Christmas Bucket List Finish

Christmas time is here!!!! Bring on the festive events and activities. (18/25)

1. Make Christmas Cookies ✓

2. Watch 5 Christmas movies (3/5)

   • How the Grinch Stole Christmas

   • Christmas at Pemberley Manor

   • Pride, Prejudice and Mistletoe

3. Complete a Christmas book advent ✓

4. Make hot cocoa ✓

5. Create snow angels

6. Create paper snowflakes

7. Make an ornament

8. Buy a Christmas sweater ✓

9. Sing Christmas carols ✓

10. Build a gingerbread house (or train or whatever) ✓

11. Help Arthur write a letter to Santa ✓

12. Drive around and see the lights ✓

13. Go visit Santa ✓

14. Send out Christmas cards ✓

15. Read 10 Christmas/winter stories (13/10) ✓

    • A Christmas Bride by Hope Ramsay

    • The Christmas Layover by Robert Tate Miller

    • Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

    • Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken

    • Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

    • Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie-Nicole Bates

    • My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

    • Santa’s on His Way

    • Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

    • A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

    • Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler

    • 25 Days ‘til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

    • This Christmas by Jeannie Moon

16. Leave out cookies for Santa ✓

17. Visit the Feztival of Trees ✓

18. Take a photo of all four boys together ✓

19. Find a new holiday album ✓ - I went with Ana Gasteyer’s Sugar & Booze and it is delightful!

20. Visit the Fantasy of Lights ✓

21. Go sledding

22. Create my December Daily base pages

23. Participate in two gift exchanges ✓

24. See live reindeer ✓

25. Find a Christmas door hanger

Next up on the TBR pile:

Winter Bucket List

And on to 2020! Let’s start the year off right with some fun and some organization!

1. Read 45 books

2. Plan and execute a fun Valentine’s Day Party

3. Buy and Complete a jigsaw puzzle

4. New house vision board

5. Eat at 5 new-to-me restaurants

6. Attend a theater performances

7. Movie Month February

8. Weekly Game Day/Night

9. Make a seasonal door hanger/wreath

10. Swim at the gym 5 times

11. Have an indoor picnic

12. Host a craft day

13. Plan a weekend getaway

14. Visit a new-to-the-boys museum

15. Spend an afternoon at a local bookstore

16. Make ice cream sundaes

17. DIY Spa Night

18. Buy fresh flowers biweekly

19. Go mini-golfing

20. Make a new dessert

Next up on the TBR pile:

Grilled Cheese Adventures: November and December

Part of my 2019 goals is to make a different Grilled Cheese recipe each week. I find grilled cheese to be so comforting, but just cheddar or Colby gets boring after awhile. So, I checked a few books out from the library and make a Pinterest Board with lots of options. Here’s what we ate:

Week 42: Fig, Apple, and Swiss on Sourdough

I really enjoyed this one!

Week 43: Salami and Cheese on Marbled Rye

Meh. I was not impressed with this one.

Week 44: Classic three cheese with a side of tomato soup

This is a classic for a reason. I mixed Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Swiss to create a great cheesy sandwich.

Week 45: Prosciutto Provolone and Fig Jam

Decent, but so much like others we have had before.

Week 46: Turkey Cranberry Mustard with Muenster on Sourdough

Decent, although I ate this when J wasn’t home. He doesn’t really like turkey.

And with that we are concluding our year of Grilled Cheeses! I think 46 different sandwiches is a very respectable showing for the year. I’ll be back in January with our Top 10 and our plans for 2020. (Not bread!)

Christmas Bucket List Update

Christmas time is here!!!! Bring on the festive events and activities. (8/25)

1. Make Christmas Cookies ✓ — I always make my Ginger Molasses Cookies and they always remind me of Christmas.

2. Watch 5 Christmas movies (1/5)

   • How the Grinch Stole Christmas

3. Complete a Christmas book advent - in progress

4. Make hot cocoa

5. Create snow angels

6. Create paper snowflakes

7. Make an ornament

8. Buy a Christmas sweater ✓ — I got one with dinosaurs wearing Santa hats. Q very much approves!

9. Sing Christmas carols

10. Build a gingerbread house (or train or whatever)

11. Help Arthur write a letter to Santa

12. Drive around and see the lights

13. Go visit Santa ✓ - We met Santa at The Durham for family night.

14. Send out Christmas cards ✓

15. Read 10 Christmas/winter stories (12/10) ✓

    • A Christmas Bride by Hope Ramsay

    • The Christmas Layover by Robert Tate Miller

    • Unexpected Gifts by Elena Aitken

    • Unexpected Endings by Elena Aitken

    • Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

    • Christmas with the Black Sheep by Natalie-Nicole Bates

    • My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

    • Santa’s on His Way

    • Once Upon a Royal Christmas by Robin Bielman

    • A Kiss of Christmas by Jillian Eaton

    • Finding Christmas by Karen Schaler

    • 25 Days ‘til Christmas by Poppy Alexander

16. Leave out cookies for Santa

17. Visit the Feztival of Trees ✓

18. Take a photo of all four boys together

19. Find a new holiday album

20. Visit the Fantasy of Lights

21. Go sledding

22. Create my December Daily base pages

23. Participate in two gift exchanges ✓ — I ended up participating in three: Book and Wine Exchange; OBM Book Exchange; OBM Coffee Exchange

24. See live reindeer ✓

25. Find a Christmas door hanger

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• So incredibly close to my very ambitious book goal of 250!

• Started packing yesterday for our trip to Indiana. Tons of stuff to still do.

• Really need to make a master list of craft projects to finish…

• Feeling excited about our food plans for 2020.

• There’s too much media for me to consume in any lifetime.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Bucket List

Christmas time is here!!!! Bring on the festive events and activities.

1. Make Christmas Cookies

2. Watch 5 Christmas movies

3. Complete a Christmas book advent

4. Make hot cocoa

5. Create snow angels

6. Create paper snowflakes

7. Make an ornament

8. Buy a Christmas sweater

9. Sing Christmas carols

10. Build a gingerbread house (or train or whatever)

11. Help Arthur write a letter to Santa

12. Drive around and see the lights

13. Go visit Santa

14. Send out Christmas cards

15. Read 10 Christmas/winter stories

16. Leave out cookies for Santa

17. Visit the Feztival of Trees

18. Take a photo of all four boys together

19. Find a new holiday album

20. Visit the Fantasy of Lights

21. Go sledding

22. Create my December Daily base pages

23. Participate in two gift exchanges

24. See live reindeer

25. Find a Christmas door hanger

Next up on the TBR pile:

December 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on November's goals and my progress.

• Figure out Christmas travel plans - So close… I know when we’re going, but I still need to book a hotel for our overnight going there.

• Read 10 ebooks - Success!

• Buy advent calendars for the boys - Success!

• Take care of bills - Success! We got most of them covered and accounted for.

• Look into starting atheist family group chapter - Ooofff… didn’t get to it this month.

• Meal plan through Christmas holiday - Success!

• Friendsgiving? - Success! We had a lovely day with friends.

December’s Goals:

• Book travel hotel - We’re spending the night somewhere around the Quad Cities.

• Send out Christmas cards - I’ve got almost all of them prepped and ready to send this week.

• Look into atheist family group - Ran out of steam last month. Hoping to get to it this month.

• Read 10 books - Hoping to end the year on a good note.

• Make a reading plan for January - Got some of it planned. Need to finish.

• Figure out a spring routine for Quentin - We need a good routine schedule.

• Take care of bills - Got a few left.

• Meal plan for January and February (with soup and stew ideas) - I love going into January prepped and prepared.

• Enjoy the season!

Next up on the TBR list:

Fall Bucket List Finish Line

Ahhh fall! My favorite season of the year. I really missed it when we lived in California! Now I get to enjoy all the fall fun! 15/25 task completed.

1. Visit two pumpkin patches (2/2) ✓

   • Vala’s - Obviously!

   • Skinny Bones - We really enjoyed this smaller patch.

2. Carve pumpkins ✓

3. Read 10 spooky books (not kids) (10/10) ✓

   • Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

   • The Tower Formerly Known as Sears by Lisa M. Lilly

   • Life Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton

   • Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

   • The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

   • Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

   • Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

   • The Second Deluge by Garrett Serviss

   • Rabid by Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy

   • The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

4. Read 20 spooky kids books (20/20) ✓

   • Five Silly Ghosts by Hilli Kushnir

   • The Pout-pout Fish Halloween Faces by Deborah Diesen

   • Happy Halloween Mittens by Lola Schaefer

   • The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo

   • Pumpkin Party by Maudie Powell-Tuck

   • Mouse’s First Halloween by Lauren Thompson

   • Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson

   • Where’s the Pumpkin by Frankie Jones

   • Trick or Treat Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

   • Halloween Good Night by Rebecca Grabill

   • The Ghosts Go Haunting by Helen Ketteman

   • Sammy’s Spooktacular Halloween by Mike Petrik

   • Happy Halloween, Witch’s Cat! by Harriet Muncaster

   • Skelly’s Halloween by David Martin

   • Curious George Haunted Halloween

   • The 13 Days of Halloween by Carol Greene

   • It’s Halloween Chloe Zoe! by Jane Smith

   • The Ghosts at the Movie Theater by Dori Hillestad Butler

   • Halloween Is by Gail Gibbons

   • Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle

5. Make 5 pumpkin recipes (1/5)

   • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - a staple this time of year!

6. Go on a hayride ✓

7. Take pictures of boys in a pile of leaves

8. Find a new Halloween activity ✓

9. Create a fall signature cocktail

10. Bake a pie

11. Watch 20 Fall/spooky movies (20/20) ✓

    • Idle Hands (1999)

    • Dracula (1931)

    • The Black Cat (1934)

    • The Mummy (1932)

    • Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

    • The Mummy (1999)

    • Beetlejuice (1988)

    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

    • A Cabin in the Woods (2012)

    • Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

    • Labyrinth

    • The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

    • Scream (1996)

    • Dark City (1998)

    • Godzilla King of the Monsters

    • Sleepaway Camp II

    • The Fly (1958)

    • The Fly (1986)

    • The Witches of Eastwick

    • Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

    • The Relic

    • Cockneys vs. Zombies

    • Shaun of the Dead

12. Navigate a corn maze ✓

13. Buy Halloween pajamas

14. Buy a new nail color for fall ✓

15. Make a leaf craft

16. Buy a new pair of boots ✓

17. Buy and complete a new puzzle ✓

18. Decorate the front porch ✓

19. Make a scarecrow

20. Go trick-or-treating ✓

21. Fill 25 more reading challenge slots (25/25) ✓

22. Find a Halloween door hanger ✓

23. Dye my hair something suitably fall

24. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

25. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Finally started the American Gods television show (waited for J to finish the book). Oh so good!

• Also started The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and already I think I need to own this one. I am falling deep into this one.

• Lightning and thunder during a snow storm is wild.

• I feel like I need something chocolate.

• I’m about 80% done with Christmas shopping. Really excited about my progress.

• Just started house hunting and not impressed so far… Not in a big hurry, but we’ll see how it goes.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• My reading momentum is incredible this week! Seriously knocking out the books.

• The boys have been a handful lately. So many fights! Ugh!

• I picked up so many great recipe books this week. Working on next year’s food project. Stay tuned.

• Speaking of, we’re probably going to complete our grilled cheese project slightly early. 40+ recipes of weekly grilled cheese has really gotten a bit old. Things are tasting repetitive lately.

• I need heavier footwear for winter. My mid-calf gray boots are not going to cut it.

• All I want to do is wear cozy sweaters and scarves. So cold this week!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Grilled Cheese Adventures: September and October

Part of my 2019 goals is make a different Grilled Cheese recipe each week. I find grilled cheese to be so comforting, but just cheddar or Colby gets boring after awhile. So, I checked a few books out from the library and make a Pinterest Board with lots of options. Here’s what we ate:

Week 35: Apple and Cheddar GC

Pretty decent combination.

Week 36: Philly Cheese Steak GC

Very lackluster compared to an actual Philly Cheesesteak

Week 37: Hawaiian GC - Ham, Pineapple, and Pepper Jack

Another lackluster sandwich.

Week 38: Grown Up Bacon Grilled Cheese

Along with bacon, this sandwich has muenster and brie cheese. Decent but not the best.

Week 39: Brie Grilled Cheese

This one also has sliced chicken and horseradish mustard on it. Not the best.

Week 40: Cheddar, Pastrami, and Apple

The addition of apple butter and dijon mustard helped elevate this sandwich.

Week 41: Johnny Appleseed Griled Cheese

Bacon, Granny Smith Apple, and White Cheddar. I changed the cheese out to a white cheddar and it was the right choice. This was really really good.

Fall Bucket List Update #2

Ahhh fall! My favorite season of the year. I really missed it when we lived in California! Now I get to enjoy all the fall fun! Progress 12/25

1. Visit two pumpkin patches (2/2) ✓

   • Vala’s - Obviously!

   • Skinny Bones - We really enjoyed this smaller patch.

2. Carve pumpkins ✓

3. Read 10 spooky books (not kids) (7/10)

   • Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

   • The Tower Formerly Known as Sears by Lisa M. Lilly

   • Life Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton

   • Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

   • The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

   • Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven

   • Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

4. Read 20 spooky kids books (20/20) ✓

   • Five Silly Ghosts by Hilli Kushnir

   • The Pout-pout Fish Halloween Faces by Deborah Diesen

   • Happy Halloween Mittens by Lola Schaefer

   • The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo

   • Pumpkin Party by Maudie Powell-Tuck

   • Mouse’s First Halloween by Lauren Thompson

   • Halloween Hustle by Charlotte Gunnufson

   • Where’s the Pumpkin by Frankie Jones

   • Trick or Treat Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

   • Halloween Good Night by Rebecca Grabill

   • The Ghosts Go Haunting by Helen Ketteman

   • Sammy’s Spooktacular Halloween by Mike Petrik

   • Happy Halloween, Witch’s Cat! by Harriet Muncaster

   • Skelly’s Halloween by David Martin

   • Curious George Haunted Halloween

   • The 13 Days of Halloween by Carol Greene

   • It’s Halloween Chloe Zoe! by Jane Smith

   • The Ghosts at the Movie Theater by Dori Hillestad Butler

   • Halloween Is by Gail Gibbons

   • Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle

5. Make 5 pumpkin recipes (1/5)

   • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - a staple this time of year!

6. Go on a hayride ✓

7. Take pictures of boys in a pile of leaves

8. Find a new Halloween activity ✓ - We did trick or treating at The Durham. It was fun, but probably not worth it if we didn’t have a membership.

9. Create a fall signature cocktail

10. Bake a pie

11. Watch 20 Fall/spooky movies (20/20) ✓

    • Idle Hands (1999)

    • Dracula (1931)

    • The Black Cat (1934)

    • The Mummy (1932)

    • Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

    • The Mummy (1999)

    • Beetlejuice (1988)

    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

    • A Cabin in the Woods (2012)

    • Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

    • Labyrinth

    • The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

    • Scream (1996)

    • Dark City (1998)

    • Godzilla King of the Monsters

    • Sleepaway Camp II

    • The Fly (1958)

    • The Fly (1986)

    • The Witches of Eastwick

    • Tucker and Dale vs. Evil

    • The Relic

    • Cockneys vs. Zombies

    • Shaun of the Dead

12. Navigate a corn maze ✓

13. Buy Halloween pajamas

14. Buy a new nail color for fall ✓

15. Make a leaf craft

16. Buy a new pair of boots ✓

17. Buy and complete a new puzzle

18. Decorate the front porch ✓

19. Make a scarecrow

20. Go trick-or-treating ✓

21. Fill 25 more reading challenge slots (22/25)

22. Find a Halloween door hanger ✓

23. Dye my hair something suitably fall

24. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

25. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants

Next up on the TBR pile:

November 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on October's goals and my progress.

• Scary movie/television/reading month - Success! We had a great month of spooky-ish movies and books. Unfortunately I have many more spooky books on my list.

• Pumpkin patch visit with friends - Success! We went to Skinny Bones (first time for us!) and it was a lovely albeit very cold day.

• Pull off Arthur and Quentin’s birthday party - Success! I think everyone who came had fun. It was a chaotic day, but oh so much fun!

• New Halloween activity - We did trick-or-treating at The Durham and Omaha Children’s Museum.

November’s Goals:

• Figure out Christmas travel plans - I have a basic plan in place. Need to finalize plans and dates.

• Read 10 ebooks - Trying to focus on all those ebooks on my Kindle app…

• Buy advent calendars for the boys - I bought myself a jam advent calendar. Still deciding on the boys’s calendars.

• Take care of bills - We got the Academy bill and dentist bill to finish paying before December starts.

• Look into starting atheist family group chapter - An internet friend mentioned an atheist family group. We don’t have a chapter here in Omaha, but I can potentially get one started.

• Meal plan through Christmas holiday - Meal planning has become so annoying to me. I want to knock this out for the rest of the year (well until I leave for Indiana).

• Friendsgiving? - I think we are doing Friendsgiving again this year. Need to figure out the menu.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Spooky Movie Month has been so much fun, but it’s sometimes really hard to keep J on track. He wanders too much in his viewing habits.

• Lots of comics series ending this month. Weird feeling.

• Hoping to knock out at least one more spooky book before the month ends. And I’m sure a few will bleed into November.

• Looking forward to crop day on Sunday. People are actually coming!!!

• Really need to get on making two Halloween cards for the twins.

• Speaking of, need to finish paying their semester school bill this week.

• Flu shots! Really need to work these into our schedule this week or next.

• I had to make another car appointment. The technician decided to tell me after I checked out on Monday that I need to do a brake fluid flush and some other things. Ugh! Another trip to the dealership and the only non-afternoon appoint was next Monday.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List Update #1

Ahhh fall! My favorite season of the year. I really missed it when we lived in California! Now I get to enjoy all the fall fun! Progress 3/25

1. Visit two pumpkin patches (1/2)

   • Vala’s - Obviously!

2. Carve pumpkins

3. Read 10 spooky books (not kids) (3/10)

   • Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

   • The Tower Formerly Known as Sears by Lisa M. Lilly

   • Life Among the Dead by Daniel Cotton

4. Read 20 spooky kids books (6/20)

   • Five Silly Ghosts by Hilli Kushnir

   • The Pout-pout Fish Halloween Faces by Deborah Diesen

   • Happy Halloween Mittens by Lola Schaefer

   • The Halloween Kid by Rhode Montijo

   • Pumpkin Party by Maudie Powell-Tuck

   • Mouse’s First Halloween by Lauren Thompson

5. Make 5 pumpkin recipes (1/5)

   • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - a staple this time of year!

6. Go on a hayride ✓

7. Take pictures of boys in a pile of leaves

8. Find a new Halloween activity

9. Create a fall signature cocktail

10. Bake a pie

11. Watch 20 Fall/spooky movies (10/20)

    • Idle Hands (1999)

    • Dracula (1931)

    • The Black Cat (1934)

    • The Mummy (1932)

    • Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)

    • The Mummy (1999)

    • Beetlejuice (1988)

    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)

    • A Cabin in the Woods (2012)

    • Little Shop of Horrors (1986)

12. Navigate a corn maze ✓

13. Buy Halloween pajamas

14. Buy a new nail color for fall

15. Make a leaf craft

16. Buy a new pair of boots

17. Buy and complete a new puzzle

18. Decorate the front porch

19. Make a scarecrow

20. Go trick-or-treating

21. Fill 25 more reading challenge slots (11/25)

22. Find a Halloween door hanger ✓ - We have a cute hanging “BOO” for the front door.

23. Dye my hair something suitably fall

24. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

25. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants

Next up on the TBR pile:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• So close to the birthday party and I still have a ton of task list items.

• I did a bit clean out of my clothes and it feels so good to be organized.

• Plus the playroom is so clean right now!

• Spooky October movie month is going well. So far, I think the original The Mummy has been my favorite.

• I need more apple cider!

• Thinking about next year’s food project. Maybe stews and soups?

Next up on the TBR pile:

October 2019 Life Goals

Let’s check in on September's goals and my progress.

• Read 15 books - Success! Just made it with 16 books.

• Visit Vala’s - Success! We’ve gone twice so far this season!

• Create a rotation of activities/places - Threw this goal out. We’re just going to play it by ear until after Christmas.

• Plan/prep for the birthday party - Success! I have more things to do, but many items have been checked off.

• Clean out the kitchen boxes - 50% success. I emptied one. The other box is full of party supplies, so many will get used this month.

October’s Goals:

• Scary movie/television/reading month - We have a list of movies, television shows, and books for this month. I’m going all in for Halloween!

• Pumpkin patch visit with friends - Working on a plan to go to a patch with a few other families.

• Pull off Arthur and Quentin’s birthday party - October 12th!!!

• New Halloween activity - No trick-or-treating at the zoo this year. We’re looking for a different activities.

Next up on the TBR list:

Odds and Ends

Here's my randomness for the week:

• Four hours at the pumpkin patch may be my limit, but it was fun while it lasted.

• It’s Quentin’s 3rd birthday… I think I might need to make a small cake for tonight’s dessert.

• Renewed interest in hosting a crop day. I’m thinking late October.

• Looking forward to all the spooky reads for next month. I jumped the gun a bit by reading Wilder Girls by Rory Power this past week.

• Cooler temps this week have been amazing. I get to sleep with a comforter again!

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fall Bucket List

Ahhh fall! My favorite season of the year. I really missed it when we lived in California! Now I get to enjoy all the fall fun!

1. Visit two pumpkin patches

2. Carve pumpkins

3. Read 10 spooky books (not kids)

4. Read 20 spooky kids books

5. Make 5 pumpkin recipes

6. Go on a hayride (or a hayrack ride as they call it here)

7. Take pictures of boys in a pile of leaves

8. Find a new Halloween activity

9. Create a fall signature cocktail

10. Bake a pie

11. Watch 20 Fall/spooky movies

12. Navigate a corn maze

13. Buy Halloween pajamas

14. Buy a new nail color for fall

15. Make a leaf craft

16. Buy a new pair of boots

17. Buy and complete a new puzzle

18. Decorate the front porch

19. Make a scarecrow

20. Go trick-or-treating

21. Fill 25 more reading challenge slots

22. Find a Halloween door hanger

23. Dye my hair something suitably fall

24. Watch It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

25. Eat at 3 new-to-me restaurants

Next up on the TBR pile:

Summer Bucket List Finish Line

And with that, summer has come to an end. I didn’t cross off all my items (do I ever?), but I think a 50% completion rate is very good for this season and all the busy-ness. 13/25 completed

1. Read 50 books ✓

2. Have an appetizer night ✓

3. Tie Dye Shirts

4. Weekend trip to the Cosmosphere

5. Try 3 ice cream places 3/3 ✓

   • Coneflower - Oh so yum! I got Rhubarb Crisp, Arthur and Quentin got Dark Chocolate, Alex got Mint Choc Chip, and J got Coffee, Mint Choc Chip, and White Choc and Basil. I think the winner was Coffee.

   • Ted and Wally’s - A favorite in Old Market! I got Almond Joy, Arthur and Alex got vanilla, Quentin got chocolate, and J got Guiness and Fudge Brownie German Chocolate.

   • eCreamery - I tried the green apple sorbet and the raspberry and strawberry sorbet. So yummy! J had the lime sorbet, also very good, and the kids had the chocolate ice cream.

6. Go on 5 picnics 5/5 ✓

   • One at the splash pad before school started

   • One at another splash pad

   • One at Chalco Hills Regional park

   • One at a neighborhood park

   • One at another fun park

7. Visit an outdoor cinema

8. Make s’mores

9. Go to 3 movies 3/3 ✓

   • Lego Movie 2 - I took the littles to the weekday $1 showing of the second Lego Movie. Love the cheap movies!

   • The Grinch - Another cheap weekday movie!

   • Downtown Abbey - I got to see this during a special preview. Oh so good!

10. Make sangria

11. Find and complete a new puzzle ✓

12. Visit 2 other library branches

    • Swanson Branch - For book sale and library browsing

13. Complete the summer reading program ✓

14. Visit Mahoney State Park

15. Check out Pirate Putt and Medieval Putt ✓

16. Visit 5 Nebraska Passport spots (1/5)

    • It’s All About Bees - A cute little bee themed store in Omaha. I picked up some honey for our house and for a care package.

17. Try a new food truck ✓

18. Go on a brewery tour/tasting

19. Run through the sprinklers/splash pad ✓

20. Ride a Ferris Wheel

21. Go to a concert (indoor or outdoor)

22. Go tanking

23. Try 2 new-to-me restaurants 2/2 ✓

    • Barchen - J and I had a date night at this German beer hall and restaurant. Food wasn’t amazing, but beer was good.

    • Yum Roll - We had dinner at the fancy food court and I tried the Korean BBQ bowl. Decent, but I think the taco place next door is better.

24. Visit Hollywood Candy in Old Market ✓

25. Complete a series ✓

Next up on the TBR pile: