A fall bucket list is the quintessential cozy season activity. Fall is one of my favorite seasons that seems to promise (or at least tease, on the part of Louisiana) cooler weather. Fall also signifies ample time for reflection and family gatherings.
I’ve never been one to create a fall bucket list, but today I thought it would be a great way to take a minute and plot and plan how I’d like to end 2023.
1. Fall is for pruning things out of your life
Now this may sound harsh, but hear me out. Fall begins with falling leaves and ends with dormant roots. This makes it the perfect season for pruning and cutting back unwanted branches, which will ultimately make room for new and healthy growth in the spring.
Fall is the perfect time for pruning out people and activities that take up too much headspace and don’t add a ton of value to your life. This fall is for intentionally spending extra time reflecting and assessing your life and, of course, for spending concentrated time reconnecting with family and those closest to you.
Try it out. Press the mute button on social channels or better yet take a social media fast. Put away a hobby you may care too much about and pull back on relationships that are high maintenance. Come spring, it’ll be time to push out new branches and push yourself to get out there and do more, but fall is a time to withdraw and spend time looking inward.
2. Reset your space
There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who live for picking up cute new fall decor at Target and Hobby Lobby and those who could care less.
If you know anything about me, I’m in the second camp. Not only does it feel pointless to me to decorate my house with seasonal items that I’m just going to look at in a few months and think, I’m so over that, but I’d much rather spend my money on something else. Not to mention, my house is a total wreck half the time and needs a huge overhaul in the organizational and minimal sense of the word ‘reset’.
So, regardless of what camp you’re in, I think we can all agree that a good ‘ole home reset is the move this fall. Practically, my fall bucket list looks like finally listing those clothing items on Poshmark, making the donation runs to the local thrift store, and throwing out those old items that just NEED to get out of my house.
I’m envisioning a master bedroom refresh and an office overhaul. Currently, I need to get rid of some furniture, rearrange my space, pick up a floor-length mirror, and I don’t know, actually hang photos on the wall like I live here. The office is a whole other story. She is in desperate need of some organization and a visit from the minimalism fairy. Wish me luck.
3. Closet refresh
Okay, listen. This is the carrot at the end of the home reset. Once all the clothes have been sorted through, sold, or donated, it is time to allow yourself a little shopping spree.
Picking up a few new pieces for fall is a good way to re-energize you when getting dressed in the morning. Don’t go too crazy though. Give yourself a little budget and pick up a few key items. A new jacket or a new pair of shoes is a great start off your fall bucket list.
My closet refresh is most definitely going to involve a morning coffee run and a visit to my top favorite thrift stores for some new pieces that won’t cost me an arm and a leg.
4. Coffee runs
Need I say more? Fall is for ordering hot lattes and enjoying them in an aesthetic space. Even if you’re not a fan of seasonal flavors, a coffee run is synonymous with fall. Who doesn’t love throwing on a sweatshirt, meeting up with a friend or significant other, and sharing a good time over a seasonally flavored coffee?
A coffee date is a great way to meet up with family and have an intentional conversation. Or you can use it as an opportunity to do morning pages or get some planning done. Personally, I like to save my coffee runs for a few key things. Spending time with my husband or a friend or getting in a solid writing or planning session.
And of course, I work out of coffee shops a lot while traveling and working remotely, but that’s beside the point. Those trips are cozy, but carry a certain work-minded reality check about them.
5. Bake and cook fall-themed things just for fun
We get it, this bucket list is going to include every basic fall activity you can think of. Just let me have this. Baking is one of my favorite things. I grew up making banana nut bread almost every week. From around age 9, I was a little baking fiend. Fast forward to me getting married and trying to live a healthy lifestyle and I rarely bake anymore.
This is where the fall season comes in. It is my get-out-of-jail-free card. I allow myself to find a couple of new recipes, make a special trip to Trader Joe’s, and spend an afternoon or Saturday morning baking to my heart’s content. The other day, I made a pumpkin streusel bread and it was so delicious, but you know what was more delicious? Spending that time in the kitchen dirtying a zillion dishes, actually using the electric mixer, and having a blast.
These little moments are the sweetest. This is your sign to have a little baking moment and enjoy the product with your family.
6. Bonfires and deep conversations
There is nothing better than getting together with friends or family after that first cold spurt and making a bonfire. Grab your oversized hoodie, favorite mug for hot chocolate, and a blanket, and spend time just being.
Bonfire conversations are some of the best around. Not only does the darkness and warmth create a low-stakes environment, but tending to the fire is somehow therapeutic and pleasantly distracting. This fall is for cozy fires and time spent with friends and family.
7. Make reading cool again
Reading was my first love. This fall season, I’m looking to cut out digital habits that are mindless time wasters and replace them by reading a variety of books that have been on my to-read list for too long.
YouTube and other social media platforms can be great sources for connection and learning. But reading is deliciously analog and gives life to new thoughts and ideas and new inspirations.
Thankfully, I was able to take advantage of ‘Stuff your Kindle Day’ (which I think was September 23rd) and “bought” a bunch of books for $0 for my Kindle. Now that my reading list is fully funded, it’s time to cut out useless habits like watching and scrolling and replace them with reading.
8. Time in nature
As someone from a family of hunters, spending time in nature around the fall comes with the territory. There’s something about getting up before daylight, making the dark and lonely trek through the woods to your stand, and getting settled in your spot for 4-5 hours.
Forest bathing is a Japanese term that essentially encapsulates how I feel after coming out of a week straight of hunting. That is, you just feel better after extended periods sitting in the woods taking in the forest atmosphere. The majority of hunting is sitting and waiting and paying attention in the woods. This extended time in nature has become a staple in my life for many reasons.
First off, I like to work with my family to get clean, free-range meat. Second, I crave the extended time in the woods where I have no cell service and can just sit with my thoughts and reflect. This time of reflection helps me assess my year and my life, spend time praying, and solely focusing on God while surrounded by his creation. It is honestly such a great way to end the year and something I look forward to.
