Fall is officially here in Northern AZ. This last week has been rainy and chilly. Which we're
loving! To celebrate one of my favorite seasons I put together a little fall bucket list of all the things I love about this time of year in hopes that I remember to fit it all in before winter truly hits. All the true born and bred locals this year are saying its going to be a cold one and I am so not prepared.
1. Host our first friends-giving.
Every year I always plan to throw one and then I somehow get busy with other things. Working retail it's pretty much a done deal that I will not be able to attend Thanksgiving with our family. Black Friday is more like Black Thursday now a days. And guys it's the worst. However it has made me so much more determined to actually host friends-giving this year! And I'm
so freaking excited.
2. Take a family Christmas card pic, with Mini and Fletch.
Last year I procrastinated hard core and we ended up taking our picture in front of a pretty tree near our apartment. Luckily the picture turned out wonderfully but the last minute crazy stressed me out and I intend to be
much more on top of my game this year. I'm hoping to have our Christmas cards chosen and ordered by mid-november.
3. Bake ALL the mini pies.
Pumpkin pie is my favorite. But I have never made one! Which is beyond silly because baking is one of my happy things. Mini pies are one of those recipes that fill my
recipe board on
Pinterest. This year i'm going to actually bake a few of the ones I have pinned.
4. Create some holiday traditions.
Joey and I have been married four years. And guys those years flew by! Sometimes I still feel like we just got married. Anyway because Joey was serving in the military for the first three years of our marriage, we didn't get to spend many holidays or even holiday seasons together. This fall I want to start creating some traditions that we can really cherish and look forward to every year. Do you have any fun traditions in your family?
5. Visit a real pumpkin patch.
We carve pumpkins every year. Joey is actually really good at it and it's a fun tradition but we've never been to a pumpkin patch to get one. Partly because we never found the time but mostly because Southern California so does not have any kind of traditional fall. Flagstaff on the other hand has seasons and this year it's happening for sure.
6. Finish Decluttering by Christmas.
In the last month I've begun working on simplifying our home. Ive been sharing the process in a
Living With Less series and I would really love to be done by then so I'm better prepared and less distracted for the Christmas season really sets in.
7. Get one last camping trip in.
I love Sedona in the fall and we're hoping to get one more camping trip in before it really starts to get cold. Camping is my favorite part of summer and I'm super bummed winter is coming and putting an end to campfires, s'mores, and our favorite little getaways.
8. Take a million pictures.
Because fall colors make my heart happy. And any excuse to play with my new camera is a good one.
9. Visit the farmers market as much as possible.
Because it closes for winter and I'm so bummed.
10. Don't stop running outdoors.
I still haven't figured out how to run in the cold. It's so hard. I'm hoping that if I ease into running as the weather changes it won't be as much of a shock when the snow and freezing temps really kick in.
11. Perfect my at home lattes.
I've been making some pretty yummy Chai lattes at home. But I've been cheating with some chai concentrate. Which is not nearly as good as the homemade variety. I've been playing with a few from scratch recipes and so far I haven't found a perfect mix but i'm almost there.
12. Slow down
I feel like time is always flying and we don't really sit back and enjoy. This year i'm focusing on taking the time to relax and enjoy all the little things that make fall so special.
xo Sam
