Autumn has officially rolled in and, while summer is still stubbornly clinging, I’ve now unveiled all of last year’s favorite sweaters and leggings and tossed them in the wash. It’s almost time to wear them.
While I’ll be wearing sundresses in fall hues in the interim (a happy compromise I made with my closet), I’m looking forward to that first morning where I step outside, wrinkle my nose, and say, “It’s cold!” and watch my own frosty breath drift into the air.
To say that I’m excited about fall would be a wild, hysterical understatement. I stocked up on pumpkin candles, strung up orange lights, and filled a glass dish full of candy corn on September 1st… as if the very act of decorating festively would draw the season closer.
And by the looks of IG on that same day, I wasn’t alone! No one wanted to wait.
If we’re honest, most people seem to get excited about fall—especially shameless PSL-loving Libras like yours truly. But this year is special. Because we’ve been through a lot, collectively, and nothing feels more right than a season of joy, festivity, cozy rituals, and good vibes. It feels as though we’ve earned it.
That’s why I think a fall bucket list is a perfect way to perk up and prep for the colder months ahead, especially in 2020. We did earn this year. And it might feel like a far off concept at this point, but we all deserve to be happy. We deserve to be cozy. We deserve to be nourished and indulge in the seasons, even if sometimes it feels like our only place is on the hamster wheel of life.
Let’s make the most of this slow, delicious season. Agreed?
Below you’ll find some ideas to add to your own fall bucket list. You could also call it a “goals”, “adventures”, or any other kind of list you please. Start some new traditions and make it a fall to remember.
Fall Bucket List Ideas
🍁 Host a festive fall picnic. From the forest floor to sprawling orchards and urban rooftops, there’s always a spot for a picnic. Grab a cozy blanket that you don’t mind putting on the ground, pack up some snacks in a cute tote or basket, and ask friends to each bring something too. Cheese, fruit, toast, pie, wine, veggie dumplings… anything goes!
🍂 Shop for vintage fall glassware to give your autumnal table a brand new look. From jewel tones to metallics and endless unique motifs, you’ll find your match.
I recently bought the sweetest 1960s Libby juice glasses with gold metallic leaves, a 90s pumpkin mug, and plenty of other treasures to spruce up my table.
I recommend Etsy or browsing local markets (if you can do so safely).
🎃 Set a goal for the rest of 2020. While it feels like this year is winding down, we all start making those comments at the end of summer.
But there are still months of 2020 left! (That might be triggering, but stay with me.)
You still have time to make something happen, whether it’s learning a new skill, launching a new career, or making all of your holiday cards.
☕️ Create a fall morning routine. I looove a morning routine. The first few hours of the day are sacred, especially during the fall.
It’s a time to access your inner wisdom and indulge in stillness before the day revs up and takes off.
Your routine might be sitting on the stoop with your coffee or cuddling your S.O. a bit longer. Ignore what you “should” do for a while and give yourself what you really need.
🧡 Collect as many different color leaves as you can from the ground. Study each one’s unique qualities.
Sketch, photograph, or simply look at them. Studying nature is one of the most therapeutic things you can do.
Just be sure you’re wearing a mask if you’re headed outdoors in a populated area.
🍁 Learn a brand new favorite fall recipe… while snacking on your current favorite fall recipe!
Reach out to friends and family for their favorites and see which ones sound the most intriguing.
You can surprise them with a dish delivery or simply make a treat for yourself!
🍂 Make a fresh fall playlist. There’s nothing like the right music to carry you through the season.
Music is so powerful and the sensory impact of a personal fall soundtrack is unlike anything.
Get geeky with Spotify or YouTube and curate a playlist that soothes, inspires, and puts you in the autumn mood.
🎃 Stock up on cute fall face masks. The other day I caught myself saying, “Ooh, I need new cute masks for fall.”
I mean, wow. None of us could have guessed that it’d become a routine part of life to check the latest mask designs on our favorite online shops.
But here we are, so why fight it? Find some plaids, prints, or palettes that work for autumn and be as stylish as you are careful.
☕️ Get absolutely lost in a spooky, romantic, or intense book. Grab your blanket, curl up in the window, sip that latte, and enter a completely different world.
As I get older, I find that I subconsciously “protect” myself from getting wrapped up in spooky or intense shows, books, etc.
It’s almost like my heart doesn’t want to deal with it. But storytelling is such an enriching part of being alive.
I’ve vowed to consume more stories without holding them at arm’s length.
🧡 Find a cozy second-hand sweater and give it a second life. I’ve made no secret of my love for second-hand and vintage clothing, and sweaters are some of my favorite things to hunt for.
Whether you find a hand-me-down from a relative or seek out the perfect cable knit layer in a thrift shop, treat it like you’re taking home a precious designer piece.
Dress it up with jewelry or cuff it up so it’s flawlessly cozy.
A great sweater is one of life’s simple pleasures.
Need a place to track your bucket list items? I designed this cute printable planner just for you! For a mere $3 you can print this aesthetic page endlessly and make all of those fall goals a reality. Grab yours here.
Listen: Please don’t give up on this year, even if things feel dark and scary. We’ll look back on 2020 as being difficult, undoubtedly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t also create joyous, magical memories alongside the toughest moments. I’m rooting for you, always!
Sending magical Liba vibes…
