I love all things pumpkin. So in the spirit of October, here’s a pumpkin-themed “5 Things!”
Candles
I’ve written before in this space about how much I love Glade (Gla-day) candles, and the pumpkin scent is my fave. It has a new name each year. For 2020, it’s “Pumpkin Spice Things Up,” and it smells as good as ever. My younger made fun of me when I went out and purchased several, however she came home the next day and said, “What smells SO good?” Of course, it’s my candle. Available at local retailers.
PSL
Sorry, I know there are haters out there, but I do love a good ole’ pumpkin spice latte. However, I do doctor mine up a tad. I order a grande flat white and add in two pumps of pumpkin syrup. Just the right amount of sweet without being too over the top. I’m not a fan of iced coffee drinks, but my girls both swear by the cold brew and the iced coffee pumpkin varieties, so if that’s your thang, give them a whirl! Starbucks.com
Lotion
My mom usually treats me with one or two pumpkin-themed gifts throughout the season, and a few years ago gave me Pumpkin Harvest lotion from Stonewall Kitchen. In addition to the awesome scent, it also works well by leaving your hands soft and not greasy. Fun fact: My mom told me many years ago that when putting lotion on your hands, you should also put it on your elbows. This advice has served me well! StonewallKitchen.com
Seeds
Every year, each family member carves a pumpkin to place out on our front porch. I always enjoy seeing the different designs from year to year. Before carving, we empty out the guts and separate the seeds. I rinse, dry and bake them, and it’s one of our favorite snacks. Here’s our recipe: Mix 2 cups of seeds with 2 t. Worcestershire sauce, 1 ½ T. melted butter and ½ t. garlic salt. Bake at 275 for one hour and voila! Yum-o!
Pancakes
I love—like really love—the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP. Back in my high school days, I was the weekend hostess at our local IHOP. Sadly, they didn’t have pumpkin pancakes on the menu back then, but I keep coming back for them now! So yummy! If you want to make pumpkin pancakes at home, I highly recommend the gluten-free pumpkin pancake mix from Trader Joe’s. You won’t be disappointed—and you can stock up and have pumpkin pancakes year-round! IHOP.com, TraderJoes.com
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