Life & Halloween at the Parks

So much going on over here, but I’ll admit it’s been so much fun! For starters, I released the first edition of my eMagazine, which is holiday-themed. The next one will come out towards the end of December and cover January and February. I really wanted this to be more than just recipes, so I added a Lifestyle section towards the end. I added a lot of ideas for different themed mini-parties and a seasonal checklist.

I’ll also have cookies for sale towards the end of the month. I’ve partnered with a local baker to bring you homemade seasonal cookies! The first two flavors are peppermint chocolate chip hot cocoa cookies n cream.

Halloween was a blast, and I was telling my daughter that the weeks leading up to Halloween are just as fun (if not more) than the actual day. We stopped by Sea World to check out their Spooktacular event. They decorated a section of the park and had candy booths set up. There were way more candy stops than I thought there would be and each one had a different flavor of candy. What impressed me most about this event was the characters. They weren’t “traditional” Halloween monsters, they were extremely creative. The makeup and outfits were super impressive.

On the actual holiday, we stopped by the mall for Mall-o-Ween, then did trick-or-treating in our neighborhood. Everyone goes all out…one of these days we are going to have to up our game. My daughter was Barbie, and I wore a pumpkin shirt because the costume I had planned wasn’t smart for the unexpected hot weather.

During the afternoon on Halloween, we did a taste test. Joyride candy sent us over a ton of their gummies. They have low net carbs, and I was really interested to give them a try. The fiber content is HUGE, so I’ve heard candies like this give people stomach issues. We only tried a couple just in case. They were super chewy, and I loved the flavors! I’d probably stick to regular candy personally. I have type 1 diabetes and it’s easier for me just to figure out how to give insulin for straight-up carbs. If you’re looking for something with lower net carbs, I’d give them a try!

I made SO MANY recipes this past weekend, it’s unreal. One of the highlights was this Elf Cookie Skillet. So much candy and color, I loved it! I’ll be posting it some time this week.

We ended the week with a trip to Universal Studios. The new Minions ride came out, and I wanted to see the Bake Shop and new restaurant. First off, the ride was different than I thought it would be. You stand on a moving walkway and shoot at idk…things. There really was zero explanation about what the ride’s purpose was. 3/10 for me, but the decorations were well-themed. The Bake Shop was such a disappointment. It was EMPTY and I can see why. There were like ten things in the bakery case. 90% were printed macarons that didn’t look good. The rest was full of the merchandise from every other store in the park. 1.5/10…I also didn’t take pics b/c it was so quiet in there it was odd. The restaurant was not bad. You order on your phone, and they bring it to you. We tried out the Minion Tots. The shapes were so cute! Taste, average 5/10. Overall, Minions area was definitely lackluster for me.

Lastly, if you have a chance, I’d love it if you checked out Christmas is Not Cancelled. It’s such a wonderful organization that donates toys to kids every Christmas. They partner with Christmas Movie stations to bring game nights, bake-alongs, and prizes!

That’s all for now, I hope everyone has a great week!