Pumpkin Panic + Fall Prep: How to Stay Ahead of the Seasonal Spiral

Is it just me, or do pumpkins get earlier every year? One day it’s iced coffee season, and the next you’re side-eyed by a pumpkin spice hummus display at the grocery store. (Yes, it exists. No, I don’t recommend.) Suddenly, your favorite candle aisle smells like nutmeg exploded, and Target has you convinced you’re already behind on Halloween décor.

The pumpkins are a warning sign. Not of fall, but of everything that follows: Halloween costumes that require an engineering degree, school break travel planning, Thanksgiving menus, family visiting (with their opinions), and before you know it, you’re panic-ordering holiday cards at 11 p.m. in December.

It’s not that pumpkins are bad. Pumpkins are fine. Pumpkins are great! (Pumpkin pie? Yes. Pumpkin protein powder? No.) But their premature arrival does tend to spark that creeping feeling of oh no, here we go.

So, how do you fight back against the Seasonal Spiral? Here are some tangible ways to stay ahead before the countdowns start clicking:

1. Audit Your Calendar Now

Before the school flyers, sports schedules, and party invites multiply like gremlins, block off your calendar with the non-negotiables: school breaks, travel, big work deadlines, and family visits. If you see a free weekend in October, guard it with your life. Future You will thank Present You.

2. Costume Check Early

Halloween is fun until you’re hot-gluing a last-minute robot suit at 11:30 p.m. Do yourself a favor: start the conversation with your kids (or yourself, adults are allowed costumes too!) now. Order or DIY before Amazon starts charging $42 for a polyester witch hat.

3. Stock the “Guest Drawer”

Family coming to town? Keep a little stash of guest essentials on hand: extra toothbrushes, travel-size shampoo, clean towels. That way, Aunt Linda’s surprise visit won’t send you running to CVS at midnight.

4. Organize Your Pantry Before It’s Pie Time
Baked goods, stuffing, endless appetizers, you know the drill. A quick pantry refresh now means you won’t discover five open bags of pecans and zero cinnamon sticks the night before Thanksgiving. You may even want to add a seasonal ‘last minute’ guest section to your pantry- Ro-tel and Velveeta, anyone?! (yes…i said it)....you will pat yourself on the shoulder when the entire soccer team somehow ends up at your house for the football game! 

5. Delegate (Because You’re Not a Superhero, Even if You Own a Cape)

This is where we come in. TULA exists to take those “oh, I’ll get to it” tasks off your plate—whether that’s organizing fall décor, shopping for Halloween candy (without eating half the bag in the car, maybe), restocking guest supplies, or even prepping meals for family or football gatherings.

The Bottom Line:
The season ahead is cozy, magical, and memory-filled—but also chaotic, sticky, and sometimes overwhelming. The best way to enjoy it is to plan a little, organize a little, and know when to pass the baton.

Because your time should be spent carving pumpkins with your kids, not panic-buying costumes in a crowded aisle. Drinking cider with friends, not digging through your pantry for that one can of cranberry sauce you swear you bought last year.

And if you find yourself staring down the Seasonal Spiral—don’t worry. TULA’s got you. We’ll handle the labor, you handle the living.

Cheers to fall, pumpkins and all.