LongAgoandOhSoFarAway

I’ve heard the term bucket list kicked around a lot in movies about old people and books about kids with cancer. I’ve never thought much about making one as I am relatively young and don’t have any life-ending diseases. I was recently scouring Pinterest for ideas on interesting blog posts because I know how to rock a wild kid-free Saturday night. I came across a lot of lists with overlapping ideas, some of which I am definitely going to borrow from. One of particular interest was “seasonal bucket list”. I like it because it is low-pressure (by my interpretation anyway). It’s not a list of all of the great things you hope to accomplish before you die but the things you hope to do in any given season.

Naturally I picked Fall because it is my absolute favorite season. Between the excitement of state fairs and the prep and execution of Halloween, I am in love. I did a lot of research into seasonal events for my area and made what I believe to be the ultimate Fall Bucket List. If any of the activities on my list look interesting to you, I suggest going to your town’s webpage and looking under the events section. I got a lot of great ideas from mine.

  I have always had great luck with state fairs. Not only did I purchased my beloved rabbit Lois Lane from the Fryeburg Fair in Maine, but I also had one of the best dates ever with my husband there.  My local state fair is the Arizona State Fair in Phoenix. Running October 6 -29, this fair seems to have EVERYTHING. I am a great devotee of food and I must say that fair food is some of the best. I love the pizza, french fries, and deep-fried pickles the most. Perhaps the best thing about the Arizona State Fair is the live music. This year Cake and Snoop Dogg are playing. Snoop Dogg!! There is no way that I can pass up on seeing Snoop live for only $45. A bucket list item for sure.

I had never participated in an Oktoberfest until I moved in with my husband. His band was playing during the Backstreet Oktoberfest in Beaufort. It was everything I imagined and more: girls with Dutch braids, men in lederhosen, and sweet, sweet beer. I tasted more German beer than I knew existed. And I loved it. Local to me now is the Four Peaks Oktoberfest. It runs October 13th thru 15th at Tempe Town Lake. A quick look over the website has already got me excited. They have Karaoke Friday and Superhero Sunday. Plus beer! Over thirty kinds of beer!

Moment of truth: I have never been in a corn maze but it is a secret dream of mine. I think this is the year to make this bucket list item come true! I have gone through many a pumpkin patch (my favorite is Smiling Hill Farm in Scarborough, Maine) and apple orchard. These venues are just really classic Fall family fun and this year I want to do them with my daughter for the first time.

Halloween has been my favorite holiday since as far back as I can remember. I love the pomp in decorating the house, laying out my costume as if it were a wedding dress, and trick or treating. I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to actively participate with me. There are myriad Halloween related activities in my neck of the woods: a zombie walk, the Enchanted Pumpkin Garden, PoeFest, and Halloween at Hogwarts at the Phoenix Symphony. That’s right, Harry Potter and Halloween- two of my great loves in one place. At this point, my bucket list is overflowing.

Dia de los Muertos isn’t usually celebrated in the United States except in areas with a large Latino population, aka my new neighborhood. I look forward to the celebration in Phoenix this year. There will be a community altar that I would like to add to in honor of my Papa. Additionally there are vendor booths, sugar skull decorating, and La Procesión. It’s a fantastic way to honor the deceased and celebrate the culture of the area. I am very much looking forward to making this a new tradition in my family.

I hope you feel inspired to create your own seasonal bucket list. One quick look into fall events in your local community and I’m sure you will be flooded with ideas.

-Mama Maggie

Freebie Friday: That’s Enough

I like to write quotes in my weekly layouts for my bullet journal. I look for quotes that are funny, motivational, or just make me smile. I decided to make my printable for this week match up with my journal. I feel that is fitting not just for me, but for everyone. If today you are a little better than you were yesterday, that’s enough. The quote comes from Elder David A. Bednar of the Church of…

Freebie Friday: Why Be Moody

I was in the craft store last week with my mother looking at stickers from my new bullet journal when I came across a really cute quote: Why be moody when you can shake your booty. I thought it was awesome. Inspiring without looking like it could be on one of those kitten posters in your guidance counselor’s office. Fun without being super cheesy. It made me smile and brightened my day. I decided…

Mama Goes to the Movies: IT

I am terrified of clowns. I know, I know, everyone is “afraid” of clowns. When I say I am afraid, I mean that I cry when I see them, much like a small child would cry. I get a ball of fear in the pit of my stomach and feel my skin attempting to crawl off of my body. In short, I genuinely suffer from coulrophobia. My long standing fear stems from the television miniseries IT, based on the novel by…

Since becoming a stay-at-home mom, I have found myself with some free time on my hands for the first time in a long time. It is amazing. I have discovered about a thousand new hobbies I want to take up including cooking, Japanese, knitting, photography, calligraphy, and home brewing. It’s bonkers. The best part of staying home is that I have been able to do the things I love- spending time with…

Freebie Friday: Willy Wonka Quote

One of my absolute favorite movies of all time is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, the movie tells the story of eccentric candy maker Willy Wonka and the five children whom tour his chocolate factory after winning golden tickets. The movie is vibrant, whimsical, and imaginative. Willy Wonka, as embodied by Gene Wilder, is a…

Five Favorite Etsy Shops

If you are anything like me, you love online shopping. There is something really satisfying about about being able to make purchases from the comfort of my own home. One of my favorite online “stores” is Etsy. It is incredibly diverse; you can find everything you are looking for in one spot. I’ve used it to purchase curtains, bottle openers, antique cufflinks, mixed media art pieces, and pop…

Freebie Friday: Fall Calendar

I don’t know about you but I am the family planner. I am in charge of keeping the calendar for the family (which includes five adults and two children), and making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be. It makes sense as I am a stickler for organization. You know, one of those “a place for everything and everything in its place” folks. I wanted to create a freebie for the site and I…

Have you ever purchased some small trinket thinking, “What a great way to commemorate the event/trip/occasion!”? During the Summer of 2003 I had that thought while walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans. I was walking around a tourist trap of a shop with my family when I came across a shot glass. I wasn’t of drinking age but I liked the design and it was both fairly small and inexpensive. So I bought it and took it back home to Maine with me, not thinking very much of it.

For the next two years it sat on a shelf in my room collecting dust. While I was gathering my essential items to go away to college I packed it up lovingly, thinking it would be a nice way to remember my family while halfway across the country. Along the way to school I bought it a friend in the form of a flaming red shot glass with the New York Fire Department logo across the front. I loved the color and of course I support any fire department. Both were well used the year I was at school and a genius idea crept into my head- what if I started collecting shot glasses?

As I spent the next ten years driving and flying up and down the East Coast, I stopped at various gasoline stations and airport gift shops searching for the perfect glasses for my growing collection. Any time I pass through a new state I try to add more. My friends have been kind enough to purchase them for me when they go on exotic trips; I have glasses from The Caribbean, Mexico, and Ireland!

One of my biggest regrets is not taking the time to purchase glasses from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. While living in Maine, I would travel through all of New England twice a year. Each time I passed through I would promise myself that I would get my shot glasses next time. Eventually I moved across the country and my chance was gone. I guess that’s what the internet is for!

My collection is currently up to 50 glasses. I never imagined when I picked up that first glass in New Orleans that I would be rocking more shot glasses than a fraternity. I also know that I’ll continue to add to it as I travel to new places. Each glass invokes a memory of what I did while in each locale or who I made the trip with. Thanks for the memories!

Who could resist a Jurassic Park shot glass?

Go Noles!

The oddly shaped glasses are some of my favorites.

Who could resist a cute panda?

Do you think the Director of the FBI would approve of this glass?

I love the colors!

Snake boot!!

Are there any objects that you collect? If so, please share in the comments! Or, if you are as into shot glasses as I am (yeah, right), share a photo of your favorite glass.

-Mama Maggie

Ev’s Yellow Curry

When I posted my cheesy lasagna recipe I mentioned that I like to cook. My husband Evan LOVES to cook and he is great at it. I tend to go in the kitchen with a recipe in hand, ingredients purchased, all ready to go. Evan can go into the kitchen and pull together a meal out of the random ingredients we already have lying around. I envy him his cooking talents and creativity in the kitchen. Evan…

Happy National Dog Day!

Every day is dog day at our house. I am the loving parent (yes, we refer to our dogs as furry children) to two beautiful, energetic, obnoxious, wonderful dogs. They brighten my day and drive me crazy, much like my human child. I can’t imagine not having them in our lives. Fen is a male Pitbull Husky mix (aka Pitsky) who is fourteen years old. My husband adopted him eleven years ago. Well, sort of…

Mama’s Cheesy Lasagna

  I don’t do it terribly often but I love to cook. Almost as much as I love to eat. And there is nothing I love cooking and eating more than Italian food, especially lasagna. Lasagna has been my favorite food since I gave up meat about twenty years ago. My absolute favorite lasagna contains no meat and LOTS of cheese. Here is my tried and true recipe for the cheesiest lasagna around. I serve it…

Five Favorite Board Games

My family was heavy into board games when I was growing up. Whether I was with Mom or Dad, gaming was important to us. As an adult, I kept the game love going with Thursday Game Nights with my friends. Every week we would rotate houses/apartments/condos, the host choosing which game(s) we would play. Now that I have moved across the country I find myself returning to playing with my family, this…

Five Ways to Unwind After a Stressful Day

We all have stressful days. The reasons why vary- work, school, family, kids, car problems, finances- but they all result in stress. Muscles tensed, headaches pounding stress. The best part of a stressful day is the end of it, when you get to unwind and let it all go. Everyone has their own way of relieving stress. Here are my five favorites. The first is the easiest. I love taking off my pants…

Best and Worst: Stay-At-Home Mom Advice

I recently became a stay-at-home mom. My husband got a job teaching music at a charter school so we packed up our one year old and two dogs, and made the long drive across the country. Previously I worked as an Assistant Store Manager at a retail store, averaging 50-55 hours a week at work, not including commute. I would try to spend all of my at home time with my daughter but it still never felt…