October is just made for planning. With holidays coming up soon, October is the relative calm before the storm. Kids are settling into a school routine and we’ve kind of figured out what we’re doing with meals and after-school activities. Here is your plan for what to do in October.
It’s Family History Month! I have a big extended family and I am absolutely terrible at remembering how we are all connected. We had a family reunion a couple of years ago and it was so fun to meet cousins and family members that I never ever see. In my grandparents’ day, family connections seemed to hold a greater importance than they do nowadays. I’m thankful that my kids have both sets of grandparents close by, and are able to interact and spend time with them on a regular basis.
My plan for Family History Month is to show my kids pictures of extended family so they can get a sense of the relatives they don’t see very often. I also want to have their grandparents talk about our family’s geographic origins and how we came to live where we live. Hopefully we’ll get some storytelling about what life was like when they were kids. I have a family history question list that you can use to help your kids ask questions of older relatives.
The final thing I want to do for Family History Month is make Christmas tree ornaments for the grandparents. I love the rustic look of wood-slice photo ornaments, so I’m going to use the grandparents’ wedding photos to make a tree ornament for them.
World Vegetarian Day is on October 1st. After watching all the Netflix documentaries about meat processing, even my husband is on board with eating more meatless meals.
October 5th is National Do Something Nice Day. Bring someone a treat, pay a compliment, go out of your way to help someone in need. Or just be really nice to your family today, even when they’re driving you crazy. 🙂
Columbus Day is on October 11th; maybe a school holiday for your kids. Look for sales this weekend – not as good as the sales coming our way next month, but if you’re looking for a particular item, you might snag a deal at a Columbus Day sale.
October 25th is National Art Day! You could do so many fun things to celebrate this day. This YouTube channel “Art for Kids Hub” has tons of cute drawing tutorials for you or your little artists. Or, if you want to introduce your kids to famous artists and their work, check out this YouTube playlist ” Famous Artists for Kids” from Free School. Visit an art museum or gallery, or just give your kids a canvas and let them paint whatever they want.
National First Responders Day is October 28th. Write a note of thanks to your local police or fire department. Lots of people bring baked goods as a token of appreciation, but consider bringing a cheese and cracker tray or sandwich tray, along with veggies or fruit from your local grocery instead. Lunch…covered.
October 30th is National Checklist Day. I couldn’t write a blog called Must Love Lists without celebrating this one! My project for National Checklist Day is to update my cabin packing checklist. I created a checklist years ago to use when packing for a weekend away, but with older kids, I need to revise it. You could create your own vacation packing checklist, home maintenance checklist, monthly or weekly cleaning checklist. If you want to get a head start on your holiday planning, create a Thanksgiving dinner checklist. Lucky for you, I have created a Thanksgiving Planner, and I’m giving you my Thanksgiving checklist for free!
Now for the big one – Halloween, on October 31st. Get your kids’ costumes, buy candy, visit a pumpkin patch, and decide what your Halloween activities will be. Check out your city’s webpage or Facebook page to find out about community happenings.
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There are tons of places online to find “what to buy when” lists. You can check out THIS one from www.cheapism.com for a run-thru of the whole year, but in October, look for deals on last-year’s model cars if you’re in the market. Now’s when you might find some toy clearance deals as stores make room for the new holiday merchandise. Also, October is the time to buy jeans…who knew?
At the beginning of every month, I scan the calendar for the couple of months ahead to see if there are any birthdays, anniversaries, holidays or other special occasions coming up. Obviously, I’m going to start a Christmas gift list in October! We also have a few family birthdays over the holidays, so I’m adding those to my shop ahead list.
Now that we’re fully into fall, I’m embracing chai, cinnamon, and caramel flavors. I’m planning to make this chai latte from Taste of Home recipes. It looks easy to make and will be perfect to sip on a rainy Saturday afternoon in October. Last week, I tried the Coffee Mate cinnamon vanilla creamer at my mom’s house, and it made my mouth happy, so I’ll be using it in October. (I know it’s bad for me…I love it anyway.)
And I am going to attempt this salted caramel cheesecake recipe from Life Love and Sugar. I’ve been a chocolate-loving girl my whole life, but when I tried the salted caramel cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory a few years ago, I was completely hooked on salted caramel. I’ve been wanting make my own version ever since, and this one looks so yummy I want to stick my face through my screen to get at it.
October is the month to visit a pumpkin patch. And by pumpkin patch, I mean full-on amusement park for your kiddos. Those pumpkin farmers obviously realized that hardly anyone likes pumpkin flavored anything besides lattes and they stepped it up. The pumpkin patches around here go way beyond corn mazes. They have obstacle courses, pumpkin cannons, petting zoos, pony rides, train rides. Oh, and hayrides. Not sure how exciting the hayrides are anymore when you have giant slides, inflatables, and even laser tag available. The pumpkin patch we normally visit has closed, so we will venture a little further from home this year and maybe even indulge the kids in one of those pumpkin-palooza patches.
We live outside of town, so we usually take the kids into our city’s little downtown area to go trick-or-treating. I love seeing all the families out enjoying the activities together; it makes me appreciate the lovely, memory-making, small-town experience my kids are so blessed to enjoy. This year may look different, but we will do our best to make it fun for the kiddos.
In October, the brilliant fall foliage is at its peak in the Pacific Northwest. I just discovered this fall foliage prediction map through the U.S. Forest Service website. It shows the estimated progression of fall colors across the United States. Get out and take a nature walk with your kids, your dog, or just get away by yourself. In our area, the Hoyt Arboretum, Forest Park, Mt. Tabor, or Silver Falls State Park are great places to experience fall color.
This is a good time to clean out your gutters in preparation for all those leaves. If you have a lot of trees around your house, you’ll probably need to do this job again before spring. We don’t have a formalized household chore list between my husband and I, but it’s safe to say this one falls firmly under his domain, since I’ve never done it in the 17 years we’ve been married!
During October, I make soup more often. Soup is a perfect, one-dish hearty meal that can patiently wait in a slow cooker until we’re ready to eat. You’ll find some soup-er inspiration in my Pinterest Family Meals board. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
I’ve never liked the messiness of carving pumpkins (although I do love the roasted pumpkin seeds), but we have carved pumpkins with the kids a couple of times. What I much prefer is pumpkin painting. In the past, I’ve let my kids paint their pumpkins any way they like. Easy, Peasy, and Fun has loads of inspiration for adorable non-carving ways to decorate pumpkins. The fox is just the cutest thing ever.
Here we go…we’re putting on our serious plan face in October. All that spring break and summer planning earlier in the year was just the warm-up. First, don’t forget Veteran’s Day on November 11th. It’s a federal holiday and usually a school holiday. If you don’t have any current or former service members in your family to personally express appreciation to, Operation Gratitude is a great way to encourage a member of our armed forces. They collect letters and send them to current service members, new recruits, and veterans.
The holiday bazaars start…now! Beginning in October there are harvest and fall bazaars and festivals, and by early November the Christmas bazaars are popping up. You can check out Fairs and Festivals website to find local craft shows and holiday bazaars near you, or check out your local newspaper or community Facebook page.
As I write this, there are 60 days till Thanksgiving. That may seem like a lot, but it will go by fast, you guys. If you’re flying, buy those tickets now. Or, if you’re driving, pack those travel games and movies, and start buying road trip snacks now! Finally, if you’re staying home…check out my Pinterest Thanksgiving board for recipe and craft ideas.
Now, if you’re one of those people who wants to ignore Christmas until after Thanksgiving, you should stop reading here. We can still be friends, although you might want to unfriend me for October and November. I am all about planning ahead…waaaayy ahead…for Christmas. Immediately after Christmas, I start getting ready for the next Christmas. I make lists of activities we liked or didn’t like, and recipes I liked or didn’t like. I wrap books for the kids to open in December, and wrap nativity advent pieces so it’s all prepped for next year.
Here’s what I do in October to plan for Christmas. Obviously, travel plans if needed. I also make a gift list using an Excel spreadsheet. (Creating a tab for each year makes it easy to track what I’ve given in past years.) I write down all the gift recipients that I plan to give to in December, and start brainstorming gift ideas. In addition to my spreadsheet, last year I tried using an app called “Santa’s Bag.” I really liked it and will probably use it again this year. You can set a budget, choose recipients, and add links to gift ideas.
The other Christmas planning activity I do in October is to think through what activities and events I want to participate in. It’s so easy to get over scheduled even when I’m trying to keep things simple. Over the past couple of years, I have been more intentional about planning for less things, and leaving space for spontaneity or simply family time. I think about what types of advent activities I want to do with the kids, what baking I plan to do, and start looking at Christmas recipe ideas.
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Great ideas for the month! I really liked the family history questions and the kindness cards. Very cool! 🙂
These are all lovely suggestions! I love going to the pumpkin patch, so much fun!
Thank you! It’s fun for kids to hear what life was like for their grandparents. Often, our kids are the focus of questions when they are with adults – it’s nice to give them words to ask questions of others and learn to focus outside themselves.
Fall is such a lovely time in the northwest, although right now we are having to stay inside to avoid the smoke 🙁 I’m actually looking forward to rain this year to clear things out so we can get back to enjoying the outdoors!
All great ideas. I love the thought of a bonfire.