December Currently + Fall Bucket List Update

Posted December 6, 2017 by shooting in Personal / 41 Comments

It’s a new Currently! I’m linking up with Anne from the blog In Residence. Feel free to answer the prompts in the comments!

Currently: Festive edition! What are you lighting, spending, choosing, etc.? #currently #ontheblog Click To Tweet

Lighting: All the candles! We’re actually running a bit low so I need to find some more festive scents. I just love having candles glowing at night; it’s very relaxing.

Spending: Well, I’ll go with the obvious and say “money” as I’m sure most of us are doing. I’m about halfway through my Christmas shopping. I’m usually way more ahead, but not this year for some reason. I am really trying to take advantage of deals/free shipping though as it makes buying gifts that much more enjoyable. I do really like buying for other people though. It’s fun to try and think of the “perfect” gift for them, with the hope that they will really love it!

Choosing: What fun Christmas/holiday events I want to do/attend. I have a lot of library craft events this month, which I always love doing. I also want to make it to the Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo at least once, as well as Winterfest at King’s Island (first time they’ve had it in 12 years – I missed it!), watch all the holiday films, bake more cookies, see as many friends as I can, and whatever else I can shove into the month.

Sending: Christmas cards/gifts…well, I’m planning to at least! I really need to focus on getting some things in the mail this week or next before shipping becomes outrageous or the recipients don’t get it until after Christmas and I don’t want that!

Singing: Some Christmas music. I haven’t listened to a lot of it yet, because hearing the same songs over and over can drive me a bit nuts. I do want to buy some of my favorite artist’s Christmas albums though (and bust out Kelly Clarkson’s c.d.) because I tend to enjoy those more.

I’ll be sharing my Winter Bucket list next week, so I thought I’d share how my Fall Bucket List went.

Have a Halloween Movie Night: I did! I had an official movie night with some friends at my sister’s place. We watched Hocus Pocus and Dorian Gray. I ended up having a movie afternoon after this though with a friend that couldn’t make it that night. We watched Double Double Toil and Trouble (yes, the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie) and Halloweentown. Both movie “nights” were a lot of fun!

Go to a Halloween/Fall event: I went to the Fall Food Fest at Findlay Market in Cincinnati, Ohio and ate some yummy food! I don’t have any pictures though…

Fall Bucket List 2017: How did I do? What did you do this fall? Click To Tweet

Make a Halloween treat: I don’t think I made anything Halloween specific…food wise I mean!

Read at least one spooky/Halloween appropriate book: I actually read quite a few Halloween appropriate books such as The Diviners by Libba Bray, Croak and Scorch (books 1 and 2 in a series) by Gina Damico, Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea, The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag, and I Am Not a Serial Killer by Dan Wells.

Make a fall/Halloween craft: Yes! I went to a couple library craft events with my mom and we made some fun items!

The first photo are glass bottles that we painted and then decorated. My mom’s is the red one and mine is the goldish one. As for the pumpkins, the ones that look like donuts are my mom’s pumpkins and the other three are mine. Obviously we painted these! I think they all turned out well, minus the purple/green one I made. LOL The paint didn’t really work the way I wanted, but I loved how the other two looked!

Eat caramel apples!: I did! I actually ate my favorite caramel apple from Findlay Market, but I didn’t get a photo of that one. The one above is from Graeters – which is a fantastic ice cream shop. Unfortunately, the caramel apple wasn’t the best.

Go to Halloween Haunt at King’s Island: Yes! I made it on the last weekend, so I only got to go once, but it was fun.

Go to Winter Fest at King’s Island: I’m planning on going this Saturday and I can’t wait. It’s been 12 years since they’ve done Winter Fest so it should be a lot of fun. And technically it’s still fall until December 21, the first day of Winter!

Go to one author event: I was hoping to make it to two author events, but hey, the list only said one, and I did! I saw author John Green, along with his brother, Hank. You can read my recap here.

Have a cookie exchange party in December: Done! My sister and I hosted our annual Cookie Exchange Party this past Saturday and it was a lot of fun. I’m a slacker and didn’t really take pictures, so the above is the only cookie photo I have. I actually decorated these at Michael’s (yes, the craft store) last Tuesday. I was the only one who went to the cookie decorating event so I got to do as many as I wanted. I ended up saving most of them for the party and they were a special little treat for people during the party – since most people don’t want to eat the cookies they get AT the party. It’s more fun to save them!

***

All in all, not bad! I think I only missed one thing on the list.

Tell me: how was your fall? Any winter/holiday plans you hope to accomplish?

41 responses to “December Currently + Fall Bucket List Update

  1. A cookie exchange sounds so fun! Your painted pumpkins look great, and I would imagine it’s much easier than carving them.

    I hope you have fun at the Winterfest and Festival of Lights. I’m a bit bummed it’s not winter during Christmas here (I’ve had one winter Christmas, it felt more festive) but I will have to make do with my Christmas music which will go on rotation soon!

    Wattle recently posted: Top 5 Wednesday #1
  2. I’m all about the candles!! I have Christmas Cookie from Yankee Candle all over my house. I love that my house smells like fresh baked cookies. Your Halloween decorations were awesome. I love arts and crafts but I’m not very good at it.

  3. RO

    You’re pretty dang artsy Lauren, and those pumpkins look pretty cool. If I could, I’d find a way to have movie night every single day. There are so many interesting ones out there, including one of my faves, Hocus Pocus. Cookie Exchange – yes!!! Hugs…RO

  4. I didn’t know you live near Kings Island (or maybe I just didn’t put 2+2 together)—I worked with them last year on their blogger campaigns! Didn’t realize they are doing a WinterFest this year but hope you are able to attend! They look so pretty and festive 🙂

    I haven’t really made a dent in my holiday shopping this year either—so much to catch up on!

    Also yes to all the festive holiday candles. I find them very relaxing, too!

    • I don’t know if I’ve mentioned King’s Island much, so it makes sense you wouldn’t know! That’s awesome you’ve worked with them before. It’s a fun amusement park, and I’m SO stoked for Winterfest to be back – it looks like it’s going to be bigger and better than ever too.

  5. I love King’s Island! I went to their Halloween fest once when I was a child and it scared me to death! I think it is so cool that you have a bucket list for the season, with some fun ideas as well. 🙂

    • That’s awesome you’ve been to King’s Island. I love it! We used to get passes when I was younger and then didn’t for years, so it’s been nice getting them again these last few years and going as much as possible.

      -Lauren

  6. Wow, you did awesome on your bucket list! And look at all those cookies–yum! I’m trying to choose some fun and festive holiday events to go to around my city too–there are a lot to choose from and sometimes I get so overwhelmed I end up not doing anything, ha!

  7. I should really check in on my Fall bucket list and start planning my winter one! Looks like you did a lot of the things you wanted to do! The cookies look so good from your cookie exchange!

  8. A cookie party sounds like a blast!! I’ve always wanted to do one but the holidays are always too crazy for me honestly. I love hocus pocus!!! One of my favorite Halloween movies. Caramel apples are so good. I am jealous!

  9. These library craft events sound fun! I should see if my library has them… they have a lot of stuff for the kids, but I never look up stuff for me! Lol! I would like to make it to see the lights at our zoo, too. I have never been.

    Carrie
    curlycraftymom.com

  10. I have never liked candles but recently I’ve been wanting to get more of them, isn’t that funny? Good job on your fall bucket list!

  11. You had a great fall! Those craft decorations are lovely.
    Looking forward to seeing what is on your winter list 🙂
    I also need to get some new Christmas CD’s – had the same ones for so long!

  12. Cincinnati Zoo was one of my favorite places to visit as a kid! We only made it to the Lights during Christmas once, though. Great idea to attend library events! I always forget to utilize my library! <3

    • shooting

      That’s awesome you’ve been to the Cincinnati Zoo! The lights are definitely fun. There were many years there for awhile where I didn’t go, but I’m trying to do at least once every year now because it’s just so fun. Definitely check out your libraries! You never know what fun things there might be to do.

  13. We did the zoo lights when we lived in Cincinnati – such a great seasonal activity. And I love the coziness of flickering candles too, but I haven’t really used them in the last couple of years, with a little one running around. Luckily I found some great battery-operated ones that give the same effect 🙂

    • shooting

      Battery operated definitely works! It looks really cool. I didn’t know you used to live in Cincinnati! That’s awesome. I love the zoo lights; they seem to get bigger and better every year too.

  14. I want to try the new Magnolia candle at Target. There are some festive ones like sugared birch and then some other yummy scents too. And the jars look so pretty! Have you tried them yet? The zoo Christmas lights sound fun! Can you believe that I didn’t get to watch Hocus Pocus this year? I am not going to let the Christmas movies get away from me like I did the fall favorites.

    • shooting

      I have not tried any of those candles – sounds like I need to go back to Target soon! Hocus Pocus can be enjoyed any time of the year. LOL I do hope you get all your Christmas faves in though!

  15. i love having candles glowing every night too. so pretty and relaxing. i’m not really one for festive smells though, my house currently smells like spring haha. i haven’t seen that dorian gray movie, but i see colin firth’s name so obviously i need to. and double double toil and trouble!! love that movie. so good.

  16. Now that my kids are a little older, I’m finally able to bring candles back out. I have a few on the table and they think it’s so cool to have dinner by candlelight. Ha! Oooh, I love that you saw the Green brothers! I definitely want to go to one of their events at some point.

  17. Just home from a whirlwind trip up your way. Was hoping for snow but it didn’t do more than flurry until we were safely back home in Texas.

    I love that you are lighting all of your candles. So silly over here. I save my candles. Not sure what for! I need to follow your good lead and start enjoying them. Candles are so much better lit!

    We do a bucket series post on the 21st of each month. We share our bucket lists on the first day of each season (or the 21st) so 3.21 for spring, 12.21 for winter. And then we do follow up posts. Would love to have you join us!! Send me an email if you would like to be added to our group.

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