Get ready for the chill
This is a bit obvious but as someone who came from a home without seasons, this is important to me. I’ve got to take inventory of my clothing to make sure I have enough warm clothes. I need to switch out my sneakers for waterproof boots. I’ve lived in hoodies and yoga pants in the spring so I added one more to my wardrobe for autumn. It’s been wonderful to live in basics this year.

Finish my to read list
I’ve had a few books on my list for months now. Most of them are half finished and I’d like to knock them out before 2021. I have a new routine that I hope will help me. Instead of sitting on the couch to draw, I could sit at my desk and play an audiobook. How this didn’t occur to me before, I have no idea. I think it’s because I was so content on the couch. It was comfortable and cozy and I could have the white noise of the television behind me.

Instead I’ll use that time to learn and grow. I didn’t read as much as I wanted to and wrote even less. I kept up a few good habits but I became heavily dependant on those things to make me happy. In some cases, like art, I’ve seen a lot of improvement.

Halloween Prep
Halloween is just around the corner and it’s the time when I’m most home sick. I miss all the holiday spirit and Spirit Halloween Stores. It’s a known fact that a sure sign of autumn is the sudden appearance of Spirit Halloween stores. They come up in rentable store fronts and feature the most amazing Halloween decor. I miss all of the tasty Halloween snack variants too. I’ve found My American Market and they already have a few items in stock. I also need to put together a menu for a tasty dinner since Halloween falls on a Saturday!

Thanksgiving Prep
Thanksgiving this year will be small because of social distancing. I’ve got to reevaluate what dishes I love the most and which ones I can skip. If it’s just a meal for two then we can’t have too much food!

Embrace the season
This too is obvious but think about it. How fast did spring and summer fly by? Summer was a scorcher for us. I slept on the couch for a week because the living room was hotter than the bedroom. And overnight the weather changed. My time was filled with self obsession to boost my mood. And so I ignored the seasons.

The post My Autumn to do list appeared first on A Daily Lee.

Put up decorations
Everything is sitting in a big box waiting to be unpacked. But since it’s been raining outside we want to be cosy on the couch. It also doesn’t help that Sander picked up Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He’s been glued to the TV and I’ve been catching up on some reading. I swear our decorations will go up before the 25th!

Start baking
I was too busy last year with a tiny puppy last December. This year I want to get back to baking my holiday Rum Raisin Cake. I love giving some to the neighbors since I never stop to chat. The only times I leave the house to walk the dogs so it’s difficult to keep a conversation. It’s ok though, they usually like to complain about the weather!

Prepare a menu
Sander and I have the 25th alone. I couldn’t be more excited! I would to prepare a meal for the two of us. Maybe similar to what we did for Thanksgiving but on a much smaller scale. I’ve been searching around for traditional Christmas meals but I don’t have anything solid yet.

Wrap up on blog tasks
I still have a handful of things I need to do with this space before the new year. I won’t bore you with the details but a lot of it is behind the scenes work. This also involves cleaning up older posts and updating information.

Finish off my A2 book
I’m almost done with my 2nd Dutch textbook and I couldn’t be more excited! From here I have to learn cultural norms and prepare paperwork needed to apply for a job. This all falls under the 2nd half of my studies so I should buckle down and review what I’ve learned. That includes extra vocabulary, proper grammar rules and worst of all – holding a conversation in Dutch (I’m joking)!

Konmari everything
This is what I’m looking forward to. It’s time to go through everything and toss what we couldn’t use. This includes old clothing items, old food in the pantry and general junk that piles around the house. Not to say that we’re messy but I do know my wallet needs a good cleaning out. I follow the The KonMari Method. I read both of her books before I moved. It’s time for a refresher.

Finish the Goodreads 2018 Book Challenge
I’ve been slacking on reading this year. I only wanted to read 30 books but it’s been a slog to get anything done. Maybe I might be leaning more towards Nonfiction. With those I can sit down to read without getting distracted. I’ll branch out a bit in the new year and search for more that capture my interest. Currently I’m in the middle of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.

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Chvrches
This will probably be the last concert of the year. We went to see a ton of them (I still haven’t found the time to write about the last one) and we have a few lined up for 2019. We’re excited to see Chvrches on the 3rd.

Lots of Pokémon
Pokémon Let’s Go and a new community day are coming up for this month. It’s going to be busy! I also want to complete my Pokédex before a new generation comes out next year. I believe this task will take a few months. The first step is taking the time to play again.

Thanksgiving
Of course, no American citizen can forget about Thanksgiving. Even if it’s not celebrated, its hard to forget about the people that mean the most to us. We should be thankful for every day and for the people we meet along the way. Life is short and something to treasure. This year I want to make a few extra dishes so wish me luck!

Snotgirl
Volume 12 of this comic book series is hitting the shelves at the end of the month. We haven’t decided if we want to make the trek down to Amsterdam for it. If we do, you’ll be sure to hear about it.

Bonus: Completing Nanowrimo
I’m not too confident on this task since it’s been years since I wrote anything. I think it would be fun to dive back into the hobby. Along with writing about 1,700 words a day, I can pick up a few of my favorite books about writing. I have a ton of those lined but up but couldn’t justify reading them. It would be like learning a language and never using it. So we shall see if I can do it this year.

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Inktober
I love drawing. However, I never make time for drawing. Inktober was started by Jake Parker in 2009 and only has a few rules. One ink drawing a day for the whole month. While my drawings will be doodles, it will help me grow at least a little!

Prepare for sweater weather
I have to go in and take out all the warm weather things. Jackets, coats, scarves, and boots to name a few! This also includes accessories like nail polish. The hype is so real! I can finally bring out my sparkly blacks, deep greens, and glittery oranges. I can’t express how much I love October!

Movie Marathons
I spend a majority of the day at home with music on. When I lived in California, I would have the TV turned to a few channels that have movie marathons. Those channels don’t exist here in The Netherlands so it’s up to me to round up my favorite titles! All I have to do is load them onto my computer and press play! When one movie ends, I switch it out for another one and keep the good times rolling!

Finish a few ghost stories
My reading career has its humble roots in the Goosebumps series by R. L. Stine. While I do agree with the fact that there are better books for children to read, I had a great time with them. It’s why I enjoy reading the horror genre. Either way, I have a few ghost stories that need completing and now is the best time for that.

Mini Party
I’m not having company over this year but that doesn’t mean I can’t party! Sander will be busy on the 31st due to work activities so I have the house to myself. On the menu will be delicious Halloween themed cupcakes. I also want to see if I can find a live stream of people in ghostly places to watch!  Ghost Hunters Live what I loved to watch when I lived in California but I don’t think I’ll be able to see them here. Worst case scenario I’ll see if I can find old episodes to watch!

DIY
And last but not least, finish and share my Halloween project for this year. It’s pretty simple and won’t take a lot of time but I have to first make the time! I’m excited about it too, so prepare yourselves!

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Go through my wardrobe
Now is the best time to see what I wore and what I didn’t. If I didn’t wear something last summer, chances are I might not wear them again. Anything unworn will be considered and donated. I’m thankful that I have enough warm clothing to take me into winter so I don’t need to buy more. Now it’s downsizing what I have to what I love to wear. This is a major step in keeping and maintaining a minimalist wardrobe.

Organize the pantry
Sander loves winter snacks but often forgets we have them. I still haven’t made the time to clean out the pantry and I should do it before he buys more! He loves eating taaitaais during the holidays and I think we might have a bag or two left!

Create a blog planner
I’ve been obsessed with bullet journals for their creativity. But I never had a need to make and maintain one. I don’t have many appointments to make and keep. I use my phone to keep track of the few things I do have. Yet I’ve decided I might like to have a blog planner. This will help me plan future posts, take the time to make more content for more posting days. Not to mention it will help with my obsession over bullet journals!

Search for a few Halloween DYI’s
I had such a great time making those Nightmare Before Christmas jars and I want to make a few more things this month. I know I’ve already said this but I love Halloween and planning for it! I’d like to make a small decorated space this year. I want to be able to keep Halloween decor and have it be timeless and easy to store. We don’t have a lot of room for storage so every square foot counts!

September will be as busy as previous months. I still have a lot of Dutch homework to keep up and maintain. For me, September will be a time for going back to school and getting organized. I’d like to keep that theme because it makes me feel so good!

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Eevee event
A new Pokémon GO community day is coming up on August 11th-12th. Unlike previous community days, this one is the whole weekend! It’s going to be busy for us but I’m sure we’ll manage.

Book Festival
Another reason we’ll be busy this coming weekend, is because it seems like there’s going to be a Book Festival from August 9th-12th. We’re going to try and make it out on Sunday but if the day is too packed we might just skip it. I’d love to go because there seems to be a lot more than just books to browse through.

Amsterdam day trip
We’re going to have to head back into Amsterdam to pick up a few books. I know the next volume of Snotgirl will be available soon so I that’s one of the titles I need to grab. Otherwise, Sander and I will be visiting our favorite ramen place and paying a visit to the Asian shopping district. The groceries stores there have a little of every Asian culture so it’s always a wild ride.

Artis
Another thing I’m not sure we’ll be able to do is to return to Artis. Sharon from Ronna’s Eternal Journey recently made the time to go. Her post was delightful and brought back memories of our trip. Sander also often suggests we visit so I’m sure we’ll make it there eventually.

Travel journal
I know it’s hard to believe but this was on my to do list months ago. I’ve finally been able to gather all the supplies I need. Now is the time to sit down and put the whole thing together!

Catch up with reading
I know I actively promote reading quite often here but recently I’ve had too much Dutch homework. By the time I’m done for the day, I’m too drained to open another book. I don’t want to listen to audiobooks in bed because I know I’ll fall asleep while listening to them. I’m going to try and squeeze in some time to finish at least one book.

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Pokémon GO Community day / Articuno Day
If you’ve been a long time reader, you know we take part in all of the Pokémon GO community days. This month we have Squirtle to hunt and find! Also during the last community event, a special Articuno event was unlocked. We’re doing both of these exciting happenings.

Haru’s surgery
Haru is scheduled to be spayed this month. Her first check up will be this coming Wednesday. Booker’s surgery went without any issues so I hope Haru will be healthy as well. Booker’s recovery was super fast so I’ll bet that Haru will be on her feet in no time.

Finish reading a few titles
I’ve started a few new books over the past few weeks but I have yet to finish them! Time to get sit down and get to business.

Visit Artis
Artis Zoo was such a fantastic trip last year. I’m hoping that we can make the time to go again this year. I enjoy learning more about animals and visiting a zoo is a decent way to help support the community as well. I was so tickled to find that racoons are housed at Artis when in America they’re everywhere!

Buy a new printer
Our printer isn’t working anymore and I’ve been slowly convincing Sander we need a new one. He might budge this month!

The rest of the month will be spend updating this space and photos too! I’m revisiting my oldest posts and updating all of the content. Sometimes this tasks takes a few hours and gets boring quickly so it’s nice to pace myself. I hope everyone else will have a wonderful July!

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Other than that, we’re a bit busier time around so here is June’s to do list!

Sushi with Pokémon GO
Our local Pokémon GO group is a but unusual. We started off as a select team of “cool kid” blue members. Lately we’ve been playing with a few good yellow members. We’ve now dubbed this unique mix the “groene groep” (green group). To celebrate this team of players, we get together at least once a month to have dinner together. Of course not everyone can make it but this month’s meal will be sushi! I cannot wait!

Buy more books
Hitting the bookshelves this month are not one but two titles I’m excited for. My obsession with this series has been a long one. The books were Japanese but now have English counterparts. So far there are 24 Japanese titles so I’ve got a long way to go. Even though the translations are way behind, I can’t wait to own them all!

Birthdays & Father’s Day
Sander’s dad has two celebrations coming this month! I’ve been meaning to make an entry about birthday parties so this might be the best time to do so! They tend to get busy so it might be difficult but a challenge is always something to look forward to.

Anime Con
This will be the 2nd time we head down to the World Forum located in The Hague. I made a post about our attendance last year and I hope this year will be as good! I’ve had my eye on a few figures and I may just get them this time around. Still debating about it because it’s more of a I like this stuff but I don’t need this stuff. More of a snuisterijen buy!

Moshi Moshi Market
This market has been compared to Japanese summer festivals. How could we say no? It’s going to take place in Amsterdam so we can make a whole day out of the trip. I’m looking forward to the snacks and interesting things to look at. We’ve always admired Japanese culture and it’s nice to see it’s accepted here.

As you can see, we have a busy month ahead of us! What do you have planned for June?

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Now that May is here, I’m back in business! There’s so much to see and do in The Netherlands during this month and I’m excited to share everything with you guys. From logging new experiences to eating new foods, May is going to be another busy month for us.

Van Gogh & Japan
I don’t like saying that Van Gogh is one of my more favorite artists because I feel like it’s said so often. But you know what? I like what I like and I’m excited to see this new exhibit going on at the Van Gogh museum. It showcases how Van Gogh used Japan in his work. He drew much inspiration from Japanese prints and even though it wasn’t popular in The Netherlands, Van Gogh made it work for him. I’m excited to learn more about how he implemented Japanese techniques into his own pieces.

And speaking of Van Gogh…

Read: Vincent and Theo – The Van Gogh Brothers
This year old title by Deborah Heiligman covers the relationship that Vincent had with this younger brother. We had briefly discussed Vincent’s life in my art history classes. This was when I was introduced to Theo. Dutch history in general is a historic wonder and I’m so exciting to be living in the same country as these masters. I can’t wait to begin reading this book and I plan to do it in a few weeks time.

Blog Maintenance
I’ve been going back to my first posts and doing some cleaning! It’s humbling to see where I started and how far I’ve come since I dedicated myself to this blog. I’ve changed a lot and many of my old posts need updating! I intend to go and revisit some of the first places we’ve been to so that I can retake photos and write better blog content. It’s going to be a tedious task but I can do it!

Go on vacation
We will be going to Zutendaal, Belgium for an entire week! I’m super excited and nervous because this is the first time we’re going with both Booker and Haru. The last time we went on such an extensive trip was back in 2016 to Oosterhout. We didn’t have either dog with us so I’m sure it’s going to be a trip to remember.

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Mount our new tapestry
We have a large tapestry hanging in our living room on our statement wall. It allows for us to change up the mood when without having to paint. Now that spring is coming, I want to put up our newest one, pictures to come soon!

Maintain a healthy lifestyle
I’ve been doing my best to adopt healthy dietary habits into my life. When I first came to The Netherlands, I was overwhelmed by the different foods that were available. I admit that I completely gorged myself! It’s time I get back in shape. Even if I make a slip up here and there (I can’t resist pizza) it’s important to not lose hope. It’s best to keep in mind that one day of indulgence has about the same effect as one day of dieting. A healthy lifestyle will always be a reflection of what I do.

Bring a little more green into the house
I know I keep saying this but the weather has been so terrible that haven’t had the time to get some. I hope that we can make time at least before the end of the month arrives. I was introduced a new nursery that boasts beautiful decor as well. We need to make time to stop by and have a nice long look at what they have. I fell in love with so many of the plants there! Now I just have to work on keeping them alive…

Get back on the bike
Sander and I love biking but when it’s too cold both of us agree to stay warm and indoors. I hope that at least by the end of the month we will have warmer weather. In the middle of February we did have a weekend of warmth. Let me tell you, we spent most of that time outside!

Change up household colors
This is pretty simple. It’s time to switch out the darker colors for lighter ones! For example, instead of having our black duvet covers, we’re bringing out the white ones. White allows more light to reflect throughout the room and makes it feel more open. Once the sun comes out and we open the windows, the bedroom will feel spacious and clean. Dark colors make it feel too cozy. We want to get out of bed and not feel too cozy to leave it!

Take the dogs out to the park
With warmer weather comes less muddy walking trails. I hope we can finally take these dogs to Big Spotter’s Hill. It’s a huge park with a mini beach for the dogs and I’m curious to see if Haru will be a merdog!

What do you have planned for March?

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