Tomorrow is the official first day of winter, so tonight it’s time to do the final update on my fall bucket list.  Seems strange, because once Thanksgiving is done and the focus shifts to Christmas, it always seems like it’s already winter to me.  But no!  Winter does not start until tomorrow.  And then it’s 3 L-O-N-G months until my favorite season.  So is there anything else I was able to check off my bucket list for the fall?

FINAL FALL BUCKET LIST UPDATE

Health & Fitness

(✔) Schedule my annual mammogram.  (See Update #1.)

(✔) Complete the Orangetheory Fitness Hell Week challenge and as many 90-minute workouts as my schedule allows.  (See Update #2.)

And as an added bonus, I also completed the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge!  If you completed 7 workouts during the first 12 days of December, you earned a pair of these awesome socks.  I know seeing the picture, you’re going to wish these were YOUR socks.  But wait!  Wait until you see the picture of the bottom of the socks.  Then I know you are REALLY going to want them in YOUR wardrobe.  But sorry…you have to earn these babies.  😉

 

(   ) Establish a weekday routine.  So this hasn’t happened, and here’s the thing.  I’ve read the comments about bullet journaling and all, but this is more about just getting routine chores done and out of the way by a certain time so I can forget about them.  I already have a routine for the first half hour or so after I’m up, but then I am really great at just putzing time away.  Part of me says I’m retired and don’t have to live by a schedule any more, and the other half says, “Girl, quit wasting time!”  So I’m thinking this item will be moved to my next bucket list.

 

Joy

(✔) Create my gallery wall.  It’s not 100% yet, but I’ve made what I think is great progress after imagining it for a ridiculous number of years.  Here’s where I am with it:

 

I have a canvas ordered of a family picture that was taken this past August.  Just waiting for it to be delivered, so I can put it where that brown paper is.  Then I have some smaller items I plan on using to fill in empty spaces where needed.  I also plan on reframing the b&w photos on the top left shelf and adding one more.

Big Eagle was a HUGE help to me with hanging everything.  I learn by watching him.  I’m thinking I need to actually have him supervise me doing some of what I’ve been watching, so I can get some hands-on experience.

(✔) Decorate for fall. (See Update #1.)

(   ) Complete our interior update on our house.  This will be on the next bucket list.  I made some progress, but very minimal.

(✔) Spread bluebonnet seeds.  (See Update #1.)

 

Learning & Growth

(   ) Educate myself about improving my blog.  Another one that will be on a future bucket list.  Ugh.

(✔) Submit applications for a seasonal job.  (See Update #1.)

 

Relationships

(   ) Attend a high school or college football game with Big Eagle.

So this isn’t happening.  My mistake here was that I put something on MY bucket list that I thought someone ELSE would like to do.  Although he does like football, Big Eagle wasn’t interested in attending a game.  I am not even that big of a fan of football, but I put it on my list under this category because I thought it was something we could do together that HE would enjoy.  What did I learn?  My bucket list is MY bucket list.  I will reserve it for things *I* want to do.

(✔) Host some kind of holiday get together.

I hosted a recipe exchange on December 3rd!  Five of my neighbors and friends came over, and each one brought an appetizer for everyone to sample.  Everything was SO delicious!  I provided drinks and a dessert.  We all voted for which appetizer we thought was the best, and my friend Lynn won with her Savory Party Bread.

 

Here we all are!  Picture’s a little blurry, but it is what it is.

 

Everyone brought a toy to donate to Toys for Tots, and I took them to a designated drop-off spot the next day.  It was such a fun night, and I hope to do it again next year!

 

So I was able to check off two more items since the last update.  Out of 11 items, I accomplished 7, so I am pretty happy about that.  Especially since I know I would not have done some of those things without the motivation that putting them on my bucket list provides.

Now I plan to enjoy the last few days of the Christmas season and eagerly await family who will be arriving soon after Christmas.  I wish everyone a very merry Christmas and look forward with you to the coming new year!