And just like that, it’s the day before Halloween. Dun, dun dunnnnn.
Maybe it’s just me, but does anyone else have the strange feeling that Halloween already happened like… 2 weeks ago? I have no idea what it is, but the whole thing just feels really drawn out this year. Bizarre 😯
Nevertheless, tomorrow is October 31, and while I usually reserve the last day of the month to do a monthly favorites post, the fact that it’s Halloween means that this month’s post gets pushed up a day. So without further ado, these are some of the food, fashion, fitness, and other random things that I’ve been obsessed with in the month of October.
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. Food Favorites .
I made these for the first time waaaaay back in the beginning of October, and loved them so much that I had to make them a few more times throughout the month as well. They make a perfect snack for when you want something sweet and satisfying, yet still relatively healthy.
Apples in every possible form.
I blame Mom for this one. Prior to this month, I can’t even remember the last time I ate an apple – I’ve always loved them, but I think I just burned myself out by eating too many. After having a slice of my mom’s apple cake, though… holy.wow… the addiction came back with a vengeance. Since then it’s been apple everything.
Halloween Candy
After going years without allowing myself to experience the enjoyment that is mini candy bars, I made it a goal to change that this month. Done and done; and freakin’ delicious. Good thing I don’t get many trick-or-treaters 😉
Tea (especially this one)
I’m ashamed to admit that this isn’t even most of my collection 😳 I keep telling myself that I won’t buy more until I finish off some of what I have, but then I come across new and delicious flavors and my resolve crumbles. It’s a good thing that I go through about 6 cups a day… maybe eventually I’ll make it through them all. Yeah right.
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. Fashion Favorites .
I don’t really think I can accurately express how much I freaking love these pants. Besides being incredibly flattering, they’re also the most comfortable pair of ‘dressy’ pants that I own. They’re great with flats, or stuffed into knee-high boots, and they’re a little bit thicker than traditional leggings which makes them perfect for the colder temperatures.
Scarves
One good thing about living in a place where it’s constantly cold is the fact that it provides you with the perfect opportunity to wear scarves for at least 8 months out of the year – and feel free to disagree, but it is my humble opinion that scarves freaking rock. This month’s plummeting temperatures meant that there was rarely a day that went by where I wasn’t rocking one of these around my neck. Confession: sometimes I even wear them at home when I can’t seem to warm up.
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. Fitness Favorites .
Foam Rolling
This is definitely one of those love-hate deals. Even though I don’t do any hardcore exercise, I do walk a lot, and all that walking is enough to leave me with sore legs on occasion. I curse like a sailor while I’m in the actual process of doing it, but afterwards it just feels so.darned.good.
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. Book Favorites .
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
I have to say that this is probably one of my all time favorite books. It’s a somewhat philosophical narrative that observes the complexities of the human condition from the outside perspective of a dog named Enzo; a dog who possesses a rather human-like soul. Enzo’s observations and ongoing analysis of his master’s struggles and victories provide a beautifully simple yet profound look at the power that hope and perseverance play in the struggle to overcome the hardships that life throws our way. Hilarious yet heart-wrenching, you may want to keep some tissues handy because this book makes me cry every time.
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. Movie Favorites .
The Nightmare Before Christmas – Edward Scissorhands
My two favorite Halloween movies. I’ve already told you guys that I’m a big wimp when it comes to scary movies, so watching these ‘creepy classics’ is the perfect way to get myself into a more Halloweeny mood – something I’ll be doing as soon as I finish writing up this post… soooo…. now 😀
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What’s something awesome that happened to you this past month?
Will you be handing out Halloween candy tomorrow? Do you get a lot of kids?
Holy cow, thank you very much for posting this! It is going to help when I buy Lollipops online! Very Outstanding!
Oh my gosh, I’m totally sold on those pants! Must have! And one of the ONLY things I like about cooler weather is getting to wear my scarves! Love em!
So glad I’m not the only one with a tea obsession! It really is obscene how many boxes I have right now! Lol
Ahh so you are the gal that inspired me to beautifully drizzle nut butter on my apple like that! That is my hubby’s faaaavorite snack – cinnamon and all. And in pretty sure back when your blog was “seek” I saw them apples decorated like that. So sweet.
I totally forgot about your fig bar recipe. I bookmarked it weeks ago, ate all our fig jam (figs, nanner, orange zest) and told myself I’d make those bars the moment I had more figgies on hand.
Must. Bake. Tonight.
I love these monthly round-up posts:) You are so gorgeous my friend! Love the scarf and I’m a sucker for leggings too! I hate wearing pants, so I basically live in leggings throughout the fall/winter. I’m exactly the same with my tea. I have SO many, yet I keep on buying more. It’s a problem. Maybe we are tea addicts? I was searching for The Nightmare Before Christmas on TV, but sadly there were no channels showing it which made me sad, its my goal to see it by the end of the night;) Happy Halloween love!
We get no kids trick or treating with us, I think its just cause where we live is really quiet, I wish we did get some as I would quite enjoy handing out treats! Great faves, with you on the scarves!
Is Halloween even as big of a thing in the UK? Because I know in Poland (where my family is from), it’s not really something that’s celebrated.
I am handing out candy tonight!! yay! I hope the cold doesn’t keep kids away!
I agree with you on the foam roller… it is def a love/hate thing!
Aero bars and Coffee Crisp minis are always passed out around here! hahaha. Trying to be Canadian over here 😉
Something awesome that’s happened this month = today. Halloween. Finally get to debut my costume.
Happy Halloween, dear Amanda!
First of all, you’re stunning! Second, I totally approve of your tea collection 🙂 The Skin Detox and Vanilla Rooibos are two of my favorites! I’m quite the hoarder of tea as well so no shame! Can you believe that I have yet to eat Halloween candy this year? It just hasn’t been around me at all (WHY does no one at my work bring candy?!?) and I don’t feel like going out and purchasing it myself. The Smarties (with chocolate) are one of my favorites though but they’re so hard to track down in the states!
The foam roller is my secret best friend…it has saved me from countless injuries and aches. I try to use it daily because it feels like my muscles are always tight.
I’m such a wuss when it comes to those sad, heart-wrenching books so I’ve been putting off reading ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain.’ Grr now I think I might just have to do it…and shed some tears in the process…
Well, you’ve been eating plenty of amazing food to make up for the lack of Halloween candy, and I would SO send you a tonne of Smarties if I could! Hard to believe that we have something up here in Canada that you guys don’t have down there… you always get all of the good stuff!
I am in love with that photo of you. It looks awesome! And I also love scarves. Everything about this post makes me happy. Have a great Halloween!
You have way good candy! Smarties and Aero bars from England?! Where did you find them here?
I live in Canada, so Smarties and Aero are common stuff up here. It wasn’t until I went down to the States that I realized that you guys have a lot of different candy bars than we do!
I wanted to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas really bad this season! Crap, looks like I’m quickly running out of time. And I absolutely loved The Art of Racing in The Rain. I pretty much cried throughout the whole book though, but it was so good! <3 Enzo
Hi Amanda
I am a new follower from Switzerland! Great blog!! We do not have Halloween over here. Great thing was this month that I’ve been to Italy for shopping and got scarf and boots!
Where can I get those pants in Canada!? They look so comfy but practical too.
Hmm. I know J Crew has stores in Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver, but if you’re not in one of those cities then I think the only place you can get them is online 😕
You are too gorgeous. No wonder that guy asked for your number 😉
Im seriously soo stoked about the halloween candy tonight. We didnt buy any, but since we are working a booth at our church, there will be PLENTY candy there. And its the good candy too, not just lollipops. Were taking reeses, butterfinger, twix, mounds…all of my favorite are there!! And Im digging the tea collection. Im with you though, Im quite ashamed of the size of mine sometimes. I feel like Im a closet tea hoarder lol
I’m so happy scarf season is back! I hate the cold but love fall fashion! I am love with all things apples lately too! I blame the season 😉
I’ve been loving apples lately too – the local ones just taste SO good around this time of year! I still have some from apple picking that I think I’m going to use to make another batch of applesauce. I’m not even the biggest applesauce lover, but the homemade kind is amazing!
I’m obsessed with that vanilla rooibos tea – I get that like 95% of the time when I go to Starbucks haha. That cinnamon apple tea looks good too! I’ll have to hunt that one down next time I’m at the grocery store.
Something awesome that happened to me this month was finding out that I’m receiving two awards from my school at our awards recognition ceremony this weekend!
Ack that’s so amazing! Congratulations!! 😀
LOVE art of racing in the rain – I read it on a flight one time, and finished it – and was crying. People around me probably thought I was nuts.
And I wear scarves when it’s like 90 degrees out!
foam rolling was just mentioned in my cycling class last night. i have tried it a few times and loved it and really think i would benefit from doing it more often. first step: buy a foam roller! oh ps my boyfriend and i are really enjoying your pumpkin bread – i nixed the chocolate chips (the boy doesn’t like them, whaaaa!?!?) and made them in muffin form for portability. love!
It’s so funny that you have a love for Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. I was out to eat with my boyfriend last week and ordered their Cinnamon Spice Tea and this is the brand I got. I couldn’t stop talking about it that he ended up asking the waiter if he could buy some off of them!! Needless to say, I’ve burned through those but I’m on the lookout for more!!
Also, Smarties (not the American ones!!) are THE BEST!!
Happy Halloween!
Omigosh I’ve been obsessed with that tea for years. I can’t find any around here so I just end up ordering it online. I get like 7 at once to last me for the whole year 😆
Here’s to spending the day ENJOYING and being DELIGHTED by the fact that we’re surrounded by candy and not petrified and terrified of leaving our house for fear that rude people will accost us giving us free sweets!!!
Do you like the Stash Chocolate Mint tea?! (Random that I’d pick that. haha. I know!) — I’m a little disappointed with the Chocolate Mint I have now and am looking for a better one. I know they have this one at my local store, but have been hesitant. Let me know if it’s worth it!! 😉
Rock the pixie pants and scarf combo, chicka!! You’re totally chic enough for the two of us, which is a good thing because I’m not holding up my end. And STOP belittling the walking — with what you’ve overcome, you should be boasting of what your body is capable of, rockstar! 😉
<3 <3 You randomly pick up on the chocolate tea like I zero in whenever apples get mentioned :D But the tea is okay. Not the greatest, because you can’t really taste any chocolate and in the end it really just tastes like mint, but not horrible either. If you’re looking for something more chocolatey, then Tetley makes a pretty good Dark Chocolate Chai if you can find that 🙂
Okay I want to come trick-or-treating to YOUR house, Amanda! Smarties & Kit Kats are some of my all-time favorite chocolates! I was reading some article about handing out “healthier” alternatives on Halloween…way to suck out the fun, eh! That being said, that plate of apple slices has my name all over it…I have a consistent love relationship with apple (so long as the texture is crisp).
Something awesome that happened to me this month: Plenty of recognition at work by my boss. It feels good when to hear that other people appreciate (and value) your efforts!
Happy Halloween!!
Hehe I actually remember getting a few toothbrushes and apples on Halloween… it was like… “err.. what?” 😯 And that’s awesome about the recognition, girl! You deserve it!
I deprived myself without a candy bar for a little while, and my gosh whenever I finally had one.. it was like heaven. I have no idea why I put them off for so long!
Haha I have a feeling our tea collections are about the same size…there are just so many different flavors to try!
I hear you on the tea collection…my cupboard is similarly stuffed! And, Edward Scissorhands is classic.
those bars, they get me every time! I’m on a mission to figure out how to make them gluten free, I MUST have them lol! I recently became addicted to apples too, I hadn’t eaten them in years cuz they used to do funky things to my stomach but I seem to be free of that problem and now I can’t get enough of the honeycrisps! And happy halloween tomorrow! Do you get to dress up as anything??
I don’t think I’ll be dressing up this year unless I see that we’re getting some kids, in which case I’ll try and throw something random together to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. It’s been a while since I’ve been really into Halloween… hard to get excited about it now!
Best thing this month=being very in love with my hubby! No trick or treating until Saturday due to sandy 🙂 however the candy may be gone by then 🙂
So excited for halloween! Are you dressing up?
I might to hand out candy if I see that we’re actually getting some kids, but otherwise probably not. Are you dressing up this year?
THOSE PANTS – OMG MUST HAVE
I wonder if they’ll look good on a shorty like me.
You look gorgeous in that photo. I have crazy eyelash envy.
Goal for the weekend: find a foam roller. Will definitely be hitting up Winner’s come Saturday!
I think Halloween feels so drawn out because it’s in the middle of the week – I feel like everyone did their celebrating last weekend! So I’m ok with a low-key Halloween day.
I’ve been told not to expect a lot of kids, but I picked up some peanut butter cups just in case. Now I’m hoping I don’t actually get any :-p
Bwaha! That’s exactly why I made sure that all the candy I bought was peanut-free 😉
I agree with you on Halloween! It seems like we celebrated already. But may be that’s just because I can’t celebrate this year…
I love wearing scarves too, and seem to don one almost every day once September hits. I’d love to get a cowl at some point too.
Not sure about trick-or-treaters. We moved to Vermont a few months ago, and this will be our first Halloween here. We shall see!
Aw, you look great in the picture and yes, scarves to the win! I love them for adding a little bit of colour or elegance to even the simplest of outfits. I can’t ever have too many of them.
I want those pants! You describing them as a kind of thicker leggings makes them seem perfect for a not-so-fond-of-“real”-pants person like me 🙂 – I much prefer wearing dresses and tights.
Regarding your apple obsession: Did you try making a crumble yet?
Something awesome that happened this month was being reunited with my friends at university after the long semester break – missed them so much!
I knew I was forgetting something with my apples! Just wrote myself a note, and it’ll be happening in the next couple of days for sure 😀
YES! omg. I thought i was the only one that felt like Halloween happened already. er, should have happened already. I guess it’s because Halloween is on a Wednesday this year?…And lots of people already celebrated last weekend?
I’ll definitely be handing out halloween candy tomorrow, but I know to only expect about 2-3 trick-or-treaters. Theres not too many young ones in my neighborhood anymore. A bit sad, but more candy for me 😉
I’ve never seen The Nightmare Before Christmas or Edward Scissorhands. Maybe those will be some good movies for me to watch since I’ll be getting no trick-or-treaters anyways.
!!! Definitely! Both of them are classics!
This post reminds me that I need to buy a new foam roller. Mine is toast from overuse!
I haven’t watched the night before Christmas in ages, now I am in the mood. I adore this weather only for the scarves, I could wear them everyday! I have a ton on hand all the time. Apples this season are spot on, I love buying apples and having them be nice and crisp. I can’t believe tomorrow is halloween, so ready for this month to end though
It is not just you, it does feel like halloween has already happened! I think it is because stores got out all their halloween stuff so early? I have already seen Christmas stuff out and halloween hasn’t even happened, strange! I am totally with you on having a massive tea collection, it is always so tempting not to buy a new flavour! 🙂
The last time I was in the store, I saw skeletons and jack-o-lanterns right next to Santa Clauses and reindeers… They’re seriously starting to mess with me.