From The Pumpkin Patch

October is easily my favourite month of the year.

Spooky season is upon us, everything seems to be pumpkin-flavoured and there’s a definite chill in the air.

However, not everything is perfectly autumnal all month long. In fact, life has been feeling a little tough lately. But there are always moments of joy and happiness to be found, particularly at this time of year.

Of course, we started the month off with a trip to Hewitt’s Farm to pick pumpkins and stock up on kabocha squash.

I always look forward to their autumn decorations, and this year was no exception. Just look at this wonderfully seasonal display!

As usual I documented our visit in a blog post – check out Come Pumpkin-Picking With Me if you want to feel extra cosy.

Towards the end of October we spent a few days in Bath with my husband’s parents, visiting an old family friend. We stumbled upon the most beautiful bookshop, filled floor-to-ceiling with every book imaginable.

Aren’t those ladders amazing? They make me think of the library scene in Beauty and the Beast.

On our last night we had dinner at The Architect, a beautiful restaurant situated in the heart of Bath.

It was here that I discovered my current favourite drink, the ‘Dark and Spicy’ – a fiery ginger beer spiked with alcohol-free spiced rum. It was so good that we made our own on Halloween night!

I wanted to eat something cosy and warm to offset the chilly weather, so I ordered the bratwurst with mashed potato, sauerkraut and red cabbage. It was just as delicious as it looks.

Oh, and I just had to include this photo of my husband and I. It makes me happy!

Below are some more things that are making me happy lately – a pile of vintage Babysitters Club books from the 90’s that I found in a charity shop along with the kitschiest, silliest Halloween t-shirt that I’ve been living in.

Speaking of books, I picked up The Pumpkin Spice Cafe earlier this month. Of course I was drawn in by the title and the gorgeous cover, but the story held my attention surprisingly well.

Although it may have been all the mentions of pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider doughnuts and autumn leaves…

I also devoured Halloween Night by R.L. Stine, a wonderfully nostalgic and creepy read. You can check out my in-depth review here – spoiler, I absolutely loved it.

My Animal Crossing island has also been getting into the spooky spirit this month, with Halloween decorations in every nook and cranny. I even dug and planted my very own pumpkin patch!

What do you think of my Halloween costume?

As I always say, the colder months are the best time of year to be in the kitchen.

I’ve been making big batches of autumn harvest soup lately, which brightens up even the gloomiest October day.

Sweet potato, pumpkin, kabocha and marrow have also been staples on my plate this month. I particularly love my version of roasted pumpkin seeds coated in a mixture of honey, butter and cinnamon. Yum.

And of course, we had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween. I love seeing all the cute trick or treaters and handing out chocolate dressed as a black cat – specifically, Binx from Hocus Pocus.

We went all-out with our decorations this year, turning our house lights purple and placing six glowing jack-o’-lanterns outside. The kids loved it!

Once it got a bit later, we watched The Shining and snacked on leftover Halloween candy. A perfect October evening.

November has arrived with a bang, as I’m currently cosy in bed while Storm Ciarán rages across the UK. I’ve been waiting for the leaves to change colour as they’ve been particularly late this year, so I’m hoping the gale-force winds don’t blow them right off the branches.

If I don’t get swept away, I’ll see you soon!