Family * Travel * Food

Celebrate Halloween with Muffin’s Halloween Costume Contest and #LoveLittleBites + A Giveaway

***This giveaway is closed***
The winner is Linda T. Congratulations! 
Happy Fall, y'all! I don't know about you, but I just love this time of year. There is just something about when the seasons change, and things start to cool down. Halloween is coming up, so it's time to get ready for class parties and trick-or-treaters. If you are looking for non-candy goodies to send into your child's class, you should consider *Little Bites snacks. Kids (and their parents) love them, and you can feel good about them being in portion-controlled packs, and they contain no high fructose corn syrup and zero grams of trans fat per serving. 

Our favorite variety during this time of year is the limited edition pumpkin muffins. We definitely stock up since they aren't around for very long. Of course Little Bites snacks come in a wide variety of options to choose from, featuring real ingredients such as chocolate chips, blueberries, and strawberries. 


Right now, Little Bites is running an Instagram contest for Halloween. Here's the scoop: 

Information about Muffin’s Halloween Costume Contest:

  • Fans can visit Little Bites® official Instagram page daily to locate an image of Muffin the dog on Instagram Stories, which fans can screenshot and use as a blank canvas to create his unique Halloween costume by drawing/dressing him with various gifs, emojis and coloring using Instagram drawing tools.
  • After you customize the image, you can post the design to your Instagram Story and tag the brand @LittleBitesSnacks as your official entry. Be sure to include the hashtag #contest in your entry. 
  • Each Friday, four winners will be chosen based on creativity and originality to win exciting prizes, including a year’s supply of Little Bites® product (52 coupons) and a $250 gift card for Halloween supplies. 
Entry Period 1: October 4 - October 7 (Winners selected: Friday, October 8)
Entry Period 2: October 11- October 14 (Winners selected: Friday, October 15)


Mom Files is thrilled to offer our readers a sweet prize pack giveaway including a $25 Visa digital gift card (for online purchases only) and (3) coupons for up to $5.29 off the purchase of any Entenmann’s® Little Bites® courtesy of Entenmann's. Enter below:

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and ends on October 14, 2021. Must follow rules in Rafflecopter. One winner will be chosen randomly. Mom Files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

*The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Little Bites® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Little Bites®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Little Bites®.
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Welch's Fruit Snacks Are Now Available to Buy In Bulk From Amazon

Do you feel like your kids can't seem to stop eating and snacking? Of course many of us still have kids at home during the pandemic, since many schools are still not open for face-to-face learning. This means keeping extra snacks on hand are a must. Luckily, Welch's Fruit Snacks are now available in a bulk size for purchase on Amazon. That's right, you can get the 110-ct package of their mouthwatering flavors: Mixed Fruit and Berries 'n Cherries in a combo pack! 

Welch's fruit snacks have been a popular snack and lunchbox items for my kids for many years now. The are known to be America's #1 fruit snack for a reason. The first ingredient is fruit of course, and they are an excellent source of Vitamins A, C and E. Welch's fruit snacks are also contain no preservatives and are fat free & gluten free. This is definitely a plus for parents! 

They are perfect as a quick snack while they wait for a meal, or while out-and-about in the car running errands with mom or dad. I love keeping a couple packs stashed in my purse for that just-in-case snack. My adult daughters love filling the work jar with these delicious fruit snacks to share with co-workers. Adults love them just as much as kids do. 

*This post may contain affiliate links. 
With Halloween coming, Welch's Fruit Snacks are perfect to share with classmates and trick-or-treaters. Don't forget when you make your next Amazon order, add the 110-ct combo pack of Welch's Fruit snacks on your list! If you're a Prime customer, you can get FREE one-day shipping. You can buy them here

Thanks for stopping by today, and thank you Welch's Fruit Snacks for the tasty samples. All opinions are our own. 

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Unroll The Fun With Welch's Fruit Rolls This Halloween

If you're still not ready for trick-or-treaters or classroom parties, there's still some time left to grab those goodies. Give kids something they will love this Halloween like the new Welch's Fruit Rolls. They are the perfect treat to pass out on Halloween or to trade with friends in the classroom.

Welch's Fruit Rolls come in 3 delicious flavors: Berry, Tropical Punch, and White Grape Strawberry. They come with 6 fruit rolls per box so it's easy to keep an accurate count for how many you need, especially for class parties.

One of my favorite hand-outs to my kids' friends has always been a halloween or fall-themed pencil, erasers, a small bag of pretzels, and a fruit snack pouch, all tucked inside a decorative cellophane bag with a personalized tag saying who it was from. I wish Welch's Fruit Rolls were around when my girls were little. 

Although my girls are adults now, they still love these fruit rolls and have shared with their college classmates and coworkers. It was a big hit and brought out the kid in them all. My son was so excited to share a couple boxes with his best buddy next door as well as some of his friends from karate class. It's amazing how much the little kids' faces would light up over something so small. 

Welch's Fruit Rolls have fruit as their first ingredient, and are only 70 calories per roll. They are also gluten free, 100% DV Vitamin C per serving, excellent source of Vitamins A & E, contain no artificial flavors & colors, and are preservative free. Parents can feel a little better giving these to their children as a lunchbox treat or part of an after school snack. All of the flavors are so good, but the Tropical Punch is the best! Everyone in my family agrees. We all love that they aren't super sweet, but are sweet enough to make you feel like you had a treat. 

Welch's Fruit Rolls are widely available at most grocery stores and big box stores. To find out more about these fruit rolls and other Welch's products, check them out online. Be sure to follow Welch's Fruit Snacks on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for yummy updates and to be in the know about their newest products. 

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Entenmann’s® Little Bites® Are Ninja Approved #LoveLittleBites

**CLOSED** 
Today's conversation is *sponsored by Entenmann’s® Little Bites® and all opinions are my own as always. 

It's October, and many of us are getting into the fall festivities with Halloween on the way! Whether it's pumpkins on the porch, scarecrows on the driveway, or a festive wreath on the door, the fall season is here. Candy is one of those things that is in abundance with it being Halloween time. My little guy does not eat candy (crazy, I know!), but enjoys the occasional treat. Entenmann’s® Little Bites® pumpkin muffins are the perfect treat that he actually enjoys. 
Little Bites pumpkin muffins are available for a limited time, so we will have to stock up while we can. I am not the biggest pumpkin fan, but these little muffins really are delicious! They are baked soft and moist using real pumpkins, and are only 180 calories per pouch. They never contain high fructose corn syrup or trans-fat, which makes this mom very happy. Of course, portion control is always a good thing. I just have to make sure I indulge in one pack, and don't try to sneak a second. Who can resist those little moist, delicious bites of yumminess? I know I surely can't! My son has become the latest Little Bites pumpkin muffin fan. Look at that sweet face 😃
We love some of the original varieties of Little Bites including blueberry, chocolate chip, and fudge brownies. It's the perfect grab-n-go breakfast, lunchbox snack, and would be perfect for class parties or as Halloween treats. I'm always down for non-candy treats. Any kid would love Little Bites in their Halloween sack.


Be sure to connect with Entenmann’s® Little Bites® on their website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Giveaway: One lucky reader will win a $25 Visa digital gift card (for online purchases only) and (3) coupons for $5.00 off the purchase of any Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. Residents only and will end on October 22, 2017. Please follow all rules in the Rafflecopter widget and be sure to use a valid email. One winner will be selected and contacted via email to claim prize. Please be aware that Mom Files is not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged prizes. Good luck!

*The coupons for product redemption, information, and gift card have been provided by Entenmann’s® Little Bites® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Entenmann’s® Little Bites®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Entenmann’s® Little Bites®
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Milk-Bone Study Shows Dogs Are Ultimate Trick-or-Treaters #TreatsForAll

Although Halloween has usually been considered a children's holiday, these days increasing numbers of "furry kids" are getting in on the fun. I have been seeing so many dogs dressed in costumes in recent years. When I visit the pet department in stores, I'm amazed by the variety of Halloween costumes and accessories available for them.

Big Heart Pet Brands (the makers of Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Canine Carry Outs and Milo's Kitchen) conducted an original survey of 3,000 dog parents nationwide to find the top 25 states that most like to include their pups, the nation's most popular "Doggy Halloween Tricks," and each breed's favorite special treats -- right in time for the spooky-fun holiday.


Fun Halloween Stats:

The State of South Carolina ranks #4 in the Milk-Bone and Milo's Kitchen Top 25 'Howl-O-Ween' States. Check out where your state ranks here.

PET PARENTS LOVE TO INCLUDE THEIR DOGS ON HALLOWEEN
44% of NY pet parents have dressed their dog in costume versus 28% of California pet parents
38% of NY pet parents have greeted trick-or-treaters with their dog while 18% of pet parents in California have
18% of Texas pet parents have given their dog extra treats for Halloween and 16% have taken their dog trick-or-treating.

DIFFERENT TREATS FOR DIFFERENT BREEDS
Big dogs like Dobermans and Great Danes prefer "real meat treats", while most small ones (Pomeranians and Pugs) choose "soft and chewy" snacks - like Pup-Peroni
Soft and chewy treats are also the all-time favorites of terriers (58%), and toy dogs (59%)
Biscuits and crunchy treats (like Milk-Bone) are the clear favorites of hounds (53%), herding dogs (56%), and sporting dogs (57%)

MILO KITCHEN'S HALLOWEEN "DOGGY TRICKS TOP 10 RANKING"
Because dogs are the ultimate tricksters, Milo's Kitchen brand dog treats wanted to uncover, for the first time, which tricks dogs are best able to perform. The nation's most popular doggy tricks are:

#1: Sit (77% of dogs can do this on command)
#2: Shake paws (58%)
#3: Lay down (57%)
#4: Stay (50%)
#5: Give a kiss (44%)
#6: Beg (31%)
#7: Roll over (27%)
#8: Speak or bark (26%)
#9: Spin (14%)
#10: Play dead (10%)


For wacky DIY doggie costumes, ideas on how to treat your pet, or for downloadable decorations to show your neighbors you're celebrating with your pup, please visit this special Howl-o-ween website, from Big Heart Pet brands' Milk-Bone, Pup-Peroni, Canine Carry Outs and Milo's Kitchen:
http://treatingforall.com/

I made these little Dog Treat 'BOO-Quets' for our furry trick-or-treaters
For a chance to see your dog's Halloween photo in the Milk-Bone Halloween website and social channels, tag it on FB, Instagram or Twitter @milkbone with #TreatsForAll.

How can pet parents show they are celebrate Halloween with their pup? Download special pup decorations to show your neighbors you're celebrating with your dog at treatingforall.com

If you dress your dog up for Halloween, what will he/she be?

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Dress Your Kid Like An NFL Pro For Halloween

My son is so excited for one of his most favorite days of the year, Halloween. He loves getting dressed up as his favorite character each year. Now that he's older, he has really gotten into football. William was in for a big surprise when he opened up a box with a Halloween costume of his favorite NFL team, the Carolina Panthers. I really should have recorded a video of his reaction. He screamed with excitement and almost cried!


This Franklin Sports Official NFL Kid’s Costume came with a helmet (not intended to play the actual sport), jersey, pants, chin strap and iron-on numbers. William is 7, so I went with a size medium. Although the costume is slightly big on him, it still looks great. Isn't he adorable?


I love that we were able to add the number 1 on the back of the jersey, just like his favorite player, Cam Newton. I think William will want to wear this costume every time the Panthers play. Actually, I'm lying. He wants to wear it EVERY DAY. This is what makes it so good that it's slightly big, because he can wear it for a long time. I think I will order the youth shoulder pads to complete the look since they are only $9.99.

Franklin Sports Official NFL Kid’s Costume sets are offered in multiple sizes, which accommodate most kids ages 4-9. You can choose from 32 NFL teams to outfit every little football fan in your house! They retail for $49.99 and you can purchase them here. These costumes are not only great for Halloween, but also make a great gift for the holidays for your favorite little football enthusiast.

Be sure to follow Franklin Sports on Facebook and Twitter for product promotions and updates.

I received a product sample in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own as always. 
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DIY Dog Treat "BOO"quets For Halloween #TreatThePups

Today's post is sponsored by Lunchbox
#TreatThePups

It's hard to believe that it is already October!  This month is generally dedicated to Halloween and I can already see decorations around town. At our house, we get our pumpkins carved, costumes picked out and of course, the mountain of candy to hand out to the cute trick-or-treaters in the neighborhood. Many times, the kids are not only accompanied by an adult, but also their dog. There's nothing cuter than a dog in costume. How nice would it be to have a special Halloween treat just for them? Check out this cute idea for an easy goodie to hand out to the furry visitors-- Dog Treat "BOO"quets.

What you will need:
Halloween ribbon
Lollipop sticks and small wooden skewers
Cellophane bags
Assorted dog treats. I used Milo's Kitchen, Pup-Peroni and Milk-Bone treats.

The key to this fun project is to have a bundle of dog treats on sticks that can be gathered into a bouquet or as I call it, BOO-quet. I start with cutting the treats down just a bit so they fit better on the sticks. You can leave some whole if you want to make a bigger bouquet,

For your cellophane bag, you can trim the top to the size you want. I then fill the bottom of the bag with small size Milk-Bone treats, about 6 of them. I add enough of the chewier type treats that were skewered on sticks and gather them in the center and tie off with a bag tie. Those generally come in the package of cellophane bags.

Next I add a couple decorative picks. I was lucky to find some cute ones from the Halloween cake decorating section of the store that matched my theme perfectly. You can also make them very spooky by using little skulls, spiders or ghosts.

The final touch is tying the bouquet with Halloween themed ribbon. The end result is super cute BOO-quets that dogs will love! I am quite sure their pet parents will love you for thinking of their fur baby.

This is a very easy craft that you can do with your kids. You can also use alternate materials like tulle, tissue paper or paper you want to repurpose. Be creative, it's all about treating our doggie friends! There are many varieties of Big Heart Pet Brand of dog treats available at Walmart stores to add to your special DIY Halloween dog goodies.

If you need some inspiration, be sure to check out the Walmart site dedicated to DIY Halloween dog treats. There are so many simple ideas. So go ahead and take a peek. How will you #TreatThePups?
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FIREFLY Light-Up Timer Toothbrush- A great "treat" for Halloween

Now that we are in October, it is officially Halloween month and kids are getting geared up for some ghoulish fun. The stores are lined with sweets and treats. Parents are probably making dental appointments right now (haha). I have always been the type to give my kids both sweet and non-edible treats for Halloween. I think you would be surprised how well a non-edible treat can go over with little ones. Take for example this Firefly Ready Go Brush Light Up Timer toothbrush-- Just from the looks of it, kids will be intrigued. 
These cute little toothbrushes have a nifty light-up timer that goes for one minute increments. It starts as a green light, then yellow and ends with red. Once the light goes off, this is the perfect time for your child to rinse and then restart the toothbrush for the second minute. Which kid wouldn't want to see a flashing light while brushing their teeth? My little guys loves it so much that he volunteers to brush his teeth without being told. I say that it is a big win! Firefly toothbrushes are super affordable (way less that other brands) and come in a variety of colors and themes.
They are a great idea as a different Halloween treat for any child! Anything to get my kid to brush for the amount of time he needs is a great thing. Hmm, I think the adults in my house would love one too :)

Be sure to like Firefly on Facebook and follow on Twitter for product updates and promotions.

I received product samples in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own as always. 
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Celebrate Halloween with Books! (Giveaway)

It's October and this means all things candy corn, pumpkins and little ghosts and goblins. Halloween has always been a fun and memorable time for my kids. We have done various craft projects, baking and decorating over the years. One thing every little kid loves is a good Halloween story. I have seen my kids at story time and they give their full attention to the pictures and stories.

I received 3 super cute picture books right in time to get my little guy excited for all the Halloween festivities. My husband plans on making a surprise visit to our son's class to read Pumpkin Time! since they are studying a unit on pumpkins in his first grade class.
Pumpkin Time! by Erzsi Deák

The day the cows strolled down Main Street in fancy hats...Evy didn't notice.
What was Evy doing? Evy is so focused on watching her garden grow that she misses all the silliness going on around her―pigs DANCING, donkeys FLYING, and sheep HAVING A PICNIC. But after Evy's spent all year taking care of her garden, everyone's invited to pumpkin time!
Happy Halloween! By Lillian Jaine 

It’s Halloween night, and Count von Count is dozing off in front of his fireplace. Suddenly, he hears someone knocking at his castle door, but when he opens the door, nobody’s there! Could it be a spooky Halloween spirit playing a trick on him, or is it something less sinister? Join Count, Elmo, and all of the Sesame friends as they celebrate Halloween!
A Halloween Scare by Eric James

It’s Halloween night, and creatures and critters from near and far are starting to gather outside the front door. And now here comes a whole army of monsters, on broomsticks, buses, and bikes, all clamoring in the darkness. What is it they want? Are they coming for you?This humorous, creative story is the perfect Halloween adventure for children and parents to share.

All three books have very nice illustrations that fall in line perfectly with each story. My son adores them all! These books would be perfect to surprise your little ghoul or goblin with for Halloween. Enter below to win a copy of all three titles.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This giveaway is open to US and Canada Residents only and will end on October 11, 2014. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Mom files is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes.

Books were provided to me, as well as giveaway prize from Sourcebooks. All opinions are 100% my own as always. 
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Costumes and it's not even Halloween?

I know I can't be the only parent with a little one who loves to dress up in Halloween costumes even in the off-season. William has a fascination for all things Power Rangers and Superheroes. As a matter of fact, he has worn his Halloween costumes over the last few years well after the fact and to the point that they were too small. The fun part about wearing a costume for a kid is how well they use their imagination. I love seeing William pretend to fight off the bad guys or even put on a voice to play the part of a Superhero.

It got me to wondering, where can you find costumes during the off-season for your kids? I did some research online and came across MrCostumes.com.
I was really impressed by the variety they offer. I was able to find certain characters that I didn’t realize there was a costume for. William loves the Spider-man movies and especially loved the scene from, “The Amazing Spider-man” when Spider-man went to battle with the Lizard. He would go nuts with this costume!

Since we don’t own a video game system (and don’t believe in them) we encourage imaginative play. If I could convince my husband to get a costume, he and William could act out some of the movie scenes! Since they do that anyway, it shouldn't be a problem! The great thing about fun costumes is that they can always be passed down once your child (or husband) outgrows it. Our neighbors have a younger son and he has gotten a costume from William each year. I’ll say you can really get your money’s worth that way.

Do your kids like to dress up in costumes when it’s not Halloween? Have you ever thought about buying a costume during the off-season?

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Have a #SweetHalloween with Crest and Oral-B

This post was created in partnership with Crest & Oral-B as part of the #SweetHalloween Program.
It's that time of year again... Halloween! Many families have already been to parties, carnivals and trick-or-treat events. Of course the candy is overflowing and kids (parents, too) are indulging. We went to a trick-or trunk event at my daughter's school and we came home with tons of candy. Can you imagine Halloween without candy? Check out this super quick and cute video of how these kids react to the Halloween "treats" they are given. 



I know I would never deprive my children of candy at Halloween, within reason. With all of the sugary confections that they partake in, Crest Pro-Health has a great line of oral care products to keep our teeth clean and healthy. Check out the goodies I received from Crest and Oral-B.

You can click here for some great money saving coupons towards Crest products.


I wish you all a very safe and #SweetHalloween :) 
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A fun Halloween surprise for little Spider-man

We headed out yesterday to the annual Trick-or-Trunk event at Brie's high school for some Halloween fun. We didn't let William know that we were going until about a half hour before. He was so excited! He has been really into Superheros and chose to be Spider-man this year. We think he made a great choice!
 Check out those big muscles!
 Oh and that face!
The surprise element of his Halloween fun is that he was going to see a big Spider-man. Little did he know, big sister Brie was behind that Spidey mask. Brie was there already because she was helping out at one of the cars for the HOPE organization. They collect non-perishable food to donate to the community each year. She walked up to him when we got there and called out his name. William squealed when he saw Spider-man. He stood still when Spider-man knew his name and kept talking to him. After a while he said, "Brie Brie?!?" It was the cutest thing. She pulled up her mask and revealed herself. William was so excited! 
Brie wanted to take William for a stroll. Those two were so cute. William had a blast getting goodies and playing on the inflatables. This is always such a fun and safe way to participate in Halloween.
 William got quite an outstanding haul of candy!

I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween :)
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