Never Buy an Orange Pumpkin Again

It's the weekend before Halloween, which means you're either prepping a costume, prepping a pumpkin, or desperately trying to avoid both. For those in the latter camp, we recommend binge-watching the new season of Stranger Things pastel pumpkins. They are decidedly autumnal with their squatty pumpkin shapes, but will introduce a far more Insta-worthy color palette—we're talking dusty gray-greens, funky blues, buttercup yellows, snow whites, and pinks—to your table or stoop. They're not cheesy, like some fall flower arrangements (read: dried wheat stalks with a burlap ribbon) can be, and they require no prep work or pumpkin gutting because they come ready to display. Group them in clusters or just plunk one down wherever your home needs a little bit of fall flavor. Then you're free to get back on the couch to see what's going down in the Upside Down.

As many pastel pumpkins are heirloom varieties, you'll want to swing by the local market or pumpkin patch to seek them out—there, we've sorted out your plans for Saturday morning! Just look for the gray, white, and pink ones, or bug the person in charge to show you some specific types: Long Island Cheese (pale yellow with smooth skin), Blue Lakota (blue-green and oblate in shape), Jarrahdale/Blue Max (a dramatic blue-tinged white with deep ribbing), Moonshine (white, round, and small), Baby Book (white, classically shaped, palm-size), and Porcelain Doll (pink!) are all sure bets.