Autumn has officially arrived here in the Northern Hemisphere.
The leaves are beginning to turn, the nights are drawing in, and the late summer sunshine we had last week has been replaced by heavy rain and a crisp chill. Aside from the dark evenings, I couldn't be happier. I love this time of year!
September has always felt like a new beginning to me, a brand new chapter in the year, and a time to knuckle down and get stuff done- probably because it's the start of the new school year, which always signified change and hard work. Even now that I've been out of formal education for sixteen years (that's a scary realisation!), as soon as September rolls around, I still find myself motivated to get to work on achieving my goals.
Each autumn, I like to make a list of all the things I need and want to do before the year is through, and then spend the final months of the year trying to achieve as many of them as possible. This year has been no different. I've come up with so many things I want to do before the end of the year, from carving a pumpkin on Halloween to working on making my Instagram grid look autumnal- and so much more. I thought it would be fun to share my autumn goals with you guys today, so here are 25 things I want to do this autumn.
1. Read Lots
I've made it my mission to read more this year, and I've more than smashed my expectations. I'm currently on my 39th book of the year so far, which is more than double what I read last year, and more books than I've read in a year since I was little! I'm making time to read every day and loving it, and I want to keep up the pace this autumn and read as much as I can. Considering my reading habits these past nine months, I don't think it will be a problem.
2. Organise My Files
Lately, I've been trying to get organised and have made a good start at organising my photos, videos, and bookmarks on my laptop. I still have so much to sort through, though, and I want to get it sorted this autumn. I don't need to keep 150+ near identical images from every blog post photo shoot or all those bookmarks I'm never going to get around to reading, so it's time to get rid and then keep on top of everything.
3. Get a Hair Cut
I must get myself a hair cut in the next few weeks. I've not been able to get out to the hair dressers in over two years, and my hair is now past my waist again and looking a bit sorry for itself. I don't think I'll go as short as a bob this time, but I definitely need to lose at least half a foot. I also need to do my roots ASAP.
4. Buy New Shoes
My favourite ankle boots and ballet pumps have worn out, so I really need to find the perfect new pairs for every day wear to see me through autumn and winter. I can't keep looking like a street urchin at my age.
5. Decide On New Bedroom Furniture
My parents have kindly offered to replace some of my bedroom furniture for me, as everything is old and falling apart, and I don't have the money to replace them. I just can't decide whether to go with the grey and oak set they suggested, or a white range, since I've been longing for white furniture for years. I need to make a decision ASAP.
6. Have An eBay Clear Out
I need to have a good clear out and sell some things on eBay over the next couple of weeks to make a little extra money for Christmas and my concert adventures next month. The extra pennies would be appreciated, and it would be great to lose some of the clutter that's closing in on me, too.
7. Get Stuck in to Surveys
I also want to get back in to answering online surveys regularly to help pay for Christmas presents. I haven't participated in as many as I used to this year as most of the time I just CBA, but I need to give myself a kick up the backside because the extra cash / gift cards would be really helpful this Christmas. If you want to know more about earnings money through online surveys, I wrote a post about it here.
8. Go See Boyzone Live For the Final Time
I'm going to see Boyzone live again on their final ever tour with both my best friend and my sister (separately) next month, and I can't wait. I've barely left the house or done anything exciting all year, so I'm really looking forward to getting out of the house, having a bit of fun seeing a band I've followed for twenty-six years, and spending some time with Marie and Angela. I just hope my health behaves itself so I can go.
(By the way, if anyone's interested, I'm selling 2 x ROW L stalls tickets for Boyzone at the London Palladium on Wednesday the 23rd of October, as I found better seats. £150 for the pair (which is less than I paid for them on Viagogo). Contact me by email or on social media if interested).
9. Be a Tourist in London
Marie and I will be seeing Boyzone in London, and I'm hoping we can experience a little more of the city than the theatre and the hotel room while we're there. We haven't made plans yet, but I'd love to take a tour bus around the city again, visit the London aquarium, and / or perhaps take a little visit to Covent Garden, Selfridges, Harrods, or Libertys.
10. Take an Autumn Walk
I'd love to find the strength to go on a walk this autumn- preferably in the woods or countryside where I can really appreciate the colours of the leaves, feel the cool air on my face, and crunch through paths of fallen leaves. It was always one of my favourite things to do during the autumn before chronic pain limited my mobility, and I can't tell you how much I'm craving the outdoors right now.
11. Carve a Pumpkin
I never do much for Halloween, but I would like to at least carve a pumpkin this year. I think I'll stay clear of intricate designs, like the sugar skull I attempted last year, and stick to a simple Jack o' lantern this year, and maybe even paint some pumpkins in bright colours as well.
12. Make pumpkin Dog Biscuits For Rosie
I would love to make my Tibetan terrier, Rosie, some homemade dog biscuits as a little Halloween treat. I've seen so many recipes for pumpkin dog biscuits on Pinterest, and I'm sure she'd love them.
13. Watch Some Fireworks
I really want to make it to my town's fireworks display on Bonfire Night. I used to go religiously every year, but I don't think I've managed it once since I've been ill. Realistically, I probably won't make it this year, either, and if that's the case, I hope I can at least spot some good fireworks from my bedroom window. I mean, is it even autumn if you don't watch a fireworks display??
14. Make an Autumn Wreath
I would really like to make some kind of autumn-themed wreath to hang on the door and decorate the house for autumn, either with felt or pom poms. I don't have a plan yet; I just know I'd like to make one.
15. Watch Lots of Autumnal Movies
Autumn has to be the best season for movie marathons, and I'm hoping to make time for many of them this year. I'm looking forward to watching lots of autumnal movies- not just creepy horror movies, but autumnal classics like Practical Magic, You've Got Mail, War of the Worlds, Harry Potter, and Hocus Pocus.
16. Make an Apple Pie
My Mum's apple pie (with lashings of custard, naturally) has always been my favourite autumn / winter comfort food. Growing up, she'd often make it for us for a Sunday tea time treat on a cold, dark Sunday afternoon, with the windows steamed up from the heat of the oven, and Luther Vandross blaring from the speakers. (Not much has changed, TBH). Those were the best autumn days. After all these years, I still haven't attempted the recipe myself, and I want to learn how to make it while my Mum's still around to teach me. I'm hoping to get her to pass on the knowledge this autumn, and finally make an apple pie myself.
17. Make French Onion Soup
My younger sister has requested I make some of my French onion soup for her this autumn, so hopefully I'll be able to oblige on a good pain day... if I'm lucky enough to get one, that is. I haven't made soup from scratch in years, and this one really is delicious- especially on a cold day.
18. Make My Animal Crossing Town Look Autumnal
I've been playing Animal Crossing New Leaf daily all year and I have to admit, I'm a little bit addicted to it. After nine months developing it, my town is finally coming together and looking really pretty. The scenery changes with the seasons, so the leaves are changing on the trees and bushes like in real life, and it's starting to look like autumn. I'm planning to make my town look as autumnal as possible, including finding some autumn paths to put down, creating a pumpkin patch, adding some Halloween decor to my house, and dressing my characters in cute autumn outfits. I'm going to have so much fun with this! Does anybody else still play this game?
19. Make My Instagram Feed Look Autumnal
I haven't managed to post much on my Instagram grid all year- mostly because I've not been anywhere, and haven't been well enough to take photos that often. I'm not happy about this, so I want to try to get back in to the swing of things this autumn, and fill my feed with pretty autumnal photos. And most likely, lots of brooches and books, too!
20. Take Autumn and Christmas Blog Photos
Every blogger in the UK (and probably the Northern Hemisphere) knows that autumn and winter daylight is far from ideal for capturing the perfect blog photos. It's so dark and dreary indoors, and the shorter hours of daylight makes it trickier to find the time to take all the photos we need. I don't have studio lights to help with those problems, so I'm going to do my best to take as many photos for autumn and winter blog posts before we lose the good daylight as I can. I've already taken a few Christmas ones this week, and I'm pleased to have some prepared for December.
21. Blog Lots
I've been a terrible blogger this year, and haven't blogged much at all- mostly because I've been too ill, and also had a broken laptop screen for a few months this summer. I'm hoping now it's fixed I can post more often again. I've got so many posts to finish in my drafts, and many more I want to write. It'll just depend on whether my health will cooperate and allow me.
22. Start Scheduling Christmas Blog Posts
I would also like to start scheduling some Christmas blog posts ahead of time, to take some of the pressure off myself, and give myself more time to enjoy the festivities with my family in December. It would be nice to have one less thing to worry about when I have 101 other festive things to tackle on my to-do-list, and the energy to do none of them.
23. Actively Work On Christmas Shopping
As soon as September arrives, I always start shopping for Christmas presents- if I haven't already. I actually have a few little things stowed away in the Christmas present stash already, but not as much as I would usually have by this point in the year. I have the concert trips to pay for first, but I'm hoping I can start Christmas shopping using vouchers earned from participating in surveys, and once the concerts are over at the end of October, I can then continue shopping for presents with cash.
24. Work On My Christmas Cross Stitch
I've just began a colourful Scandinavian-style Christmas cross stitch (this one from Satsuma Street, but on white aida). I don't know if there's enough time to get it stitched before Christmas, but I'm going to do my best to get it finished in time anyway. I want to make time to do some cross stitching every day, and just hope my arthritis behaves itself so I can.
25. Make Christmas Wreaths
Last autumn / Christmas, I was planning to make some felt floral Christmas wreaths, but had to abandon the project not long after I began due to a severe arthritis flare that lasted months. I still haven't made them yet, and I'd really like to make them in time for Christmas. I'm fed up of looking at all the unused supplies that are gathering dust!
I don't know if I'll be able to achieve all of my goals this autumn, but I'm determined to give everything my best shot. I guess I'd best get to work!
So, you've heard what on's my to do list this autumn... what's on the top of yours? What do you want to do this autumn?
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