25 Things That Put Us in the Fright Mood for Spooky Season

Who needs a calendar when you can tell time by seasonal Oreo releases? In our opinion, spooky season doesn't start until Halloween Oreos come out, whether it's October, September, or even earlier. Taking a big orange Oreo bite sends us back to spooky seasons past and puts us in a frightfully good mood.

We don't make the rules; we just know that spooky season calls for a smoky eye. Our go-to palette? Colourpop's 9-pan Blowin' Smoke palette. While Colourpop eyeshadows are highly pigmented and easy to build up, this palette's multi-tonal grayscale selection makes creating a witchy, blown-out smoky eye unbelievably easy.

This year, we're back in our radioactive era. From black light parties to this glow-in-the-dark nail polish, we're getting our ghoulish glow on, and you should, too!

Who needs store-bought holiday decorations when you can craft your own? This witchy cross-stitch book offers 25 custom patterns to create, ranging from the chilling and charming to the magical and macabre. We love a festive craft, and these tableaus are too beautiful not to bring to life.

Taschen's our go-to for highly visual and educational texts, and their Horror Cinema publication is one of the best in the bunch. Whether you're well-versed in the genre or want to dip your toes in for the first time this spooky season, we couldn't recommend this book enough!

While our horror movie tastes may run the gamut, we know you can never go wrong with heading back to where it all began. From Dracula to Frankenstein's monster to the Creature from the Black Lagoon, this short monster movie collection has the spooky season staples everyone (even the scaredy cats) in your family will enjoy.

With autumn weather feeling less and less...autumnal, transitioning from that summer mindset to a spooky one can be a challenge. Testing your and your friends' horror knowledge over brunch or during game night with these horror pop culture trivia cards is one way we kickstart that transition.

Unfortunately, the world doesn't stop turning during spooky season. If you're like us and struggle to spare energy for intense decorating, then you'll love this low-effort option. Toss a few of these decorative straw bales onto a table, countertop, or living room mantle, and the room immediately becomes at least 15% more spooky season-ready than before.

Ambiance is the name of the mood-setting game, and these candy corn string lights transform any boring old room into a magical getaway. Not everyone has the free time to load up on hay rides, corn mazes, and haunted houses, but pops of seasonal decor are just as good at getting you in the mood.

Parties are part and parcel with spooky season, and a quick way we like to prep for ours is by dusting off this spiderweb table runner. If you don't care for spooky season's gorier aspects, this mildly festive table runner is right up your alley.

What would spooky season be without a few creepy crawlies? Getting under people's skin is the name of the spooky season game, and these realistic fake bugs are one of our favorite ways to do so. But if you break these bad boys out, just be ready to stay on people's bad side for at least a few days.

With the last gasp of summer temperatures knocking at September's front door, every day spooky socks offer the perfect amount of warmth and ambiance. After all, what better way to start October off than with your best foot forward?

We're strictly on the "no phones at the table" side of the debate, and working on word searches is one way we like to spend quality time. When spooky season turns the corner, we break out an appropriately themed word search book to pepper in a little macabre with our meals. From haunted house word searches to true crime ones, there are so many options to choose from.

Work can do a number on your mood, even on the best days of the week. These Halloween-themed sticky notes are just one of the ways we keep our spooky spirits high at our regular 9-5s.

Not everything on our spooky season product prep list is in-your-face scary. We love to have a few of these iconic orange Pilot G2 pens on hand for crossing off our October tasks. Nothing perks us up quite like a little pop of orange in October.

Pumpkin spice might have taken over the autumn drink menu, but we think this spicy, warm chai latte suits spooky mornings far better. But if you can't bear to part from your pumpkin spice preference, there's always room to Frankenstein things with a little pumpkin spice creamer.

Caramel is to spooky season what peppermint is to the winter holidays. Nothing hits harder in early October than a few rich caramels, and Werther's knows how to reel you in with their fall flavors. From caramel apple to maple creme and everything in between, you can savor a new caramel every day of the week.

What do suspense, thrills, and slashers have in common? They're our favorite part of spooky season. Horror movies are an October must, and the only pairing we need is this Amish Country microwave popcorn. But if you like to be more hands-on with your kernels, they also offer a variety of loose kernels, too.

No one gets left behind during spooky season, dogs included. These horror movie dog toys are chomper and rugrat safe, and keep everyone in the family focused on the task at hand — enjoying every last minute of the spooktacular season.

While we had a Wednesday Addams streak a mile wide as kids, we know that many youngsters need some time to grow into their spookiest selves. This Wolf Man plush — taken from 1941's The Wolf Man — is the cutest and cuddliest spooky season companion, and makes for a great early October gift for any of the kids in your life.

For us, spooky season starts with your sense of smell. Nothing sets the autumnal tone faster than these rich and warm cinnamon incense sticks. They're far more potent and pure than most traditional candles, and it's the kind of bang for your buck we're obsessed with.

Taper candles are a major spooky motif, whether it's Inga boasting a huge candle in Young Frankenstein or Edith exploring the mansion with a candleabra at her side in Crimson Peak. Ready to get your gothic on? Grab a box of these iconic hand-dipped taper candles.

While we love to burn incense and light a few taper candles, the flame-forward scene-setting options might raise your hackles. Rest assured, we won't leave our flame-averse folks hanging. These cinnamon apple wax melts are one of our fall favorites for a reason — they transform your house into an atmospheric tableau in just a few minutes.

Exploring the metaphysical is such a spooky season activity, and the Rider Waite tarot card deck is tailor-made for beginners to tap into. It is one of the foundational decks for a reason, after all. And although we have a handful of fun decks in our collection now, our journey started with this very same one.

Dive deep into spooky season's roots with Judith M. Flanders' book The Invention of Murder. She explores Victorian society's growing obsession with murder in the 19th century and the early days of murder transforming into a media machine. While it's a relatively dense read, it's a must-have for anyone with more than a passing interest in spooky season lore.