It is a #HersheysHalloween

Are you planning a party this Halloween?  Do you have activities planned for the kids?  Some kids do not like the spooky and scary part of Halloween so sometimes you have to get a little creative with Halloween parties.  I love to create fun games for the all ages to enjoy from the little ones to the big ones.

First up, Halloween candy people.  The kids can let their imagination go wild and let them create little monsters, mummies, ghosts, whatever they would like scary or not.  There are no rules.  Just provide tools they can use.  Tools we used:

-Rolos
-Cadbury Creme Egg
-toothpick

Next, we made little Ice Cream and Candy Cemetery.  We made tombstones by cutting KitKats and Hershey's in smaller pieces.  Used food coloring to paint the whipped cream.  Also made little ghosts with the whipped cream.  Tools we used:

-ice cream single serve cups
-whipped cream
-green food coloring
-Halloween KitKat snack size
-Hershey's milk chocolate snack size

All treats are edible for the kids to enjoy while they are having fun using their imagination.  Next we played games.  One game we love to play all the time is Tic Tac Toe.  All we needed was a board to play on.  Tools we used:

-Halloween KitKat snack size
-Hershey's kisses (2 different colors)

Another fun game we like to play came inspired from the Carnival.  This one is fun and everyone gets prizes.  Each person gets 5 chances to get the candy in the cups without knocking over.  Or you can do 3 in a row.  Tools we used:

-plastic cups
-Rolos
-prizes (i picked up small toys from the $1 store)

If you are having a pirate themed Halloween party, you can also use the candy as props.  Tools used:

-Rolos (because they are gold)
-Hershey's kisses (because they are silver)

Of course after everyone has had a lot of fun, you can make candy bags for everyone to take home.  Or you can put the candy in witches pots and have them fill their own.  I love the Halloween candy shaped like pumpkins from York, Reese's, pumpkin spice Hershey's kisses, and the orange KitKats.

I fixed candy bags for the kids to take home to play with.  Each bag have lots of goodies for them to enjoy once they leave.  I also put their names on them just in case someone grabbed a bag before leaving so that the bags would not get mixed up.  You know kids they then to put things down and then lose them.

Planning a party this Halloween?  Got any ideas you want to share....I would love to hear what works for you at your parties.

SPONSORED by Global Influence with PRODUCT provided by Hershey’s. All opinions are my own.

Summer Fun with Dave and Busters

***Disclosure-My family and I were invited to check the new games, food and drinks at D&B.  All opinions expressed are my own based on our personal experience.

Entertaining your kids over the Summer does not have to break your budget.  You can go out, gave some food, and have a fun time outside of the house with your kiddos all year long.  For me, it is always important for us to go out as a family especially in the summer.  I remember growing up and staying home with nothing to do.  So I try to plan outings for us that we all can enjoy together but that will not break the budget.

Dave and Busters is one of our favorite places to go as a family.  It is kid-friendly.  There is food and drinks. They have great ways to save you money and who doesn't want to stretch those $$$?

1)  Eat, Play, Win Combos-choose one of eight entrées and get a $10 Game Card plus 100 tickets for only $16.99.  It is available Sun-Thurs Open to Close, Friday and Saturday until 5 pm.  

***NEW MENU ITEM***
Chicken & Shrimp Rockefeller
Our grilled chicken breast is topped with a creamy spinach sauce, diced roasted tomatoes and sauteed shrimp. Mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli make your meal complete.

(Sorry.  This dish came out and we tried it before taking a picture.  There was none left.  It was so good.  My husband normally would not eat anything with spinach but this sauce was really good.  This was our favorite dish.)

-Or select one of three entrees and get a $10 Power Card plus 100 tickets for $18.99. 

Build Your Own Soft Tacos* (Steak)
Marinated New York steak served with crisp lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream, cheddar cheese, fresh-made guacamole and warm soft tortillas. Served with a side of spicy rice and black beans. 

(My son chose the Build Your Own Tacos-Chicken which is available for $16.99 combo.  He said they were really good!  This dish is also good for anyone watching their calories.)




-Or select one of these five entrees and get a $10 Power Card plus 100 tickets for $20.99. 

***NEW MENU ITEM***
Bistro Steak & Shrimp with Lobster Alfredo
Serious surf AND the tastiest turf. We start with a 5 oz. Sirloin steak on a bed of linguine, then top it off with shrimp, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes and a lobster Alfredo sauce.

(This was delicious.  The Surf and Turf combo meets pasta.  This is a pretty big plate of food.  You may need to take a nap after this one.)





They also have dishes that are only available at D&B:

***NEW MENU ITEMS***
Bacon-Wrapped Beef Medallions & Grilled Shrimp*

Marinated medallions of Sirloin steak wrapped in bacon, alongside garlic herb shrimp. Char-grilled and served with a medley of oven-roasted vegetables and new potatoes, accompanied with a side of tomato and basil Bruschetta.

(Anything wrapped in bacon is GOOD to me!! Very yummy and juicy dish.  All the boys enjoyed this one.)

Grilled Balsamic Chicken

Grilled chicken breast drizzled with a rich balsamic reduction, served with a medley of oven-roasted vegetables and new potatoes, accompanied with a side of tomato and basil Bruschetta.

(Very healthy dish.  For those that are bored with eating salads all the time.  Minus the bread for less calories.)

Potato Chip Crusted Chicken

Tender chicken breasts in a crushed Lay’s® potato chip crust, fried to a golden brown and served with warm French onion dipping sauce, with a medley of oven-roasted vegetables and new potatoes.

(Winner winner chicken dinner.  This dish was the boys favorite.  If you have had crusted chicken, and enjoy it, you need to try this Lays crust.  It was so crispy and crunchy.)








Now that I got you hungry.  Let me tell more ways of having fun but not breaking the budget:

3) 

This summer Dave & Buster's is introducing 8 epic, new games into our stores. To get you into the New Mix of Fun, we're letting you play five for free! (With same day Power Card purchase or reload). From May 20-August 18, 2013, get one free play on five new games: Temple Run, Harpoon Lagoon, Dizzy Chicken, Dark Escape 4D and Dream Raiders! Contact your local store for more details.

*Play Five Free is only valid with same day Power Card purchase of $10 or reload, May 20-August 18, 2013. Free Game Play expires on the date it's added to the Power Card. Limit one Play 5 Free per person, per Power Card.

3)  

Have you ever played Temple Run and thought, "I totally could have come up with that game?" Well now's your chance to flex those creative brain nodes and bring your idea for the next big video game to life! Send us your killer game idea and you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win FREE GAMES FOR LIFE at D&B. Click here to enter: Nextgame.cc.com  

4)  

Enjoy 1/2 Price Games every Wednesday from Open to Close* for a limited time only!

We always go on Wednesday when everything including bowling and pool is half off.  Check your participating D&B for specials, promos, and their special events.

5)  Happy Hour-Dave and Busters is also a great place for GNO, parties, and date nites.  They have half price drinks making them under $5.  Mom and Dad can be kids again while enjoying some of their new Summer drinks:

We spent more than 5 hours at Dave and Busters last Wednesday.  We had so much fun playing games, enjoying great food and staying cool with some fruity drinks.  It was fun for all of us.  Even the little one.