As we wind down these final days of October and I prepare for both Halloween and some travel I have planned during the beginning of November (and I’ll share those details with my end-of-the-month recap next week!)– I wanted to take some time to talk about a few of my favorite things from these past few weeks. Given that Halloween is my favorite Holiday and I’m an aficionado of all things spooky- it goes without saying that the majority of my products, purchases and oddities are seasonally-appropriate this month- although there are a couple of unexpected finds and surprises in the mix, too!
As is tradition with all of my ‘Favorite Things’ posts each month- I share the items I could snap photos of first before I dive into miscellaneous odds and ends that were harder to capture on camera.
And as always- I welcome anyone who wants to share their own favorite things from this month, too! Feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line!
That all being said- let’s get right into it!
With the temperatures finally dipping into a comfortable and cool constant this month- exercising outdoors has been not only bearable again- but enjoyable, too! I love my evening walks and doing yoga among the falling leaves during my weekday afternoon breaks at work- and given that I am known as the “Halloween Queen” among my family, friends and co-workers- I’ve kept my workout wear festive, comfortable and breathable these past few weeks.
These lightweight and affordable tops I picked up from Kohl’s at the very beginning of October are super soft, ridiculously cute and perfect to throw on over leggings for workouts or jeans on casual “errand” days. The closer we get to Halloween- the more I’ve been wearing them out and about- and they always get a smile out of people I pass by.
Also, the orange Jack-O-Lantern top has the added bonus of being bright enough to give me visibility at night to drivers and other pedestrians- which is helpful now that the sun is setting earlier and earlier!
I’m working in my office on Halloween for a few hours- and while I didn’t want to spend a ton of time and money on an office-appropriate costume that only a handful of other people were going to see- I still wanted to look cute. I stumbled upon these leggings from Just Love earlier this month that I was originally going to keep with my workout wear- but the material is a little thicker than I had anticipated- which makes them perfect to wear to work with a little black dress or an over-sized sweater and boots.
Stretchy and soft, these leggings have a fun Jack-O-Lantern, skeleton and candy corn print all over the front and back. The verdict is out on whether or not they glow in the dark just yet- but I’m sure I’ll find out by Halloween night!
Best of all? They were only $14.99.
I know that last month I had shared an overhaul of pumpkin-scented everything products from Bath & Body Works- so adding more to my collection might be a bit redundant- but this full-sized body lotion and spray were a free gift with purchase this month after I’d stocked up on some min hand sanitizers to keep in my purse when I travel. The new fragrance, ‘Coffee & Whiskey’ might seem a bizarre combination- especially when it’s for something you’re meant to apply to yourself generously- but it actually smells quite lovely!
I would say the fragrance in this set smells more like fresh coffee than it does whiskey- but it’s not an overpowering scent at all. It’s subtle, and I’ve been enjoying applying it before bed or first thing in the morning after I’ve had a shower.
This was an unexpected treat to receive this month, and I couldn’t wait to share it!
And finally, I love a good shot of nostalgia as much as the next person- especially when that shot includes re-living one of my favorite childhood traditions for Halloween! Although I try to avoid fast food for the most part (I did have Taco Bell in honor of Kelsey’s birthday a couple of days ago, however- and I have no regrets)– I caved this month to grab a Happy Meal from McDonald’s specifically so I could get one of their Trick-Or-Treat “Boo Buckets”- something I haven’t seen since I was little!
I remember getting a Happy Meal in the days leading up to Halloween when I was a kid, and then using my cleaned out “Boo Bucket” when I went to get candy around the neighborhood when it came time to go Trick-Or-Treating with my cousins. I think my mom may still have them stored away in her attic somewhere!
McDonald’s brought back all three variations this year- the pumpkin, the witch and the ghost. I got the ghost with my order of chicken nuggets (I am an adult, after all)– and while I won’t be re-purposing it to hold candy- it’s currently doing a great job at holding my mail.
Shout out to my friends who are attempting to collect all three, by the way!
Now that just about does it for the “Favorite Things” I could snap photos of- but a couple of other things made the list, too!
– MISCELLANEOUS –
Breyer Ice Cream in ‘Caramel Apple Pie’ – My addiction to this layered ice cream (which has pieces of graham cracker crust and chunks of apple in it) began with my mom after she picked up a carton and insisted I try it while I was over visiting earlier this month. Although I’m ride-or-die for mint chocolate chip from now until the end of time- this stuff was really, really, RREALLY good. So good, in fact- that I went out and got a carton of my own to get me through the month.
Even though I’m trying to cut down on dairy intake these days- I can’t say no to this one. It’s fantastic!
1911 Distillery ‘Jam On It’ Hard Cider – While in Syracuse earlier this month for a wedding that took place at the 1911 Distillery, I ended up taking home a sample pack of their different flavored hard ciders to try. While all of them were pretty delicious, the ‘Jam On It’ cider- which tastes like fresh berry preserves- was by far my favorite. This one is the perfect amount of sweet and tart- and is surprisingly refreshing.
I’ve been enjoying these during NFL games where I can watch from the comfort of my home- but I have a feeling I’ll be stocking up on a few more soon!
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And there we go- my ‘Favorite Things’ for October of 2022! A small but spooky assortment of items that have made this month so much more fun and festive. As we get closer to the holidays and the end of the year- I’m looking forward to putting my lists together for November and December.
But first- onward to Halloween!
xo
Coffee & Chiffon 