Pumpkin Passion

This picture is just simply beautiful.

Photo is courtesy of Muffet

A Special “Thank You” to timaree for leading me to the “Yes We Carve” website that has a whole patch of Obama related pumpkins:

Here’s the winner of their Obama pumpkin carving contest:

I’d definitely give it a 5 out of 5!

Name: Pure Simplicity’s Pumpkin Body Butter
Purchased At: Bath & Body Works
Price: $15ish but I buy them in bulk on Ebay
Availability: Year Round

I was recently asked what I’ll do with the blog now that Pumpkin-Eatin’ Season is over. Actually, I’m a little overwhelmed by my ridiculous backlog of pumpkin products that need blog entries.

This is an example of an item I should have written about long ago. There are three pumpkin products that I use almost on a daily basis: Primal Elements’ Pumpkin Sugar Scrub; Pure Simplicity’s Pumpkin Face Scrub; and Pure Simplicity’s Pumpkin Body Butter. All three of these products are becoming more difficult to find and are all possibly being discontinued…great!

I don’t understand people who don’t use it. That vague burning session when your skin is dry irritates me more than most and then there’s the extra bonus of having dull looking tattoos..I need lotion! To combat this issue I begin my day with Pure Simplicity’s Body Butter. I like that it feels substantial–I know that it’s there doing its job–but it’s not overly greasy. The scent lingers but it’s subtle, considerably more subtle than most of the other products they sell at Bath & Body Works.

How is it as a pumpkin product? Describing the pumpkin scent is probably what has caused me to wait so long to write this blog. I love this stuff but I don’t think the scent is quite right. The Pure Simplicity Pumpkin Purifying Face Mask smells like a spicy pumpkin pie but the body butter smells kind of like candy corn. It’s a sweet scent. People have commented before that they like the scent but when they try to guess what it is they never get it right. Only one person has ever guessed right but I was also wearing a pumpkin scented oil and that combination could be what tipped them off.

So, the rating of a 4 is more about my love of the product and less about it really smelling like pumpkin.

Rating: 4 out of 5

We had a pumpkin decorating contest at work yesterday and this one was mine:

I never said that I have a LOVE of decorating pumpkins ;0)

Name: “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!”
Purchased At: playing on the ABC network or at your local dvd store
Price: free or $14.98 from Amazon
Availability: Year Round on dvd/Seasonal on tv

Last night I watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” for the first time in quite a while and I found myself wondering how kids today view the classic cartoon. Is it boring? Is it too low tech? Is it as relevant to their lives as a Jane Austen novel? Hmm I’m not sure.

I sooo love it. Possibly my love is mostly because of those warm and fuzzy feelings that bring me back to my own childhood. Charlie Brown cartoons were a BIG deal. I didn’t have cable and there was a lack of cartoons shown on network television in good old Idaho. I took what I could get and Charlie Brown cartoons were some of the best. Also, I think my love comes from a strong identification with Linus and his search for the Great Pumpkin. He’s going to believe no matter how many people laugh at him or how many times the Great Pumpkin just never shows up. I respect his faith and tenacity. Oh yeah, the pumpkin surely contribute to my adoration.

When I read that the cartoon was originally released on October 27, 1966 I was surprised because Charles M. Schulz seems to have been a feminist before feminism was cool. The lines he gave Sally were brilliant:

Linus: He’ll come here because I have the most sincere pumpkin patch and he respects sincerity.
Sally Brown: Do you really think he will come?
Linus: Tonight the Great Pumpkin will rise out of the pumpkin patch. He flies through the air and brings toys to all the children of the world.
Sally Brown: That’s a good story.
Linus: You don’t believe the story of the Great Pumpkin? I thought little girls always believed everything that was told to them. I thought little girls were innocent and trusting.
Sally Brown: Welcome to the 20th century!

Sally Brown: If you try to hold my hand, I’ll slug you!

Sally Brown: Am I going to trick-or-treats with you, big brother?
Charlie Brown: Of course, Sally.
Sally Brown: Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! How do you do it?
Lucy Van Pelt: You just go to a house, knock on the door and yell “Tricks or treats!”
Sally Brown: Are you sure it’s legal?
Lucy Van Pelt: Of course it’s legal.
Sally Brown: I wouldn’t want to be accused of taking part in a rumble.

Linus: [to Charlie Brown after Sally just ripped him a new one] You’ve heard of the fury of a woman scorned, haven’t you?
Charlie Brown: Yeah, I guess I have.
Linus: Well, that’s nothing compared to the fury of a woman who has been cheated out of trick-or-treats.

If you’ve never watched “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!” give it a try. You can get lengthy plot synopsis and some interesting trivia over at Wikipedia. There are also some Ecards, wallpaper, and a trivia game over at the Peanuts website.

Rating: 5 out of 5 for the pumpkin parts but the Flying Ace storyline puts me to sleep

P.S. Happy Halloween!!!

Name: Pumpkin Patch Demi Light Candle
Purchased At: Primal Elements
Price: $8.50
Availability: Year Round

Candles are difficult to find with a nice pumpkin aroma. They’re just off . . . majorly off.

This one is not only nice to look at but it also has a really great aroma. The scent smells buttery, in a good way, with a hint of vanilla and nutmeg. Usually the cinnamon is a little too amped up and there’s no hint of vanilla but this one is just right. It’s also not an overwhelming scent that lasts for quite a while.

I liked it so much that I’m going to try the Pumpkin Patch 2-wick color bowl candle that’s $19.50.

Rating: 5 out of 5

BTW, Primal Elements finally has their 53 oz. tub of Pumpkin Spice Sugar Whip back in stock and it’s 50% off!

Name: 3-in-1 Pumpkin Pie Paradise
Purchased At: Bath & Body Works
Price: $12.00
Availability: Seasonal

I’ve been co-opted by our consumerist society into believing that I need a specific product for every area of my body. However, I did take the 4 oz. travel size with me to London last year because traveling is the only time when a 3-in-1 product sounds like a great idea.

The scent was fairly good but a little overly strong and sweet smelling. I wouldn’t have purchased it again but whatever.

Strangely enough, I got a super itchy red rash on my stomach the second day of the trip and it continued to get worse until we left. Back home the rash faded and eventually went away. For Christmas, a friend bought me the 16 oz. size pictured above. When I started using it again, the same rash came back! It took me a while to make the connection but the same looking rash appeared after using this stuff the first and the second times. YUCK!

Rating: 0 out of 5 and I wish I could go lower!

Name: Pumpkin Spice Scented Sugar Whip
Purchased At: It was a birthday gift but you can purchase it directly from Primal Elements
Price: An 8 oz purchase includes a mesh sponge and will cost $7.00 or there’s a 53 oz for $72.00
Availability: All Year Round

I love Trader Joe’s salt scubs with a few notable exceptions: 1.) They’re kinda pricey 2.) They leave a sticky mess on the bottom of your tub that’s a pain in the ass to clean 3.) If you shave your legs and then get even a grain of the salt scrub on your skin, it’ll hurt like hell 4.) The scents aren’t my favorite-a citrus and a lavender–but one glorious holiday season they had an eggnog scent, Yummy!!! I’d always hoped they would come out with a pumpkin scent but no such luck yet.

Well, for my birthday this year I got a glorious set of pumpkin scented goodies from a very special someone. The gifts were from a company called Primal Elements that carries a variety of scented candles, soaps, lip glosses, and other beauty/spa items. There are 3 different “Pumpkin Spice” items currently available—all of which I’ll review at some point.

The first product I tried was the “pumpkin spice” scented Sugar Whip. The whip is some sort of hybrid between a sugar scrub and soap. The texture is creamy and only slightly grainy. In the container, the smell is defiantly reminiscent of pumpkin spice with a pumped-up nutmeg scent.

Using the product in the shower produces a few suds that leave your skin feeling moist without all that oily stickiness. You’d think the sugar would attract ants or cause your feet to stick to the bottom of the tub but no such worries are needed. It doesn’t even sting if you use it right after shaving your legs!!! Once you leave the shower the scent fades quickly but your skin will feel moisturized for quite awhile.

I like it and I’ll be using it for a long time to come.

Rating: 8 out of 10
The scent needs to linger longer