Our winter bucket list
Until I had kids, I hated winter. The frigid cold, the dirty footprints through the house, and don’t even get me started on the driving. Up here in New England, you’d think people would be used to driving in the snow. Nope! Every single storm, you’re going to end up behind at least a couple people who have either never seen snow before or are way more interested in their phones than the giant slush pile they’re about to fly through at 80mph.
I can’t say that having kids made me love winter, but it did remind me that there are a couple good parts. Watching them play in the snow for the first time or hearing them scream as they sled down a hill make the cold wet yuckiness a little more bearable. Making a bucket list for each season has helped our family ensure that we make time for a little fun, and winter is no exception! After some Pinterest searching and talking with Nick and the kids to get some ideas, I created this year’s winter bucket list. I try to make sure there is a nice mix of activities on each of our family’s seasonal bucket lists: more free and low cost activities, one or two bigger ticket activities. A couple that might include a gift or surprise of some sort, but more that involve family time, creativity, service, and adventure. I want to focus on creating memories and shared experiences that will bring our family closer together, rather than spoiling my kids with yet another new toy that they’re going to play with for a month and then I’m going to give away because I’m sick of tripping over it.
Family bucket lists have helped us be more intentional with our time, which is really important to us. Even if we don’t hit everything on this list, it will be in the back of our heads when there’s a free hour in our day and instead of scrolling Instagram, I can grab a toilet paper roll, the peanut butter jar and some bird seed and make a fun memory with my kids. It will probably also end in a giant mess, but really, isn’t that what childhood is all about?
