Pumpkin pick-me-up

Pumpkin Goodies

In south Florida it doesn't get cool until December, and you don't have to wear a coat more than 20 days out of the year.  I'm not complaining, and I know how good I have it.  But as soon as football season begins, and especially once the football fans on TV are wearing sweatshirts, I want to feel like we have a season called Fall. 

True story, as told by my mother who taught elementary school for many years.  The standardized test they give kids in Florida, FCAT, asks elementary school kids questions about seasons.  Questions that would assume they had any experience with leaves changing colors, snow, first blooms in spring.  We have to read our kids books about seasons and explain that they happen somewhere else.
It may be a high of 92 degrees outside, but once I see the sweatshirts on TV, the inside my house will be Fall!

Pumpkin truly makes me happy.  I am not a morning person, no matter how much sleep I've had, but when I light a pumpkin candle and drink some pumpkin flavored coffee I am instantly transformed into a productive, alert, happy woman.  I don't know whether it's because of the pumpkin or because of what it represents: heading into my favorite time of year with football, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. (Note: my anniversary is in December, my first child was born in December, and my third child is due in November, so most of the great and exciting events of the year fall within these months. Also, my sanity wanes significantly...stay tuned for posts about that later).

As I mentioned, normally I wait until it feels like Fall somewhere in the United States to break out the Fall decorations and the pumpkin goodies.  I needed a little pick me up this year, so I started early and I'm so glad I did!  I found some Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Via that you mix with milk for a concoction almost as yummy as the real thing.  I bought a Nature's Wick Pumpkin Nutmeg candle at Target that is strong enough to scent the whole downstairs. And, I made Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies from a recipe on Pinterest.  If you need a pick me up or some inspiration, I highly recommend this combination!