I mentioned in Sunday’s post that it’s “Pumpkin Preseason.” I almost got out my fall decor, but decided to wait until next weekend. But hey, if you’re like Jenn and already putting up Halloween decs, more power to you!
On Saturday we decided to have the first festive football dinner of the season. I made “burgers” from my anti-candida cookbook, and one of the ingredients was pumpkin puree. I made sweet potato fries to go with them, and had my burger on a Hero bun. Not technically on my diet because they have wheat, but they have zero carbs so I felt okay with it. I also had a non-alcoholic beer! We ate while watching the Dolphins game.
On Sunday, I had some pumpkin to use up, so I made the first pumpkin pancakes of the season! I used this recipe from Running on Real Food, which uses chickpea flour. I know they look weird, but throw in lot of pumpkin spice, and they tasted good to me.
That little bowl contains “pumpkin cream”, a suggested topping from the recipe. I mixed pumpkin puree with some vanilla protein powder and thinned it with a little water. It was good!
(I almost got out my “Crazy Pumpkin Lady” mug, but once again decided it was a little too early).
While I was eating, I got an email from Bath and Bodyworks alerting me that it was the last day of their candle sale. I have a gift card for that store, so off I went!
I LOVE sniffing all the candles! And I love their names. I wanted to get this one, but didn’t really like the way it smelled.
I ended up with this one:
AND, while I was standing in line, the woman in front of me said “I have a coupon I’m not going to use, do you want it?” It was for a free item- YES I DID. The free item had to be less than $10 so I couldn’t use it for my candle. I went back and picked up this hand soap:
I had a fun time, and, thanks to my gift card and coupon, spent zero dollars. Except for the money I spent on an Earl Grey tea from Starbucks, which was obviously worth every cent.
Do you like scented candles and soap? – This is the best time of year for them!
Do you decorate for fall/Halloween?
Top photo by Gabby Orcutt on Unsplash
25 Responses
I have to be a bit careful with scents as they can make me feel off, but I do love the smell of good ones, even though I never buy them. When you showed that football candle, I immediately went to smells like a locker room? I’m guessing it didn’t smell like a locker room, or did it, and that’s why you didn’t like it.
Hahahaha… yes, what exactly does “football season” smell like? It did not smell like a locker room- but it didn’t smell like anything good (to me) either. I also can be particular about scents- I don’t like anything sweet, or anything too perfume-y. I think the football season one had a weird perfume-y smell- maybe the smell of deodorant the players used after the game???
Zero dollars spent on a candle and soap? You win at life, Jenny!
Also… obviously, the Earl Grey was worth every cent.
Ha, thanks Catrina! I need to win at life more often.
I love pumpkin season! I eat pumpkin almost everyday when I’m home. I relate it with comfort!
I don’t like scents in general, unless it’s subtle.
I love scents- but they have to be the right ones. I had fun smelling all the candles, but most of them I wouldn’t want burning in my house.
Jack and I are doing September planning at Starb’s tomorrow with our fave pumpkin drinks!!
OOOH! Sarah, I’m sitting in Starbucks right now (Tuesday morning) and the pumpkin drinks are HERE!!!!!!!!!
Yay for Pumpkin Preseason! Those fries look really good.
I’m generally meh on scented stuff, but how fun that you got the candle and soap for free!
Yes, free is good! I do love a good fall scent, but don’t want to spend $30 on it.
What a fun shopping trip! Although…what DID Football Season smell like? I cannot imagine that would be a great scent. More like sweat? Turf? Hot dogs? I mean I have no idea really. I don’t use scented candles because I am terrified of open flame, and also Rob has terrible allergies to certain scents. So I will live vicariously through you!
We used to be “famous” in our neighbourhood for our lawn decorations. We (Rob) went all out for Halloween, and it sparked a competition between him and our across-the-street neighbour. When we moved Rob gave that neighbour most of our big decor and he still sends Rob pictures of his yard. The year we moved, people asked the neighbour “didn’t that used to be over at that house?” Good times! We go minimal on decor now, especially since we get no trick-or-treaters out here, but those are great memories.
Haha… I think I have to go back to the store and smell that candle again. I can’t give a good description of the scent… but it definitely wasn’t hot dogs.
I’m going to go more minimal with my outdoor Halloween decs this year as well (although I was never as extravagant as your husband!) We hardly got any trick or treaters last year (so sad!) and it’s just a lot of work for nothing. Sigh.
I do a tiny bit of Halloween/fall decorating, but I enjoy living vicariously through others.
I LOVE pumpkin everything.
Unfortunately, I am so sensitive to scents these days so I have to be very careful what candles I burn. Argh. I really hate that, because I would love nothing more than to have my house smell like a delicious candle at all hours of the day. Alas. That is not to be.
What an awesome job with the coupon and gift card!! It’s such a fun sense of accomplishment to get things we want/need and not spend a cent!
It’s not quite the same as your coupon story, but I remember waiting in line at the DollarStore many years ago and I had forgotten all my reusable bags in the car. I had two littleish kids and I was bemoaning the fact I would have to buy a bag (I was getting too many things to just hold them in my arms). A lady overheard me and handed me the cutest little reusable bag that fits into itself (so it looks like a strawberry). The gesture meant so much to me AND I didn’t have to pay for a cheap, reusable bag at the DollarStore that I wouldn’t want to use again. Many years later, I still own and use that reusable bag <3
Aw! I love that story! I remember reading someone’s strategy for when you forget your bag at the store- buy a new one, and then give it away to someone in line the next time you’re there. Maybe that woman was doing that!
I love the seasonal candles and soaps from Bath & Body Works! I actually just got $50 worth of items from there for free because I also had a gift card and coupon, so I’m all stocked up for fall. But I told myself I can’t start using them until September haha, only a few more days!
Yes Ashley- you’re getting close! And then in December you’ll need another gift card for all the Christmas scents : )
When I saw “Bed Bath and Beyond” in your post I thought – is that store still open? But I think you slipped it in instead of Bath and Bodyworks (which makes sense since they are both B-heavy words with the word bath in them!!). I like candles but Phil DOES NOT AT ALL. So I had to give up on burning them when we got married. My favorite candles were from Anthropologie. They had a French Cade one (no idea what that even is) that I loved. He also doesn’t like perfume so I no longer wear perfume. I should throw out what I have since it’s just taking up space in the bathroom but I love the scents I own so much!
We do not decorate much for Halloween. I have some spider lights for our fireplace mantle and that is it! But a lot of houses in our neighborhood go all out. I would love to get a skeleton for the bench on my front porch but Phil is a hard pass on this (he’s no fun, I know). We love going for walks in the neighborhood to check out decorations. I will make a little scavenger hunt for the boys to make it a little extra fun.
WAIT DID I SERIOUSLY WRITE THAT??? Yes I did- and I went back to change it. Bed Bath and Beyond definitely went out of business (which is sad, i used to love that store).
I think I get why Phil doesn’t like perfumes or scented candles- I don’t like a lot of them either. I don’t like the ones that are too sweet (like “pumpkin s’mores” or “pumpkin pecan waffles”) and I don’t like ones that smell too perfume-y. i do like smelling them in the store, but I wouldn’t want them burning in my house.
Phil is a Halloween Scrooge! But I get it- I’m going to cut way back on my outdoor decorations this year. Every year we get fewer trick or treaters and it’s just not worth it.
I love what that woman at the store did. Giving away a coupon for a FREE item is very sweet! I think I would have used it to buy something for the gift closet even if I did not need something, but now I want to be more like her!
I’m so glad it worked out perfectly for you :). I cannot imagine what “football season” smells like… smokey tailgating? Pigskin? Sweaters?
Yes, it was very nice! I mean she could have gotten herself a soap! And seriously, I’m going to have to go back and smell the Foot ball Season candle againso I can report back more accurately.
Fall is my favorite season to decorate for… but not yet. Mid Sept.
Pumpkin flavors started at Starbucks. Maybe tomorrow???
Yes I love scented candles and soaps!!
I know! I was in Starbucks today (getting an Earl Grey) and I was very excited to see the pumpkin drinks, even though I wasn’t getting one.
Your pumpkin pancakes are so cute. I do not buy scented soaps, but I do enjoy them so much at other people’s homes. Maybe I should add some to my cart. One issue is that I don’t like things that are overly perfumy so I might end up buying something that I end up not liking on a daily basis, if that makes sense.
I own Halloween decor, but I don’t always put it up. Less likely now that my kids are older, but really I don’t think I started to decorate for Halloween until the kids were older – did it more for the daycare gang. Still, it’s one more thing. I’m not someone who cares all that much about Halloween. There, I said it – can we still be friends? I did go all in on costume making back in the day. (brownie points scored?)
YESSSSSSSS! Our local Bath & Body Works has been closed (not sure why!) so I haven’t been able to stop in and do some candle sniffing. I might still have a fall candle from last year that I need to use, but I should also buy at least ONE new one, right?!!?
I think I’m going to decorate for fall on Labor Day, since it’s September 1st and that’s the perfect time. 🙂
Haha, I love how you’re embracing the upcoming season already. It’s way too hot here to think about fall, but I love how enthusiastic you are about pumpkins 🙂