Spring Bucket List

Maybe it's having lived in Central and Western New York my entire life, but the changing of seasons is always a very exciting time. Sometimes the anticipation is even the best part; looking forward to feeling differently when you walk outside in the morning is a really refreshing feeling. Right?? Unsurprisingly, it's particularly true after the long cold winter months of which I will spare you the details (because you either live through it yourself or you hear those who do complain about it to no end). And even though this winter has been uncharacteristically easy peasy, 40 degrees as opposed to 4 degrees doesn’t make me crave spring any less.

In the spirit of anticipation, I like to make a bucket list for the upcoming season. It gets my wheels turning about new stuff to do, new places to go, and new things to pursue. And for me, the list making is the best part (the point isn't to hit everything on my list—but just drum up some inspiration).

My Spring Bucket List

  1. Get around to trying all the restaurants I’ve been meaning to check out forever, instead of constantly returning to old favorites (Update: this has been the most fun; we've been trying one new place each week)
  2. Go on our second-annual girls’ trip with two of my best friends (Update: cruised to Cozumel, Mexico in April!)
  3. More walking, less driving (Update: attempting to walk to work on all nice-weather days)
  4. Focus on learning a new skill or hobby (under consideration: yoga, cat-eye liner, flower arranging)
  5. Go hiking at the local parks
  6. Cook corned beef and cabbage (the closest I'll come to celebrating St. Patrick's Day)
  7. Visit my brother, Hunter, in Brooklyn (Update: my family went for Easter!)
  8. Spend money on capsule-oriented, key pieces of clothing that can be worn frequently (Update: I'm trying a full-on capsule wardrobe!)
  9. Take jeans that need some minor tweaking to the tailor for a perfect fit (finally)
  10. Bake my grandma’s famous rhubarb pie (Update: I got my feet wet with rhubarb crostata using her pie crust)
  11. Fill our apartment with more plants and greenery (and learn how to not kill it all within one week) (Update: we are now the proud owners of 6 living plants of different varieties - knock on wood!)
  12. As I talked about here, less screen time, more living
  13. Read three books before summer (Update: All the Light we Cannot See, My Name is Lucy Barton,) 
  14. Rework our bedroom to be a cozier, more put-together space (Update: an IKEA order has been placed and I'm very excited! Update #2: bought a new bed frame and will do a full bedroom reveal soon!)
  15. Photograph the blossoming Magnolia trees on Oxford Street (Update: although I missed this spot, I did capture several other beautiful blooms this spring)
  16. Give someone a curated gift basket (Update: this DIY project is in the works!)
  17. Plant a windowsill herb garden
  18. Have brunch al fresco for hours on a sunny day (Update: happy to say this happened a couple of times!)
  19. Go see a play or Broadway show (Update: saw To Kill a Mockingbird!)
  20. Play golf
  21. Host a mojito party with fresh takes on the classic cocktail
  22. Watch the Oscar-winning movies (Update: saw The Big Short, Spotlight)
  23. Explore new parts of my city (hopefully via walking tour)
  24. Take a cooking class at the local Culinary Center
  25. Go camping with friends as soon as the weather warms (Update: Letchworth camping trip scheduled for June!)
  26. Clean and detail my own car, inside and out (Update: Jon beat me to this as a surprise while I was away!)
  27. Go antiquing and estate sale hunting
  28. Tackle a larger DIY home project (Update: reveal coming soon!)
  29. Make fresh pasta with Jon
  30. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with friends (Update: had such a fun night at Ox & Stone with friends!)
  31. Go to Mirbeau with Jon (we still have a gift certificate!)

What are you excited about this Spring? What do you hope to try or pursue? Brainstorming is always the best tactic, so I'd love to know!