Create Your Perfect Autumn Bucket List

I love creating bucket lists. I don’t always complete my seasonal bucket list, but I enjoy making them. One of the reasons that I enjoy creating bucket lists is because they help me to be more intentional about how I spend time during a particular season. Another reason is because they remind me to slow down and take the time to appreciate the gifts that God is sharing with us during this season. They remind me to be present and enjoy life.

While it is fun to share my seasonal bucket list with you, this year I would like help you create your perfect autumn bucket list. In the last few years, one thing I have learned about creating any type of bucket list is that it is something that is personal. You can go to Pinterest and do a search of autumn buckets lists and come up with hundreds (if not thousands) of autumn bucket lists that are written by other people, but creating a bucket list (or really any type of life list) is about creating memories for yourself and for your family and friends. What good is it to print of a bucket list of things you and your family and friends don’t enjoy doing?

So go grab a mug of your favorite tea or hot chocolate. Grab a pen and some paper or your computer or tablet, and let’s dive into creating your perfect autumn bucket list.

When I sit down to create my autumn bucket list, I like to brainstorm activities that signal autumn to me and they usually fall into one of three categories: creating a cozy environment, creating an experience, and the sensory experience of autumn.

Creating a Cozy Environment

Autumn is a season of change. The weather is cooling, the leaves are changing, and the days are shorter. And there is nothing better than creating warm indoor environments to combat the cooling weather outside. Some great ways to do this are:

Add warm color tones to your house. I know that neutral colors are really popular these days, but personally I love color. And the colors of autumn are amazing. Reds, greens, golds, oranges…these colors are warm and welcoming.
Decorate for Halloween.
Add throw pillows and blankets to chairs and sofas to create a cozy place to curl up with a good book or to watch a scary movie marathon.
Use candles, wax melts or a simmering pot to add scents that say “welcome home.”
Lighting: Turn off the overhead lights and turn on the lamps. Add twinkle lights here and there.
Make a scarecrow for your porch.
Decorate your porch using porch leaners, pumpkins and mums.
Decorate a tiered tray.
Purchase some new mugs for the season or try decorating your own.
Buy some new sheets and blankets for your bed.

Creating an Experience

Creating memories is an important part of life, and in order to create memories you have to create experiences. There is a saying, “People will forget what you said, but they will remember how you make them feel.” (Or something like that. I might have paraphrased that a bit.) So what do you want your friends and family to remember? Include them in making your bucket list.

What do I mean by “create an experience”? I simply mean that you should do something meaningful for you and your family and friends. Do something that you enjoy and invite others to join you. What brings you joy? If you have a family, what do they enjoy doing together?

Some of my favorite things include:

Camping… Whether in your backyard or at a state park, there is nothing like taking a small camping trip in autumn.
Movie nights…Choose a couple of movies. Pop some popcorn and buy your favorite candies and snacks. Curl up and enjoy a movie marathon with your favorite people.
Game nights…Board games or video games, grab some snacks and bring on the competition.
Book nights…Choose your favorite autumn reads, grab a mug of your favorite tea, coffee or hot chocolate, a cozy blanket and your favorite spot and spend a day with your nose in a book.
Football…I’m a NFL fan, but Friday night high school football games are great too.
Trips to pumpkin patches or apple picking at a local orchard.
Doing random acts of kindness like “Booing” your neighbors.
Have a craft night. Get started on making Christmas presents.
Go to a fall festival or October fest.
Host a “harvest” party.

Autumn Senses

The tastes, sounds, smells, and feel of autumn are like no other time of year. There is an earthiness about this time of year. In the homesteading and farming worlds, this time of year is harvest season. That means the smell of hay being brought in and food being preserved for the winter. For some people, it means pumpkin spice and for others it means caramel apples. Everybody has their favorite scents and tastes of the season. Here are some wonderful ways to delight your senses this season:

Purchase your favorite candle scents.
Bake something like a pumpkin pie, cinnamon rolls, apple cake, homemade bread, etc.
Purchase or make a pumpkin spice latte or caramel apple latte.
Take a nature hike and immerse yourself in the sights and smells of an autumn day.
Grab your camera and spend the day taking pictures of things that remind you of autumn.
Purchase a new cozy sweater or cardigan.
Go on a hayride.
Make apple butter or applesauce.
Press some leaves.

There are so many things to enjoy about this season like the cooler weather, warm sweaters, the sights and smells, cozy nights in with family and friends. Creating your perfect autumn bucket list should be easy, but don’t put a lot of pressure on yourself to complete everything on it. It really is just a reminder to be intentional and slow down and enjoy life.

For more bucket list ideas, check out the following posts: