9 October favorites

[Click here to read this post on the blog](). Some of my current fall favorites, from books to beauty to coffee: 1. Spiced pumpkin seeds at Trader Joe’s. Tis the season for pumpkin spiced everything, I know. (Props to lululemon, whose chalkboard proclaimed “We have pumpkin spice yoga pants! Just kidding.) But these are worth seeking out. Their frozen lasagna also saves my life on a regular basis, for $4.99. ([I share my Trader Joe’s favorites right here](=).) 2. The perfect pair of bookends. People are always telling me, if you have bookends, you don’t have enough books. But [these pineapples]( were way too pretty to pass up, because look how nicely they play with [Reading People](! This isn’t the first set of cute bookends I’ve picked up for less than $20 this year. You can see my similar [A to Z bookends]( in [our home library]() on the middle shelves. 3. Instant Pot frozen whole chicken. I would like to think I’m the kind of person who doesn’t need a recipe like this in my life, but alas, [this method]( has saved the day a few times this fall. It turns out that, yes, you can cook a frozen solid whole chicken in the Instant Pot in less than an hour (including that pesky coming-to-pressure time that pressure cooker recipes never seem to account for). A few notes: this wouldn’t be my method of choice if I wanted to serve a chicken dinner. But if I want cooked chicken to add to a dish like curry, chili, chicken soup, or enchiladas, it works like a charm. 4. Non-pink nail polish. Because somehow whenever I try to impulse buy nail polish at Target, I always come home with the same shade ([Revlon’s Teak Rose](). I found myself on the road recently with peep-toe heels and nails that hadn’t been painted in too long, so I stopped into the drugstore to see what I could find. I had my eye out for a pretty shade of greige but on the rack they looked pretty boring (plus would probably clash with my brown heels anyway). I was happy to find Essie’s [Smokin’ Hot](, a muted purple with grey undertones. That drugstore selection wasn’t the greatest, and I might love the more-lavender-than-purple [Merino Cool]( that I found after my trip even more. 5. PrepDish. Not planning ahead is a recurring theme in my life, apparently. We’ve been using PrepDish at my house to see us through busy seasons for about a year and a half now. It’s called PrepDish because it works like this: you do all the prep work for a whole week’s worth of meals at one go, which makes it super easy to actually put dinner on the table every night of the week. I love how the menus are simple without being boring, and always feature seasonally appropriate dishes and ingredients. Sharing here because I love it, but because PrepDish is a podcast sponsor, you can get two weeks free to try it for yourself: [click here to visit the PrepDish site](=) and use the code READNEXT. Pro tip: I enjoy prep day sooo much more if I start with a clean kitchen and a podcast or audiobook I can’t wait to listen to. 6. Shoes that match the autumn leaves. I’ve been thinking about a new pair of Tieks for a while now, but I wasn’t sure which color to get. But then Kristen showed up at our New Orleans MMD meetup wearing [the burgundy](, and I was sold. I ordered them the day I got home. I especially appreciated her explanation of why she preferred them over a few other colors I love. Short answer: the dark colors wear better over time. (A few notes about Tieks: they’re spendy, but worth it for me, and [I write about why here](). The short version: my feet are enormous. I also share my tips and tricks about styles, sizing, wear, and customer service [in this review](=).) 7. Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. I’ve always been a drugstore moisturizer girl, but I have a few Kiehl’s lovers in my life, and they talked me into giving this a try. Last November, I bought a 1.7 ounce (as in, not huge) jar of their [Ultra Facial Cream](. A family member is a Kiehl’s junkie, so every year we buy her a different Kiehl’s gift set. While I was shopping for her last November, I bought myself some of this moisturizer. I have really sensitive skin, and I was skeptical. But I love it. And also, I’ve used it every single day since before last Christmas and I’m still working on the same jar. I don’t need very much. 8. Mood lighting. File under: things I never would have purchased on my own. A decorate friend recommended this [West Elm pendant]( for our kitchen, and I said Seriously? It arrived, I opened the box, and said Really? We hung it, and Will and I both said Ohhhhh. I get it now. It looks nice, frames the space, but most importantly, the light it throws in the dark/dim is fantastic. 9. Coffee on autopilot. [Caffeine continues to be my nemesis](. I love coffee, but caffeine continues to make me feel terrible. We have great local coffee shops here in Louisville, but because decaf options aren’t abundant, I end up drinking the same three blends over and over again. It’s not a horrible situation to be in, but I would appreciate some variety. Will got me [a MistoBox subscription]() for Christmas this year, which means a box of decaf coffee arrives monthly. I always forget it’s on the way, which means I’m continually surprised when a new-to-me decaf blend arrives on my doorstep once a month. I love my local roasters, but it’s so nice to be guaranteed something different once a month, even if I fail to plan ahead. What are YOU loving this fall? We’d love to hear a little about your favorites in comments. [Click here to visit the comments section](). 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