When Will Pumpkin Creamer be Back in Stores? And New PSL 10 Tumbler!

Happy Wednesday! We are halfway through the week already, thanks to getting that pesky Monday out of the way on Labor Day :-)

As you know, PSL and fall favorites are back at Starbucks, but of course I am anxious to have my pumpkin creamer from Coffee-Mate and International Delight at home.

I know, I should just be patient, but I'm having a hard time doing so when all I really want is to be smacked full-force in the face with fall! I remember CM and ID releasing their pumpkin creamers (Pumpkin Spice and Pumpkin Pie Spice, respectively) at different intervals over different years, so I really had no idea what to expect for this year. I've been looking at my local stores, but so far, no luck. So, I reached out to the companies and they both said they should be back this month! International Delight said they should be out by THIS WEEK! I thought that was pretty exciting news, since I'm pretty sure last year they did not come to my stores until late Sept-early October. If any of you see PS or PPS creamer in your store, puh-lease LET ME KNOW! And send me a bottle if you feel like it, haha!

Speaking of coffee at home, I picked up this cute little thing at Starbucks today and I cannot wait to fill it up with my Pumpkin Pie Spice home-brewed coffee!



You can purchase this from the Starbucks.com website

This tumbler is a grande (16 fl. oz.) size mug and features an orange-gold foil PSL10 label with other Starbucks and PSL logos, pumpkins, leaves, varying fonts, etc. and is all printed on real wood. The wood is unique to each cup so the grain will vary, making the one you choose your very own :-) I absolutely love it! So now you see why I am so anxious for those creamers to come back to stores?? Lol.

Also, Starbucks has a special offer on the tumblers right now- if you buy a package of Pumpkin Spice VIA ($6.95), you can get this tumbler for 1/2 price! Not a bad deal. You end up spending the same amount of money but get a packet of instant coffee with it for free.

Look at that cute little guy back there! It's just waiting for you to pick it up!

OK, I think that's all for now! I have some info on Christmas candles at both Yankee Candle and BBW that I will be posting about soon, and also some New Year's candles at BBW to tell you about! So stay tuned, friends! Remember to be on the lookout for creamer returning to stores this week. Hope you can get your fix. Have a wonderful day!

Happy PSL Day!

Hello! I hope you had a great Labor Day Weekend! I know I sure did- I decorated my house for fall! Woohoo! And what a great way to cap off my fall decorating with the official return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks this morning! If you follow me on Facebook, you already know it was released last week in secret with the access code PSL10. I hope you got to take advantage of it! It's an exciting year for the Pumpkin Spice Latte as it is celebrating its 10 year anniversary! That's right, the Pumpkin Spice Latte turns 10 years old this year! And Starbucks is going all out to celebrate.

There are some cute collectible things like traveler mugs, gift cards, etc that are available in stores, and then there's this baby:

A Swarovski crystal encrusted coffee tumbler for the small price of $150. But don't worry, it comes with a pre-loaded $20 gift card, so that makes it all worth it :-) I am kidding about this being affordable, but if it's something you like then more power to you! I really like the ombre-style orange coloring to represent the pumpkin at the bottom, but I also think this is something I could make at home after a trip to the local craft store. But either way, it's exciting that the PSL is back and turning 10 and being celebrated so much!

And the fall drinks returning to stores means fall gift cards are back, too! The past 2 years they have had a beautiful brown card with leaves and brail on top. This year they have two different cards. A yellow card with a few leaves on it, which looks very Thanksgiving-y to me, and a PSL mini card (with a hole punched on top to fit on your key ring).

In case you were wondering, the PSL sauce is very good again this year. Sweet, spicy, pumpkiny, flavorful... like fall in a cup. There were a few years (circa 2008-2010/2011) where the sauce was very bland, not spicy, not at all pumpkiny, bitter and lacking in flavor. It just plain did not taste good at all. I always had to pair it with Cinnamon Dolce syrup to bring out some spice and flavor. However, last year and this year they nailed it- it tastes just like it's supposed to! If you find it is too sweet for you, just ask for 1/2 the pumps and that will not only tone down the flavor, but also the calories.

This is such an exciting time of year! It is the unofficial end of summer being after Labor Day, and we made it to the BER months! YAY! I saw Disneyland Halloween Time commercials on the TV just now as I was writing this and got so excited! As I predicted a few posts ago, the date for Halloween Time is Friday, September 13th! Only 10 days away!!! Sooo exciting! The first day of autumn is less than 20 days from now, BBW is in full-force with all of their fall candles, home fragrance, body care and soaps, and Yankee Candle released their Halloween stuff today! So much fun stuff going on and even more wonderful things to look forward to! I hope you all join in on the festivities! Feel free to share any fall fun you have going on in your lives right now, I always like hearing about how everyone celebrates.

Cheers to the PSL 10 years and to the beginning of fall!

Bath & Body Fall Candle Preview 2013 & CIJ is Approaching!

I am just tickled pink with anticipation of all things fall that are approaching. July might oddly enough be one of my favorite months because this is when things I am using now (i.e. 4^th of July, summer things, etc) go one sale and guess what starts creeping in to store aisles?? Fall and Christmas! Hooray! Pumpkins, costumes, colorful leaves and evergreen wreaths start to make their debut in some of my favorite stores. What stores, you ask? Hobby Lobby is decked out for Christmas in some aisles, Michael’s has had fall since the 1^st week of June (they get their 1^st fall boxes in immediately after Memorial Day), Party City has the back of their store dedicated to Halloween costumes and Yankee Candle has their fall preview collection out and ready! July is great because everything good is ahead of you, and you even get to experience a lot of that goodness to come now J

 

I also know that this is the month when any event or new item being released in the fall will make a preview in some way, shape or form, usually on a website. Two examples of this today: First, Bath & Body 3-wick candles are on sale for $12 right now for the semi-annual sale, and guess what I saw included in that special price? Pumpkin collection!!! Classic fragrances and a couple new scents in their new 2013 packaging are on sale for $12 right now! AND free shipping over $25! Second example of this today, Mickey’s Halloween Party information is up on Disney’s website!!! I am so excited, I seriously hope I can go this year! Aside from the Halloween Party, which is a separate event, Halloween Time at Disneyland/Fall starts in September, and although they do not have that schedule up yet, I will guess that will start the weekend of September 14^th. Two short months away!

 

Isn’t that a great little summertime pick-me-up?! It is for me! All these scorching Arizona summer days, in combination with the start of some monsoon storms really make me crave the fall, so I get a little more excited about these things than most people probably do. Today is such a cozy, lazy day out, too. It’s been overcast all day (a really nice break from the bright, blaring summer sun), and therefore our temperatures are about 10-20 degrees cooler than they have been. “Cooler”, by the way, is 88 degrees at 8:30am instead of 97, is that funny to anyone else? Lol. Also, during the afternoon today it went from 113 to 93 when it started raining, oh happy day! The clouds and pending monsoon storms have brought with it some thick humidity that makes the air feel like a warm blanket and the smell of rain which makes me want to curl up by a fireplace with a hot coffee and take a nap. Caffeine and naps are very contradicting, so I can’t explain why but that’s just what this weather makes me want to do! Combine all of that with Christmas in July on QVC approaching and I am just over. the. moon!

 

So, do you want the scoop for the new Bath & Body Works fragrances for fall? I’ll assume you do, so here it is!

 

I’ll start with some brief packaging information:

 

The packaging for the pumpkin candles is decent and an improvement from last year. I’ll include a few pictures of some of the candles below and you can decide for yourself J The new packaging for Cranberry Woods is very pretty, and I hope that is the direction they will go for the rest of the fragrances this year and for the upcoming holiday season. It suits my style well.

 

Also, can I backtrack real quick and say that I am pretty sure BBW has never had any fall candles from the new, upcoming season at all whatsoever online before it’s available in stores or during the semi-annual sale?? This seems like a first and I won’t question it. My only explanation would be that they see the market demand is very high once summertime hits- people are pretty eager for fall since it’s been a decent stretch of time since there has been a real holiday that you can theme and expand out to the 5 senses product-wise in a while, so they are jumping on the opportunity and providing the supply earlier. It works very well for their competitor, Yankee Candle, so they might as well take advantage of it, too!

 

Here are some new fall scents that caught my eye that I am really stoked about just based on the name alone! If you try any of these, please let me know what you think! These descriptions are straight from the BBW website.

 

Pumpkin Carving (New!)

Your fall favorites are back! Invite everyone over to enjoy the fun fragrance of making jack-o-lanterns in this blend of pumpkin, brown sugar and nutmeg.

 

Re-introducing… Pumpkin Carving! (read CARVE, like carving a jack-o-lantern, not crave, like I am craving a pumpkin spice latte, lol) ß I threw that little tidbit in there because last year I heard a few employees read it as c-r-aving, so I thought I would help you out if you needed it since it is pretty easy to transpose those letters!

 

Ok, so this one is technically not NEW, it was actually given away as a part of a free gift last year during a home fragrance event at BBW stores on Saturday, September 15^th, 2012 in a mini-candle version, then they never fully released it and I could not find it ANYWHERE! I’m sure it was in some test stores, but it was not online or in any stores near me, so I was really bummed that I missed out on getting it! So I am very excited to see that it is here this year! Can’t wait to try it! Were any of you lucky enough to snag this one up last year?

 

Side note: I missed the fragrance event that day because we were in the hospital- my sister-in-law was having their first baby and our 2^nd nephew! So we were a little caught up with labor and delivery J Wouldn’t have missed that for a BBW event obviously (please send me to Bath & Body rehab if I ever do something like that lol), but I think this ends up being a win-win for me- got to be there for our nephew’s arrival and they are releasing the scent I missed last year, this year! Score!

  

Sweater Weather (New!)

Cuddle up with an aromatic blend of eucalyptus, juniper berry and fresh sage that celebrates the arrival of sweater weather.

Pumpkin Apple (New!)

Experience the blend of your two favorite fall scents - apples and pumpkin - enhanced by notes of cinnamon and clove.

 

Pumpkin Pecan Waffles (New!)

Delight in the scrumptious scent of pumpkin pecan waffles, pure maple syrup and a touch of brown sugar

Aaand some returning classics!

Marshmallow Fireside

Celebrate the changing season with a warm blend of toasted marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening 'round the bonfire.

  

Leaves

Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries.

Autumn Day

Inspired by the fresh air and brilliant colors of a stroll through a secluded wood in autumn with notes of oak, citrus and golden amber.
 

Autumn

I'll spare you the descriptions for the rest of these since they should be about the same as years past :)  

Pumpkin Cupcake
 

Pumpkin Caramel Latte

 

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

 

Cranberry Woods

 

Nutmeg & Spice

 

Fresh Balsam

 

So whaddya think? I am excited as always for these to return and for the new ones as well! Pumpkin Carving, Sweater Weather and Pumpkin Apple are the ones I am most looking forward to J I am sure they will bring back a couple other oldies that have been popular like Spiced Cider, Apple Crumble and Caramel Apple, and I’m sure they will tempt our noses with some new ones for us to try throughout the season as well. I believe the pumpkin collection is available in stores July 27^th, about 2 weeks away! Ahhh!! Or, you can buy them ahead of time today online while they are on sale! I doubt they will be on sale when they first come out, so if you want to stock up, now is a good time to do so. And with free shipping, it’s very worth it.

To hold you over until then, did I mention CIJ on QVC is only 8 days away?!?!?! YAY!!! I’ll be planning a weekend of getting to know my couch a lot better over the course of Friday evening until Sunday night when it ends! I seriously have problems lol! BTW, it starts an hour earlier this year!! Friday July 19^th at 11pm EST, so that would be 8pm my time. I feel so lucky that I don’t have to wait so long for it since I’m in a different time zone. Go Arizona. You pulled through for me!

Here is the basic schedule to quickly fill you in on what to expect (listed in EST, so adjust accordingly):

 

Friday, July 19th, 2013

 

11:00pm - Christmas Shoppe

 

Saturday, July 20th, 2013

 

12:00am-2:00am - The Joy of Christmas

 

Sunday, July 21st, 2013

11:00pm-12:00am - The Joy of Christmas

 

 

You can find the full programming schedule with this link (I have it set to Pacific Time):

 

http://www.qvc.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProgramGuideDailyView?storeId=10251&TimeZoneSelect=PST&Navigate=20130719

 

Isn't the graphic super cute this year?? I just love it!

So, I feel like we are all caught up to speed now with holidays and whatnot. Oh wait, back-to-school is coming up. In less than a month around these parts. I feel like summer vacation is so short these days! The only other countdown I have going on in my head is the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks (oh, the things I tease myself with). That always comes back the day after Labor Day, so I expect it to be “soft-released” (as in, not advertised at all, but if you know about it, you might be able to purchase it) Labor Day weekend, and in full pumpkin spice bloom on Tuesday, September 3^rd! I have it marked in my calendar as “Happy PSL Day”, and I will bet you my first latte that it will be available then! Any takers? ;-)

 

Sheesh, that is only 7 ½ weeks away! I also plan to decorate my house for fall that weekend. Not Halloween though, that usually comes between the 1^st day of fall and October 1^st, whatever my schedule allows for. For those of you keeping score at home, the first day of fall this year is Sunday, September 22^nd… 10 ½ weeks away J So we have lots of fun stuff to fill our weeks with until then!

 

Alright, now I feel caught up with everything, haha! Have a lovely summer day!

Rekindle, Rejoice... RED CUPS!!!

You heard right- the beloved red cups are back at Starbucks!!! I would say you have no idea how much joy this brings me, but I think you have an idea how much joy this brings me. A sleighful might be an understatement : )

What a way to ring in the season and start November off right! For my first red cup drink of the season, I kicked it off with a Soy Caramel Brulee Latte, which, if you haven't tried one before, now is a good time to scoot your boots into a Starbucks near you and grab a cup! If you aren't famil with what it is, it's basically what I consider the perfect Thanksgiving drink. And, being November, I think it's necessary to celebrate all things Thanksgiving in full force while sprinkling in Christmas along the way until Black Friday. By the way, in case you haven't looked at a calendar lately, Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks from TODAY. Huh?? Is it always so soon after Halloween? To answer my own question, and if any of you are still listening at home, no, it isn't usually this soon lol! It varies based on when the month starts/October ends (which is Halloween), and I believe we generally have 3.5 weeks in between, sometimes four. I may be wrong, but I think this is the shortest time in between Halloween and Thanksgiving that we can have! This is all fine by me. Keeps me on my toes : ) Next year we will have 4 weeks in between, which means 1 more week for Thanksgiving, but 1 less week for Christmas. A little holiday give and take!

Anywho, I have deviated from my original thoughts quite a bit. Back to red cups! I am really liking this handwritten cursive-y type of font that I'm seeing used by Bath & Body and now Starbucks for Christmas. The Starbucks sleeve has the word "Rekindle" written on it (hence the title of my post) and it is in this ribbon-like festive font. BBW is also using that on their nostalgic Christmas candle collection. I'm a fan. I really don't like simple block letters that have been used so much for the past few holidays- it's just too boring and ordinary, and this season is nothing but! "Rekindle the season", I very much like the sound of that!

Alright, here is my drink breakdown for the holidays, in case you needed some guidance on what drink to get when ; ) Ahem: I think the perfect drinks for fall and Halloween are the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Salted Caramel Mocha. As I stated for Thanksgiving, I like the Caramel Brulee best! It's festive, still fall-ish and doesn't scream Christmas to me like the others do. My all-time fave holiday/Christmas drink might be the Gingerbread Latte... mmm. It is soo good! That one borders with Thanksgiving and Christmas, I think it can be versatile. I'm not a fan of the Eggnog Latte, it just is too bland for me. Maybe I haven't had it made right! And if I'm really in the Christmas spirit, nothing beats the Peppermint White Mocha... nothing. O.M.G. Plan on wearing sweatpants for the rest of the day if you get it though- that thing is loaded with calories, lol! And of course, the original Peppermint Mocha (not white) is a great drink if you want the cool peppermint flavor but a few less calories : ) Or, you can get a PWM with 1/2 the normal pumps of the white mocha sauce. That will actually make a big difference in calorie reduction! So there you have it, my Starbucks holiday drink breakdown. You're welcome!

And of course, no post about Starbucks red cups being back would be complete without proof, so without further ado, here they are! In all their festive glory!

Well hello there, snowman! ; > D

Rekindle the red cup

Caramel Brulee sprinkles... mmmmm!

Doesn't the black & white make this look super cold?
Brr, winter chill in the air!

I love this time of year. I talk about transitions a lot, but I almost enjoy them more than the actual events themselves. Being November 1st, I feel like I can celebrate the holidays in my own way a little earlier than everyone else does. It's totally appropriate to celebrate Thanksgiving and gear up for Christmas, but people aren't as outward about this on November 1st as they are in the middle to end of the month... I get to have my own secret holiday club. While everyone else is dreading this time of year, I'm having my own party 24/7 until the New Year rolls through, haha! Maybe it's selfish, but I really like this time where I can have the holidays to myself and anticipate things to come! While we're on the topic of changes and new things, I thought I'd share one more picture. These leaves capture the transition from Halloween spooks and thrills, to a wintry forecast of magical things to come:

Twinkling leaves over a glowing sea of enchanting lights
signify a seasonal change is on its way

I just love the myriad of colors in this photo. Alright, that's it! Thanks for reading! Have a festive day!

Happy November!!!

Well hello! And happy November to you!

Life has been a whirlwind of mostly overwhelming crappy events the past 7 weeks or so (and I don't say this to complain- life is good and I am very, very blessed!), so I haven't been able to write and I've missed it so much! In my personal life, I was celebrating each holiday milestone and countdown, from the first day of fall (which was awesome!), to October 1st, to Oktoberfest music being on the music channel, to all-Halloween-all-the-time on the music channel, to "only 2 weeks until Halloween!", to "only 1 week until November!", to "just 1 week until my awesome Election Day birthday!", to "Starbucks red cups have shipped to stores!", to "Omg, less than 1 week until all-Christmas-all-the-time on the music channel!", to Halloween last night (which was simply amazing), and now to November! Here we are!

Ay yi yi, how is it that we only have 2 months between us and the new year?! I know, I know, time flies, gets faster as you get older, yadda yadda, but I swear, no matter how much I prepare for all of this stuff it still leaves me in disbelief once it's here!

Halloween last night was really, just.. magical. I had very low expectations going in to it since everything leading up to the day had just been crazy, but somehow it all worked out once the bewitching hour was upon us. We got a record number of trick-or-treaters, which was a really nice surprise! Even though the holiday (and really entire fall season) has been very rushed, everyone seemed so festive and in the Halloween spirit. There was a chill in the air, chili in the Crockpot, a wood fire outside, the warm, ambient glow of candles burning sweet and spicy smells of fall, orange and purple lights shining bright, jack-o-lanterns lit on porches, and plenty of Halloween hits coming from the Walking Holiday household :-) Kids seemed to get so excited when they looked across the street and saw our house lit up- our windows open just enough to peer in and get a glimpse of the festivities inside, with the promise of candy to reward their trick-or-treating skills! One little trick-or-treater even stuck her head inside to peek around at our Halloween house! I was so flattered. After our last trick-or-treater (Ketchup) around 9:00, we turned all the lights off, leaving only our Halloween lights on and watched Hocus Pocus with a little Pumpkin Pie Spice coffee nightcap :-) It was perfect. We wrapped things up just before midnight, where I walked outside and said goodnight to Halloween, and thank you for the magically spooktacular evening. As it turned midnight, I welcomed the cool, crisp November air with its harvest tidings ahead.

As I sit here now, I'm anticipating all the warmth and joy of the season ahead, and also my trip to Starbucks in a few minutes for my first red cup of the season :-D  Yay! Must. Be. Patient..... OK, I think I've waited long enough- off to Starbucks I go! Pictures to follow, I'm sure!

Have a fabulous November and don't forget, it you are in AZ with Cox Cable, channel 933 will be playing the last of the Halloween music today and Christmas will start tomorrow!!! Tune in! Have a hollie day!

Also, props to my future hubby for making things so extra special yesterday. It would not have been Halloween without everything you did- from making what I think is the best chili I have ever tasted, to going out and getting a fire pit for the backyard and lighting a real wood fire, and turning on all the Halloween lights and lighting all the Halloween candles, I could not have asked or dreamed of anything better. I am so lucky to have you! Thanks my dear! Next Halloween, we'll be married!

Spooooooooky trees

BOO!

Is this not the coolest train you have ever seen??

Yankee Candle Halloween Preview Party TODAY!

I am so excited, after a few weeks of anticipation, the Yankee Candle Halloween Preview Party has arrived! Yay!

It's today from 10am-4pm (less than an hour- woohoo!). Will you be going? If you do, I'd love to see pictures or hear about items you were excited about!

Have fun!! Happy Halloween shopping!

Come One, Come Fall... at Bath & Body Works!

It always sounds so early (to other people) when my favorite candle shops, Bath & Body Works and Yankee Candle, start advertising the preview for their fall collection in July to be released in August. But when the end of July and August actually get here, I think everyone is SO ready for cooler weather that they don't really mind seeing fall items appearing in stores :-)  I think it's so good to get a head start, because before I know it, fall items are here and gone by September, and find myself scurrying around in October, while stores prepare for Christmas, going "what happened?!" and feeling like I didn't have enough time to get all of my fall haul done! Which is why I am so pleased to see Bath & Body Works fall preview mailing list up on the website! And guess what I'm even more pleased about?? That I know which items will be here before BBW officially announces it! Yaaaaaay!

So, if you would like to sign up for BBW's mailing list to be notified of fall items, here is the link: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/comeonecomefall

Umm.. ok, so I signed up for e-mails Sunday, clicked on this last night and also this morning, and it isn't working! I had a feeling they would take it down, only because I actually stumbled upon their "Come One, Come Fall" link on Friday the 13th, which is really early, and I could not find it after that! They took it down really fast. I didn't even get a chance to look at it because it was on my phone and I wanted to have the full experience on my computer lol. Learned my lesson... if you see an early link, USE IT!

So anyway, keep trying the link if you want to be added to the mailing list, but I will keep you informed of things as soon as I know them. So if it doesn't work, don't worry!

And now, without further ado, here's a sneak peek of what we can look forward to in stores!

Brand New for Fall:

Autumn Day (this is a repackage of Acorn & Fig): A crisp autumn medley celebrating the changing seasons and all the beauty of the harvest with notes of fresh cut cedar, juicy fig and sandalwood. I was not a huge fan of A&F last year, but maybe the repackage is a little different this year. I’ll definitely give it a try!

Black Pepper Bergamot: Intricate layers of spicy black pepper combine with an uplifting bergamot and lavender in a fragrance inspired by fall’s changeable days. This was a test scent that I picked up in January/February, and the label has been completely transformed since then. Its better selling counterpart, Mahogany Teakwood, was off the shelves before I could snag one for myself. I can tell you though that BPB has been described as a peppery version of MT, and you either love it or hate it. The pepper can be strong and unpleasant to some people, but I don’t mind it. I think it smells good and was a nice transition from winter fragrances into the sweet, fresh scents of spring. I’m sure it will do great as a masculine fall fragrance to cap off warm summer nights.

Bonfire Maplewood: Combining notes of coffee bean liqueur, rich hazelnut and creamy marshmallow, this cozy fragrance feels just like gathering 'round a crackling bonfire.

Brandied Pear: Treat yourself to the fragrance of a favorite fall dessert- poached autumn pears drizzled with sugared brandy and topped off with vanilla cream.

Cider Lane: As sweet as a trip to the local apple orchard each year- a delicious fall blend of mulled cider, warm caramel and sweet cinnamon. This one sounds amazing, it’s heavier on the caramel, a good mix of the other cider blends that Slatkin has done before.

Cinnamon Nut Bread: Warm and comforting on a cold fall day- fresh baked shortbread with cinnamon, buttercream and chopped nuts.

Cranberry Harvest: Bright and crisp as a sunny fall day, the perfect autumn blend of fresh cranberries, apple peel and clove. I am not a huge cranberry fan, but their description of a bright, crisp, sunny fall day makes me want to try it…

Farmstand Apple: This sparkling orchard favorite reminds us of a bright sunny day picking apples. Made with notes of McIntosh apple, ripe pear blossom and woodsy oak.

Mahogany Teakwood: The scents of fine woods- mahogany, cedarwood and oak -highlighted by delicate lavender and geranium notes conjure up an escape to a cozy library on a chilly fall day. If I remember this test scent correctly, it’s the one that smells like men’s cologne, and women were all over this one like 50 Shades of Grey. O.M.G. It FLEW off the shelves, almost literally. I’m not kidding, if you want this, I highly recommend getting it early. Not saying they won’t prepare and have a high volume of it, but who knows. If you want it, get your hands on it quick! Plus, it never hurts to burn these early. Especially this one, as I think it is a good transition fragrance.

Nutmeg and Spice: A warm and cozy fragrance inspired by an elegant mixture of nutmeg and all of autumn’s very best spices

Plum Wine Amber: A splendid blend of mulled wine, golden amber and purple plum creates a fragrance that recreates the richest fall days

Pumpkin Cupcake: The perfect pick from the corner bakery this fall- a spiced pumpkin cupcake with rich buttercream and frosted ginger. Sounds amaze. This one has been talked about quite a bit, and my guess is it will go fast. So if you smell it and like it in the store, buy it. If you don’t like it when you get home and burn it, BBW’s fabulous return policy will allow you to bring it back, no questions asked. You don’t even need your receipt. Ok they might ask you like 2 questions, such as “Did you not like the scent?” and “Was something wrong with the way it was burning?” which is always nice to tell them so they can give feedback to the company and improve our future candle experience.

Salted Caramel: Indulge on an autumn day with a swoon worthy mixture of farm-fresh sweet cream, salted caramel and warm vanilla.  I actually have this candle from when BBW tried to do a summer boardwalk collection in 2011 and it didn’t go too well. I liked SC a lot (then called Salty Caramel, not salted) when I picked it up over the summer, but decided it was not at ALL a summer fragrance and I waited to burn it during the fall. I was really happy I did. I’m glad to see BBW agrees with me on this being a fall scent :-) It’s almost like Creamy Caramel from way back in the day like 10 years ago (one of my FAVES), but a little more nutty and salty, like kettle corn. Kind of like the glazed popcorn note in Summer Boardwalk. It is reformulated this time around and little more mild. So if you weren’t a fan of it in 2011, give another try this fall. You may like it! Time machine: Do you remember the other 2011 boardwalk scents? Lemon Meringue and Cotton Candy! Those were good. But not quite like the ones they came out with for summer this year.

Returning favorites:

Acorn & Fig is now Autumn Day

Autumn: Get festive this fall with our heartwarming fragrance that unites three beloved autumn scents- dark pomegranate, sweet red apple and woodsy fir balsam. This one is very light, unlike its older cousin, Leaves, and it is strong on the apple. Very fresh and like I said, light. I like it as a morning fragrance during the fall. It is delicate and sweet, which is exactly what I need in the AM :-)

Apple Crumble: The perfect way to chase away an autumn chill, baked Granny Smith and McIntosh apples topped with vanilla crumble. 

Cinnamon Sugared Donut: Share the delight with a homemade vanilla cake donut covered in sugar crystals and crushed cinnamon. I was not a fan of this one last year, I thought it smelled dusty or something?? I don’t know. But a lot of other people seem to like it, so I’m glad to see it made its return for the CSD fans out there! I know how rough it is when your fave scent unexpectedly disappears. Mini freak out.

Cranberry Woods: Equal parts woodsy and fruity, Cranberry Woods combines fresh, tart cranberries, black currant and warm cinnamon bark in one delightful, spicy fragrance.

Creamy Pumpkin: A sumptuous and soothing autumn blend of spiced pumpkin drizzled with sweet caramel and topped with warm cream inspired by the sweet richness of fall harvest. This one is sooo good!! It’s been around for a few years and I love seeing it every fall!

Fresh Balsam: Ok, so this is different. This has always been a pine scent for Christmas, sometimes released early in the fall, but definitely intended for Christmas and winter. But this year it looks like they are trying to make it a fall favorite. I have always loved this scent and I’m sure I will still love it a few months early :-) The wax is more of a sage green now instead of white, in case you were curious.

Leaves: The hallmark scent of fall. Must. Have. This year, it will be released in BOTH Slatkin and White Barn, so you will have two different jars, lids, labels, pictures and scent descriptions. Here is the White Barn description: A fragrance that embodies the richness of fall- with all the colors and pleasures- featuring notes of golden nectar, ripe delicious apple and red berries. This one has white wax as opposed to its usual dark brown, and is capped with a gold lid (all White Barn will be gold lids). The image on the label is pretty white to match the wax. The picture is a white wood bridge with white bark trees surrounding it. Slatkin description: Celebrate the brilliant colors of autumn with this rich blend of golden nectar, red apple and berries. I think I like the packaging on this one the best. It has colorful fallen leaves on the label and the traditional rich, dark brown wax. That’s how Leaves should look to me :-)

Marshmallow Fireside- Celebrate the changing season with a warm mixture of marshmallows, smoldering woods and creamy vanilla reminiscent of a cozy evening 'round the bonfire. This one was so popular last year, I had no doubt it would be back. They could barely keep this one on the shelves. It quickly became one of my absolute favorites and I CANNOT wait to burn this one again! Also, I think this is the perfect intro to fall. After you burn your Summer Boardwalk to close out summer, I would transition to Marshmallow Fireside. It reminds me of the end of summer when you go up to a cabin for one last hoorah before school starts up and sit around a bonfire toasting marshmallows and making s’ mores. But it’s not all summer, the warm, woodsy notes definitely tell you fall is around the corner. Love this one! If you don’t have it, pick it up!!

Pumpkin Caramel Latte: Scent your home with this rich blend of creamy pumpkin, spiced caramel and sweet cream and keep your treasured autumn drink all season long. So nice to see this one back. Have you ever had a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks? Have you ever added caramel syrup to it? Boom. That’s what this is. Just make sure you remember it’s a candle so you don’t accidentally drink it ;-)

Spiced Cider: A delicious blend straight from the orchard that mulls three varieties of fresh apples, spiced with nutmeg and cloves. I am SO glad this one is returning! It’s a classic, so I was pretty sure it would, but you never know. My recommendation- if you want this candle, pick it up FAST! They were sold out in every store in my area by September and did not get any back. I learned my lesson :-) I really like it for August and all the way through Halloween. It’s a good, festive scent that can be almost like a witches brew if you are looking for a yummy fragrance that can go on the spooky side as well.

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin: One of my favorites of all time? Quite possibly. I nearly explode with excitement when I smell this one. It is that freaking good. It's like nostalgia in a jar or something. Maybe I feel this way because it was one of the only fall fragrances when I was in 6th grade and my obsession with Bath & Body Works began. It honestly just takes me back to the house I grew-up in, standing in our garage looking up at our attic, patiently waiting for my parents to bring down our Halloween boxes and feeling the crisp, cool air swirl in and remind me of all the wonderful reasons that I love this season. Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin might not do that for you, but now you know why I love it so much! Here is the description: A harvest fave returns for fall! Our delicious, one-of-a kind recipe combines sweet pumpkin pie, rich vanilla cream and a touch of cinnamon. They always change the descriptions on these each year. It's fun to see what new way they come up with to tell us what we're smelling :-)

Something I'm not sure about is Pumpkin Patch, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be back. I LOVE that scent. It is so comforting. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for it this year.

*Mark your calendars, these fall faves will make their debut Monday, August 6^th! Two weeks from yesterday… I think I can hold off for that long! We’ll see!

Which ones sound good to you? Any new ones you can't wait to try?