As the days start getting shorter the winter blues can start to set in. There are many ways to combat this including getting active and soaking up the sunlight when you can. There is another way to get over these seasonal moods that too often gets overlooked. One of the best ways to elevate your mood is to perform acts of kindness. When you give selflessly of your time and resources you can improve your mood ten-fold! To help you get started here are 10 acts of kindness to beat winter blues.

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1. Put money in an expiring parking meter.

This is such an easy act of kindness that anyone can do. When your doctor’s visit is running longer than expected, the last thing you want to do is be worrying about your meter. Make someone’s day by taking care of it for them.

2. Donate your gently used books to a local school.

Have you been in a school library lately? My children’s school is excellent and still, the library is so depressing to me. When I think of a library, I want to see walls and walls of books. This just isn’t the case anymore. What’s worse is that there are schools that don’t half even half of the books my children’s school has. Why not donate your gently used books to schools that need them?

3. Give holiday gifts to your neighbors.

The holidays are a fabulous time to do something nice for your neighbors. Make up some delicious treat bags and hang on their doors. If you’re looking for something more useful why not give everyone an ice scraper? The smallest gesture goes a long way.

4. Make a freezer meal for a friend.

You know how crazy dinner time can be in your home. Take some stress off a friend’s plate and take their family an easy freezer meal that they can pop in the oven. Need some ideas? Check out these freezer-friendly chicken nuggets or freezer chicken pot pie minis!

5. Donate craft supplies to a local library.

Have you ever taken your child to a free event at the library? All of those events are run on donations. Say thank you by donating some craft supplies to help out with these fun events.

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6. Send a thoughtful card or letter.

This one is so easy and all it costs you is a stamp. Everyone is delighted to receive surprise mail that’s not a bill. Make someone’s day with a heartfelt sentiment to show you care and you were thinking about them.

7. Rake a neighbor’s leaves or shovel their driveway.

Shoveling the driveway is one of my least favorite winter chores. A couple of years ago some sweet neighbors stopped by to shovel and salt my driveway for me and I still smile when I think about it. Do the same for someone in your neighborhood as a sweet act of kindness.

8. Offer to babysit so parents can have a date night.

Ah, the baby phase… they are adorable and utterly life changing (in a good way). Babies also can wreak havoc on a marriage. Let the parents you know get a much-needed break and offer to babysit the kiddos for a night.

9. Pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru.

Do you know what makes your Caramel Macchiato even sweeter? Not having to pay for it. This is such an easy and effortless way to brighten someone’s day. The caveat is that you don’t have any control of the cost. If you are on a limited budget, ask to put $10 towards their order instead. That is still a wonderful surprise.

10. Donate toys to the Salvation Army.

This is another one close to my heart. There was a year when my mom had absolutely no money for presents (even things we needed like socks and coats) when we were very little. Imagine having to tell your 4 year old that impossible scenario of that there is no Santa or that Santa forgot them. Neither is palatable. In a true Christmas miracle it turned out that our church had adopted our family that year and arrived not only with presents on Christmas Eve but food as well. When you give to the Salvation Army that is the kind of gift you are giving a family.

These are all easy ideas that are low-cost or no cost. The best thing about them is that most of these can absolutely be a family affair. It’s always important to teach your kids early the joy of giving to others. These 10 acts of kindness are also a wonderful exercise in gratefulness. When you and your family see how much you truly have to give you will begin to appreciate all that you have. Usher in the colder months with warmth in your heart this year. Check out this DIY autumn thankful wreath for more wonderful ways to exercise a heart of thankfulness with your family.

See where I’m linking up!

Date night with your kids is so important, especially as your family grows. My oldest is 7 making him four years oldest than his next closest sibling. Unfortunately, because the younger two are still so small they require a lot of my attention. It can be easy for my oldest to fall between the cracks because he is so well-behaved and so independent. That is why we’ve started making mommy-son date nights a regular thing. It’s the perfect way to make sure he still gets important one-on-one time with mom. Goldfish crackers know how important this is too and that’s why they’ve created the Goldfish Tales campaign. Find out how to create Smile Worthy moments from playing a quick game before bed to epic fort building with these 10 awesome ideas for mommy-son date nights.

[bctt tweet=”This week on the blog I am sharing our list of mommy-son dates! See what you’ll love! #GoldfishMoments #AD” username=”diyadulation”]

Arcade

There is nothing more fun than trolling the arcade together. This date night can be as big or as small as you want. My son and I recently did this while we were out of town for a conference I attended. We simply went down to the hotel game room after dinner and played our hearts out. It’s that easy to have a quick arcade date night. Grab some quarters and head to a movie theater arcade for a small date night. You can also go all out and head to a big arcade for an over-the-top date!

Mobile Game

Unless you’ve been sequestered in recent months you have seen the augmented reality games on the internet. These are an easy and inexpensive date night for you and your son. All you need to make it happen is the app on your phone and your neighborhood. Make sure your phone is charged before heading out because these games suck up your battery life. Then lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement together on the hunt. Your son will love searching out new creatures, portals, and more. You will love all of the laughs you share.

Fill a Time Capsule

This is another super fun and inexpensive date night idea. Go through the house and find items that represent you both today. Next, write letters to your future selves or fill out this free printable. Place your letters and your trinkets in an empty coffee can. Lastly, dig a hole in the ground and bury it. Dig it up on the same day next year for another fun date night.

Build a Fort

This one can also be as big or as small as you want. Build a blanket fort inside and play pretend or play a board game. You can also go big and build a permanent fort together in the backyard. Pull out some wood and tools to create a fun fortress he can play in anytime. Another option if you’re less-than-handy is to grab some paint and update a plastic playhouse you already own. No matter which option you choose, you will love the memories you make together.

Basketball

This one is pretty obvious but sometimes the obvious can be overlooked. My son made a comment the other day that made me decide to add it. He was nervous about trying basketball as his next sport because he didn’t know how to play. I realized I had never just shot hoops with him. Something as simple as a game of horse could help him feel more confident. It doesn’t have to be basketball for you and your son but playing any sport together can have an impact you don’t ever realize.

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Dart Gun Fight

What kid wouldn’t love having a dart war with his mom? You likely already have the guns lying around so why not make a date night out of it? Get your protective gear on and head to the family room. Let him know that it is totally okay to duck behind furniture and roll on the floor to avoid attacks. Take a fun picture of the 2 of you wielding your weapons to capture the memory.

Face Paint

This date night is like a makeover night but for boys. Get some face paint and decorate each other’s faces. You can get ideas from pictures online or take creative license to make your own designs. This is another one that you will want to take pictures of. Don’t forget that you can wash it off and try out multiple looks. Add a little more fun by acting out your paint designs. For example paint zombie faces and pretend you’re eating stuffed animals or paint ninja masks and show off your awesome Kung-Fu moves. Remember to be silly and have fun!

Code Breakers

Have a date being spies together. Create secret messages for your son ahead of time using the telephone code or print out these pre-made messages. The telephone code is easy to follow, and teach. It works like this:

Draw a pound sign (or hashtag for your kid’s reference).

Number the square 1 through 9.

Add 3 letters to each square.

Decipher each letter by adding the number the letter falls in with an exponent telling which letter in the trio. See the photos for reference.

For the date night, teach your son how to break the code in your secret messages. Then take turns writing notes to each other in your new code!

Selfie Scavenger Hunt

Go on a photo scavenger hunt with your son. This free printable is full of things you can find in your neighborhood so you don’t have to travel far or spend any money. Take a picture of yourselves with each item on the list and be silly with it. For example, for “leaf” take a selfie of the 2 of you holding leaves in front of your faces. The biggest rule for this one is that you both have to be in the picture. It’s important for you to be a part of the photos and not just behind the camera!

Have a Race

There are many ways to do this one. To help you get started, here are 3 ideas to give a try:

Toy Cars – Find a slope or build one. Our driveway is sloped so it works for us but you can also use a flattened cardboard box propped at an angle. Next choose your cars and then, race!

Remote Control Cars – This one is fun because you can create a track and/or obstacles to make the race a little more interesting. You and your son each choose a vehicle and go head-to-head. Try racing them on multiple terrains to see who wins on pavement, wood, and grass.

Foot Race – Playing with your son is a great way to stay fit! This is the perfect activity for that. Pick a start and an end point and simple race. Up the ante of the race by stringing crepe paper streamers across the finish line. When the winner breaks through it, it will be as a true race champion!

Don’t forget your date night snacks when you’re on the go! Goldfish crackers are the perfect snack to throw in a backpack when you’re hunting Pokémon or refueling after a race. We love the Goldfish Colors because anything colorful always wins in our book but you can find the Goldfish to fit your family! Are you ready for even more fun? Visit the campaign landing page to get inspired and learn how to enter the Goldfish Tales promotion for a chance to win awesome prizes!

Do you love creating bucket lists? With so many ideas out there is can be overwhelming. Confession time: I have never made a bucket list of any kind. This year I’m changing that! Why? Every year there are things I want to experience with my family in a given season. Before I realize it, the season is gone and we’ve only done 1 or 2 of those things. Sound familiar? Find out why I’m taking the plunge and making a fall bucket list this year. Then, fill in your own fall bucket list with help from the 50 ideas listed below!

Affiliate links may be used in this post. Ordering a product through these links may result in a commission. Read the full disclosure here.

[bctt tweet=”Fill in your fall bucket list with help from the 50 ideas listed here! #fall #bucketlist” username=”diyadulation”]

Why a Bucket List

Bucket lists are portrayed as these fun little exercises to do things you like. They are, but they are also so much more. When you make a bucket list you are setting goals. These are goals for experiences you want to share with your kids. These are goals to help push you outside of your comfort zone and grow as a person.

I love goal setting and when you look at it that way you see the point. The best part about a bucket list is that you can make any kind you want. Make an individual one, a list for couples, or a list for your family. You can also make it as finite or expansive as you like. Create a seasonal one, like the fall bucket list, or a life-long bucket list.

Tips for Your Bucket List

There are a few tips to make a successful bucket list that you will actually complete. They are:

Determine Who – Who is your bucket list for? Are you setting an individual one for yourself or making one for the whole family to complete together? The “who” will define the activities and goals you put on your list.

Create a Theme – Is it a list of places you want to visit? Are you making a seasonal list? Do you want to try new things? Decide this before creating your bucket list.

Set a Time-frame – A fall bucket list is easy because it has a specific season set to complete it. Other bucket lists are not as straight forward. If creating a travel bucket list, you will need to define a time-frame, such as 5 years. This helps keep you accountable for completing it instead of continually putting it off.

Pick a Number – Don’t overload your list with more tasks/goals than you can reasonably complete in the chosen time-frame. For example, don’t make a list of 20 destinations you want to visit in 5 years if you can only realistically manage 1 trip a year.

50 Fall Bucket List Ideas

Note:

The first 12 of these ideas came from the new Create365 Seasonal Planner Stickers. They include beautiful bucket list stickers for every season. Use them to set little reminders in your planner of bucket list events!

Go for a Hay Ride

Visit a Pumpkin Patch

Eat Pumpkin Pie

Read a Book

Roast S’mores

Carve Pumpkins

Go Apple Picking

Enjoy a Comfort Food

Visit a Haunted House

Donate to a Family in Need

Watch a Scary Movie

Make a Fall Craft

Make a Costume

Decorate Your Porch

Make a Scarecrow

Make Pinecone Bird Feeders

Take a Walk through Your Neighborhood

Drink Apple Cider

Tell Ghost Stories

Have a Bonfire

Make a Dried Fruit Garland

“Boo” Your Neighbors

Have a Campout

Visit a Farmer’s Market

Go to a Football Game

Visit a Fair

Go Trick-or-Treating

Visit the Library

Enjoy some Candy Corn

Collect Acorns

Throw a Halloween Party

Make Your Own Applesauce

Make and Send Halloween Cards

Create Leaf Rubbings

Jump in a Pile of Leave

Make Halloween Masks

Watch Hocus Pocus

Go on a Scavenger Hunt

Visit a Corn Maze

Start a Family Gratitude Journal

Look at the Current Constellations in the Sky

Plant Some Bulbs

Attend an Outdoor Concert

Rake a Neighbor’s Yard

Research Halloween History

Make DIY Potpourri

Go Ziplining

Explore Fall Foliage

Research Local Ghost Stories

When creating your fall bucket list, make sure you keep the tips above in mind. On the free printable you will find room for 15 items and that is the maximum I recommend. Our family is only choosing 10 because I know we cannot reasonably complete 15 along with obligations already on our family calendar. What are your favorite ideas from the list? Let me know!!