The October Edit

What we watched, read, ate, and wore this month. Plus, Halloween costume inspiration!

Hi!! How are you doing? The boys are very excited for Halloween. We’re hosting a little gathering that night, and 15-year-old Toby told me, “I have an idea for a punch bowl. I’m going to get a big bowl, and…put punch in it.” Can’t wait.

This month, we’ve sent five Big Salad issues:

• Freddie and I describe our first date from first impressions to a goodbye kiss

• 10 friends share their fall uniforms, plus the French way to belt a coat

• Zarna Garg talks about starting stand-up comedy in her forties and why she and her husband never say “I love you”

• The perfect snacking cake for fall, according to Nicola Lamb, and her laid-back wedding in a park with her own makeup

• Lastly, a very chic gift

This Friday, we’re featuring poet Kate Baer’s secrets to life — she always makes me laugh and feel so good.

1. “We have Flamingo’s heirloom tomato-scented hand soap on our kitchen sink, and whenever I wash my hands, I feel like I’m on a California farm. The nicest simple pleasure throughout the day — I’m going to give one to my mom as a gift.” — Joanna Goddard, Big Salad founder

2. “My doctor sister is always reminding me to wear sunglasses year-round (protect those eyes!), so I got light-responsive lenses, which stay clear indoors, but darken outside. Warby Parker lets you add transition lenses to any of their frames, and my current favorites are Bensen and Bodie.” — Joanna

3. TV series: “Even though it’s only October, I’m already re-watching Home For Christmas, a Norwegian romcom series on Netflix. It’s cozy but complex, so you’ll want to pay attention. The end result is funny, sexy, and romantic without giving into clichés.” — Aisha Muharrar, TV writer and novelist

4. Skin care: “I’ve been loving COSRX moisturizer as the weather gets colder. My skin drinks this stuff up, and my face looks luminous and supple.” — Tembe Denton-Hurst, novelist and culture writer

5. Book: “Dominion by Addie E. Citchens is one of the best novels of 2025. The story centers on a prominent Black family in Mississippi, and it shows how patriarchy is upheld by the same people it punishes. Citchens masterfully displays the ways that bigger social structures and -isms play out in our lives. Despite this, her book manages not to be didactic and instead invites us to interrogate our own beliefs. Everyone should read it.” — Tembe Denton-Hurst

5. Recipe: “I made pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting for a recent dinner party, and the addition of the brown butter really put them over the top.” — Kaitlyn Teer, Big Salad editor

Runners up: “I’ve been so tired the last few years with little kids, I usually pass out after a few pages of a book, but omg I TORE through Heart the Lover,” says our partnerships director Maureen. Meanwhile, I’ve been pairing a black skirt with an oversized sweater for the comfiest date night outfit. And, last but not least, Toby’s monster cookie recipe!

What are you wearing these days? My new favorite pants that I reach for in the morning are these easy flannel ones. They look like tailored trousers, but are as comfy as sweatpants with their drawstring waist. And the wide-leg silhouette looks chic for work meetings, travel, holiday dinners, you name it.

As a fall uniform, I’ve been wearing the pants with comfy sweaters, like this cashmere turtleneck or cotton v-neck. (A monochrome look would also be cute.) xo

Inspired by Hunter Harris’s The Bear-themed costume and the time Nicki Sebastian dressed up as Kristen Wiig’s SNL character, Sue, we asked readers and friends to share their costumes from Halloweens past…

1. “Our three-month-old son was a hot dog for his first Halloween. My mom found his costume for half price at a pet store (!), and my husband and I were the cart vendors. Several people stopped us to take photos; we felt like celebrities for the day.” — April, Big Salad reader

2. “My husband and I were Agent Cooper and the Log Lady from Twin Peaks, and I spent a month hand-sewing and embroidering myself a plush log. Absolutely no one knew who we were. I still have the log, though, and it still rules.” — Lauren O., reader

3. “When we lived in San Francisco, my roommate and I dressed as the Golden Gate Bridge. People pretended to walk across us all night long.” — Marissa, reader

4. “My husband and I once dressed as Batman and Catwoman on vacation.” — Aisha Muharrar

5. “Making Halloween costumes was a huge part of my childhood and a tradition I love sharing with my kids. We dressed our then-three-year-old daughter as Edward Scissorhands, while her dad and I were neighbors who got haircuts. He really committed to the bit and shaved a stripe down his head!” — Kelsy, reader

Here are the links the Big Salad community clicked most in October:

1. A funny reel about awkward first dates

2. Zarna Garg and her husband’s best marriage advice

3. Vintage jeans that Younga Park found in Brooklyn

4. Pretty stationery that makes the chicest gift

5. Welsh woolen blankets that Nicola Lamb gives as wedding gifts

Says Clara on Freddie and I Each Describe Our First Date: “This line kills me every time: ‘You were so cute and charming when you spilled your drink. And I was so understanding and handsome.’” Adds Chrissie: “‘Our collective HEART!!!”

Says Emily on 10 Friends Share Their Fall Fashion Uniforms: “I recently watched a house tour with Michelle Dockery, and she talked about using a ‘pop of red’ around her home. As someone who prefers a more neutral palate, I love this as a way to make a space more interesting.”

Says Nicole on Found: A Very Chic Gift: “I’d just had my first baby and was inundated with gifts, food drop-offs, etc. A good problem to have! But I was also overwhelmed, and thank you cards were getting away from me. In her gift, a friend’s mother included a card saying, ‘Whatever you do, DO NOT send me a thank you card! Save your energy!’ What a kindness. Now I write that in every card I give to a new mom.”

1. The Funny Thing About Grief, According to Parks and Rec Writer Aisha Muharrar

2. Freddie and I Each Describe Our First Date

3. 12 Questions for Sarah Jessica Parker

1. Freddie and I Have a Movie-Watching Strategy. The other night, I had a cold...

2. Four Fun Things. Including family TV shows and the best book I’ve read in ages.

3. My 5 Holy-Grail Beauty Products. Plus, thoughts on being 40-something.

4. Five More Things I Want to Tell My White Friends. A deeply personal column.

5. A Post-Divorce Apartment in Copenhagen. “My house looks very calm, but I’m like Monica from Friends.”

6. Jannelle’s Wild Birth Story Made Our Jaws Drop! “I started feeling contractions around 8 p.m….”

(Opening photo by kkgas/Stocksy. Note: This post is sponsored by a few select brands we’re excited to partner with. Thank you for supporting the companies that support Big Salad. We recommend only products we genuinely like and use ourselves. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. Thank you so much.)

Thank you so much for reading! We love you. xo