I truly believe that life is a collection of small moments and memories, compiled together, that in the end make one big picture. Even if you’re feeling that life has fallen into a bit of a mundane routine, you can zest up your life by doing one of my favorite activities ever: create a seasonal bucket list! I make one of these for every single season, and my Spring 2013 Bucket List is filled with fun things that my family, friends, and I can do together to make our days and nights a little extra special. Inside, I explain a little bit about my Spring 2013 Bucket List and how you can make one as well!

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A bucket list is essentially a list of items that you want to achieve or do. Many people consider bucket lists to be a list of things, people, or places they want to see before they reach a certain age or even in their lifetime. I like to make a bucket list for each season, because each season brings a completely different mood and activities that can be enjoyed. It helps me organize my idea’s for the weekend, as well, so we are not just twiddling our thumbs wondering what we can do.

 

You can create a Spring 2013 Bucket List by just writing down a list of things you’d like to do before the end of the season. I find that when you add in an element of something special, it makes your list that much more cheerful, so I decided to create my list by hand in Photoshop. You can use scrapbook paper, your favorite stationery, a dry-erase marker board, or even create a “vision board” from scratch on a piece of poster board. I like to make my seasonal bucket lists look visually pleasing and thematic in some way so that you actually get into the season’s mood and feel good about marking items off your list.

 

 

Here is my Spring 2013 Bucket List:

 

 

• Go strawberry picking. This is a yearly spring tradition in my family ever since we’ve moved to the south. Every April or May, we take a ride out to a strawberry farm to hand pick a huge basket of fresh, juicy strawberries. The total cost for a huge basket filled to the brim is only $10, and if you recycle your basket and bring one from the year prior, you even get a discount. Strawberries are perfect for smoothies and spring snacks. Whatever you don’t use right away can be frozen and thrown directly into the blender for smoothies on hot days. The actual act of picking the strawberries off the vine, though, is incredibly fun, and I love to take photographs when I go!

 

 

• Picnic at the park. Most parks have a picnic area where you can set up with a group of family or friends. We have a gorgeous local park that has a small pavilion with an area to bring charcoal to grill right there by the lake. My goal is to pack together a bunch of delicious barbeque food and grill out right there by the water. Even if it’s just a few of us, it’s fun to pack a basket and eat your food in the great outdoors. It reminds me of a much simpler time.

 

• Walk for charity. I’ve actually just walked for charity, as Walk MS was last weekend. My dad suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and our team raised over $1,300. I can cross this off my bucket list for this season, but I am still keeping an eye out for other charity walks or runs I may be able to join. It’s an extremely rewarding experience and you get to meet so many new people. Spring is the perfect season to walk or run for charity, too, because it’s not too hot out yet.

 

• Go to the zoo. The zoo is such a classic place to visit when the weather gets nice. This is another one I can already cross off my list! Two weeks ago, I went to the zoo with my husband and my dad for MS Family Day. I took over six-hundred photographs throughout the zoo and botanical gardens. Not only did I get to dive into my favorite hobby (photography), but I got to see all the animals and enjoy a perfect day outdoors.

 

• Grow something. Besides April being Earth Day month, spring is the time to plant something. Anything. Consider adding a tree to your yard, growing your own herbs (you can even grow herbs indoors), or start a vegetable garden. I used to have a major “black thumb” and kill every plant I came into contact with, but I’ve researched more throughout the years, and learned to care for my plants. I’ve planted a huge pot of various herbs which has already sprouted up like crazy in just two weeks! I can’t wait to share with you what else I plant and grow.

 

• Shop at Farmer’s Markets. My all-time favorite thing to do, no matter what season. Farmer’s Markets offer year-round local, fresh produce, depending on your location. Since I live in the south and the climate here is warm, I can visit the market in the dead of winter and still find fresh vegetables and fruits. However, spring and summer are the ideal seasons to visit one no matter where you live. You’re supporting local business and you can bargain with the vendors there to get really great deals on healthy food. It’s also a wonderful place to breathe in the fresh air and take in all the various colors and textures of the food before you.

 

• Join a Spring CSA. CSA stands for Community-Supported Agriculture, which means you belong to a local farm and sign up for a share of their seasonal food. I’ve always wanted to sign up for one of these, and this is the first season I finally have. My CSA starts tomorrow, April 16th, 2013, and I get to pick up a box filled with fresh produce every Wednesday for eight weeks. The prices for a share will vary by region, farm, and what you get in your share. My CSA is through City Roots, a local organically-sustained farm that is literally dropped right in the middle of the city. I can’t wait to get my first box of produce and learn to cook in “reverse,” meaning I get the food first and then decide on recipes rather than the other way around. Local, seasonal, fresh, organic, and healthy!

 

• Go on a nature walk. Nature walks always remind me of childhood, before there was internet to play on all the time, when you would wander into the woods or a park and have an adventure. I’d like to find a new hiking trail in the area that I can walk through to not only get exercise, but to really just take in everything around me and clear my head. I believe it’s a wonderful form of meditation to walk through nature and take in your surroundings.

 

 

I plan to zest up my spring season by checking off every single one of these items! I am going to document my experiences achieving each of these goals, and there will be another post next week filled with photographs of my journey!

 

What is on your spring bucket list?

 

 

 

 

Kraft Italian Dressing only has one goal in mind… tantalizing your taste-buds. And we’re always looking for new ways to help you amp up your zest appeal. Like what you see? Let our Zesty Guy show you even more ways to spread a little zest at getmezesty.com.

 

 

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Kraft via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Kraft.

 

 

 

[ALL PHOTOGRAPHY ON THIS SITE IS TAKEN BY REBECCA KAZIMIR. NO PHOTOGRAPHS ARE TO BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION.]