Halloween Bucket List

Happy Spooky Season! Can you believe Halloween is going to be here in about a week? It's crazy how fast the autumn season seems to go. If you're lagging behind on your spooky to-do list, never fear. I'm going to give you some quick and easy ideas of how to really conquer the Halloween spirit before it's gone!

1.) Go to a pumpkin patch

You don't have to love carving jack-o-lanterns to enjoy this activity. There's almost always more activities at the patch such as: corn mazes, corn hole, and more. Take the whole family (or your closest friends) and enjoy some picturesque moments before the spooky holiday!

2.) Have a Halloween/horror movie marathon

Whether you're a horror fan or not, you can still have a Halloween movie marathon! Grab your favorite spooky movies (Halloween, Scream, etc.) or some Halloween classics (Halloweentown, Hocus Pocus, etc.) and get to it! My mom and I watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown every year. It's our tradition!

3.) Make a fall treat

My go-to fall treat to bake is my signature pumpkin cookies & frosting. I can't remember where I got the recipe from, but I use it so often it's a saved note in my phone! I also like attempting homemade caramel apples, spooky cake pops, and apple donuts!

Here's how I make my pumpkin cookies (pasted right from my phone!)

Dough

1 cup of softened butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

*beat the dough

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*mix again

1 cup canned pumpkin

*stir into mixure w/ a spoon

~Set aside dough

Dry ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

*mix w/ spoon

~Combine 2 mixtures & stir w/ a spoon until smooth

~Lightly greased cookie sheet & place

~Put into oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes

Frosting

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

*put into sauce pan until it boils

*once it's completely cold, add

1 cup confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*mix in with a spoon & make as smooth as you can

~Place into a bowl or something until you are ready to frost the cookies

Optional:

Chocolate chips

Butterscotch chips

350 degrees for 10 minutes

4.) Have a "pumpkin challenge" with a friend

This may seem silly, but it's SO much fun. Just go to any grocery store and get a variety of pumpkin flavored (or spooky-themed) treats. Try them out with a friend and see what you think! Film your reactions so you can post it or look back on a fun memory. My friend Karissa and I did this a few years ago on my YouTube channel and it was hilarious. Let's just say, we HATE peeps.

Oh my gosh our FACES^

5.) Share some hot apple cider with a friend (or cold if you prefer!)

Find a friend who shares your love of apple cider, heat some up in a pot, and chat it up! Or, if you're feeling especially adventurous, try a hand at make your own. Hot apple cider always goes great with some spooky stories...

6.) Participate in a costume contest

Who doesn't love getting dressed up for Halloween? If you're a little too old for trick-or-treating (is that a thing?) then enter a fun costume contest, go to a party, or host your own! Emily and I are doing a duo costume this year. I'm so stoked!

7.) Visit a haunted house or go to a ghost tour

Fun fact: I've never been to either of these! Am I ashamed? Yes. Will I rectify this eventually? Absolutely. If scary haunted houses aren't your thing, go the safer route and take part in a ghost tour! I plan on going to a historic ghost tour of my current town sometime next week. They're relatively cheap (mine is $15) and take about an hour or so of time! I can't speak for haunted houses, but that's definitely on my bucket list.

8.) Take time to appreciate the season and soak in the decorations

This is probably the most important one EVERYONE should act on. Sure, we tend to scramble to scratch things off our bucket lists and decorate for the holiday, but before we know it, it's time to take everything down. It's okay not to get everything done. Just do what you can this year and enjoy the atmosphere of the spooky season.

What are your plans for the rest of the Halloween season? Let me know down in the comments!

Delays for "1971", but it will be here soon!

~Rach

Dream. Wake up. Pursue. Inspire.