Bingo-Inspired Spring Activities

What would we be without inspiration? Every season has their own way of inspiring me, may it be the summery hues of blue eternal freedom, autumnal oranges and reds (my favourite), the glitter and shine of Christmas, the cold, clean slate of winter, or the blossoming promises of spring. 

If you remember, I did an Autumn Bucket List (you can also read the update here), and decided to do something similar for spring. Watching a Darling Desi Youtube video, I felt inspired to copy her idea for a bingo-inspired spring list (she does it for summer and has four columns, like actual Bingo sheets do, I think). The great thing about self-made bucket lists and bingo sheets is that you can choose activities you will actually do - so, as it's already late April, let's dive in and see what I've already accomplished. 

Note: A bucket list should never add to your stress - don't make yourself miserable not completing your sheet or list - remember, the next spring will certainly come around ;-) 

Visit a zoo with the kids

Spring brings new babies to zoos - the perfect time to visit. We went to Vienna in March and went to the Viennese zoo and the children (and us) loved it. We saw the feeding of the sea lions, a few babies and enjoyed quality family time. A perfect spring outing! 
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Cook something with spring vegetables

People who have followed me for a while know I'm not a very good cook, nor do I enjoy cooking. However, I'm trying to get better at it and engage more with the produce I'm using. Cooking seasonally and regionally is my number one priority - above organic or alternative foods (organic, regional food, is, of course, the best!). 

So far, I've made two yummy dishes with spring vegetables. I used spinach for making a salmon and spinach pasta dish, which was really good. We also had asparagus with sauce hollandaise and salted potatoes (simple, but very nice). As my husband predominantly made the second dish, I'll share the recipe for the pasta: 

For the spinach-salmon-pasta I used: 
frozen salmon (defrosted)
fresh spinach from the farmer's market
Spaghetti pasta
garlic
olive oil

I sauteed the garlic in the olive oil and grilled the salmon gently. At the same time, I boiled the pasta in the pot. I added the spinach to the pan with the salmon and lastly added a scoop of pasta water and the pasta to the pan (make sure to take a big one). Let it all cook for a minute or two, grate some fresh Parmesan on top and enjoy. 

Bake a strawberry cake

Does anyone scream spring more than fresh strawberries? Soft sponge, light cream and scrumptious strawberries is all you need. I already baked a delicious strawberry cake earlier this month and it turned out perfect. It was, in fact, my first perfect cake. As the recipe is quite long, I've linked it here and you can find it in my recipes section. 

Read a book that feels like spring

I'm always on the hunt for a good read, but I haven't found a book yet that intrigued me that screamed "spring"! I have, however, just downloaded the book "The Garden of Lost and Found by Harriet Evans, and I hope the content is as mesmerising as the cover. 

I generally tend to be more drawn to autumnal/wintery books. I tried giving an example of books I've read in the past, but they all have a very cold vibe to them. However, two very spring-like book series are Starry Hollow Witches and the Spellbound Series by Annabel Chase. They're not the best written books, but very enjoyable nevertheless. 

Visit a medieval market

On the last April weekend we went to the renaissance faire in Rattenberg, Tirol. Rattenberg is an old town nestled between mountainous peaks with historic buildings that are crooked enough to make you wonder if they will hold up much longer. It was the perfect setting for a medieval vibe and you know how much I love an occasion to dress up. We got into medieval dress-up when my cousin got married medieval-style, and we have loved it ever since. 

Go flower-picking

I think flower-picking needs to be on every good spring to-do list, as it's a simple, enjoyable task that leads to a home-made bouquet. ​One would think this item was the easiest to cross off the list, and yet it took me two full weeks until I didn't forget to "smell the flowers" on our walks. A gentle reminder to be more in the present, actually smell the flowers and probably pick a few for a nice meadow-made bouquet. I actually even forgot to take a picture of our lovely little flower bundle, but they were yellow dandelions (are there any non-yellow dandelions, I'm just wondering...). 

Enjoy a scrumptious spring picnic

Is there anything screaming spring more than a picnic? Picnics are quintessentially spring/summer things. Fresh strawberries warmed by the sun, scrumptious scones with jam and cream, finger sandwiches and home-made iced tea in a bottle. 
Sadly, we have not been able to do a picnic so far with the second round of winter, but now that the weather is becoming much warmer, we will definitely do it - hopefully even this week with the little man turning two years old (can you believe it? I can't!). 

Do a flower-inspired photo shoot 

Inspired by my Autumn Bucket List photo shoot (which you can find here), I also want to do something spring-inspired, but have sadly not come around doing it yet (again, I blame the weather), but these completely unrealistic AI-generated photo shoots above are the general aesthetic I would go for - let's see if I can get it done in time or have to push to next year's list. 

Make a flowerbed or vegetable patch/visit a forest playground

Both are still up for grabs - AGAIN due to inclement weather - but we got some small wooden crates from my father that are like a very low raised bed and I would love to start growing pumpkins, salad and strawberries, so the kids can help me with the "harvest". 

In the next days we also want to visit one of the many great forest playgrounds we have here - I'll keep you updated. 

Spring may feel like it's already on its last legs, but a spring bucket list can help to really enjoy those wonderful spring days before the summer heat takes over.