Whether you love spookiness all year round, or you're just shying away from mass-produced plastic to decorate your home, Etsy has lots of items ideal for making your Halloween spooktacular. If you're after a more cosy vibe this season, you might like my Shop Small: Autumn On Etsy guide instead!

Prices correct at time of writing. Pictures are the property of respective artists. Affiliate links used throughout- shopping through these will not cost you more but I will receive a very small payment.

£11 SoSweetOnline

from £2.75 RosieLeaTeaUK

from £10 EponineChocolate
Made with real pumpkin blended into caramel for a grown up treat.

from £8 CreativeMumUK

£1.50 SoSweetOnline

£5 MapleMollys

£1.50 FaerytailsTreats
Even your hell hounds can join in the fun- do a trick, get a treat!


Aaargh!ccessories
Mickey and Minnie Earrings
£5.95 BlueMangoBoutique
Silver Halloween Earrings

£2 ManchesterCandles
Tartan Wool Pumpkin Cushion
£35 ThistleSewNicely
A quality investment piece to decorate your bed or sofa year on year. This seller also has different colourways, bats, and haunted house designs available.

£5 Emma Inks

from £15 BakedBeanBaby

Skeletal hand Embroidery
£23 CrimsonPins
Happy Halloween Wreath
from £9 VictoriasStitches
Available in natural wood or orange colours, this sturdy wreath can be personalised with your name.

£2.12 KMPrintableshop

Adult Halloween Riddle Game

£3.25 MissPartyPerfect

£15.95 SIWellness
Ideal to give as prizes, or fun treats for children who can't have the usual sweeties and chocolate

£3.50 Garlandsandgifts

These pieces look super cute scattered on a table but could also be made into a game- whoever collects the most in 30 seconds wins a prize!

Rainy afternoons are the perfect excuse for the little ones (or you) to get creative. Pop Hocus Pocus on and have fun designing your own invitations, bunting, or decorations.

from £4.99 InfiniteCraftsDesign

ATinyMew £16.79

I couldn't resist adding this brush pack from talented tattoo artist, Tore. They're perfect for creating your own cake toppers, colouring sheets, or even printing onto temporary tattoo paper to complete your costume.

from £2.75 PrettyDieCuts

Embroider or bead these pumpkins for a garland that can be kept and reused for years to come.

£8.50 KnitKnotCrafts

£7.50 ColourSplashSupplies

£12 iheartbuttonsuk

Ladies, gentlemen, and those of you who are yet to make up your minds... welcome to my review of Kinky Boots The Musical, a feel good, heartwarming show based on an incredible true story of self belief and acceptance. The show is currently playing at Winter Gardens Blackpool until 12 October 2019, tickets available here. 

When his father passes away, Charlie Price reluctantly returns home to Northampton to take on his failing factory. Orders are being cancelled, business is looking bleak, and jobs are on the line, until a chance encounter with glamorous drag queen Lola leads Charlie to make kinky boots to withhold the weight of her and her angels. With the Milan trade show his chance to prove himself, can Charlie come through for the factory and his friends?

Despite being written by 80s queen Cyndi Lauper, the majority of songs were no Defying Gravity, but then again, even Elphaba would have a hard time belting out lines about brogues. 

Lola's songs, on the other hand, were brilliant, with a sexy dance feel to most of them, and a real Whitney-style diva vibe to Hold Me In Your Heart. Kayi Ushe blew me away with Lola's powerful numbers and softer songs alike. Joel Harper-Jackson also hit the higher notes and key changes beautifully, and their harmony together was a highlight of the performance for me.

The Set

The set design for Kinky Boots really caught my attention, with simple industrial pieces switching to suit every scene. I particularly loved that the factory's conveyor belt split into pieces and became a central prop for the dance routine in Everybody Say Yeah, reflecting the change and fast pace the factory was undertaking as it prepared for their new line of boots and the Milan show.

In the film factory lout Don challenges Lola to an arm wrestle but Playful Productions wisely changed this to a boxing match for the musical, which is much easier for the whole audience to see and appreciate. 

The set became a boxing ring with just two pieces of rope across the central unit, and the lighting quickly flashed to imitate photography while the actors performed the show in slow motion. It was a clever, engaging way to illustrate the scene, and both the set and lighting design coloured me impressed.

Speaking of fast pace, the angels' dance routines were certainly that. Half incredible choreography, half acrobatic display, they brought so much fun and sparkle to Kinky Boots The Musical. I can honestly say this is the first show I've seen where my jaw has literally dropped, when one angel leapt high and landed in a perfect box split!

I was astounded to learn after the show that the actors playing the Angels are not full time drag performers, because they pulled it off perfectly, with help from their amazing makeup and costumes. The budget for sequins and gems in this production must have run into the thousands!

Whether in sequins as Lola or suited as Simon, Kayi Ushe was a stand out for me. The script was very similar to the film, in which Chiwetel Ejiofor portrays Lola, so it would be easy to compare the two, but Ushe developed the character for the stage beautifully, exaggerating her words and actions so she really was a larger than life queen strutting before our eyes.

Every character had an element of comedy, which is partly what made the musical so fun to watch, it felt like the audience were invited into the factory banter. The only performance that jarred for me was factory worker/Charlie's love interest, Lauren, portrayed by Paula Lane. 

Having seen Lane in Coronation Street I don't doubt her talent, but the character and her songs just seemed very awkward and pantomime-esque. Maybe it was the direction, or perhaps the fact I've never been to Northampton, where the musical is set, but I struggled to understand why her accent was different to the rest of the cast, too. 

Kinky Boots is one of my favourite films, and I really hoped that seeing it sexed up on stage with tonnes of songs and sequins would live up to it. I'm happy to report that it did, and every piece of the performance tied together to create the perfect feel good show about acceptance and courage.

I had my own lesson in acceptance too, when I looked around and saw all kinds of people in the audience. I had wrongly assumed that middle aged men wouldn't be the target audience, but my dad came along and loved every minute just like the rest of the crowd, who packed out the seats and filled the room with roaring applause. 

Have you seen Kinky Boots The Musical?

Call me a basic b, but Autumn is undoubtedly my favourite season. I love pumpkins, hot chocolates, conkers, pumpkins, the whole shebang just brings joy to my cold little heart, and luckily, there are loads of beautiful Autumn accessories on Etsy to indulge me.

As the evenings get dark and chilly, it's the perfect time to crack out the cosiest candles and melts and scent your home from the season. Whether you love spicy, sweet, or smoky, there are talented crafters cooking up something perfect for every room.

Soy Wax Bonfire Bar £2 MagnoliaBlossomUK
Roasted Chestnut Soy Wax Melts £2 ManchesterCandles
This seller also has pumpkin pecan waffles, pumpkin spiced latte, and toasted marshmallow melts, which made my mouth water just looking at them

Toffee Apple Soy Wax Bar £2.25 CalmingScentsUK
Gran's Pumpkin Pie Candle Jar £6.90 Sarah's Little Attic

Gingerbread Soy Wax Melts £3 CraftyLittleHive

Blackberry Jam Wax Melts £1.50 EmilysWaxHouse

A wreath on the front door, pumpkins on the dining table, and orange and mustard cushions for your bed are easy ways to turn your home into a cosy retreat.

Autumn Food Felt Ornaments from £6.82 ReadySteadyFelt
These would be a sweet, unusual addition to a seasonal centrepiece or hot chocolate station.

Fox and Owl Cushion Cover £6.95 SimplyDivineThings

Set of 2 Navy Tweed Pumpkins £12 ShopWillyNilly
The tweed adds a rustic texture to these sweet ornaments. Add a drop of essential oil to the bottom of them to make them smell as good as they look.

Pumpkin Wreath £21 CraftyLilyMay

If it's not enough just to drink hot cocoa and spiced lattes, Etsy will let you bathe in them, too.

Autumn Fire Perfume Oil £10 ScreamingMandrakePf
6 Pumpkin and Rhubarb Bath Melts £9.50 BahariBlossom 

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Bath Set £8.95 NaturesGenie

Autumn Fashion
Dressing for Autumn is my favourite. Bring on the burgundy, the mustard, the corduroy, and the cosy knits!

5 Autumn Scrunchies £12 ukpigtailsandpompoms

Pumpkins. Candles. Hot Chocolate. Embroidered Sweatshirt £30 NoodleAndStitch 

Knitted Earwarmer, Cowl, and Coffee Cosy £35 TheCraftyElfStore

The colours in this warm woollen set are a great way to cheer up a grey, rainy day.

What's your favourite thing about Autumn?

Since I work on a very warm ward, I tend to come home sticky, sweaty, and ready for a cool shower with fruity products to freshen me up, and I Love Cosmetics fit the bill perfectly with their affordable range of cruelty free shower gels and scrubs, and bath salts and cremes.

I always opt for fruit scents to awaken my skin and senses, and the I Love Elderflower Fizz Body Wash (£6.50) does not disappoint. I was worried it would be a sickly floral, but the elderflower has cleverly been combined with apple for a crisp and refreshing scent.

If I'm feeling especially gross, I reach for the I Love... Raspberry and Blackberry Shower Smoothie (£3.99), which smells absolutely mouthwatering. For a full, fake tan routine scrub I still prefer my good old exfoliating gloves, but if you have sensitive skin or just like a gentle polish the tiny particles of walnut shell should float your boat.

After my shower I like to take a minute to moisturise my body with the I Love English Rose Body Butter (£12), as I feel that little bit more body confident when my skin is smooth and radiant, and it has been keeping my eczema at bay nicely.

If you think you don't like rose scents, this rich butter will prove you wrong. Instead of a heavy, powdered rose, this is a fresh floral blended with pear, red berries, jasmine, and amber to produce a beautiful fragrance that lingers lightly on the skin while the shea butter base sinks in quickly and leaves skin feeling nourished.

I Love Cosmetics have blended shea butter with coconut oil in their exotic I Love Mango and Papaya hand lotion (£2.99), too, making it a deeply nourishing formula. It does take a while to sink in, so it's ideal for massaging into hands or feet before bed to wake up to silky smooth skin.

To further treat your feet this Summer, dissolve bath salts in hot water then letting it cool for a soothing soak. I have been trialling the Violet Dreams variety and found them perfect for pampering my poor feet after a day in sandals.

I Love Cosmetics are rightfully so proud of their scents, they've made it easy to layer them on to ensure the fragrance lasts on your skin by offering full product ranges of every scent. Start with a soak in the scented bath salts or bath creme, apply the Body Wash or Shower Smoothie, then finish with a spritz of body spray. 

Even your home can smell sweetly, with I Love Cosmetics candles and reed diffusers delivering a burst of your favourite fragrance for up to 40 hours. Alternatively you can pop some of the bath salts into small bags and hang them in your wardrobe or sock draw to waft the scent over your clothes.

From the fresh and floral to the gourmand Mango Cheesecake and Minty Choc Chip, it's hard to choose which fragrance to try! Luckily, I Love Cosmetics have a handy Find My Fragrance Tool, and plenty of offers on their site to help you stock up. 

The Dungeons are a group of educational, interactive shows set in well, you guessed it, dungeons around the world, bringing the darkest stories from history to life. Most of them are in big cities like London, Berlin, and Shanghai, but I'm very proud to say that here in Lancashire we have our very own Blackpool Tower Dungeon.

My tickets to The Dungeons were compensated in exchange for honest review.

Please be aware that there may be some spoilers in this post, so if you're brave enough to dive in to The Dungeons blind feel free to hop over to my other Blackpool recommendations, but if you'd like a heads up before you head in, carry on reading.

Immersed in dimly lit tunnels where strange sights and sounds wait around every corner, you can easily forget you're just minutes away from a massive Primark, and a few floors from The Blackpool Tower Ballroom!

Every room sets the scene perfectly, from the doctor's office where you'll feel your skin crawl with leeches, to the Captain's secret cove. Your adrenaline will surge as the lights go out and you wait in suspense to see if you'll make it into his smuggling crew. 

While nothing actually touches you or puts you in danger, The Dungeons are full of clever tricks to keep you on your toes and ramp up your heart rate. Lights will drop, creatures will jump, and somewhere through the tour you'll lose yourself in a smoky mirror maze.

The creatures, as they are called by the tour guide, are the leaders who will show and tell their part of history. Meet the doctor, his assistant, and their leeches as they attempt to cure the plague, Judge Blackheart who will decide if you hang, and the torturer of Lancaster Castle who really does not like Yorkshire folk. 

Despite repeating their lines multiple times a day, the actors don't hold back on making their creature characters as horrible and intimidating as possible. Think awkward eye contact, sudden movements, and the creepiest of smiles to really put you on the edge.

At The Dungeons, you are part of the experience, so be prepared to answer their questions and do as they say- or else. This is what makes it so much fun, especially for your friends and family as they watch you squirm.

Congratulations, you've survived the tour! Commiserations, you've been found guilty of being part of the infamous Pendle witches, and must hang for your crimes. If you pass the safety checks you'll be ushered to your death by an executioner and strapped firmly into a row of seats. 

Your heart rate will rise with the seats as they're cranked higher and higher in a dark room, until a fiery Viking face speaks the last words you will hear, and your body suddenly drops back down to the floor with a rush of cold air. 

It's exhilarating, it's frightening, and it's absolutely hilarious- though perhaps not as much as the souvenir photos that are snapped halfway through your fall. 

You might need a stiff drink after that shock, and luckily there is a licensed pub on site where the staff stay in character and can tell you the latest scandals and gossip of 1896. Stop by the souvenir gift shop, then raise a glass to making it out of The Dungeons alive.

I'd recommend a trip to The Blackpool Tower Dungeons to anyone, even big scaredy cats like me! The idea is that the fear adds to the fun, so you'll jump, shriek, and scream, but laugh a lot, too. There are one or two slightly cheeky jokes, but aside from that it's great for couples, friend, and even families, with a recommended age of 8 for younger visits. 

For Christmas (how was that 7 months ago?!) my boyfriend very kindly gifted me a chocolate selection box from The Vegan Kind, chock full of dairy free, honey free, gelatine free sweet treats to enjoy.

I hid the box from myself so it wouldn't get devoured in the festive frenzy, and I've slowly eaten and savoured the contents to share my thoughts on them properly. Willpower level: warrior.

Clarana Colourful Chocolate Beans

Call me strange, but I don't actually like normal Smarties. If you do, you'll love these, because they're honestly almost the same! The chocolate and sugar shell had the classic taste and feel, and the only difference I could find was that these come in more muted colours.

There are hundreds in the bag, and I feel like these would be really good for dairy free or vegan kids' treats or lunchboxes, and they'd also be great for decorating cakes.

The Fabulous Free From Factory Fudgee Bites

Amazing. Buy them now. I don't know how they make fudge without condensed cows' milk but by golly, they've done it! The filling is almost identical to Cadbury's fudge but with a toastier flavour coming in at the end, alongside the kick of sea salt to offset the sugar rush.

The chocolate coating around them was also lovely, it wasn't too dark and still melted well as I ate the fudge. Definitely a winning combination and one I will buy and recommend.

Bean And Pod 'Honey'comb

This was absolutely delightful, 10x better than a Cadbury Crunchie. The dark chocolate complemented the super sweet honeycomb, and the vanilla in it shone through. I recommend letting it sit out overnight so it gets all chewy and even more delicious. If you need a gift for a vegan friend, order two of these- one for them, one for you!

Mummy Meagz Chocolate Orange Rocky Road

The tagline of 'not dusty, chalky, or chewy' initially put me off this bar a bit. That's the very least I expect from my treats, and should be a given, not what you advertise with, but then I read that the lady behind the brand- Mummy Meagz- had found that many vegan bars were exactly that, and she wanted to buck the trend.

The bar was very sweet, and the chocolate coating was surprisingly creamy. The marshmallows studding it were not chewy like non-vegan ones, but they were still delicious. The white chocolate chunks were generous but a bit sickly for me, and there were plenty of crunchy biscuit pieces in the mixture too.

Overall the bar was just too sweet for me, I would prefer a darker chocolate and stronger orange flavour, but it was almost identical to a non-vegan version which will be exactly what some people want.

Rhythm 101 Praline Bar

If you like praline, you'll love this. It tasted exactly like I was eating a Thornton's chocolate, and the quinoa added a nice crispy texture. Praline isn't my favourite, so I wouldn't buy this again, but I did still enjoy it as a sweet treat.

Peakz Salted Caramel Squares

I expected these to be dry like cocoa Shreddies, but I was happily surprised to find that they are Shreddies coated in a generous layer of chocolate, which was dark but sweet and not too bitter. I didn't detect a caramel flavour, but there were little pieces of salt which complemented the coating.

I probably wouldn't buy these again because I prefer to either have a healthy snack or a treat, and these fell in between for me, but I did enjoy them.

Montezuma Peanut Butter Truffles

It's peanut butter truffle time, peanut butter truffle time! At first I hated these, because the chocolate is darker than my soul. They did grow on me, and the depth of the chocolate meant that they were rich without being sickly, but I'd still choose a milky, sugary Reese's cup over them.

The Vegan Kind selection box has something for everyone, and it's a really easy, accessible way to find new vegan and dairy free chocolates, whether you're fully cruelty free, lactose intolerant, or just love trying new things. Just a few clicks and one payment and a whole box is picked for you and sent to your door.

Alongside the seasonal chocolate boxes, The Vegan Kind also offer vegan lifestyle and beauty boxes, and The Vegan Kind Supermarket, where you can stock up on new-found favourites.

What's your favourite vegan treat?

The Setting

The Blackpool Tower Ballroom is famously the big location on Strictly Come Dancing every year, and always looks amazing, but it's even better in person. While the cameras keep all eyes on the dancefloor, I was able to look around to the gallery and the grand, decorated ceiling that has overlooked thousands of dances in its time. 

It's a lovely piece of Lancashire's history and tourism, and a luxurious place to enjoy afternoon tea. The talented organists who play the Wurlitzer live from centre stage boost the atmosphere even further. Between them and the dancers, it really felt like stepping back to a time when dances were the place to be.

The Dancers

I stepped into the ballroom under the impression that any of the diners could get up and give the dancing a go. What I wasn't expecting was a dancefloor full of couples who knew every song and step, and performed them perfectly! 

While I felt way too shy to join in alongside such brilliant dancers, I was more than happy to sit and watch them glide around the floor. Some of them looked to be in their 80s and it was obvious from their elegance that these were dances they practised and perfected over many years. 

I'm not ashamed to say I had a little tear in my eye watching them sway and step in perfect rhythm, it made for such a special experience and I'm very grateful to them for that. It has definitely made me appreciate the art of dancing more, and I have a newfound respect for the Strictly celebs who learn these dances so quickly!

The Service

Every member of staff I met at The Blackpool Tower was efficient, friendly, and just wonderful. It felt like they genuinely enjoyed their jobs, and they really helped to enhance our visit. 

Francis greeted us with the warmest welcome at the door, before Leia showed us to our seats. Once we were settled our server, Bethany, introduced herself, took our drinks order, and checked over our dietary preferences, advising us to let her know if there was anything we didn't like so she could change it. 

We also had the pleasure of meeting Maggie, who kindly took some snaps of us from different angles, and was always smiling when we saw her.

The Food

Unfortunately the low point of our visit was the afternoon tea itself. Perhaps I've been spoilt by other teas I've tried, but it was a little lacklustre, especially against the grandeur of the setting. 

The sandwiches were egg mayonnaise, tuna mayonnaise, cream cheese and cucumber, and ham and cheddar, and they were fine but could have benefited from a garnish of salad or a few crisps as they looked very plain on the plate.

The scone tier was much better, with large scones full of cherries, and ample cream and jam alongside them. 

Usually the cake tier is my favourite, but I wasn't impressed with the selection in the ballroom. There was a small square of rich chocolate brownie, a slice of Victoria sponge, and a berry coulis topped with synthetic cream. With jam and cream on the scone, sponge, and coulis dessert, the flavours just became repetitive and the afternoon tea would have benefited from more variety. 

Both the Victoria sponge and dessert were in plastic packaging too, which suggested to me that they were bought from a food company rather than prepared fresh. I appreciate the ballroom may not have a full kitchen, but perhaps they could work with a local supplier to bring in fresh, higher quality food for their teas. 

The Experience

While you can eat better afternoon teas elsewhere, it would be difficult to find one in a setting better than The Blackpool Tower Ballroom. It must have been breathtaking when it first opened in 1894, and it's still spectacular now. 

You can buy tickets to visit the ballroom without having afternoon tea, so whether you're a dancer, history buff, or Strictly Come Dancing superfan, I would recommend booking in to see it for yourself.