"Grapenstein" - A Frankenstein Healthy Halloween Non-Candy Treat Idea

If you're planning a Halloween party and looking for a non-candy treat idea, here's one to keep in mind! It's inexpensive and easy to put together - and best of all, a big hit with the kids. My kids can't have most candy because we are on a special allergen-free diet. Creating cute non-candy treat options with healthy foods is a great way to keep everyone involved in the holiday fun!

Note: the instructions DO include two small pieces of candy. If even that is too much, you could make the eyes out of paper instead and glue them to the outside of the cup!

Supplies Needed
-Clear Plastic Cups
-Electrical Tape
-Green Grapes
-Marshmallows (Elyon has a gluten-free option)
-M&M's or Other Small Candy (Little Secrets dark chocolate is a non-dairy option)
-Scissors

Instructions

1. Wrap a single piece of electrical tape around the rim of the clear plastic cup.

2. Layer a second piece of tape on the cup. Before you add the layer, cut some jagged spots and some fringe to give your "Grapenstein" some awesome crazy hair. Wrap the jagged tape around the cup, just under the first piece of tape.

3. Wash your grapes and fill each cup up halfway.

4. Cut a marshmallow in half, but be careful not to cut all the way through. On the sticky side of the marshmallow, add two small candy eyes.

5. Put the marshmallow eyes into the cup, on top of the grapes. Fill the rest of the cup with green grapes.

6. Cut some small pieces of electrical tape to make the mouth and stitches. Attach to outside of each cup.

There you have it: a mostly healthy, non-candy treat idea that's perfect for any Halloween occasion! Enjoy!

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

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Easy Crockpot Dulce de Leche Dip (1 Ingredient!)

Fall is on the way, which means bonfires and sweatshirts and lovely cool air. This crockpot dulce de leche is extremely easy to make - it only calls for one ingredient and a little foresight to ensure a perfect late night snack after a walk in the chilly fall breeze.

ONE INGREDIENT CROCK POT DULCE DE LECHE
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 8 hours

Supplies Needed:
2-4 cans sweetened condensed milk (depending on size of crock pot)
a crock pot
Optional: canning jars with lids and rings

Ready to make it? Here's how!

1. Put your cans of unopened sweetened condensed milk into the crock pot. Fill crock pot as full as possible with water, so that the cans are completely submerged. Make sure the cans are covered in water throughout the cooking process (you may need to refill water if necessary). Cook on low for 8 hours.

2. Remove cans from water and allow dulce de leche to cool on the counter until it reaches room temperature. Don't open the cans until they have cooled!

Optional if using canning jars: Divide the sweetened condensed milk from cans into small canning jars. Close with lids and rings. Follow the same steps.

A couple of things to keep in mind - 1) your dulce de leche should be stored in the refrigerator. It's so yummy as a dip for apples or to use as an ice cream topping. 2) While this treat looks like caramel, it's not! But it is very similar. Dulce de leche is sugar and milk-based, while caramel is sugar and water-based.

I want to keep some of this stashed in my fridge all winter! And since it's so easy to make...maybe I will!

Amazing Gift Set Giveaway from Warner Bros. + Create Your Own Superhero

Disclosure: Thanks to DCKids and Warner Bros' for sponsoring this post. Keep reading for a fun giveaway with five winners! 

The other day, we had a massive manhunt in our home. Our Little People Batman went missing! We put Batgirl and the Joker on the case, and eventually the masked crusader turned up unscathed. Batman is always a popular guy, right? So I'm excited to share with you a fantastic chance to win 1 of 5 amazing Gift Sets From Warner Bros. The prize packs include products from many of Warner Bros. popular shows -  Teen Titans Go Action Figures & T-Tower Set, A Batman Unlimited Action Figure, and DC Super Friends Gift Set and Batmobile.

Every kid dreams of being a superhero, right? Hop over to the DC Kids Super Hero Creator and dream up your own hero with superpowers of your own choosing. Then, check out some of the amazing new videos from Warner Bros, including favorites like Scooby Doo & Batman Unlimited. And don't forget to subscribe to their channels for many more updates coming soon: DCKids Channel and WBKids Channel.

Giveaway

Five people will win amazing gift sets from Warner Bros' and DCKids. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Thanks to Warner Bros' and DCKids for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Ch-ch-changes.

Well, hi.

I'm not sure how many regular readers I have out there, but if there are any of you, you may have noticed that I haven't been around much this summer. It's not for lack of effort. I have dozens of posts drafted online, on paper, on the voice recorder on my phone, and (especially) in my mind. There just aren't enough hours in the day - or enough courage to hit publish when I actually do get the words written in cohesive form somewhere.

Life has thrown some rather unexpected curves in the path of my little family this year. Like, really unexpected. I'm figuring out where blogging fits into the scheme of things right now. I won't be giving up this dear little space of mine here in the big wide Internet, but there will likely be a few changes in the coming weeks and months.

When I started this blog, it was to share my latest scrapbooking designs and vacation adventures. Then I had babies and it was a place to chronicle stories about them, or talk about the latest baby products on the market. Lately, though, I've had a somewhat nagging feeling that I should spend some time refocusing what content makes it to the blog. Lincoln will turn five next year. He's already said to me several times "don't put it on your blog, mommy" when I am taking photos of him. He's not just a baby. He's a little person with very big emotions and a heart that's been entrusted to me. I have to be careful how much of his story I share with the whole world. I'll be carefully considering anything that I share about him and his sister from this point forward - and I'll be redesigning the blog look at some point, to feature fewer personal photos and a somewhat more streamlined feel.

That said, I think occasionally I do put together some family-related content that seems to be appreciated. There are thousands of pins leading to my site on Pinterest. I don't want to see that come to an end! I'll be (hopefully) ramping up my crafting and party post sections, and maybe adding in more travel posts as I'm able, too. The occasional essay on motherhood may show up in there, since sometimes I decide that I should share deep thoughts with the world.

There will also continue to be some product reviews and sponsored content shared here. I hope that you're not annoyed by any of these things. Product reviews are often how I collect Christmas gifts for my kids, and sponsored posts and advertising bring in some cash to support my family. This little blog is actually a big piece of the income available for us right now, so while I'd love to be the blogger with a shiny site featuring no advertisements ever... that's just not gonna happen here, my friends.

I want to give you my heartfelt thanks for reading to the end of this post (if you've made it this far!). Leave me a comment and let me know what you like most about this blog... I'd love to hear.

Harry Potter 8-DVD Movie Collection Giveaway

If you're a Harry Potter nerd, you probably know what today is. It's Hogwarts Day. And this year is special, because author JK Rowling is making all of us millennials feel old by informing us that today is Harry Potter's son's first day at Hogwarts. WHAT.

If you need to relive some Harry Potter magic to forget how old you are, here's a shot at winning the full 8-DVD movie collection! Around here, there's usually a marathon watching at Christmastime.

ReelMama.com and friends are delighted to bring you a giveaway of the Harry Potter 8-Film Collection (RV $75)! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter, and best of luck, dear reader!

A special thanks to the awesome bloggers who are helping to promote this giveaway. Be sure to check out their social media pages via the Rafflecopter.

You’ll find all the magical films included in this Harry Potter Complete 8-Film Collection:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Muggles, here is the Rafflecopter to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway Rules: This giveaway is in no way associated with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform. You must be 18 years old or older to win and be a U.S. or Canadian resident. This giveaway will run from Saturday, August 29, 2015, until Monday, September 21, 2015, at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random via the Rafflecopter. Reel Mama is sponsoring the prize and is solely responsible for prize shipment.