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6 Pumpkin Treats for Care Package

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Are you putting together an autumn-themed care package this year? It is really difficult to find the commonly available fall goodies outside of America that we all stateside have come to know and love. Take some time this season to pack up a few pumpkin treats for your loved one in an autumn-themed care package. A little reminder of home can go a long way to make the day of a service member missing this great season.

Here are 6 delicious pumpkin-flavored treats available for a limited time at your military commissary. Stop by and stock up, not only for your service member’s care package, but also for yourself.

1. Pumpkin Spice Oreos

Yes, these absolutely delicious cookies do exist. I might of already eaten more than my fair share of them. The overpowering aroma of cinnamon and spice will have your loved one instantly in a state of fall euphoria.

The packaging for Pumpkin Spice Oreos is small enough that you can fit a couple of them into an autumn care package. You will want to send more than one, because they will be requesting more. Pumpkin Spice Oreos are only around for a limited time, so stock up today.

2. Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts

Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts are a great way to start a morning. Your service member will be thanking you for sending them in the care package. Delicious right out of the package, but even more so hot out of the toaster, these treats are sure to have anyone on their way to a good day.

Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts are only available in the large box that contains 12 toaster pastries, so fitting more than 2 boxes into a care package my be difficult. But it’s worth it.

3. Quaker Pumpkin Spice Instant Oatmeal

This is another pumpkin-inspired breakfast item to add to your autumn care package. While it isn’t quite cold here, your service member may be experiencing chillier weather where they are. Help them start their day off with a delicious fall breakfast with Quaker Pumpkin Spice Instant Oatmeal. It will surely bring back memories of autumn days in America.

4. Starbucks VIA Instant Pumpkin Spice Latte

You don’t need to make a special trip to Starbucks to pick up their VIA Instant Pumpkin Spice Latte for this care package. Instead, simply venture down the coffee isle in your commissary. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much less they cost at the commissary as well. The packaging is very small so you will be able to put multiple Starbucks VIA Instant Pumpkin Spice Latte packets into an autumn care package.

5. Dunkin’ Donuts Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee

Does your service member love pumpkin spice coffee? No need to add calorie loaded pumpkin syrup to their morning brew. Dunkin’ Donuts has released their Pumpkin Spice Ground Coffee again this year and you’ll find it in the commissary. Add a bag to your autumn care package and delight your service member with this delicious coffee.

6. Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Pepperidge Farm actually has 2 different pumpkin spice cookies. You can choose between their Pumpkin Spice Milano Cookies or the Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies. Both are very sweet so if you have a service member with a sweet tooth, this is for them.

The Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies are actually made with real cream cheese and are amazingly soft. Your autumn care package will be stuffed with greatness with either of these 2 cookies.

Don’t forget to add other personal touches to your autumn care package. Take the children to a local pumpkin patch and take their photos. You can have the kids color a frame for it or draw a picture. Make a few fall themed greeting cards and add some popular fall movies. Hocus Pocus is a good non-scary movie that may bring back memories of family movie nights.

Looking for pumpkin recipes? Search MilitaryShoppers’ recipe contest page.

Make your service member’s day by surprising them with an autumn care package full of delicious pumpkin-inspired treats.

What are your favorite items to send in care packages this time of year?

10 Duty Stations to See Fall Foliage

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We welcomed autumn officially a couple weeks ago and I’m already starting to feel like it’s fully arrived because the evenings are cooler and pumpkin-spiced everything is everywhere. I’m also whipping out my closed-toe shoes and layerable shirts. Bring it on autumn!

10 Best Duty Stations to Experience Fall Foliage

Autumn is my favorite season. What do you love about autumn?

I consider myself a Texan, so I didn’t typically witness a change of seasons growing up. I honestly don’t remember the leaves turning till I moved to New York. That’s when I began appreciating the autumn season. It’s the right temperature for a light coat and hours of hiking.

Even after moving out of New York, I’ve realized that Virginia had some beautiful autumn sights to see too. Based on my experiences and with the help of Fodor’s and Travel+Leisure, I’ve wrangled together the 10 best duty locations to witness fall foliage:

10 Best Duty Stations to Experience Fall Foliage

10 Best Duty Stations to Experience Fall Foliage

I’ve been lucky enough to see the autumn leaves myself when my husband was stationed at Fort Drum.

Fort Drum, New York. Despite having some of the harshest winter weather, Fort Drum is near some awesome sights to see the autumn leaves. It’s a couple hours away from the Finger Lakes region to the southwest and the Adirondacks to the east. I’ve been lucky enough to see the autumn leaves myself when my husband was stationed up there.

Fort Carson and Peterson AFB, Colorado. These two military installations are so close to the Pikes Peak area and that’s a beautiful location to see the autumn leaves. If you have a chance for a weekend getaway and feeling adventurous, your family can head to Aspen. That’s one of the best places to experience the fall foliage. Because you’ll be going through some mountain ranges, the drive would be a great experience in itself.

Washington, D.C. My husband and I heard about Shenandoah National Park early on into our tour in the D.C. Metro area. It’s only a couple hours west and it’s truly an amazing site once you get yourself on Skyline Drive no matter the season. Last year, we made an effort to travel there as the autumn leaves were turning. What a beautiful color mixture of orange, brown and green. Don’t forget your Annual Military Pass when you go to any National Park!

Malmstrom AFB, Montana. Glacier National Park is less than a 3-hour drive from this base in Montana and is truly for the courageous because most of the concessions in the area close up shop in September. It’s said that the wildlife and foliage is just too good to pass up if you’re in the area.

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. I haven’t been to the JBLM area in the fall, but I’ve heard such great things. If the sights were beautiful in the springtime (that’s when I visited the area), I can only image how it looks in this time of the year. The Olympic Peninsula is noted to have amazing views, especially while driving through.

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. FLW doesn’t have the best reputation as a top pick duty station. It might be because it’s secluded, which actually makes it an ideal location for a family that loves camping and the outdoors. The post is less than 2 hours away from Lake of the Ozarks and that park boasts some of the best fall sites in the Midwest.

Luke AFB, Arizona. Sedona, Ariz., is a popular destination to hike and bike, especially through the red rocks and Luke AFB is only a couple hours away. Luckily, when my husband was stationed at Fort Huachuca, we drove up toward the Sedona area. That was a relatively long drive at about 4.5 hours, but we really wanted to ride the Verde Canyon Railroad to see the autumn leaves. I can’t forget to mention the Ales on Rails event that the Verde Canyon Railroad does this month too. We had a great time drinking craft beer and sightseeing in the Sedona area.

USCG Cape May, New Jersey and Dover AFB, Delaware. Cape May is a quaint town in New Jersey that houses a Coast Guard Sector. There is also a ferry from Dover, Delaware, that takes you directly to Cape May. Although this historic coastal town gets most of its tourist in the summer months, it’s also a great place to see the fall foliage while strolling the streets. If you’re stationed at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, Cape May is only a couple hours away.

Enter your favorite autumn photos in MilitaryShoppers’ monthly photo contest. One winner is chosen every month.