Trader Joe's 2018 Seasonal Pumpkin Products

The time has arrived, for pumpkin everything and I couldn't be more excited! I am a pumpkin fiend and will inhale anything pumpkin-flavored (as long as it is vegan, of course). From early September onward, I start stalking stores waiting for pumpkin products to start sprouting from shelves.

A few weeks ago, I popped into Trader Joe's and was delighted to discover a cornucopia of pumpkin food and other autumn items lining the shelves! This isn't everything they are releasing this year, but I did want to give you a peek at what I found so far, check out all the pumpkin-y goodness (as well as a few other autumn items) below!

The Curious Confectionery's Pumpkin Spice Popcorn Balls

Popcorn balls are a timeless treat that we don't see enough of nowadays! They always remind me of autumn and Halloween, so I was extremely excited when The Curious Confectionery released their limited-edition Pumpkin Spice flavor this year. I was lucky enough to receive this flavor for review, and I couldn't be more pumped! First, a little more about the delightful duo who run The Curious Confectionery...

Nights of the Jack Lights Up Halloween

There is nothing quite like a jack-o-lantern burning bright on Halloween...especially if it is hundreds of lit jack-o-lanterns expertly carved! This year just north of Los Angeles you'll be able to enjoy the spooky spectacle of Nights of the Jack, where you can wander on a trail and enjoy thousands of jack-o-lanterns, from huge dinosaurs built from pumpkins to pumpkins carved to depict your favorite horror characters!

Nights of the Jack will be held on the grounds of King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas, California and will feature a half mile trail studded with hand-carved and illuminated jack-o-lanterns. Bask in that orange glow that is quintessentially Halloween this season at Nights of the Jack!

More details below...

The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Rises from the Depths for its Darkest Season Yet

The Queen Mary's Dark Harbor returns this Thursday, September 27th with some new spooky surprises as well as some old favorites! Dark Harbor is always a fun time (I mean, just look how amazing last year was!!) and I can't wait to see what they have in store for us this year. Check out the official press release below to learn about all the exciting things to look forward to starting this week...

Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood 2018

Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood is one of my favorite events of the Halloween season! I was really looking forward to this year since we finally got a Trick 'r Treat maze as well as mazes based on Poltergeist, Stranger Things, Halloween 4, Universal Monsters, and more. Below, I will walk you through my night and this year's mazes at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, as well as sharing a few photos of the event.

Big Bear's Scare Valley Farms Haunt + Hayride

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I have been longing for some rural autumn feels this Halloween season, and I think I found just the place for my next ghoulish getaway! Bear Valley Farms in Big Bear City, California is hosting a Halloween haunt called Scare Valley Farms and it sounds absolutely incredible! I would love to spend a weekend in Big Bear and check out Scare Valley Farms' Halloween haunt, which is open now through November 2nd and features 30 acres of fearsome fun including terrifying haunts, hayrides, and live executions (eeeek, don't lose your head!). Check out the press release below and visit this eerie event up in the macabre mountains of Southern California!

Halloween 2018 at Lush

Halloween has returned to Lush with lots of fearsome, fizzy, and frothy bath bombs, shower gels, soaps, and more to keep your suds spooky this Halloween season! There are a few old favorites that have returned, along with some eerily exciting new products, including a neon-green ectoplasm shower gel, glow-in-the-dark ghost soap, Lord of Misrule bath bomb, pumpkin bubble bar, and more! Lush's products are always cruelty-free, and I'm happy to say their entire Halloween collection is vegan!

The Spooky Vegan's Halloween Pyrex + Mini Neon Lights Giveaway!

CONTEST CLOSED! Winner will be announced on the original Instagram post about the contest.

To celebrate this most magical time of the year, Halloween, I'm doing a giveaway on Instagram of some items on everyone's wish list. I have managed to find the Halloween Pyrex (the haunted house and classic Halloween designs) as well as the three mini neon lights (ghost, bat, pumpkin) from Target and want to spread the Halloween cheer by giving them away to a lucky winner! I will also be including a few more Halloween treats to boost the winner's spooky spirit! Check out how to enter below...

Halloween 2018 at Daiso Japan

Daiso Japan is a store that carries many inexpensive household item and has been called the Japanese dollar store. I love visiting Daiso and their treasure trove of awesome items I didn't know I needed! They have all kinds of things, from stationary to kitchenware to household items and seasonal items. Of course, I especially love visiting them in mid- to late-September, when they start putting out their adorable Halloween items. Their inventory usually contains kawaii-inspired decor, costumes, and other Halloween accessories. My weaknesses at Daiso include their Halloween washi tape and their Halloween banners.

I love browsing their Halloween treats, check out what they have this year below:

Beistle's Halloween 2018 Vintage Decorations + Retro Halloween Playlist

The Beistle Company is one of the oldest manufacturers of holiday and party decorations in the United States, founded in 1900. Even if you aren't familiar with the name, once you see their Halloween decorations you will recognize them. They are known for being the innovators of holiday decorations, making high-quality decor and party supplies that regular people could buy easily and affordably. Their original vintage decorations are highly sought after today by collectors and fans. Luckily, the Beistle Company makes reproductions of their vintage Halloween decor, so you can purchase and enjoy them without having to break the bank.

I was fortunate to receive some of Beistle's vintage Halloween reproductions to share with you. I have been a big fan of their vintage reproductions for some time now, and was excited to have the opportunity to check out some of their delightful decor. Their decor is really versatile and they offer so many different kinds that you will have no problem finding what is right for you! They offer cut-outs that can be placed on walls and windows, stand-up decor that can be placed on tabletops, hanging decor, banners, plates and napkins, favor boxes, jointed decor (like skeletons and pumpkins), and so much more! I also like the idea of framing some of my favorites so I an display them year-round. If you are looking to add a vintage Halloween vibe to your decor, Beistle is exactly what you want.

In addition to sharing how I decorated with Beistle's classic Halloween decorations, I also put together a retro playlist, filled with vintage Halloween songs that will put you in the spooky spirit! Check this all out below:

Halloween 2018 at Cost Plus World Market

Cost Plus World Market is one of my favorite places to shop for Halloween goodies! They always have some great vintage-inspired decor and in the past they've carried some fantastic Universal Monsters pieces. I was excited to check out what they had in-store this Halloween season, and arrived at their store just as they were starting to put out their Halloween items. I was a bit bummed that they no longer have Universal Monsters stuff (I believe that licensing was acquired by Target), but this year they do have some Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise as well as some neat vintage-inspired pieces. I also love shopping at World Market to score some vegan Halloween food - their Halloween pasta is vegan and doesn't contain any eggs or animal-derived color. 

Check out my finds at Cost Plus World Market below:

First Look Inside "Stranger Things" Maze at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

Byers' living room

Today Universal Studios' has unveiled the first look inside the brand new Stranger Things mazes that will be opening at Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood, Orlando, and Singapore this Halloween season! I'm excited to see how Universal's Halloween Horror Nights has re-created the familiar sets and environments from the hit Netflix series. From the images below, they look great, with so much attention to detail! See below for the official press release, plus photos and video for a sneak peek of the Stranger Things maze!

Halloween 2018 at Roger's Gardens: A Hogwarts-Themed Boutique

One of my Halloween traditions is going to Roger's Gardens to check out their Halloween displays that are unveiled every Labor Day weekend. This year, they have a Harry Potter-inspired boutique decorated to look like Hogwarts, similar to last year's displays. Despite repeating the same theme as last year, I was excited to check out this year's displays.

When I attended opening day, I glad to see that the displays were different than last year's, though still Hogwarts-themed. It was a magical experience getting to be immersed in incredible rooms filled with potions, spellbooks, owls, and fantastic beasts. You can see photos from this year's Roger's Gardens Halloween boutique below:

Halloween 2018 Tees and Sweatshirts at Target

I just shared some tees and pajamas Target was starting to stock in-stores last week (see the post HERE), but I went back to Target a few days ago and found even more Halloween t-shirts in the women's section as well as a few sweatshirts. There are some pretty creepy-cute ones (ummm, the one that combines tacos and Halloween is brilliant!). You can see all the new clothing items I spotted below:

The Spooky Vegan's Halloween 2018 Card Swap

UPDATE: All spots have been filled! I may do a round two of sign ups again, and, if I do, I will post about it here as well as my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook page, so make sure you are following there too if you missed out this round. 

I love the tradition of sending Halloween cards and try to do it every year. There is just something so special about opening up your mailbox and receiving a ghoulish greeting card. I love spreading the spooky spirit, so keep reading below on how to participate in my Halloween card swap! Note: This is only open to US residents and all cards must be mailed by the first week of October. I'll also be randomly selecting a few special ghoulies to receive small treat bags!