We're on day 8 of Blogtober and today I thought I'd share my mini autumn/fall bucket list 🍂 This really isn't my favourite time of year, every year I tell everyone who'll listen that I want to hibernate till spring 😊
Everything about autumn reminds me that it isn't summer anymore and that winter is on its cold, windy, rainy way. Just ick! I need cheering up now dear ones. I'm going to use this post to remind myself that autumn (and even winter!) isn't all bad..
You might notice that most of my list takes place within the confines of our little home. It's my happy place and where better to hide away from and forget about the cold winds and heavy rains that make up a Scottish autumn?
I had meant this to be a quick little post, just a list really but... well that's not what happened 😊 I started adding photos and then typing some more and.... well, it might be good to go fetch a cuppa honeys, and maybe a cookie or two 🍪☕ Meet you back here in a few minutes? I'll go fetch a cuppa too☕
Welcome back 😊 Why not put your feet up, get comfy and enjoy your cuppa and we can take a look then dear ones..
Our Autumn/Fall Bucket List...
I've called it our bucket list because some of the things on this list will be done by Hubby (like pruning our little apple tree in the garden) Off we go then, number one is...
1. Finish Home Office Makeover:
Hubby and I have been trying to declutter the front bedroom upstairs. This room used to be Hubby's home office/den but over time it became a sort of store room and is just stuffed with boxes, piles of paperwork, home decor items like those large photo frames and shelves we bought and haven't put on the walls yet. There are boxes of stuff moved from other areas of our home as we've cleared them out and worked on them... you get the idea honeys.
It's a lot of work going through all of that collected stuff and deciding what's staying and what items we don't need any more but we're maybe about half way there. It would be great to have that room finished before my dear Brother in Law comes to visit. It does feel great to have a good clear out, very freeing and hopefully we'll get the room organised the way we've planned it too.
When finished this room will function as a home office, where Hubby can do paperwork and I can work on this blog. It will also be home to our dvd collection and to Hubby's game systems and games too. Clearing out all of the things stored in that room is taking up most of the time so far but once that's done, fingers crossed, it'll be a breeze. We even have a plan...
2. Tidy the roses and prune the apple tree:
I'm hoping to tidy our much loved rose shrubs during this week, if the rain decides to ease off long enough to allow me a little time with them. Hubby will be the one pruning the apple tree. The last two years have seen the most amazing crops of apples from our tiny tree. I'm feeling very blessed and can't wait to see the apple blossom arrive next year 💖
3. Tidy up the back garden:
Unfortunately this isn't a do-it-once-and-we're-done kind of thing. Our garden is already full of leaves and every time Hubby rakes them up and tidies, I swear it feels as if by the next morning the trees have all had a really good shake just to fill the lawn with leaves again 😊
Luckily Hubby invested in one of those leaf blowers/mulching type things which should cut the work down a little. He always, whether using his new leaf blower or going old school and using the rake, he always piles the leaves up into a big heap on one side of the garden so that our furbaby Jade can jump into them 😄 Jade adores playing with the leaves and Hubby doesn't seem to mind a bit, bless him 💖
My part in tidying the back garden is reserved to, again, tidying the roses and lavender and making sure we have our feeding stations for our visiting birds all set up, just as they have been all year. It's important all year to have them but so much more so in the colder months.
4. Stock up on "hermit supplies":
I am a world class hermit dear ones, I literally never go outside unless I have to, such as to Doctors appointments or to my workplace. In the spring/summer months (if the weather allows) Jade & I can be found in the garden, pegging out laundry (joy!) enjoying time with my much loved roses or just having fun playing on the grass. Jade doesn't even seem to mind that I can't throw her tennis ball much further than a foot or two💖
In the autumn though, when the weather changes and the heavy rain and winds start to appear, we'll be found happily snuggled away in our little home. The curtains will all remain closed, heating on to keep us cosy, with a lovely big Sherpa throw for Jade and I to share on the living room sofa to watch TV or for her to nap under while I internet surf 💗
Our hermit supplies always include extra dog treats and biscuits for Jade. Our baby is never short of treats and cuddles but there's something about the shorter, darker days that makes me want to stockpile and fill our baby's large treat tubs. There are two of them, made of plastic, with lids. Can't take the chance that winter storms might cause our baby to run out of treats! That would never do💖
Hermit supplies might also include lots of baking items for the extra baking that gets done for the holidays. Whether it's Halloween, Christmas or "just because" days, it's great to have extra reserves on hand for when baking inspiration appears 🍪🍰😊
5. Get to grips with meal prepping:
I've spent all summer spending an hour or so on Sundays in the kitchen making up lovely, fresh salads..
as well as little jars of fruit and natural yogurt and tiny snack tubs with nuts or other healthy snacks in them...
I really do love that Hubby can reach into the fridge in the morning and grab something healthy for a proper sit down lunch at work that day. Now that it's gotten colder though, while we'll still have salads as a side with dinner now and again, it's time for more substantial, warming lunches to be waiting for Hubby in the fridge.
I'm determined to improve my meal prepping skills so that he has those lunches waiting for him, even on days when my arthritis is making a nuisance of itself and preventing me from being able to cook anything.
6. Plan lots of themed dvd afternoons and evenings:
Do you like to make lists honeys? I do. I adore making lists and one of the most fun lists to work on during the (far too long) dark, autumn evenings is to plan dvd evenings 📺
Hubby and I adore movies and old TV series, and it's such fun planning double bills of favourite movies to pass an evening...
Just as much fun is to binge watch a favourite TV series box set over a weekend too...
I married my best friend honeys, and all these years later, he still is my best pal. I'm blessed that we're still as close, and still laugh as much as we did all those years ago in our courting days. When I count my blessings, Hubby is always first on my list 💖
7. Learn new crafting skills:
Since the colder days mean that Jade and I will stay indoors, it means I can spend a little more time crafting and maybe even learn some new craft skills too, like origami. I would love to be able to learn to create something pretty from a tiny piece of paper ❤
I'd also like to try working on my rock painting too...
As you can see I'm terrible at it but it's such fun. I find it very calming and crafting also helps me to maintain (as much as I can) the mobility in my hands and fingers. The arthritis causes them to be very stiff and painful and it's so important that I can keep them moving (even when it hurts.) For that reason I'll keep working on my crafting (non) skills 😊
The little watermelon half in the photo above is a tiny trinket dish I made from air dry clay and then painted, it was such fun 😊 Crafting is, like the yoga I love so much (but am equally bad at) my little attempt at home based physiotherapy and I love them both. The fact that they both seem to be helping me cope with my arthritis is such a blessing honeys and I'm very grateful 💗
8. Halloween decor:
OK, who loves Halloween? The best thing about autumn is that it's time to take out the Halloween decor items and start planning for the little treat bags we make up every year for visiting trick or treaters 🎃
It's such fun to decorate our little entryway/mudroom at the front door 😊
9. Find and try new, warming recipes:
Time to take out cook books honeys and search through them for lovely warming dishes that I can prepare ahead and possibly freeze.
I'll be looking for soups, casseroles and dishes like the much loved Scottish childhood favourite stovies...
Oh my, that does look yummy! I might make a huge pot tomorrow. We have almost constant rain right now and the wind is so cold too. Yes, a huge pot of stovies might be just the thing for Hubby getting home from work tomorrow night...
10. Give this blog some much needed attention:
I do adore this little blog honeys. It's one of the very few connections I have with the outside world and I think it's in need of updating. When I have some spare time I'm going to try to tidy my blog, fix any images that no longer work, edit links and maybe even figure out how to go self hosted finally 😊
So, that's it. That's my bucket list. Not exciting I know but it's made me smile and I hope maybe made you smile a little too 💖 Thank you so much for keeping me company dear ones, till next time, stay warm, smile lots and hug even more, hugs always x
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