Autumn Bucket List
Recently I discovered this adorable download for an “Autumn Bucket List” on A Beautiful Mess’ Instagram feed. This motivated me to plan more intentionally and savour all autumn has to offer. As I have a young baby, I realized it would be all too easy to let the season zip by in my state of newborn fog. Some of these ideas are annual traditions: the fall fair, celebrate Grandma’s birthdays, go trick-or-treating… etc. Some are simple: drink apple cider, carve a pumpkin, read more, make a soup a week… amongst other things. And some are lofty: sleeping through the night [with a newborn], and learning to finally make a pie!
I don’t want this list to induce panic and stress. We may not check off every item on this list, but I hope we have fun trying! Here are some highlights:
FALL FAIR
SEPTEMBER
23
On Saturday, we went to the fair with Justin’s parents . Side note- here’s a life hack with kids I will share for free! If you take grandparents to the fair, mom and dad can sneak a ride together on the ferris wheel!
It was a little chilly which seemed to keep the crowds at bay. As we arrived a little early, we were able to see the animals. Kyler was in this glory! He would exuberantly squeal in delight at the cows “Ooooo”, ducks “D-UUUUCK”, Clydesdale horses, chicks and a gentleman’s friendly basette hound.
Dylan wasn’t too keen on the animals, but LOVED the rides. He, along with his brother and I, rode on the carousel to start. Next came the cars with Grandpa, a roller coaster with Daddy, the spinning Berry-Go-Round with Grandma and finally the ferris wheel [“Perris Wheel’] with me.
[Notice the before-and-after Berry-Go-Round pics. Dylan let one rip and they both had a hoot]!
I already can’t wait for next year!
SEPTEMBER
29
PUMPKIN PATCH
The following weekend we hit up Snyder’s Family Farm, with our good friends Jeff & Andrea [and their ADORABLE baby boy, Theo]. If you haven’t visited there, I highly recommend checking it out. In addition to the pumpkin patch, they offer hay rides, a petting zoo, a playground pirate ship, corn mazes, face painting, a jumping pad + a ton more of activities. They also have great places to eat such as a poutine food truck, BBQ truck, a British double-decker bus called the “Grilled Cheesery,” Hay Sugar, Candy Barn and a bakery. [By the way this post is #notsponsored, it’s just a really neat l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ pumpkin patch].
Kyler was a little out of sorts as he woke up at 3 am for a spell, but he was a good sport nonetheless. Noelle was an ANGEL which I am grateful for. Younger siblings get carted around everywhere the bigger kids go, so when it goes smoothly I am thankful. Her little BFF was amazing as well. As Theo’s a little older, he spent the day just chill’n and taking in all the sights. His chubby cheeks are the cutest thing ever!
With October just around the corner, it was a little nippy, but when the same came out, it was an exceptionally beautiful day. Here’s hoping with all the fresh air, friends, good food and fun, that we all have a good sleep tonight!
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
THANKSGIVING
OCTOBER
6 to 8
I’ve long said that Thanksgiving is my favourite holiday. As a Christian, I value the significance of Christmas and Easter more, however; what I love about this holiday is that it is all about thankfulness and doesn’t have the same materialistic pitfalls and stress of Christmas.
Originally we were planning to visit my parents in Québec, however; realized the long 9 hour drive would be too taxing for our daughter who isn’t even two months old. Instead, we opted to celebrate with my mother-in-law’s family on Saturday, followed by my father-in-law’s family on the Sunday. With Vickie’s family, we enjoyed a delicious meal [including pavlova from our Aussie aunt. Yum!] and a long walk where we stumbled upon a recent car accident. No one was hurt thankfully, but the boys were so excited to see all the emergency vehicles! With Fred’s family we were spoiled with good ‘ole Mennonite cooking, hilarious 90’s home movies and lots of cousins to play with. Noelle was spoiled with so many cuddles!
After a full two days with extended relatives, we were ready for a cozy day as a family of five. The morning started off with pumpkin cookies for the boys for breakfast and cuddles for Daddy and Noelle, while I made pumpkin pie play dough as a festive activity. In true Canadian fashion, the start of Thanksgiving was a little brisk requiring winter jackets and by the end we were wearing t-shirts in balmy 22° C weather, so I took the three kids out for a walk, while Justin did snow tires and prepped the snow blower. Thus is the dance of dressing in October before winter sets in a few short weeks. We capped off the night with delicious homemade pizza made by my husband, bubble baths for the kids and lastly reading “Curious George” and the toilet-humour “Toot” book.
Other items ticked off the list this weekend were: drinking apple cider, making pizza and taking a long walk.
I’m very thankful for my family & friends, health, provision, and my Saviour.
HALLOWEEN
OCTOBER
31
Halloween is such a fun opportunity to dress up, interact with our neighbours and of course eat ALL THE CANDY! Our brotherly duo went as an astronaut as Dylan is obsessed with the moon and Kyler was his sidekick alien. I didn’t make their costumes, but I did fashion their cute little jetpacks made from soda bottles! It was a quirky accesory to their costume and they have had a blast with them since! Noelle had her first Halloween dressed up as a unicorn.
This night is always a highlight of the year and next year I am determined to tackle family costumes. Stay tuned for that! … also, someone please help me eat t̶h̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶d̶s̶ candy!?
MISCELLANIOUS
UPDATE: I MADE PIE!!!
An apple, rose, almond flour crust pie. A tip I discovered was pink lady apples are great for making pies as they are the perfect sweetness and texture.
Some things on this list do not warrant a whole entry, but I thought I’d give them a little mention here. First up, I wanted to make a soup [or casserole] each week. Three recipes we enjoyed as a family were: Dump-and-Bake Skinny Chicken Parmesan, Autumn Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup, Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup. I find soups especially to be budget and waist-friendly and make for great leftovers!
On most weekends, Justin makes delicious homemade pizza from scratch including the dough! [#imarriedup] It’s such a hit with the boys, they can demolish almost an ENTIRE pizza between the two of them!
In terms of “apple everything” we enjoyed this apple crisp recipe [twice in one week… whoops!] and apple cider.
Fall is such a short season, but we have made the most of it! Soon we will be experiencing the magic of winter [and the cold… Brrr!], but before that happens I need to bake that darn pie!
