1. See the sights
October in our state of Washington and its neighbor Oregon is stunningly beautiful now. Take a drive through the countryside and remember, it’s not too late to get one more picnic in.
What are some famous sights in your area? Go check them out. If you have already been to them, try to discover something new about them. If there aren’t any famous sights in your area, then go discover ones that aren’t famous.
2. Take a discovery walk
Things are always changing, but October seems to inspire Mother Nature to order up some drastic alterations. I like to think of her shopping some mystical catalogue, oblivious to what current color schemes are being pushed in fashion news and saying, “Oh, orange, red, yellow, lime green and brown, yes that’s what my trees are gonna wear!”
3. Attend a free local event
In our town of Woodland, Washington, there are always special events cropping up and our fire department puts up a banner that stretches across main street promising the next community event. When we walk around our little town it’s always fun to see what’s going on at Horse Shoe Lake Park. We just recently joined fellow Woodlanders at the annual Fall Festival and enjoyed live music on a beautiful autumn day. We also like our farmer’s market where we can purchase fresh produce and beautiful autumn flowers.
You can go to your local city or county office and get a list of all the upcoming activities in your town or city. There’s always something going on and you’ll never know what cool things you might find just by asking.
4. Pretend You’re New to the Neighborhood
Take a walk and pretend you’ve never been in your neighborhood before. Look at it with curiosity and wonder. It’s good to remember that there’s always something new to be discovered in our everyday environments. Commit to finding 5 new interesting things and you’ll be surprised by what you discover.
My mom used to play this game with our family when my sister and I were young. We’d come home from a car trip and pull into our drive-way and she’d say, “Wow, so this is where we’re staying tonight! Let’s check it out!” Then as we’d walk into the entryway, we’d all pretend we’d never been in the house before. “Oh, Mom, look at this!!! They’ve got a real fireplace! Can we have a fire tonight?” Or Dad would say, “Look at how clean this home is. Did you see there are fresh towels in the bathroom?” Then Mom might say, “You’re NOT going to believe this! They’ve stocked the fridge for us!”
It was such fun, that I played it with my kids when they were young and it fostered great creativity.
5. Take a break from the world 
Sometimes life can feel a little overwhelming. In the weekly plan in my book, Joy of Being Organized, I recommend a day that’s YOURS. It’s your day to do what you want to do and if that means no planning, then don’t plan. Use that day to read a good book, eat out, play video games, do zilch work and just lounge. We all need a little time to do nothing every now and then. I love the term sacred idleness.
Because October promises some rain, you might like this blog about playing in the rain with your kids. http://blog.housefairy.org/seven-fun-ways-to-play-with-your-kids-in-the-rain
