crazy for marshmallows, so I know this one will be a hit).   

• Go to a Nebraska football game - We bought tickets to see Nebraska play Minnesota at the end of October. To say I'm excited to go to the game (and not have to work it!) is an understatement. Now I just have to cross my fingers Baby Boy doesn't arrive early because the game is cutting fairly close to my due date. Who am I kidding, I'll likely be kicking him out of the womb just like his sister. 

• Go on a leaf hunt - Tory loves to pick up leaves and sticks, so I think she'll get a kick out of going for a walk one afternoon and maybe making a craft with all the items we find when we get back to the house.

• Make homemade applesauce - Homemade applesauce is easy to make and so delicious. Think I'll try this pumpkin applesauce recipe in October's honor. 

• Spend a day peeping fall colors - I've always wanted to take a road trip through Northern Minnesota /or Wisconsin to see the fall leaves at their prime. You have to time it just right when the leaves are at their peak color. Andi and I talked about making a day-trip one Saturday from the cabin.

• Drink hot apple cider - Confession time: I had a serious pregnancy craving for hot apple cider lately and I've already had a few cups. Our Keurig makes it so easy to brew a cup whenever the fancy strikes. 

• Eat a caramel apple - I've been eyeing these bad boys up at the grocery stores for a while now. Can't wait to sink my teeth in one!

• Carve / paint pumpkins - No Halloween season is complete without carving pumpkins. I also bought a few mini pumpkins for Tory to paint and decorate one afternoon. 

• Visit a corn maze - Can't decide if Tory would get a kick out of this one or not, but there's a few corn mazes on the way to the cabin. We'll have to stop and check one out.

• Go for a hike in the woods amongst the falling leaves - We did this a few times last fall when we were at the cabin and it was so much fun. Nothing like crunching through the leaves and exploring the outdoors around you to make you live in the moment. 

• Jump in a leaf pile - Mandatory to recreate this adorable photo this fall, obviously.

• Make leaf-shaped sugar cookies - Better take advantage of the last full month of being pregnant when I can eat cookies and not feel guilty about it! Also, I already own leaf-shaped cookie cutters, so when in Rome ...

• Bake pumpkin muffins - Dying to try this pumpkin muffin recipe with streusel topping.

• Go trick-or-treating - I have a feeling trick-or-treating will be even more fun with Tory this year. Girlfriend loves sheep, so I bought her the most adorable Halloween costume to wear on Halloween. Small snag in the plan because she refuses to try it on - ha! Stay tuned to see what Tory ends up wearing ...