With the arrival of fall, it seems we're surrounded by all things pumpkin. I'm adding it to smoothies and love using pumpkin in our Pumpkin Pie body scrub, due to its high levels of Vitamin A.

Topically, the University of Maryland Medical Center has said that Vitamin A helps "help repair skin damage due to sunburn and natural aging, such as fine wrinkles, liver spots, and rough skin." So, I'm even using this body scrub as an at-home facial.

More geared toward the kids, though it doesn't look like pumpkins or smell like pumpkins, since it's the pie spices, I recently made playdough that like our scrubs smells good enough to eat. Super simple and super fast, this no dye playdough will certainly get you in the mood for fall and provide your kids with hours of fun, though be careful to remind them a few times not to eat it. If you don't have the pumpkin pie spice at home, you could always use a combination of allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg and get a similar aroma.

~Have fun and live healthy!

Pumpkin Pie Spice Playdough

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of salt

1/4 cup baking powder

1 - 0.75 oz. container of pumpkin pie spice

2 cups of water

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1) Add all ingredients to a large sauce pan and mix until combined.

2) Place sauce pan on stove over medium-low heat, stirring frequently.

3) Cook approx. 10 minutes until the dough is formed and not sticky.

4) Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before use. Can be stored in an airtight container.

So, just for a reminder that Hawai’i celebrates Thanksgiving too, Wailani’s wanted to do a Pumpkin Pie body scrub. Even though the change of seasons doesn’t involve the changing leaves that other places enjoy, there are noticeable differences, days getting shorter and rain spells getting longer, that are equated with the fall. There are pumpkin patches, though you might be more likely to find a maze in a pineapple field than a corn field.

While many parts of the Thanksgiving spread might not resemble the traditional meal served at the first Thanksgiving, for example eating with chopsticks, there is one part that does and should remain the same: Pumpkin Pie. It’s not for sentimental reasons, though I’m sure we all have a favorite memory, it’s because of the awesome vitamin packed punch this ingredient boasts, 280% of your daily recommended Vitamin A value in one serving.

Vitamin A has too many benefits to healthy living to list here, but just to give you an idea of the reported skin property benefits, they include reducing wrinkles and protecting your skin against UV damage from sun exposure.

Whenever I find a superfood, I’m always trying to add it to everything. My favorite thing to get a vitamin packed punch for the day is a breakfast shake. I make it for the kids to get extra antioxidants from blueberries or a boost of anti-inflammatory from spinach. I even get some omega 3s in there for heart health with ground flax seed.

While Wailani’s Pumpkin Pie Body Scrub might smell like you could eat it, enjoy an Immunity Packed Pumpkin Smoothie instead.

Immunity Packed Pumpkin Smoothie

~12-14 oz. smoothie

Blend and enjoy!

4 T pumpkin

¼ tsp cinnamon

½ c spinach

1 T ground flax seed

¼ c blueberries

1/3 c mango

1 T honey

1/3 c coconut water (depending on your preferred consistency)

Have fun and live healthy!