Planning a party for Halloween or maybe a movie night? Sweet Chaos popcorn has some new Fall themed flavors that are sure to be a hit! They have some terrific flavors! NEW Pumpkin Spice, NEW Candy Corn, and NEW Black & Orange Drizzled Popcorn! My favorite is the NEW Black & Orange Drizzled Popcorn! Scarily delicious, Sweet Chaos Drizzles are Gluten Free, made with Non-GMO popcorn, and have NO artificial colors or flavors. Handmade kettle corn made by real people. Non-GMO popcorn is popped in Coconut Oil, with just the right amount of Cane Sugar and Sea Salt, and then sprinkled with delicious drizzle.

Do you love candy corn? Some do and some do not. Personally, I am not a big fan of the candy but I tried the Candy Corn flavored popcorn and I even liked it!

You can find out more about this brand at https://sweetchaos.com/

You can also find them at many Walmart locations and Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this holiday-themed post. Images were also provided.

Halloween is almost here! Looking to plan a party for the adults? Here are a couple of canned cocktail options from Monaco® Cocktails, a leader in the RTD cocktail category. With 2 shots in every can and 9% ABV, Monaco is the perfect addition for all of your Halloween entertaining needs! I actually tried the Mango Peach and it is tasty!

The following two flavors are bound to be a hit!

Monaco Cocktails Mango Peach – Another fun and festive option, this delicious canned cocktail combines vodka with sweet peach and mango. 

Monaco Cocktails Sun Crush – This perfectly premixed cocktail combines agave tequila with delicious orange soda for a bright and bubbly mashup of flavors.

Happy Halloween!

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this holiday post. Images were also provided.

Candy may be big for Halloween but here are some great alternatives for the kids this Halloween! (Or you can give these and candy too!)

Groovy Glowing Candy Lab from Thames & Kosmos (this one makes candy!)

Set the world aglow with peace, happiness, and good times! Make yummy candies that actually glow in the dark. Mold fun, glowing gummies and sweet, glowing ice cubes in groovy shapes. Then make a batch of hard candy and watch it glow. A small amount of a safe, natural ingredient — riboflavin, or vitamin B2 — causes these candies to glow under the included blacklight flashlight. Learn about the chemistry of glowing materials and pigments, the physics of light and electromagnetic waves, and more science behind these delicious treats. This kit includes all the food ingredients needed for a groovy good time! Made in the USA. For ages 6+ | MSRP $19.95. I really like this one because it’s creative and a lot of fun!

These next two items are sure to be a hit with the kids!

Land Of Dough Vampland  7oz Luxe Dough Cup  from Crazy Aaron’s

Go batty with this FANG-tastic Vampire Dough. Make fangs, bats, a cape, or a coffin, but always, creep it real.  Land of Dough is the most eco-friendly dough on the planet. From plant-based colors and compostable glitters to our paper packaging, we strive to minimize the environmental impact of our product.  All of our Luxe Dough Cups feature multi-layered designs for amazing play value. Each cup is an experience all its own. Land of Dough is made in the USA right here in our own wind-powered facility using reclaimed landfill gas as a heat source. Each batch is carefully handcrafted with the finest natural ingredients and our signature wood play tools are sourced using sustainable forestry practices. https://www.landofdough.com/  Price: $15.00.

2” Mini Monster from Crazy Aaron’s  

It’s alive! MINI Monster Thinking Putty comes to life with a spooky metallic green sheen, just like that of his preternatural flesh. Hit the lights and you’ll get a shock—it glows an eerie electric blue in the dark, too.  Ages: 3+ Price: $3.00 Avail at crazyaarons.com .

I really like this next one!

Hallodanglers from Wild Republic

Frankenstein, Werewolf, Witch, Vampire, Scarecrow (Vampire is pictured)

The Hallodanglers are ready to ‘hang out’ on their favorite night of the year. With 100% recycled water bottle fill, hook and loop velcro hands, and cute (not-so-scary!) faces, Hallodanglers will make the spooky season more fun for your little ones. MSRP: $16.99. Find them at https://shop.wildrepublic.com/

I love this cute new kit from Pottery Awesomeness! This one is Halloween-themed but they do have other themes. It’s a fun crafty item for the kids this Halloween! These are the perfect project for kids and families to enjoy together.  The kids will be excited to receive these boxes that come with everything they need to create their masterpiece! Each box includes three cute figurines, acrylic paint, paintbrushes, a glossy sealer, and an instruction card with QR codes that will direct painters to painting tutorials and instructions. For every kit purchased, Pottery Awesomeness donates a painting kit to sick children in hospitals. They work directly with the lead art therapist at each hospital to determine what supplies are needed. Now, how cool is that?! More information: www.potteryawesomeness.com.

Self Disclosure: I received samples of the above items to facilitate this holiday post. Images were also provided.

Busy school days sometimes mean that it’s best to have easy-to-cook dinners! Luckily, Meat District can help with their selection of burgers, wings, tri-tip, and more! Many of which are preseasoned, Meat District’s selections are tender and bursting with flavor. Perfect after a long day of school and work, you can easily toss these on the grill or in the oven for a barbeque feast for the whole family. 

I had the opportunity to try a few of their delicious products and I was very impressed! My favorite was the Angus Tri-Tip Beef Patties and honestly, I really do not eat beef that often but every once in a while I love to have a burger and these are delicious! Meat District offers butcher-crafted, premium burgers, party wings, tri-tip, sausages, and more. With chef-inspired recipes and premium ingredients, Meat District unlocks more flavorful choices when it comes to your favorite meats. Produced and packaged locally in Los Angeles, Meat District promises all the quality and flavor without hormones or antibiotics. Meat District products can be found at all major retailers and club stores and are distributed nationally on a weekly basis.

They are super easy and fast to cook and tasted so fresh!

Find out more at https://eatmeatdistrict.com/

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this post. Photo Credit: SoCal City Kids.

Leading better-for-you frozen treat company challenges people to share their good deeds with a commitment to donating one million meals to Feeding America®

GoodPop® frozen pops, announces its #PledgeGood challenge on social media, to encourage people to post good deeds with a commitment to donate one million meals* to Feeding America throughout September, Hunger Action Month. For every social media post with #PledgeGood, and every pledge made on their website, GoodPop will donate a meal.

To kick off the challenge, GoodPop has partnered with TikTok and Instagram creators Smile Squad, Taylor Cassidy, Michelle Chen of World of Vegan and Zahra of Muslimthicc, who will share videos of their acts of kindness using #PledgeGood and encourage others to do the same.

People who want to participate but are not on TikTok and Instagram can pledge their good deed at https://www.goodpops.com/pledge/.

The #PledgeGood campaign is part of a larger goal made by GoodPop’s non-profit, Pledge Good Foundation to reach five million pledges by 2025. The #PledgeGood challenge is the foundation’s first big push to reach its first million pledges.

*$1 helps provide at least 10 meals secured by Feeding America® on behalf of local member food banks. Meal claim valid as of 7/1/20 and subject to change.

Credit: GoodPop.

 Experts at the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend refraining from screens until babies are 18 months old and limiting screen time to less than an hour until kids are at least five years old. However, kids, including infants and toddlers, are spending more time on screens than ever before, resulting in developmental delays including issues with communication, motor skills, problem-solving, social skills, obesity, and more.

The solution? Unplugged play! The neuroscientist mom behind Educating AMY knows that engaging, age-appropriate, hands-on activities create an environment where babies, toddlers, and young children can explore, discover, try, fail, try again, learn, and grow.

The perfect new-mom gift, Educating AMY’s Quiet Books are soft, compact, fabric busy books packed with age-appropriate, brain-building activities designed for specific ages and stages from infancy to six years old. Each page features a Montessori-type creative play activity, puzzle, or manipulative designed to build developmental skills, problem-solving, and confidence.

These hand-sewn, heirloom-quality Quiet Books are meant to be passed down from generation to generation—and each purchase impacts generations to come through a charitable donation that supports the education of young girls in rural India. Educating AMY prepays a year’s tuition for these deserving children, recovered by the sale of their mini–Quiet Books (each sale covers two weeks of schooling) and large Quiet Books (each sale covers four weeks of schooling).

I received a sample and am so impressed with the quality and it is so cute!

Help break the cycle of increasing screen time by spreading the word about Quiet Books from Educating AMY!  https://www.educatingamy.com/

Self Disclosure: I received a free sample to facilitate this post. Images were also provided.

GoodPop® Frozen Pops, the leading better-for-you frozen treat brand that exists to good in the world, debuts its latest flavor, Mango Chile, as a throwback to the fan favorite of its early farmer’s market days. On the heels of its recently launched Pledge Good Foundation, GoodPop asks consumers everywhere to pledge to do good deeds this summer. 

“I fell in love with mango chile paletas while traveling throughout Mexico, so it became one of GoodPop’s first flavors to honor that experience and inspiration,” said Daniel Goetz, founder and CEO, GoodPop. “This version of Mango Chile has a sweet and savory combination of juicy ripe mango with a touch of chili, lime, and salt. They are great alone or mixed into a ‘poptail,’ especially for summer.”  

The Mango Chile pops come in packs of four, and join GoodPop’s collection of plant-based pop flavors, such as Dreamy Orange Push Pops, Cold Brew Latte, and Strawberry Shortcake. The pops are USDA certified organic, dairy, and gluten-free and made without HFCs, GMOs, refined sugars, or sugar alcohol sweeteners. Like all GoodPop products, the Mango Chile was also thoughtfully crafted with the highest quality ingredients available. 

“Our mangoes are sourced from Colombia because we found that this area of the world is growing the most flavorful and sweetest mangoes. We also custom-developed our own organic chile-lime blend because we couldn’t find anything else that would fit our quality standards.   Finding the best possible ingredients that are also ethically sourced to create our Mango Chile pop was our top priority and we are so excited to share this unique flavor with everyone,” said Goetz. 

To celebrate the release of the Mango Chile pop, GoodPop is encouraging shoppers to pledge to do good deeds this summer through Pledge Good, a simple act of committing to do a good deed to spread good and kindness. GoodPop’s mission is to, “Pledge Good. Do Good. Feel Good,” and the brand donates $1 per pledge to various non-profit partners. Customers can take part at goodpop.com/pledge.

GoodPop Frozen Pops are available for a suggested retail price of $4.99-$5.99 and can be found in natural and conventional retailers in 40+ states and GoodPop’s new online store that ships to all 48 states in the continental United States with flat rate shipping. For a full list of retailers and to shop, click here: www.goodpops.com/store-locator. For more information and to shop, visit https://shop.goodpops.com/. 

Credit: GoodPop.

Have a college student not living at home? A care package is a wonderful idea! If your college student has special dietary needs, you likely know all too well how difficult it can be to find unique treats that they will love AND that are safe for them. SendingSun has set out to make the transition from home to college easier — and more fun — for all students.

I received a sample and loved that it included a Mug and a Mug Cake mix and a face mask! There are 6 – 8 unique items in every package! Now, how cool is that?! There are Vegetarian, nut-free, and gluten-free options. Delicious cookies and taffy (with gluten-free and nut-free options) are always included — enough to share.

There are single semester and full academic year purchasing options. For more information go to https://www.sendingsun.com/

About: Tracy Schactman is the founder of SendingSun, a company that provides monthly care packages overflowing with quality, unique, fun items — curated by college students for college students, and packaged with a beautiful and modern touch.

Have a Pre-schooler at home? They will love these Magformers Sets!

MAGFORMERS CUBE HOUSE PENGUIN SET 

Introduce kids to magnetic construction with the Magformers Cube House Frog Set! This 20-piece set includes new character pieces – a child in a frog onesie, with a hat that can be swapped for a seal one. The set makes a variety of different mini houses using the magnetic window square, four standard squares, two triangles, a sector and two arches, while extra accessories include three floor inserts, two windows, a chair, picture and a slide. This amazing roleplay set features Magformers’ Rotating Magnets System, where small magnets safely sealed in every edge of the magnetic pieces actually spin, so they always connect. With an A3 instruction sheet the Cube House Frog set is fun and educational. Ages 3+. MSRP $24.99.

MAGFORMERS CUBE HOUSE FROG SET

Introduce kids to magnetic construction with the Magformers Cube House Penguin Set! This 20-piece set includes a brand new character – a cute kid in a penguin onesie, with a hat that can be swapped for a bear one. The set makes a variety of different mini houses using the magnetic window square, five standard squares, floor and wall pieces, a tricycle and table. This amazing roleplay set features Magformers’ Rotating Magnets System, where small magnets safely sealed in every edge of the magnetic pieces actually spin, so they always connect. With an A3 instruction sheet the Cube House Penguin set is fun and educational. Ages 3+. MSRP $24.99.

Look for them at Target, Walmart, and Amazon.com.

Self Disclosure: I received free samples to facilitate this post. Images were also provided.