{Fall park date}

Is it just me or are park dates just so much more enjoyable in the Fall? After our Nature Scavenger Hunt we ventured over to the park to play. We had the greatest time! And...we didn't melt. That's a major win in Texas. Unfortunately, it's still quite warm in October/November here. So sad for my Fall loving heart.



I can't wait for more Fall park dates!!

{Fall 2015 Bucketlist Update // A Thankful Jar}

This year I wanted to start a Thankful jar to use the month of November. I want to write one thing we are thankful for each day and fill the jar with those blessings. I actually had all of the supplies for this project at home, so it cost me zero dollars.

Supplies:

a jar {Mason jar size} - the jar I used was a Target dollar spot find from this Summer

hot glue gun - to decorate your jar

things to decorate your jar - I used burlap and lace to go with the theme of our house and I had these little chalkboard labels from a previous project.

paper or something to write your blessings on - I used colored card stock and my Cricut machine and cut out several different colored leaves. I wanted our jar to look festive as we add in a leaf each day.

All I did was wrap the lace around the jar and used the hot glue gun to secure it. Then I wrapped the burlap piece on top of that and glued it down. Then I used a chalkboard marker to write "Thanks" on the label and stuck that on top of the lace and burlap. The most time consuming part of this project was using the Cricut machine to cut out the leaves. Other than that it maybe took me 3 minutes total.

Each day for the month of November we will write down something that we are thankful for and place it in the jar. Then at the end of the month we will look at them and reflect on the things that we wrote. Then I will probably bind them somehow or put them in a book to keep!

After I set aside enough leaves for the month of November I had extras. So, I made a festive little leave garland with them. Nothing big or complicated. Just glued the leaves to a piece of jute.



2015 Fall Bucketlist Update {those that have been done have been updated with the link to the post}:

Done:
make a fall wreath ü
make a thankful jar ü
decorate the porch ü

make fall crafts ü

take Mason on a nature scavenger hunt ü

buy pumpkins ü

have a Halloween movie night {most likely Hocus Pocus} with themed foods ü

find Mase Halloween pajamas ü
go to Mainstay Farms/Pumpkin patch ü
go to Round Top, TX for Texas Antiques weekend ü
go on a hayride ü
go to the Texas State Fair ü
take Mason trick or treating ü
Boo a friend ü
bake Halloween cookies ü
go to a football game ü
nacho bar for a football game watching night ü


To Do:
make s'mores or the s'mores dip
go geocaching around our town
decorate & carve pumpkins
take Fall pictures
have a playdate with friends
go to the zoo
go camping in a tent
stay in a cabin somewhere
follow a Fall photo project
buy a few 'fall' wardrobe staples
visit the Farmer's Market
roast marshmallows

{Make a Fall Wreath // Fall 2015 Bucketlist Update}

One of the items on my Fall bucketlist this year was to make a Fall themed wreath. I've dabbled in wreath making, and found that I truly love it. It's therapeutic or something. Anyhow, when I thought about making a fall wreath I suspected that I would use burlap {because I am burlap obsessed}, most likely in deeper colors like burnt orange and brown. But, then I went a different route with it. Mason and I went out to the fields one day and picked a bunch of cotton. There is just something about fresh cotton that screams fall to me. So, I used the cotton we picked to make a fall wreath. It's different, it's simple and I am in love with it.

Supplies:
foam wreath form
a roll of burlap (I used 2 different colors)
hot glue gun and glue sticks
freshly picked cotton (or fake cotton)

It was so easy to make, too. I just wrapped the wreath form with the burlap and hot-glued it down every once in a while. Then I took the cotton pieces I wanted to use and pulled the stems off of them. Then I just started hot-gluing them down until I was happy with the way it looked. Then I took the burlap and made a bow. That's it.



Are you a wreath maker? Have you made one for Fall? I'd love to see.

2015 Fall Bucketlist Update {those that have been done have been updated with the link to the post}:

Done:
decorate the porch ü

make fall crafts ü

take Mason on a nature scavenger hunt ü

buy pumpkins ü

have a Halloween movie night {most likely Hocus Pocus} with themed foods ü

find Mase Halloween pajamas ü
go to Mainstay Farms/Pumpkin patch ü
go to Round Top, TX for Texas Antiques weekend ü
go on a hayride ü
go to the Texas State Fair ü
take Mason trick or treating ü
Boo a friend ü
bake Halloween cookies ü
go to a football game ü
nacho bar for a football game watching night ü
make a fall wreath ü

To Do:
make s'mores or the s'mores dip
go geocaching around our town
decorate & carve pumpkins
take Fall pictures
have a playdate with friends
go to the zoo
go camping in a tent
stay in a cabin somewhere
follow a Fall photo project
buy a few 'fall' wardrobe staples
visit the Farmer's Market
roast marshmallows
make a thankful jar with Mason

{Bucketlist Update // Nature Scavenger Hunt}

Mason and I checked another item off of our 2015 Fall Bucketlist - a Nature Scavenger Hunt!! We went to our favorite local park one week day after school. We found most of the items on our list and had so much fun. At one point we were on a walking trail and he says, "You're the best mom in the world" and completely melted me! I think that was a good sign he was enjoying our scavenger hunt.

I am so upset and disappointed...my camera went wonky and most of these pictures are so fuzzy! Bummer. But, at least we have all of the fun memories we made that day!





There was not one pinecone or flower to be had in this whole park! And honestly, we didn't look too hard for animal tracks. ha. We had a blast, though! And then we played at the park afterwards.

2015 Fall Bucketlist Update {those that have been done have been updated with the link to the post}:

Done:
decorate the porch ü

make fall crafts ü

take Mason on a nature scavenger hunt ü

buy pumpkins ü

have a Halloween movie night {most likely Hocus Pocus} with themed foods ü

find Mase Halloween pajamas ü
go to Mainstay Farms/Pumpkin patch ü
go to Round Top, TX for Texas Antiques weekend ü
go on a hayride ü
go to the Texas State Fair ü
take Mason trick or treating ü
Boo a friend ü
bake Halloween cookies ü
go to a football game ü
nacho bar for a football game watching night ü

To Do:
make s'mores or the s'mores dip
make a fall wreath
go geocaching around our town
decorate & carve pumpkins
make a thankful jar with Mason
take Fall pictures
have a playdate with friends
go to the zoo
go camping in a tent
stay in a cabin somewhere
follow a Fall photo project
buy a few 'fall' wardrobe staples
visit the Farmer's Market
roast marshmallows

{Halloween 2015 // The Morph-Shadow // Costume Party Link-Up}

Hope you all had a safe and very Happy Halloween!! We sure did. We got to take part in so many Halloween festivities this season and just had a complete blast. Honestly, I am kind of sad that it's over. I hope you will linkup up with Stephanie, Meghan, Jess, Jessica, Jennifer and I today as we recap our Halloween Festivities! I can't wait to see everyone's costumes.

Our Halloween actually started on Friday night when we were invited to a Halloween party. It was at a friend of mine that I have known since 2nd grade, but hadn't seen in several years. I was excited just to go and see her. We decided to do a family LumberJack/LumberJane themed costume. I don't have many great pictures. It was raining something fierce and so we just had to snap a couple of pics in the house before we left. I'm bummed that we didn't get some good ones outside. Dang rain! And it was before I had a chance to put on my make-up. But, at least we got a couple.




For Halloween night Mason had originally wanted to be a scary zombie for Halloween and wanted his Daddy to make his costume. However, during one of our shopping trips to Walmart we strolled down the costume aisle and Mason found this:




And had to have it! He no longer wanted to be a zombie and just HAD to be this. We have absolutely NO clue what this is. The costume packaging just says "Morph" suit. Mason deemed it as the Black Shadow. Whatever it is, he loves it. It's kind of freaky, kind of cool. He got so many compliments on it.

For Halloween this year we went to the town's trunk or treat on the square. The churches in the town come together to create a fun and safe Halloween night for families. Our plan was to do this first while it was still daylight out and then hit some houses for trick or treating. We only ended up doing the trunk-or-treat though. And I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that we didn't do the traditional trick or treating at houses.

The trunk-or-treat was fun, though. They had lots of fun games for the kids to play rather than just getting candy from each car/booth set-up. We met up with our friends and Nate's parents and brother and girlfriend came out, too. We ran into lots of people from Mason's school as well. And one of Mason's good friends in his class had the same costume as him...so we had to take pictures!



And that's a wrap on our 2015 Halloween! How was yours? Did you do the traditional trick or treating?

And...can we bring out the Christmas decor now?!?! The only thing holding me back is that I want a real tree this year and those won't be out for several more weeks!!