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Tag Archives: autumn

Printable Autumn Bucket List

10 / 3 / 1810 / 9 / 18

Printable Autumn Bucket List | Mama Papa Bubba

Creating a seasonal bucket list of things we’d like to do is sort of becoming a thing for Miss G and I… and I love it.  Last year we created this Holiday Bucket List full of all the things we wanted to do throughout the winter holidays and although I didn’t create a digital version, this spring we did the same – only in handwritten form.  Our most recent one is this printable autumn bucket list that is currently hanging on the wall in our main living space.

Printable Autumn Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

The bucket list includes everything from splashing in puddles to making autumn spice play dough to doing a good deed and taking a family bike ride.

Printable Autumn Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Ours is hung right above the kids’ table that’s turning into a bit of a nature shelf with all of the lovely autumn treasures Grae and Sam have collected while outdoors.  It’s low enough for them to access it easily and it’s nice and big as I actually printed it on 11 x 17 paper to make it just a little more kiddo-friendly.  {I just took the file down to my local Staples print shop and printed directly from my phone to an 11 x 17 which cost me around 15 cents if I remember correctly.}

No surprise that Grae’s the one who stays on top of updating it and we’ve actually already checked off a pile of items on the list.

 Printable Autumn Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

That being said, we’re pretty low key about our bucket lists…  If the things happen, fantastic, but we certainly don’t stress about completing each and every activity / task. It’s really just there to give us ideas should there be a time when we’re looking for something fun to do and don’t have anything in mind already.

 Printable Autumn Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Our space is quite minimalist {okay… maybe ‘stark’ would better describe it} and filled with loads of white with little bits of brick, grey, black, so our black and white minimalist version is a perfect fit, but if you like a little more colour and whimsy in your life, I also created this pretty pastel fall bucket list for CBC Parents:

Printable Pastel Fall Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

It doesn’t include quite as many tasks as the black and white version does, but sometimes less is more, right?

Fall Bucket List | Mama.Papa.Bubba.

Pop over to our Embrace the Changing Season with This Printable Fall Activity Bucket List post on CBC to print the pastel version or print our black and white version here:

MINIMALIST PRINTABLE AUTUMN BUCKET LIST

IMG_5678

And if you’re looking for a custom fall bucket list?  My friend Stesha of Stesha Rose. tipped me off about Belle Bucket – a company that creates beautiful minimalist bucket lists that can be printed out on architect’s paper so they’re HUUUUGE.

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Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

9 / 20 / 189 / 20 / 18

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices | Mama Papa Bubba

Welp, the first official day of fall is nearly here and I’m doing my best to embrace it despite the fact that the arrival of fall means we’re that much closer to another loonnnnng winter in our small town. A loonnnng winter in our small town that nearly did me in last year.  Now if it were to stay fall for a few months and we got to soak in that crisp fall air mixed with little bursts of sun, the beautiful autumn colours, and sweater weather for a while before transitioning into the snow, freezing cold, parkas, and permanently feeling like a block of ice, I’d totally be down for that.  Come on Mother Nature, work with me here! {Pleeeaaase.}

I usually switch up our play dough and play dough kits each season despite the fact that our go-to homemade play dough can last even longer than that {our black, sparkly play dough that was part of our tinker play dough activity is still going strong!}, so this week Sam and I whipped up the most delicious smelling autumn spice play dough.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

It’s just our basic no-cook play dough recipe {made without food colouring or flavour packets} with a few of our favourite fall spices added to it, and let me tell you – it smells divine!  {We chose to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but if we would have had allspice on hand, I would have added that too!}

To make it, we measure out our dry ingredients plus our vegetable oil and glycerine into a large bowl.

IMG 5348

Then we whisk it up really well.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Next, I add the boiling water and immediately mix it {quite vigorously} to get the texture as uniform as possible.  As soon as it’s cool enough to handle, I get my hands in there, bring it all together in a ball…

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

And then dump it out onto a clean, dry countertop.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

The one question I always get asked about our play dough is how we get such a smooth texture, and it’s all about the kneading!  I knead our play dough for probably a solid 2 or 3 minutes, or until it’s pretty much cool.  I know that there’s a proper way to knead doughs, but when it comes to our play dough recipe, I start with it all in a mass close to me…

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Then I push it away from me while using a decent amount of pressure to flatten it right out.  Then I pull it back and repeat.  (Many, many times.)  I find that this method works well when the dough is still a little sticky {our recipe tends to feel a little wet until completely cool} and it really works to get rid of any little lumps an bumps that might be hiding in the dough.  By the time it’s completely cool, the dough should be smooth as can be and should no longer be sticky.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Can you tell how smooth it is?

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

I’m pretty sure we’ve made some version of this play dough every fall since Miss G was one or two years old, and I love pairing it with natural loose parts.  We often go out on a nature walk and collect conkers, acorns, pinecones, and pretty leaves to pair it with, but another favourite over the years has been whole spices and that’s what we decided to go with this time around.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Sam and I popped by our local bulk store and picked up some cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole allspice, whole nutmeg, some anise stars, and some whole cloves – all of which smell amazing and have interesting shapes and textures.  Then I popped everything into one of my favourite divided trays {I got this one in Kuwait at City Star in Egaila} and set it out on the table with a couple of placemats for the kids to discover after school.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

I love having some sort of invitation to play or create out on the table in the afternoons…  It’s always something that is open-ended and requires very little / no adult help, which means that they can just dive in and play or create independently, which I think is good for all of us, but especially Grae.

IMG 5386

After a long day at school, I really find that she just needs some time to unwind and decompress… Some time when there’s nothing expected of her and nothing she has to do on a timeline – and creating or reading seem to be two really good options for her.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

I often pick a chilled out, calming playlist on Spotify and play that too, which really sets the mood for some low-key, focused play.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Of course with play dough and loose parts, there’s really no end goal.  Miss G usually works on some sort of careful creation…

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

While sam loves to burry and poke and dig and hide.

Autumn Spice Play Dough with Whole Spices

Both of which are equally valuable, important ways to play.

Autumn Spice Play Dough | Mama Papa Bubba

Here’s our autumn spice play dough recipe…

Autumn Spice Play Dough

  • 1 cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup of  table salt
  • 1 tablespoon of cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon of glycerine
  • 3/4 cup of boiling water (measured in a dry measuring cup – this is important as wet and dry measures aren’t the same)

Place all of the ingredients, save the boiling water, in a bowl and whisk well.  Measure the water using your dry measuring set and add it to the bowl.  Give the mixture a quick mix with a wooden spoon, banging off it off every once and a while.  At this point, the mixture may seem too wet and sticky to make good play dough… Do not fret!  Once the dough has cooled just a little, use your hands to carefully bring it into and ball and then dump it out onto the countertop and knead really well.  You’ll know you’re done when the dough is fully cooled, soft and squishy, and no longer sticky

Enjoy!

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Fall Nature I Spy Bottle

9 / 17 / 159 / 17 / 15

Fall Nature I Spy Bottle | Mama Papa Bubba

Ahhh…. Autumn.  It’s something we haven’t experienced in the last couple of years, and though I certainly would mind being poolside soaking up Kuwait’s 40 degree heat currently, I’m loving seeing all of the beautiful fall colours pop up early around Vancouver this year.  Of course, Gracen {my little collector of sticks, rocks, and all things nature} is loving it too.  There are just so many fun things to be discovered outside right now!

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Bringing Fall to the Desert… With a Fall Tree Painting

9 / 22 / 139 / 23 / 13

Painted Fall Tree Using Homemade Leaf Stamps | Mama Papa Bubba

Let’s be real here for a moment…  At 43 degree this afternoon, it doesn’t feel like fall here in Kuwait in the least.  So when I told Gracen that today was the very first day of fall, she glanced out the window, furrowed her brow and said, “It certainly doesn’t look like fall!’ in an almost accusatory tone.  Hah!  Gotta love her spunk.  I told her that she was right and that the desert is tricky when it comes to seasons, but back home in Canada, fall changes are beginning to happen.  We read a stack of fall-themed books which seemed to help convince her, then decided to create a fall tree in celebration.

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A Leaf Pile Treasure Hunt

11 / 23 / 1211 / 25 / 12

Grae and I were at home today without a vehicle, stroller, Ergo, umbrella, or bus pass (Brad had the vehicle and accidentally took everything else along with him – oopsies!), so we decided to use the the dreary rainy day to get some yard work done {quite possibly in pajamas ☺}.  

Leaf Pile Treasure HuntI was raking leaves like a mad woman when I noticed that Grae had invented her own little game in the pile of leaves she was playing in.  She played round after round as I sat back quietly chuckling to myself as I watched.  First, she’d toss her little rake into the pile somewhere, then burry it with leaves and call out “Where’s Grae Grae’s rake?  Hmmm… I don’t know!” while holding her hands out up to the sky wandering through the pile…

IMG 2701IMG 2704Then she’d sort through the leaves, eventually find it, and retrieve it.

IMG 2705Then proudly stand up and announce “There it is!  There’s Grae Grae’s rake!!!”  

And when there wasn’t a leaf pile treasure hunt happening, there was a whole lot of this…

IMG 2683IMG 2692IMG 2693IMG 2689

Such a little outdoor lovin’ monkey!
 
♥
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A Leaf Maze {in the dark}

11 / 15 / 1211 / 15 / 12

A Leaf Maze  in the darkOkay, so we didn’t actually mean to do it in the dark, but then again, we didn’t plan on making a leaf maze in the first place.  We had actually headed outside so that Gracen could play and I could rake up and compost our mounds of leaves and tidy up the yard, but meh – making a leave maze just seemed like more fun.

We headed outside around 4 p.m., and with it getting dark here just before 5 o’clock, we really didn’t have much for daylight left by the time we’d constructed our maze.  (You’ll have to excuse the terrible photos… I really have no idea how to take decent pictures sans flash and tripod in the dark.)

IMG 2349I’ve seen this idea on Happy Hooligans and other blogs around the net, and I knew Grae would love it.  With a rake, our hands, and some gardening gloves, we created a very simple maze in no time.

IMG 2348Grae found her way through several times and then asked, “Make maze more tricky, Mama?”

IMG 2365So with a few minor adjustments, we had a new, trickier maze for her to try.  

IMG 2369It met her approval and then she decided she’d try driving her tractors through for something different… A fantastic idea if you ask me!

I don’t know how it will last overnight, but I have a feeling there will be several “more tricky” mazes in our day tomorrow.

♥

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Rainbow-Coloured Trees

11 / 2 / 1211 / 2 / 12

I’ve long been a lover of summers, so I’m not sure if I’m just feeling especially appreciative of autumn in Vancouver, or if our 4 years spent in the scorching, sweat-dripping-down-your-back-the-instant-you-step-outside desert has skewed my preferences, but man, I’m loving fall this year.  Crisp air, overcast days… The crunch of leaves beneath your feet… Puddles to splash in. Cozy sweaters paired with boots. And the colours… The amazing, AMAZING colours!

So when Grae and I passed by Queen Elizabeth park {filled with rainbow-coloured trees} this morning, we had to pull over.  And I’m so glad we did.  Watching our little one frolic amongst the leaves while declaring “Deez trees soooo beautiful!” is like nothing else.

IMG 1615IMG 1618IMG 1635IMG 1693IMG 1638IMG 1646IMG 1657IMG 1668IMG 1670IMG 1676IMG 1681IMG 1685IMG 1697♥

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Autumn Nature Shelf

10 / 9 / 1210 / 9 / 12

Autumn Nature ShelfOver the course of the last week, Gracen has been very into collecting “autumn sings (things)”.  At first, I thought we’d use the items to make a couple of art projects and a sensory bin (which we did), but the collection grew so quickly and became so diverse that I decided a special area to display and admire her beautiful nature items was needed.

IMG 0349So this morning, we started out by taking down Grae’s beloved {pretend play} frozen yogurt shop and making room for a new nature display.  At first, I thought we’d use the same little table we had used for the shop, but just as I was thinking it would be nice to have something more like a long skinny coffee table, these vintage apple crates came to mind (they are actually the very boxes Grandma Charlotte’s family received apples in when she was a little girl!) They couldn’t have fit the space better and not only does their rustic charm suit a nature table perfectly, but when stacked on their sides, they provide extra storage space by turning into shelves.

IMG 0354Grae and I started emptying our bags and filling up the shelves (being the little organizer she is, she of course wanted all similar items together, so I was very lucky to be granted permission to split up the apples/corn/pinecones into a couple of different areas).  As she started to try and stand her tree branches upright along the wall, I realized that Great Great Grandma Amy’s vintage mason jars would display them beautifully.

IMG 0378IMG 0377IMG 0379Our items came from a variety of spots… Most of the leaves, branches, and twigs were found while walking around visiting parks in our neighbourhood in Vancouver.  The baby pumpkin and dried corn were found on our most recent trip to Davison Orchards. The pinecones were picked in Grandma Charlotte and Poppop’s front yard, and the dried flowers and berry bunches were found in the back.  Grandma Charlotte and Grae retrieved the cat tails and birch bark while out on a walk, and the new apples were snagged from a big box in GC and Poppop’s garage. ☺

IMG 0374When we were all done emptying and arranging, the end result was a cute little autumn-inspired corner in G’s room where she is free to explore nature at any time.

IMG 0363IMG 0366So far, she seems to enjoy rearranging her items and reading in front of the shelf most.

Knowing our little nature lover, I’m thinking this collection will continue to grow as the season progresses.  And we just may have to start fresh and create a new one come winter…

♥

I know not everyone would feel comfortable having glass jars and/or inedible berries within their little one(s) reach.  Please only do what you are comfortable with.

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Grae’s Thankful For List 2012

10 / 6 / 1210 / 8 / 12

The other day, after reading a couple of books about Thanksgiving, I asked Gracen what she was thankful for. I explained that when we are thankful for something, we really love it and are happy to have it.  With that, she immediately started her list…

“Stickers, puppets, and Mama! Chicken… Play dough… Papa! Yummy food.  Books, balls, and parks. And schools. And swim classes!”

Love her.

♥

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Thankful

10 / 6 / 1210 / 8 / 12

IMG 0306ThanksgivingIMG 0319IMG 0324IMG 0328So much to be thankful for this year…

For the most incredible little girl (and her pretty decent daddy), for our wonderful families and friends, for bellies filled to the brim, for a lovely weekend away, and for the most gorgeous autumn weather… I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

♥

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iPhoneography // Thanksgiving Saturday at Davison Orchards

10 / 6 / 1210 / 7 / 12

Thanksgiving SaturdayWhen I told Gracen that we would be headed to the Okanagan for the weekend, she immediately exclaimed that she was excited and started listing off all of the things she wanted to do while there, one of which was “Old MacDonald’s Farm”.  Confused, I asked her what she meant.  Her response? “Old MacDonald’s Farm – apple treat drink!”  Such a funny little thing.  With that, I knew she actually meant Davison Orchards, home of the appleanche (a pure apple slushy drink we let her try this summer).  

So this morning, after a little sleep in for Brad and I and a  little play for Grae, Manmaw, and Poppop, my girl and I headed into Vernon for a Davison visit. The orchard was extra beautiful today… sunshiny, packed with pumpkins, and sprinkled with autumn displays. Gracen loved every minute as always, and thought the pumpkin people were especially funny.

“thankful” // first stop: animals

goat feeding

donkey love

greedy sheep // corn barn

farmer grae // climb

corn maze // pumpkin family

sunshine // hoedown

♥

Photos edited with Instagram. Find me under jkossowan.

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