🍂 Friday Favorites – September Week 3

HELLO, FALL VIBES! 🍎🍂

Okay, September…you are officially getting VERY serious about fall.

The mornings are crisp, the evenings are cozy, the leaves are starting to show off, and we are suddenly looking for every excuse possible to bake something, light a candle, and put on a sweater. 😂

We’re embracing all the good stuff this week—comfort food, fall flavors, cozy nights, a few fun finds, and those little things that make this time of year feel so special.

So grab your favorite blanket and let’s get into this week’s Friday Favorites! ❤️

🛒 Favorite Trader Joe’s Find

🍁 Maple Pancake Puffs

If you see these at Trader Joe’s, grab them!

These little maple-y bites are giving us all the cozy breakfast vibes without requiring us to actually make a full breakfast. 😂

They’re sweet, fluffy, and absolutely perfect for a little morning treat or afternoon snack.

Lou Lou Tip: Warm them up and add a little powdered sugar. You’re welcome. 😉

🍽️ Favorite Lou Lou Girls Recipe

🍝 Chicken and Corn Pasta

Some recipes just know how to make a weeknight feel a whole lot more exciting—and Chicken and Corn Pasta is one of them! 🍝💛

This creamy, smoky pasta is loaded with sweet corn, crispy bacon, Parmesan, and crispy chicken. Basically, it’s comfort food with a little personality.

And the best part? It looks like something you’d order at a restaurant, but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. We’re talking big flavor without spending all night in the kitchen. 🙌🏻

Lou Lou Tip: Use frozen corn when fresh isn’t available, and don’t be shy with the Parmesan! A little extra cheese never hurt anybody. 😂

Why we’re loving it this week: September is all about easy dinners that feel cozy without being complicated, and this one checks ALL the boxes. It’s creamy, hearty, family-friendly, and guaranteed to have everyone asking for seconds.

Honestly, this might be one of those recipes that makes it into your “make this again!” folder. ❤️

🍎 Favorite Fall Drink

🍏 Sparkling Apple Cider

Nothing says hello, fall quite like a cold, bubbly glass of sparkling apple cider! 🍎✨

It’s crisp, sweet, refreshing, and feels festive enough for a special dinner but easy enough for a regular Saturday afternoon.

Pour it into pretty glasses, add a thin apple slice and a cinnamon stick, and suddenly your everyday drink is looking VERY fancy. 😂

Lou Lou Tip: For an extra-fun fall version, rim your glasses with cinnamon sugar before pouring. Add a few frozen apple slices instead of ice cubes to keep your drink cold without watering it down.

Simple, bubbly, family-friendly, and totally fall-approved. 🍂❤️

Because sometimes you don’t need anything fancy—just a pretty glass and a little sparkle! ✨

📺 Favorite TV Show

🎭 The Traitors: New Blood

Okay, reality-TV lovers…this one’s for you! 👀🍿

The Traitors: New Blood is bringing a fresh group of everyday people into the castle, which means we’re getting all the suspicion, strategy, alliances, betrayals, and “I KNEW IT!” moments we could possibly want.

It’s one of the big entertainment picks for this weekend, and the new season is getting plenty of attention right now.

Lou Lou Tip: Watch with friends and make your predictions before anyone starts getting banished. It makes the whole thing WAY more fun. 😂

Because nothing says friendship like accusing everyone of being a traitor.

🎵 Favorite Song This Week

🎶 “Ordinary” — Alex Warren

Okay, we’re keeping this one on repeat a little longer. ❤️

“Ordinary” by Alex Warren has that big, emotional, sing-it-in-the-car kind of energy that we can’t get enough of.

It’s the perfect soundtrack for September—whether you’re driving through town, getting ready in the morning, or having one of those dramatic kitchen-cleaning concerts nobody asked for. 😂

Lou Lou Tip: Turn it up and sing like you’re headlining the concert.

🎙️ Favorite Podcast

🎧 The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

Sometimes we could all use a little reminder that happiness isn’t something we have to wait for. 💕✨

The Happiness Lab explores the science behind what actually makes us happier, from relationships and gratitude to habits, mindset, and the little choices that can make everyday life feel a whole lot better.

It’s interesting without feeling like homework, and the episodes give you plenty to think about without making you feel like you need to completely reinvent your life.

Lou Lou Tip: Listen while you’re driving, walking, folding laundry, or doing all those little things around the house. You might just finish an episode with a fresh perspective—and a little happier than when you started. ❤️

Because sometimes a good podcast isn’t just something to listen to…

It’s a little reminder to enjoy the life you’re already living. ✨

📖 Favorite Book

📚 Mother Daughter Sister Stranger — Hank Phillippi Ryan

If you love a good page-turner, add this one to your fall reading list.

Mother Daughter Sister Stranger is a suspenseful family thriller centered around sisters connected by tragedy and a mysterious disappearance. It’s one of the new September books getting attention as fall reading season kicks off.

It sounds like the perfect book for a cozy night when you want to curl up and say, “Just one more chapter.”

We all know how that usually ends. 😂

Lou Lou Tip: Put your phone across the room and give yourself a solid hour of uninterrupted reading time.

🛍️ Favorite Amazon Buys

September has officially entered its “cozy things are basically necessities” era. 😂

✨ 1. Electric Mug Warmer

Because there is NOTHING worse than making a delicious warm drink and forgetting about it until it’s cold.

A mug warmer keeps your drink warm while you’re working, reading, scrolling, or getting distracted by absolutely everything.

Lou Lou Tip: Keep it beside your favorite chair for maximum cozy points.

✨ 2. Fall Kitchen Towels

Want an instant kitchen refresh without redecorating?

Add a couple of cute fall kitchen towels. 🍂

Apples, pumpkins, plaid, leaves—we’ll take them all.

It’s an inexpensive little change that makes the kitchen feel ready for the season.

✨ 3. Apple Slicer & Corer

We’re calling this one a fall kitchen MVP.

Whether you’re making apple desserts, packing snacks, or just trying to make eating fruit slightly more exciting, an apple slicer makes the whole process ridiculously easy.

Lou Lou Tip: Pair sliced apples with caramel dip and call it an afternoon snack. Nobody needs to know how easy it was. 😂

✨ 4. Cordless Electric Scissors

Okay, THIS is a weirdly satisfying find. ✂️😂

Cordless electric scissors can zip through wrapping paper, cardboard, fabric, crafts, and other everyday materials without requiring you to wrestle with regular scissors.

They’re especially handy during gift-wrapping season, crafting projects, moving, or anytime you’re opening approximately 900 packages.

Lou Lou Tip: Put these somewhere everyone knows where they are. Otherwise they’ll mysteriously become the household’s most fought-over gadget.

And there you have it—five “I didn’t know Amazon made that!” finds that are actually fun enough to share with your girlfriends. ❤️

Because Friday Favorites should be about discovering something new—not buying the same five things everyone else already has. 😉

✨ 5. Butter Bell

Yes, a butter bell! 🧈

If you love soft, spreadable butter but don’t want to leave a whole stick sitting uncovered on the counter, this little French-inspired butter keeper is brilliant.

It keeps butter soft and ready for toast, biscuits, cornbread, pancakes, or basically anything that deserves a generous swipe of butter.

And honestly, it looks adorable sitting on the counter.

Lou Lou Tip: Homemade biscuits + room-temperature butter = happiness. We don’t make the rules. 😂

💄 Favorite Beauty Find

✨ Fall Body Butter

Cooler weather means it’s time to bring out the rich, creamy body butter.

We’re talking soft skin, cozy scents, and formulas that make your skin feel like it just got a giant drink of water.

Look for warm scents like vanilla, amber, coconut, sandalwood, or honey.

Lou Lou Tip: Apply it right after your shower while your skin is still slightly damp. Your skin will thank you!

🏡 Favorite Home Find

🕯️ Cozy Fall Candle

We know.

Another candle.

But hear us out. 😂

There is just something about lighting a candle when the sun starts going down earlier.

This week we’re loving warm scents like apple cinnamon, vanilla, amber, pumpkin, and toasted marshmallow.

Light one during dinner and suddenly you’re not just eating leftovers.

You’re having an AUTUMN EXPERIENCE. 🍂

🍪 Favorite Sweet Treat

🍎 Apple Cider Donut Bites

Tiny donuts.

Apple cider.

Cinnamon sugar.

Need we say more?

These little bites are basically fall in dessert form, and they are dangerously easy to pop into your mouth one after another.

Lou Lou Tip: Serve them warm with a caramel dipping sauce.

And maybe don’t count how many you eat. 😂

🍂 Favorite September Activity

🍁 Take a Scenic Fall Drive

You don’t need an elaborate vacation to enjoy the season.

Pick a pretty route, turn up your favorite playlist, grab some snacks, and go for a fall drive.

Look for changing leaves, mountain views, cute little towns, or anywhere that makes you want to pull over and take a picture.

Lou Lou Tip: Don’t rush it. The whole point is enjoying the drive.

Sometimes the best adventures aren’t planned.

They’re just “Let’s go see where this road takes us.” ❤️

🕯️ Favorite Little Luxury

🛁 A Long Everything Shower

You know the one.

Hair mask.

Exfoliate.

Shave.

Favorite body wash.

Moisturizer.

Clean pajamas.

Fresh sheets.

And absolutely NO rushing.

It costs basically nothing, but somehow feels like a five-star spa day.

Lou Lou Tip: Light your favorite candle and put on music while you get ready for bed.

Tiny luxury?

Absolutely.

Necessary?

We say yes. 😂

🎃 Weekend Challenge — Do One Fall Thing

This weekend, pick ONE thing that makes you feel like fall has officially arrived.

Maybe it’s:

🍎 Make an apple dessert
🍂 Take a scenic drive
🎃 Buy your first pumpkin
🕯️ Light a fall candle
🍪 Bake cookies
🏈 Have a football snack night
📚 Read a chapter of a new book
🍁 Take a family picture
🥣 Make soup
🎬 Have a cozy movie night

That’s it.

Just one.

Because you don’t have to do EVERYTHING to enjoy the season.