Fall "Bucket List"2023
/Inspired by the most recent episode of A Beautiful Mess podcast, I thought I’d share my own Fall Bucket List. I actually wrote this list way back in late August—I was just that ready for a new season. This list is also heavily inspired by another favorite podcast of mine, The Girl Next Door Podcast. The Girl Next Door hosts Kelsey and Erica LOVE fall almost more than anything, and their yearly Fall Extravaganza episodes are some of the best, coziest company on the internet. So, without further ado, here’s my Fall Bucket List:
Celebrate October 19th! October 19th, 2022, was the day we finalized our son’s adoption. I love the idea of continuing to mark this important date as a family and as a part of Peter’s story. I’m not sure what we’ll do just yet—but a fun dinner and dessert will be a part of it!
Sunday Soups. For the past few weeks, I’ve been making a big pot of soup each Sunday. It’s cozy, and it provides leftovers for the week! A few of my favorite soups: corn chowder from The Moosewood Cookbook, this lasagna soup, and a great broccoli cheddar soup.
Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! with Peter. Just because it feels like a classic.
Read/listen to Harry Potter together. I love it when Jonathan and I read a book together, but it doesn’t seem to happen very much these days. Lately, if dinner time isn’t too crazy, we’ve been trying to listen to a few minutes of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Audible. I always think about Harry Potter in the fall. A couple of years ago, during the fall when we were waiting to be matched for our adoption, Jonathan and I comfort re-watched all the Harry Potter movies and it was delightful. I can’t wait for the day when Peter is old enough to read the books and watch the movies with us.
Work on knitting. Last year, I started working on a mustard-yellow scarf. I have the idea that during nap time, I’ll sit and knit and listen to an audiobook or podcast. This hasn’t happened yet…but that’s why it’s a Bucket List, I suppose! Hopefully I’ll be able to finish the scarf at least before the snow flies.
Make these Joy the Baker Pumpkin Bars. I first hear about these on one of my favorite podcasts, The Girl Next Door Podcast (which I know I’ve mentioned several times before). They sound like the perfect fall dessert—maybe for celebrating October 19th (see #1)!
Make the Smitten Kitchen Old Fashioned recipe. On my Christmas wish list is the latest Smitten Kitchen Cookbook: Smitten Kitchen Keepers. Old Fashioneds are a traditional part of my family’s Thanksgiving/wintertime, and this recipe looks like a fun twist.
Fall books for Peter from the library. We’ve already enjoyed Little Blue Truck’s Halloween, Room on the Broom, It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse!, and Pookie’s Thanksgiving. Here’s a link to a favorite blog of mine, Rising*Shining—with a post about favorite fall books for children!
Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew from Starbucks. I must admit: I have already tried this one, and it was only so-so in my opinion. I have, however, indulged in several pumpkin spice lattes—I prefer them with only two pumps of syrup so it’s not too sweet. I would like to try this recipe at home—a homemade version of pumpkin spice syrup!
Read/listen to A Discovery of Witches. I’m a big fan of the Twilight books (which some might argue is a spicy take), and this book, the first in the All Souls Trilogy, is about a female scholar who is descended from witches and her involvement with a brooding but handsome vampire. It seems like a slightly more complex, adult version of Twilight, and I’m excited to dive in.
That’s it for my Fall Bucket List, 2023! What’s on your Fall Bucket List? Leave a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks, as always, for reading.
-Beth
