I know you’ve seen the October Bucket Lists floating around Pinterest, rife with bonfires and bobbing for apples, corn mazes and hayrides. Of course you want to do those traditional fall activities!
This post isn’t about that though.
We have an amazing calendar for celebrating every ordinary day that we have had so much fun with this year, and I just had to share it with you! Our one is similar to these.
I thought it would be interesting, but I didn’t realize the kids would just be obsessed with knowing what “day” it is all the time. It’s been a huge hit!
For this year, here are some ideas you can do in October to throw some easy celebratory fun into your life:
October 3-Butterfly and Hummingbird Day. If you’re local to the Quad Cities, both the Family Museum and the Quad City Botanical Gardens have butterfly areas you can check out on the third.
October 4- Taco Day. Seriously. Do you need directions for this one?
October 5-World Smile Day. Besides just smiling at all the people you meet today, and pretending you’re happy, you could take it one step further and take balloons to a retirement center, or a puppy to a playground, or buy some gift cards at the grocery store and then hand them to the people in line behind you.
October 8- World Octopus Day. If you can’t get your hands on a live octopus, you could go to a Chinese buffet and admire the tiny edible ones. Watch some incredible sea videos. Did you know that octopus suction cups on their tentacles can stick to everything except octopus skin? Isn’t God incredible to have thought of even not letting the octopus get tangled up and stuck on itself?
October 12–Old Farmer’s Day. I have been getting a lot of mileage out of this one by telling my Handsome Husband this day is all for him.
October 13–International Skeptics Day. I know you don’t believe me, but it really is.
October 15–I Love Lucy Day. Great day for binge watching one of the most intelligent ground breakers in television.
October 17–Wear Something Gaudy Day. Make it mandatory for the entire office. They’ll love you.
October 18–Chocolate Cupcake Day—
This is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe. It’s from Taste of Home. I’ve been loyal to this recipe since before I had kids. Also. It has coffee.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 cups packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs (we sell farm fresh eggs , Hint Hint)
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup baking cocoa
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups brewed coffee, cooled
- 1-1/3 cups sour cream
FROSTING
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened
- 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
- 6 tablespoons brewed coffee
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Directions
If you’re not up for making your own chocolate cupcakes from scratch, make your child do it. Failing that, buy a mix- I recommend Ghiradelli.
Still lacking time for that endeavor? Go to a cupcake store. Here a few of my local favorites: Oh So Sweet in Davenport, Eastern Iowa Baking Company, in Eldridge and Old Towne Bakery. in Moline.
(Also, America? Can we please start calling these fairy cakes?)
October 20 —International Sloth Day--I have a trip to pet sloths in Costa Rica on my lifetime bucket list, but I know I won’t be able to go this month, unfortunately. I vote we not adult that day and be sloths instead. It’s mandatory.
October 24–Bologna Day–How easy will it be to have fun with this? Make a bologna sandwich. Learn the Oscar Meyer song. Use bologna to demonstrate the parts of a cell.
October 26–Howl at the Moon Day–the full moon is the 24th, so it will still be nice and gorgeous by then.
October 29 —National Cat Day— I have some sweet kitties you can pet, but the kittens and cats at the Humane Societies and pet stores always need some love. Make it a priority to go and snuggle a cat today!
Which idea are you actually going to write in your planner and make happen?
In World Octopus Day, you have given me a fun fact to share with my 5 year old grandson. (About the suction cups on his tentacles not bothering him) He says, “Oh,” and has the sweetest amazed look when I tell him something like this.
So sweet! Octopi are SO COOL!