Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things 

It’s spooky season! Happy Spooktacular October!

Before I deep-dive into all my favorites this week, I have to say thank you to you all. So many sweet comments last week in regard to my feeling a little down after falling into the comparison trap. I can’t say that I’m fully out of my funk, this week was both bad and good. It came with some news that’s left me feeling a little so-so the last few days.

But I’m moving on, I have the most exciting week of travel ahead! I’m feeling grateful for all the wonderful blessings I already have! Not to mention the special upcoming season!

But again, thank you for your sweet comments, they really did make my week. It was so nice to see such positivity in the comments again, so thank you, thank you. Your support means everything. You really do feel like an extension of my family!

It’s finally October!! We’re so excited for this time of year. ‘Tis my season to thrive! I love all things Halloween and definitely dork-out over fun Halloween recipes and drinks, but I love the holidays too! Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, there’s so much to look forward to!

For this month, I’m excited to share two or three new Halloween cocktails with you all. I’ve also got some easy, cute desserts for Halloween gatherings. And of course, deliciously easy fall recipes! Just like every other fall season, this fall is going to be busy, but I love that! We have some small trips ahead. A handful of in-person events that I can’t wait to share more details on. One more fun launch before the end of the year. And as expected, my overly festive holiday content.

That’s it for our weekly update! I have lots of fun things below, so I hope you enjoy! Have a great Sunday and welcome to cozy season!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…Salt and Stone products. Specifically, their body wash in bergamot & hinoki. I’ve been using this all month and love the way its made my skin feel. Plus the scent makes the bathroom smell like a spa. They also have great candles, thinking of ordering the saffron & cedar scent. Sounds cozy for fall. I really enjoyed the grapefruit & hinoki scent over the summer.

wanting…every designer bag. There are SO many beautiful bags I love right now. I have a real problem. I’ve recently become obsessed with the Khaite Weekender bag after seeing them up close during the Khaite show at New York Fashion Week. So pretty.

everything in my cart (low)…loving everything Coach. Yes, they are designer, but more affordable and still SO CUTE. The Sammy bag is in my Amazon cart.

From Zara, I LOVE their soft neoprene effect bomber jacket. Cozy and cute. I’d style it with a cute skirt or jeans and these buckled flat biker ankle boots.

Lastly, very into these cute burnished leather riding boots from Ralph Lauren. Create a cozy look with this Mohair-blend Fine-knit Sweater.

listening to…How To Crush Your Goals & Execute On Your Vision Ft. Arrae Co-Founders Siff & Nish Samantray. Such an inspiring, fun episode. Siff and Nish have an incredible story as brand founders. Enjoyed listening to this a lot.

dreaming of going…Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Because Paris in the fall looks like magic and this hotel seems to be where everyone is staying. It looks so special.

loving…seeing so many of you all cooking from the HBH cookbooks!! Not sure what’s been going on, but so many cookbook recipes have been shared on IG lately. So fun! Also, the HBH Every Day is on sale on Amazon fro 50% off this weekend. If you are looking for a cute holiday gift, stock up on some cookbooks! You could even bundle them up our Pumpkin Smash candle. This is the 8.5 ounce candle and now the 4 wick 50 ounce candle is on Amazon! So cute and festive!

reading…15 Iconic Things to Do in New York City in the Fall. Oh, I love this list. Adding everything here to my list of ” things to do in New York”.

shopping…for Christmas. I’ve already placed orders for new decorations at Pottery Barn and Anthro. I know, I have a problem. New Christmas decorations are coming this season!

ordered…this 3-piece spatula set. Baking season is here and these have awesome reviews online.

searching…for the cutest advent calendar for the Christmas season. The Williams Sonoma Chuck’s Luxury Advent Calendar is cute and filled with a random selection of goodies. They also have this Holiday Advent Calendar: 24 Days of Baking Cookies. I think I would gift this one to anyone who loves holiday baking. It’s cute and fun!

If you love chocolates, this cute Haut-Chocolat Calendar of Advent is for you.

Love the Elemis First Class Skincare Advent Calendar. The White Company Advent Calendar, Ulta Beauty’s 24 Days of Self Care Advent Calendar, and Bloomingdale’s 25-Day Beauty Advent Calendar.

Anthropologie has so many good ones, but I love the Cindy Advent Calendar and Viv Ski Lodge Advent Calendar. Or The 2023 George & Viv Beauty Advent Calendar. Super cute and festive.

I think my favorite of these all however is this Lit Glitter Houses Advent Calendar from Pottery Barn. It is so cute!

everything in my cart (beauty)… Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner
and Pillow Talk Collection Lip Secrets, the new LAWLESS Forget The Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss

wanting…the Quince Organic Percale Piped Duvet Cover. This looks so warm and cozy and I love that the fabric is organic. Also the Organic Cloud Cotton Quilt from Parachute. Love the cozy vibe. 

everything in my cart (high)…this oversized leather jacket from Remain Birger-Christensen is on my wish list. So is the new Saks Potts ada jacket.

Loving this Clare Cropped Blazer and Wrap Miniskirt from SIMKHAI. Super cute with these brushed leather booties from Prada.

shopping…this cute Cleveland Browns Graphic Tee from Abercrombie. I NEVER rep sports teams, but I have to say Abercrombie did an amazing job with their collection of vintage NFL tees. They have every team. I’ll always be a Browns girl. What’s your team?

2. September’s most popular recipes.

Most popular: Crockpot Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Chicken

Runner-up: Roasted Butternut Squash and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

Also have to mention: Baked Crunchy Maple Dijon Chicken

Asher’s and Oslo’s Favorite: Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake

My Personal Favorite: Chewy Brown Sugar Peanut Butter Spider Cookies

3. Affordable Amazon Finds.

For Halloween

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: What’s been your fave moment so far this summer?
a: Traveling and creating a brand that I’m so excited to share +  the special moments I’ve gotten to share with my family. It’s busy right now but I’m thankful for the time I get to have with them. a lot of times it’s short and sweet, but it’s exactly what I need.

q: Do you ever get tired of cooking and planning what to make all the time?
a: Yes, that’s why taking time to travel to work on new projects has been so important. It’s all a balance, but when I’m able to get out of my kitchen a little, I find new energy and excitement to continue to create and share new recipes! But in general, I love to cook, I love style, and I love to create beautiful things 🧚

q: Carry-on or check luggage??
a: I overpack every trip, so I’m checking that bag.

q: How do you choose which recipe picture to put on the front cover of your books?’
a: I have to say, for the first two books it wasn’t my call. For my last book Every Day (on sale on Amazon right now for $15), no one thought the cover should be the sweet potato pierogi. But I pushed hard for it and am so happy I did!

q: Timeless, but affordable pieces of jewelry you’d recommend!
a: Look at Anthropologie they have had the best pieces lately. I also love Jenny Bird and Aureum.

q: Favorite room refresher after cooking seafood? The odor just lingers!
a: A really great candle.

q: Tips for traveling these days with so many flight issues?
a: Remember that flying is pretty much out of your control. There just isn’t too much you can do. Treat everyone with kindness and try to breathe + stay calm. It might be awful in the moment but you’ll move past it in a day or two.  You’re going to survive at the end of it all, it’s gonna be fine. Easier said than done but this is what I say to myself. I stress when traveling too, but delays are out of our control. And try to remember to be thankful for all those travel days that DO go smoothly.

q: How do you dry brush and for how long? I’m trying to work this habit in and so far,  I’m liking it!
a: I start at my feet and work my way up my legs, I do my stomach in a circular motion, then brush downward on my arms towards my heart. From my understanding, you always want to brush up or down towards the heart and not away. I do a few strokes per leg, arm, etc. It takes anywhere from 2-5 minutes depending on how much time I have/if I’m feeling tired. I’m not a wellness expert, this is just how I do it based on what I know.

q: Gift recs for newly engaged?
a: This might sound lame, but money. Allow the couple to use the money in a way they need it the most. You can never go wrong.

q: How does your content produce income? You have so much awesome free content.
a: There are a number of ways. One of those ways is the advertisements you see floating around on the website. I will not lie to you, I don’t like them. But it’s a balance and our team does their very best to manage them and make sure they are the least annoying as possible. Another source is brand partnerships, which I do very little of. It’s important to me to only work with brands I love and offer deals that are worth the time and effort. Of course, the cookbooks are also a source of income. Then we have new sources like product and larger collaborations. There’s more than you might think!

5. Just two weeks left to order our home chef meal kits!

I know I mentioned this last week, but watching everyone receive and make the HBHxHome Chef recipes has been the coolest. It’s so fun to see you create my recipes SO SIMPLY in your own kitchen. Totally stress-free cooking, so we love that!

Please continue to share recipes with me through social, email, or even below in the comments. I LOVE seeing you all recreate and enjoy each recipe. So happy everyone has loved their meal kits. Not one complaint! Wahoo!

So far we have shared my Chipotle Salmon Tacos and Roasted Red Pepper Pizza. Then my Dad’s Chipotle Beef Tacos and Creamy White Bean Lemon Orzo Soup. Coming up this week is Korean-Style Beef and One Pan Hot Honey Mustard Chicken.

If you haven’t signed up for Home Chef, you can order everything here. Just be sure to use my code HALFBAKED to get 18 Free Meals + Free Shipping!

6. Thanksgiving + Inspiring me.

As crazy as this sounds, I’m already thinking about my Thanksgiving menu! In years past I’ve gotten my menu out too last minute for you all. Everyone asks for me to share it sooner than I usually do!

This year I’m going to try and prepare ahead of time!

With that in mind, what is it that you all are hoping to see in my Thanksgiving menu? I assume it should be simple and easy? Maybe most of the dishes are make-ahead? Do we want something traditional? Or traditional with a twist? OR should I focus more on Friendsgiving? That could be so fun!

Share details with me in the comments! Excited to see what everyone is looking for this year!

inspiring me – everything Halloween

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

Trains Rides Are the Best Way to See Fall Foliage. Try One of These 13 Trips…love, love, love this. A great way to spend the weekend.

8 Secret-Menu Starbucks Fall Drinks That Are Way Better Than a PSL.

20 Football Sunday Recipes That Will Make Watching the Game Worth It…yum.

12 Podcasts To Listen to if You Go Feral for Thrillers…spooky, spooky.

The 80 Best Spooky Movies to Watch for Halloween….boo!

A Gramercy Park Apartment With Two Private Terraces…so pretty!

30 Fall Affirmations to Reflect, Realign, and Release Negativity…these are sweet.

50 Halloween Nail Ideas That Aren’t Cheesy…spooky and cute.

5 Easy Hacks That Will Make Your Candles Last Way Longer…these are many of the things I do.

12 Books to Read If You Love ‘Gilmore Girls’…these sound cute, love Gilmore Girls!

How to Create, When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed…such good tips tucked away here.

The Fashion-Person Guide to Mexico City…were to stay, dine, shop and go.

8. My Favorite Fall Boots From $50 to $500.

Fall pieces From Nordstrom

cashmere sweaters for every budget 

9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.

Monday: Crockpot Creamy French Onion Chicken and Orzo

Tuesday: Better For You Chicken and Spinach Ramen

Wednesday: Easy Skillet Butternut Squash Lasagna

Thursday: Weeknight Sticky Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs

Friday: Brie and Cheddar Butternut Squash Beer Soup

Saturday: Smoky Sanderson Sisters’ Smash

Sunday: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins