Happy first day of October, friendly faces! 😀
Are we freaking out? Is it craziness? We’re slowly making our way into the Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas season. Or Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas season if you’re a fellow Canadian, since our Thanksgiving is a little less than two weeks away… which is just weird… but I digress.
Believe it or not, is really is the start of a new month, and that means it’s time to take a look back on the old month, a la monthly favourites style…
Without a doubt, my biggest foodie obsession from September has been dates…
It all started with me wondering what the heck I was going to do with a 2 lb. bag that I brought home with me from my travels at the beginning of the month, and escalated into a full-blown addiction that I need to satisfy on a daily basis. If you’ve never tried a date, you really need to change that; and if you have, then you know exactly what I’m talking about.
Dates are nature’s candy. They’re soft, gooey, sweet, and taste vaguely of caramel. They also happen to be loaded with lots of essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and B-complex. As an added bonus, dates are also extremely easy to digest and provide the body with a quick source of stable energy thanks to a combination of fibre and simple sugars, making them a perfect choice for a pre-workout snack. They’re also great in smoothies, bars, and stuffed.
Basically, they taste amazing, they’re good for you, and I love them. Moving on!
Next up, granola… Specifically, this Double Chocolate Crunch granola from Enjoy Life Foods…
If you’re [un]fortunate enough to interact with me outside of the blog world, you’ve probably received a handful of texts over the past couple of weeks in which I complain about giving myself a stomach ache as a result of eating too much granola. But I couldn’t help it! Either I’m lacking in the self-control department or this granola is straight up irresistible. The former point is debatable, but the latter is not — it really is that good. It’s also perfect for those of us who suffer from food allergies, since it’s free of the top 8 food allergens, including nuts, gluten, soy, corn, and dairy.
And while it’s rare for me to mention favourite drinks since I’m usually chugging either water or coffee, I’ve really been loving this Green Tea Kombucha from Yogi.
Green tea is loaded with antioxidants and boasts some pretty impressive health benefits, including the ability to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The only downside is that green tea can taste somewhat bitter, especially when prepared incorrectly… which may be one of the things I love most about this particular tea — it has a subtly sweet and fruity flavour thanks to the addition of lemongrass and always manages to taste amazing.
Speaking of amazing… how ’bout them blog recipes? 😉
Apple Oat Greek Yogurt Pancakes
No Bake Vegan Oatmeal Fudge Bars
Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Smoothie
No-Bake Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Granola Bars
Chocolate Chunk Banana Oat Muffins || Pumpkin Spice Roasted Chickpeas || for Savory Style.
Apparently I was all about the hair in September, because while I didn’t really manage to find any new makeup products, I definitely rekindled my love for some tried and true hair care items, starting with this Seanik solid shampoo from LUSH.
This is actually a product that I used to be completely obsessed with and then forgot about as I started experimenting with different shampoos. I started using it again after finishing off another shampoo I was using at the time, and I fell in love all over again.
Here’s the thing… I have super fine hair that loves to cozy right up to my head, especially if I’m dealing with some product buildup. This leads to limp, lifeless, flat hair that isn’t really a good look for me. Seanik not only adds volume and body to my hair thanks to the fact that it contains sea salt, but it also removes any buildup and leaves my hair feeling shiny and soft. The result is hair that’s noticeable more voluminous and easy to manage.
Speaking of volume, another great way to add some is with this Dryspun Finishing Spray from Bumble and Bumble…
This translucent dry spray creates instant fullness and texture to spin hair into an airy silhouette. Raw silk powders with light-holding polymers adhere instantly for a softly interlaced texture to make hair look weightless and effortlessly full—and keep it that way.
This stuff is a godsend for fine hair. All you need is a few strategic sprays to add a considerable amount of volume and make it feel like you just got a professional blowout. It adds texture without being sticky, and a subtle hold without weighing your hair down. The only downside is that it is a little bit pricey, but it’s amazing stuff if you just reserve it for special occasions.
And while there’s nothing glamorous about this next product, I still have to give a shoutout to this Vaseline Cocoa Butter Lip Therapy…
It does an amazing job at keeping my lips soft, smells so good, and is super affordable. Winning all around.
The title of Book of the Month belongs to Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas…
Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?
This book rocked my colourful socks off. What I originally thought was going to be the conclusion of a trilogy, was actually just another book in what is apparently going to be a longer series. I’m not going to lie and say that I wasn’t really looking forward to seeing how the series ended, but this just means that I have a few more books to look forward to, which I’m definitely not complaining about!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that if you’re a fan of fantasy/adventure novels, or even YA fiction in general, then you’re going to love this book, as well as this series. It’s well-writen, fast-paced, and full of great characters, tearjerkers, and surprising twists. It’s quite literally fantasy at its finest. My only complaint is that I’ll have to wait another year to get my next fix 😥
September is, without a doubt, my favourite month of the year… and this one definitely didn’t disappoint!
- I kicked off the month in the mountains in Whistler, BC… a trip which I have yet to recap. Oops.
- I also started going back to school to further my education in holistic nutrition, while continuing to grow my coaching business. Woop, woop!
- (And for those who have asked, I’ll definitely start offering my services online soon. Sit tight!)
- Spoons received some shoutouts from Buzzfeed this month!
- My Double Chocolate Mug Cake was featured in 10 Cakes That Dared To Be Different, and..
- … my Oatmeal Cookie Dough Smoothie was featured in 16 Breakfast Foods To Make Mondays Feel Like Fundays.
- Food Bloggers of Canada also featured my Spiced Greek Yogurt Applesauce Bread in their apple recipe roundup.
- And speaking of recipes, you guys loved my Flourless Pumpkin Pie Muffins, which have been pinned over 26k times! Woop!
- Food talk involved:
- My attempts at sitting down to eat,
- How I eat and energize myself when I’m tired,
- … and welcoming in the tastiest season of the year.
- Spoonified recipes included:
- Flourless Pumpkin Pie Muffins
- Apple Oat Greek Yogurt Pancakes
- No Bake Vegan Oatmeal Fudge Bars
- Salted Caramel Cookie Dough Smoothie
- Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Bake
- No-Bake Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter Granola Bars
- Chocolate Chunk Banana Oat Muffins (Savory Style)
- Pumpkin Spice Roasted Chickpeas (Savory Style)
Here’s to an awesome October! 😀
Tell me at least one awesome thing that happened in September!
What kind of hair do you have (thick/thin, curly/straight)? And what’s your biggest beef with it?
Any products you’ve been loving lately? Let me know! I’d love to try them out!
More places to find me!
E-mail — [email protected]
Twitter — runwithspoons
Facebook — runningwithspoons
Pinterest — runwithspoons
Instagram — runwithspoons
Bloglovin — runningwithspoons
WOW what a month!! You know I am aLLLlllllL about that date life, and by that I mean the sweet delectable and edible kind. So many amazing recipes and autumn themed treats!
Wow that vaseline is sooooooooooo cute! I can’t even stand it! ha love love love it lady.
Awesome thing: started sophomore year and I’m loving it so far!
Hair : curly and THICK. it FREAKS if it gets wet… and I live in the pacific nw, known for its rain. cool.
favorite product= healthy sexy hair soy tri-wheat leave in conditioning spray! It helps so much with frizzies and flyaways.
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
My hair is suuuuper thick, I have a LOT of it, and it’s wavy and frizzy a haha. I haaate the frizz, but my FAVORITE product is argon oil. Helps sooo much!
I LOVE Lush products! They smell amazing and I love that they’re all natural.
Looks like Spoons had a great September! Congrats on all your features!
I definitely need to try aalll of those hair products haha, I have the same problem with unflatteringly limp hair. And as for the lip butter, I first saw one of those on a co-worker’s desk over the summer and I just died of the cuteness of the mini Vaseline tub 😛
Right?! I’m pretty sure the cuteness factor is why I bought it in the first place 😆
Congratulations on such a successful September! Those muffins were so amazing so all the shares and praise were definitely well-earned! 🙂 I got samples of these two products last month (Ole Henriksen’s new makeup removing gelée and Josie Maran’s Argan Milk) and loved them both! I think I might go for the full bottles this month 🙂
you’re going to be proud of me – I actually managed to use my contouring powder-stuff I bought and managed to actually blend it correctly and everything! My face looked pretty good Sunday night, if I don’t say so myself.
Awesome thing that happened in September: reconnecting with someone I didn’t expect to reconnect with. It’s been pretty fun.
My hair is reaaaaally fine – so actually getting it to hold volume can be a pain in the ass.
I love that Vasaline lip gloss too… I have it in the tinted color!
Best part of September was definitely Ragnar Relay!!
My hair is too thick from how much healthy crap I eat… isn’t that awful that’s my beef with it?
Not gonna lie…. I kind of want to smack you right now 😛
Oh my hair is as I like to call it “Mermaid Hair”! It really has a mind of its own and the Houston humidity takes it to a whole other level. I love using Bumble and Bumble and Oribe for the “beach hair” look. Definitely a little more expensive, but it lasts forever. 🙂
I have mostly straight hair, but my biggest issue with it is definitely the back! I always seem to get these awkward kinks there. If i straighten my hair in the morning they are almost always back by the afternoon. So frustrating.
Yay October! My absolute favorite time of year! Making those pumpkin pie muffins ASAP.
I always love reading your monthly favorites!
hmmm, one awesome thing that happened in September… I kind of put myself out there and started running with a group of runners once a week which has helped me to run longer distances than I normally would by myself! 🙂
That’s really awesome, Jen! There’s seriously nothing like feeding off the energy of other people to push yourself out of your comfort zone!
Thanks Amanda 🙂
My hair is thin and splits in a heart beat! It drives me crazy! I always try to use different products but instantly get overwhelmed the minute I step into the hair section – or even WORSE, Ulta. I just never seem to know which products to use when, how much, etc. It’s just all too much. Haha! I really want to find a GOOD shampoo/conditioner combo for my hair since herbal essences seems to be doing nothing for it. I think spending a good chunk of cash for just a good shampoo/conditioner could go a long way. Any suggestions?
I really, really love most of the solid shampoos from Lush (Seanik and Godiva are my favourite), and they have a few decent conditioners as well. There’s a drugstore brand called Organix, which has a coconut milk shampoo/conditioner that I keep coming back to over and over again — http://www.organixhair.com/product/shampoo-3
And if you want something a little more high end, then Macadamia Hair has some really amazing products. Their healing oil and deep repair masque are two that I HIGHLY recommend — http://macadamiahair.com/our-products/care-and-treatment.html
I am totally blown away that it is October already. But…I’m mega excited. Also, since my hair suffers from the exact same problems you mentioned…I’m going to have to check out this solid shampoo…
I love dates – my husband bought some for my birthday dinner back in August and we’ve been enjoying a renewed love affair with them since.
Best part of September was reconnecting with a friend I hadn’t seen in 2 years – and feeling like no time at all had passed!
You seriously got me addicted to dates. I love them! It wasn’t until I read your blog that I started obsessing over them. I also love that white plate of yours. Can I steal it please?
I would love to jump more on the date train, but they’re just so darn expensive over here 😯 . I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve wanted to make a recipe that has dates, gone to the grocery store, and forgot the whole thing since they’re like $7 for a super small pack. SEND ME SOME OF YOURS PLEASE! I also can’t believe how many recipes you got out this month. They all look incredible!
That’s crazy! I thought they would be cheaper since… err… my dates come from Cali 😆 Have you tried Costco? That’s where I picked mine up!
Thanks for sharing these. I’ve been looking for some good hair care products. My hair has been all over the place lately. I’ve adding more oils to my hair and that seems to be working well.
If you can find them, then I really, REALLY recommend any of the Macadamia Hair products — http://macadamiahair.com/our-products/care-and-treatment.html — The healing oil and deep repair masque are particularly good!
Man, you sure had a great month in the recipe department. Everything looks beyond delicious- I’ll be trying those apple pancakes very soon. I totally share your love for all things dates!
One awesome thing that happened this month was decorating for Halloween and doing a taste test with all things pumpkin spice with my friend for my blog! It was so much fun and trust me, it’s been a rough month so I needed something fun!
Sorry to hear that, Tricia! Hopefully October will be a better one for ya 🙂
That’s very sweet of you to say. Thank you!
My biggest hair issue is frizz! It is such a nuisance. I am really liking Aveda smoothing products right now. They seem to help a bit. If I wear my hair wavy then I just go with it. 🙂
I have an afro which CANNOT be tamed…enough said!
My hair is usually straight, but it is also WILD so I need to straighten it if I want to wear it lose. OR ponytail or braid is the solution.
I didn’t get a text from you regarding your stomachache 🙁
And YES for dates!! I actually think they taste like a better version of caramel toffee. SO good.
That’s because you’re always sleeping when I lose my willpower 😛
Best things that happened in September? I handed in a super boring and annoying paper of which I still am waiting for the results – I hope I’ll be satisfied with them!
I had (or have, tomorrow is the last day) a pretty good internship at a girl’s school. I was able to practice teaching which was amazing. I’ve learnt so much! Plus, I’ve met nice people there 🙂
I have rather thin hair. I don’t look forward to scarf weather because it always makes my hair so fuzzy and crazy.
Good luck with your results, Ann! Hope they’re exactly what you wanted them to be 🙂
It’s funny how date season is totally Fall! Not sure its that even an official thing, but I always want them around this time too! I LOVE Lush! I used to go there in London all the time 🙂
Wow, i cant believe how fast september flew. It was a pretty legendary month. (Ever since Amal’s mother described her daughter’s wedding to George Cloony as a “legendary evening” im using “legendary” whenever possible) My obsession with dates continues into october 🙂
I love love LOVE dates! They are my favorite way to curb my sweet tooth, especially with a bit of nut butter inside. I haven’t bought any for awhile but it’s probably time I do because my sweet tooth has been going a bit nuts lately.
They’re my favourite way to curb mine as well! And the best part is that they never fail me.
I really like my hair but, as you know, my grandmother thinks my hair is too long lol.
I hate when authors hit me with cliffhangers and don’t end a book/series when I expect it. I’ve taken to waiting until all books in a series come out before starting it so I can just binge read the entire thing lol
Also, not sure how I missed the pancake recipe, but I need that in my belly ASAP
CONGRATS lady – 26k pins is fabulous!!! And woot woot on the Buzzfeed posts!
Every time I see your food photos, I start drooling all over again! GAH! Dates do rule – or should I just say dates = drool! 🙂
I have thick frizzy hair and other than cold weather – nothing seems to tame it too well! As for products, I stick to the same as my skin is sensitive and tends to start looking like I was sunburned when I try products it doesn’t like – clearly, my brain and skin are not on the same page! Either is my stomach!
One awesome thing that happened in September was TECHmunch! Hoping to run into you at a conference soon lady!
You had such an awesome month! The Seanik shampoo looks interesting, but as a fellow fine hair girl I might have to give that a try. Hopefully I can make your pumpkin breakfast bake and the muffins too soon!
Honestly, your food looks so good I can just ~feel~ my teeth sinking into them.
Have you ever tried microwaving dates? Whole new level.
I’m actually sat in front of a baggy of them right now and can’t wait to stop typing so I can dig in…
Best pumpkin muffin recipe I saw this month was yours (and that’s saying something – I have more recipes saved than time to make ’em…)
I haven’t! But it -does- sound amazing. I’ve actually been stashing mine in the freezer so that they get super chewy.
So many great posts, great recipes, great pictures. 🙂 And I cannot believe it is October already. Eeek!! I’m a green tea fan too, but I hope you wont be totally switching from coffee to that? I’m often drinking a Grande Americano from a certain coffee shop whilst reading your latest post, thinking you’re drinking the very same! Just wondered, are you using lightroom / photoshop for your pictures? Thanks as always. looking forward to all your October posts already. 🙂
Good choice on the Americano! Definitely in my coffee top 3, along with dry cappuccinos and plain old Pike 🙂 And no worries about me ever giving up my coffee habit — I look forward to my daily fix WAY too much to go without. As for Photoshop, I’ll use it occasionally, but I actually do most of my editing in iPhoto!
Wow! The photos of all the recipes are almost too much deliciousness to take in at one time! I also had no idea you had a “pumpkin pie” muffin recipe but they look amazing. Also the pumpkin pie breakfast bake – that photo is incredible.
I love that green tea! Its so fruity and so yum!
Geebuz epic month indeed. It’s moments like these you need sardines.
I’m trying really hard to find the logic in that, but it continues to evade me 😛
A lot of awesome things happened this month, and I don’t want to make any of them feel bad by singling one out lol. I have regular hair, but there is a sh*t ton of it–so it looks really thick. Also, it is straight in the front but has this random chunk/bump in the back that refused to be tamed. I have seen it best many a straight iron, that is for sure.
So much good stuff! 🙂 I had friends that honeymooned in Whistler. Gorgeous!