Friday Five: Fall impulse buys

TGIC - thank goodness it's cooler!  You'd never know that the end of summer is only a week away if you'd walked outside a few days ago.  Mother Nature waited until this week to serve up the hottest days of the entire season: temperatures near 90 and heat indexes near 100 -- blech!  Thankfully, things have cooled down almost 30 degrees after some much-needed rain, and we're looking at a weekend in the 60s.  Almost ideal college football tailgating weather, if you ask me :)

Lower temps mean it's high time I can start indulging my appetite for all things autumn.  Matt and I did just that last weekend while celebrating some good news.  I wanted to wait until things were official before announcing that Matt is a chemistry teacher!  He's been hired as a long-term substitute at a local high school for this school year and is so thankful for the opportunity to truly teach and build lasting relationships with the students.  Plus, the value of knowing where he's going days, and even weeks, ahead of time cannot be understated.  We certainly won't miss the 5:00AM phone calls!

We had a fun weekend, complete with a matinee movie (Despicable Me 2, finally -- so cute!), dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in the city, Piper's Pub, and lots of window-shopping with some actual purchasing sprinkled in.  For once, we relaxed our budget-conscious minds and gave into our whims... and it felt good!  Here is this week's Friday Five, chock full of the items we just couldn't live without and you shouldn't either:

1. Salted caramel hot chocolate - Despite it being in the upper 70s last Saturday, I was Hell-bent on getting a cozy drink from Starbucks while we strolled around and shopped.  I like the pumpkin spice lattes, but the SCHC is my absolute favorite; I'd waited nearly 9 months for it and couldn't resist any longer.  Just as delicious as I remember.  If you haven't yet tried one, I suggest you do so ASAP!

2. Autumn decorations - Though the calendar hasn't officially declared it fall, you'd never know it from the store displays and advertisements.  Autumnal decor is e'erywhere, and the colors are just beautiful!  We visited a Michael's craft store and picked up a few leafy garlands, gourds, and the cutest cornucopia I've ever seen.  Full disclosure: I couldn't have decided what to ultimately purchase without Matt's help.  I always feel so overwhelmed in big stores like that and have trouble putting things together.  Matt, on the other hand, has such an artistic eye and is really talented at picking through the bulk to create something.  Teamwork!

3. Candy corn - Just.Had.To.  I buy one bag each year and got it early this time.  I need to pick up a little something extra this weekend before I can share with you my favorite Halloween candy treat.  So addictive!

4. Glass cafe mug - I fell hard for this the moment I saw it in Crate & Barrel and had to have it.  There's something so unconventional about a glass mug, right?  Also, um, it totally reminds me of  Harry Potter when the gang orders butterbeer at a pub.  I get such a kick out of drinking tea or hot chocolate out of this each and every time; drinks just taste better when you can appreciate the gorgeous golden and brown hues!

5. Nook HD+ tablet - Okay, so this wasn't one of my purchases, but I decided to include it because I'm bound to enjoy it from time to time.  Matt has wanted a tablet for ages and, after some major nudging on my part, finally took a leap and bought one.  We spent some time comparing various models at Best Buy and B&N and reading many online reviews (thanks, CNET!), but in the end Matt decided the Nook HD+ was exactly what he was looking for.  He totally treated himself and boy was it well-deserved!  So far he (we) are totally impressed by it and love the new toy.


Indulge your impulses and whims this weekend.  If anyone asks why, say I told you to :)  TGIF!