Exclusive: Martha Stewart Reveals the ‘Lavish Treats’ She Gives Out That Make Her a Halloween Queen

Fall is about all things hearth and home (and October is all about the spooky things in life). While the warm weather is long gone, we emulate warmth in every way we can, from sweaters to making Halloween-themed treats. And when you think about fall, chances are, you think about the Queen of Hearth and Home herself, Martha Stewart.

When I sat down with Stewart for SheKnows, I felt the warmth radiating off the screen. She was in a stylish, cotton sweater, lounging on a chair in her gorgeous home. (And as we were speaking, there was “a beautiful chicken soup simmering [on the stove], because the vegetables in the garden right now are so lush.”)

Once again, Stewart is partnering with Pure Leaf in their new digital campaign. There are refreshing bottles of Pure Leaf’s Real Brewed Unsweetened Iced Tea, aka “Martha’s Little Helper,” hidden around her estate. And now, you can get your own limited edition “Martha’s Little Helper” bottle with Pure Leaf’s National Giveaway, which is running from today, Sept 18, until Oct 16. (Fans can enter the sweepstakes on PureLeaf.com/PureLeafPromotion.)

You can see the video below:

As you can imagine, Stewart’s wit and expertise came through with every answer. She beamed when talking about all things Halloween and her grandson, truly warming our hearts.

Not only did we learn how she goes all out for trick-or-treaters, but also the adorable thing she did with her grandson at the US Open and how she feels about influencers entering the lifestyle space.

You can find the answers to all of that and more below:

SheKnows: Can you tell me a bit about this new campaign and Pure Leaf’s “Martha’s Little Helper” National Giveaway?

Martha Stewart: Okay, well, Pure Leaf is a drink of choice and it is delicious. This one that I particularly like is no sugar and just a little tiny bit of citric acid, which is lemon for me, and a very nice blend of tea. I’ve been drinking it for a long time and it’s a perfectly legitimate and well-thought-out campaign.

SK: I love that. In this campaign, too, it said the bottles are hidden around your estate. Is there anything else cool hidden around your estate?

MS: Oh, yeah. There’s a peacock here and there. There’s a turkey here and there. There’s maybe a fox who shouldn’t be there, but is there. Some coyotes. I live on a farm, so there are lots and lots of animals. Right now we have an influx of red-tailed hawks. All the babies seem to have become adults, and they’re everywhere. I love all the animals, and I photograph them all the time.

SK: That’s so awesome. How many animals do you have, by the way?

MS: Oh, a few hundred. Oh my goodness. Yeah, it includes lots of chickens, lots of poultry, lots of guinea fowl. I raise those for eggs. I have horses, donkeys, cats, and dogs, so there are quite a few animals.

SK: Transitioning a bit to fall and Halloween, since it’s getting cold out, which I love, do you have any Halloween traditions with your friends or your grandkids?

MS: Well, yeah. We usually have some very fabulous costumes, and I like to decorate my front entrance to my farm with spooky, scary objects and lots of spooky, scary sounds. A long time ago, I did a DVD of spooky, scary sounds, and we put that on loud, and that’s playing, so when kids come by to trick-or-treat, they have to get through the scary sounds. And I like to give out kind of lavish treats, so there’ll be a little bit of money in a treat, there’ll be a lot of good candies, not out of their wrappers. There might be a delicious apple or a pear in addition to the other stuff. So I like Halloween. I always have.

SK: That’s awesome! Is there any decoration activity, food, or piece of clothing that gets you in the fall mood, or is it just as soon as fall hits, you’re in Halloween mode?

MS: Oh no, I’m not in Halloween mode all the time. No, I mean, I love sweaters. I just got this beautiful new sweater, which is a really pretty color, and this is perfect for this kind of 50-degree day.

SK: What is a common misconception people have about you? Do you do anything to address it, or do you ignore it?

MS: Well, yesterday I went to the U.S. Open, and I was with my grandson, who was quite taken by the number of celebrities that were surrounding us, and so I started to take pictures. My camera is a little better than his camera, so I started to take pictures for him, and I snapped Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Mahomes was there, and Jon Hamm was sitting in front of us. So I gave him all the pictures so he could send them to his friends, and that was fun.

SK: That is so cute!

MS: People don’t know that I’m a paparazzi at heart.

SK: I love that. That must have been so much fun, though, to be there with your grandson. Was that the first time he’s ever been to the U.S. Open?

MS: Yeah, he watches. I mean, he knows everything about tennis, but this was the first time he actually asked to go to the U.S. Open. I have to wait for him to ask to go to something. He now goes to the Super Bowl, and he likes to go to the Celtics games and the Knicks games, so it’s fun to accommodate him when I can.

SK: How do you stay inspired and motivated after achieving so much in your career?

MS: Well, there’s always something else to do. I never limit myself to, oh, I’ve done it all, because I have not done it all at all. There’s so much more to do, so much more to learn. I’m very curious about everything, so I’m anxious to continue with my career and do as much as I can.

SK: I figured you would say something like that, but I still wanted to ask! Another question: How do you feel about the rise of social media influencers and actors entering the lifestyle space?

MS: Great! Let’s see who succeeds and who doesn’t. It’s very interesting. I get requests from so many young, aspiring lifestyle entrepreneurs who are always asking for advice. It’s interesting to see who is going to make it in this exclusive area.

SK: In the past, I know you’ve described yourself as more of a teacher than an entertainer. If you could teach everyone one life lesson, what would it be?

MS: That’s very hard. One thing I do encourage people to do is follow their passions. If you have a passion for something, try to develop that passion and make something of it. That gives you a lot of confidence and a lot of rewards.

To learn more about Pure Leaf, please visit their website, or their social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.

Before you go, click here to see Martha Stewart’s life and career in photos.