Our Amazing Spider-man @VuduFans Halloween Party #SpiderManWMT #CBias

In celebration of Halloween we decided to throw a Spider-man party. I invited family and friends over to eat some pizza and watch movies while enjoying trick-or-treaters and the festivities of Halloween. While the kids trick-or-treated the adults could enjoy watching The Amazing Spider-man movie.

Earlier this month I had pre-purchased The Amazing Spider-man at Walmart. By pre-purchasing the movie I had received early access to the digital copy through Vudu.com. The process was so simple and easy that I cannot wait to continue to make movie purchases like this in the future. And any day now I'll be receiving my hard copy of The Amazing Spider-man on Blu-ray in the mail.

Shopping for Food
We headed out to Wal-mart again to pick up some Marketside pizza. For $35 I was able to grab 3 pizzas, salad, and sodas for our party. Talk about a party on a budget! Plus, the pizzas were so huge we had to put them on the bottom of our shopping cart.

Closer to the official release of The Amazing Spider-man, Walmart will be releasing Amazing Spider-Man themed Augmented Reality triggers that will be included on the pizza box & display pallet, triggering special Amazing Spider-Man experiences on shoppers’ iPhone, iPad or Android in-store!

Movie parties don't have to be elaborate and what better to watch a movie with than pizza? Add a salad for some nutritional value and something simple for dessert and you're set. Plus pizza is pretty universal and liked by most. From the grandkids to the grandparents, everyone was happy!

Decorating for the Party
As soon as we got home we set up for the party. Earlier in the month we made a spider web pumpkin to greet our guests as they arrived.  We also had already pre-purchased our movie on Vudu.com so I simply logged in and got it set up to watch before our guests arrived. Since we were eating at my mother-in-law's house I was able to set up her Roku to play the movie.

I set out some snacks and goodies including some yummy pumpkin cupcakes in these adorable spider cupcake holders I picked up at Walmart. We also put up a few other creepy crawly decorations like the spider egg sack shown below.

It was rather easy to make! I took a pair of white tights and cut the feet out. Then I stuffed the foot with webbing and then covered it on the outside with webbing tying the top off. I added a few spider rings to the webbing to create the effect we were going for.

Preparing the Marketside Pizza

As we were waiting for our family to arrive we put the pizzas in the oven to cook. These pizzas were not only super easy to bake, they came out looking like we ordered them from the local pizzeria. Yum!

I was able to find a wide variety of flavors and sizes in the Marketside Deli inside Walmart and was so happy to find my family's favorite flavors. WE went with a delicious italian-style pepperoni with yummy chunks of mozzarella, a sausage and pepperoni combo, and a 5-cheese pizza for the kids. Although my kids usually end up eating all of the pepperonis off of my pizza!

Once the kids were done eating it was time to go trick-or-treating! Since The Amazing Spider-Man isn't really for young children, we thought it'd be easier to enjoy the movie while they went door-to-door.

My son and daughter chose their costumes, a duck and a ladybug, and my nephew decided he was going to turn his costume from last year (a tarantula) into a black widow for this year. How great are these costumes?

Enjoying the Movie with Vudu.com
Once the kids had headed off to trick-or-treat we settled in, grabbed a slice of pizza, and started the movie. I loved how easy it was to log in to my Vudu account and access the movies I've already purchased. We not only had access to the full movie but also additional bonus scenes not seen anywhere else.

How does Vudu work? 

It's simple! Just follow the three simple steps:

1. Pre-purchase your DVD or Blu-Ray
2. Log on to Vudu.com and enter in the redemption code
3. Have early access to your movie on Vudu.com before you receive your copy in the mail

You can even purchase digital copies of movies straight from Vudu! The selection of titles is vast.

And if you sign up now for an account on Vudu.com you'll receive a free movie!

In order to play the movie on our TV through Vudu we used my mother-in-law's Roku media player but there are plenty of other options to streaming movies through Vudu. We purchased a D-Link MovieNite Streaming Player from Walmart to access Netflix, Vudu, Pandora and more through our TV instead of hooking up our computer to the TV. 

If you don't wish to purchase a Media Streaming Player you can access Vudu.com via your Google TV, Apple TV, or your computer. You can also attach your computer to your TV to stream the movie on the big screen. 

Once the kids got back home we were able to enjoy some yummy cookies my sister-in-law made and the pumpkin cupcakes while we finished our movie as the kids sorted through their candy.

All in all it was a great Halloween and a perfect way to celebrate with family. Movie nights are pretty common in our home and we love being able to enjoy simple, easy meals while watching movies so the combination of Marketside pizza and The Amazing Spider-Man streamed through Vudu.com made the night even more enjoyable.

Pre-purchase your copy of The Amazing Spider-Man today at Wal-Mart and take advantage of all of the perks. Your movie delivered right to your door, bonus features on Vudu.com, and access to the movie before your movie arrives at your door!

For more about The Amazing Spiderman head on over to the Spider-Man Facebook page and follow them on twitter at @SpiderManMovie.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. All opinions are my own #CBias #SocialFabric 

Re-Creating a Relaxing Bedroom with @BreatheBedding #CBias

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Recently my husband and I upgraded our bedroom furniture and the size of our bed from a queen to a king to accommodate our growing family (and the fact that our kids had all but kicked us out of our own bed!). It's been a slow process but I am finally starting to love the results. Especially with our latest addition of Breathe Performance Bedding.

I can finally relax and enjoy our bedroom now that we've completed the last step in re-decorating. I've finally tackled the wall space above our bed and have purchased the comfortable sheets our family has been aching for.

Now typically we purchase bedding at discount and department stores (think Tuesday Mornings or Macys). We look for name brands at discounted prices and hardly ever pay full price for a set of sheets. We almost always wait for sales and try to stick with higher thread count cotton sheets since that's what we've known to work in the past.

But we've always had an issue with sweat at night and needed a solution.

Learning More about Breathe Bedding
In order to accomplish this feat, the kids and I headed to our local Wal-mart to check out Breathe Bedding. Not only had we not heard of Breathe Bedding before, we had also never seen it at Wal-Mart. So I was very interested in learning more.

Breathe Performance Bedding isn't your typical bedding. It is made with technology to help transfer body heat and moisture to keep you cooler, drier, and more comfortable. With a daughter who sweats quite a lot, I can tell you that moisture wicking sheets are not only helpful, but essential to a good night's sleep!

I loved the selection and color of the bedding and found a set of King sheets in a tan color that would be perfect for  our master bedroom. Not only did it look perfect for my sweaty family, it also looked stylish as well. The packaging drew my eye and intrigued me. Especially with a photo of Mia Hamm on the cover.

To read about my experience in purchasing Breathe Performance Bedding, check out my Breathe G+ Album.

Why Not Cotton? 
Your probably asking me why are Breathe sheets not made out of cotton. Well, cotton does not allow heat to be released. It traps heat in when you fall asleep and throughout the night leaving some sleepers to wake up in a full sweat. There have been many a morning that I've woken up to a puddle next to me from the amount of sweating my daughter does during the night.

Inspired by athletic performance fabrics, Breathe Performance Bedding works while you sleep to regulate body temperature throughout the night and allows an increase of ventilation. This leads to a more peaceful, comfortable sleep without the worry of over heating through the night.

Gaining Inspiration from Others
Once I had my bedding figured out, it was time to get crafty and do something with these bare walls. Taking inspiration from a few pins I had recently added to my Master Bedroom Ideas Pinterest board, and rummaging through the house for odds and ends, along with taking into consideration the colors of our new bedding, I created a few pieces to add to the blank space.

With the help of some spray paint, plenty of leftover frames, my fabric stash, and a glue gun I was able to transform a few pieces into something new that fit well together. I started with the burlap I purchased at Wal-Mart and the largest picture frame.

By simply painting the frame white, hot gluing in the burlap and adding some fabric flowers and a felt S I created a personalized piece of art for our bedroom (tutorial coming soon!). I quickly followed suite with framed fabric and an embroidery hoop but was still missing something.

That's when I decided to paint the canvas I had on hand. I was going to go with a chevron pattern but it just didn't work out with the amount of tape I had so I went with stripes. This is the only piece I am not happy with and I've since decided that I'm going to find a mirror to take it's place. Unless I repaint it completely.

Putting the Pieces Together
Once I had all of the craft projects finished it was time to put together my new room decor. I stared by making the bed and grabbing the bedspread. I needed to visualize exactly what the artwork would look like on the wall so I layed it out on the bed and checked out the positioning.

Then I did what I normally wouldn't have done... I started blindly leveling and hammering to put everything up on the wall. Now normally I leave the measuring, leveling, and hammering to my husband. I've been known to just blindly go in and make holes everywhere until its to my liking and my husband doesn't quite appreciate my approach. But since I knew this would never get done if I waited I moved on by myself.

I have to say that I really like the end result. The combination of the new sheets and the added artwork to the walls makes the room feel complete and makes me feel accomplished! Finally our master bedroom is finished and I cannot wait to lie down and enjoy it.

Good thing it's naptime!

How have you spruced up your home lately? 

To find out more about Breathe Performance bedding, head on over to their website. You can purchase their bedding sets online or in select Wal-Mart stores. You can also find Breathe Bedding on Facebook and follow them on twitter at @BreatheBedding.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. All opinions are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

Delicious Pumpkin Bars with Cool Whip Frosting #CoolWhipFrosting {Pumpkin Recipe}

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Oh Fall! I'm so happy you're here again. We could definitely use the cooler weather (if that ever happened) and I'm very excited about the upcoming holidays. But a more important reason why I'm here... is because with Fall comes pumpkins! And canned pumpkin is on the shelves in full force.

That means I get to try a whole new batch of recipes out on my friends, family, and playgroup and this year is no different. I decided to go with a pumpkin bar. But the special ingredient isn't the pumpkin, it's the Cool Whip Frosting on top. If you want the perfect pumpkin treat this season you need to try this recipe.

Pumpkin Bars with Cool Whip Frosting

• 3 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15 oz pumpkin puree 
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 pan with butter or cooking spray.
 

2. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together sugar, pumpkin, oil, and eggs on medium until light and fluffy.

3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.

4. With a spatula, add flour mixture to liquid mixture until just combined. Make sure not to over-mix.

5. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

  
6. Once the pumpkin bars are cooked, transfer to a cooling rack.
 

7. When completely cooled, cut off top to make an even, flat surface.

8. Cut into squares.

9. Grab the Cool Whip Frosting and start spreading it on.

10. Top each bar with a pecan and serve.

This recipe makes 16 servings.

Note: 
You can easily bake in a 9x13 pan instead for thinner bars to feed a larger crowd. Simply reduce cooking time to 20-25 minutes. Feel free to frost then cut if you feel that frosting each individual bar will take too long. I just hate dealing with crumbs in my frosting.

What do you love to make with pumpkin? 



Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Kraft Cool Whip. All opinions are my own. #CoolWhipFrosting #CBias #SocialFabric

How to DIY a Smarties Wreath this Halloween #IAmASmartie

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When we get ready for Halloween, decorations in our home are up there with Christmas. We decorate the whole house inside and out to celebrate for the whole month of October. Many of the decorations we use can be carried into November as well with a festive Fall theme but a few we make just for Halloween!

This Smarties Wreath is just that. The perfect celebration of Halloween and the excitement that each child feels as they go from door to door saying, "Trick or Treat!" This wreath is not only festive, it's easy to make as well! You only need a few simple items to put it together and it takes less than 30 minutes to make!

As an added bonus, it only cost me $5 to make. The $1 Spot at Target has these foam wreaths and the Smarties candies are only $7.99 for a huge bag and I only needed 1/2 the bag to make the wreath. I had the ribbon on hand from the end of season sale last year. And the left over Smarties will be passed out to trick or treaters on Halloween!   

Here's how to make a Smarties Wreath

What you Need:

• 1 bag Smarties candies, in their wrapper
• 1 wreath (I found mine in the $1 Spot at Target)
• a glue gun with glue sticks
• wire ribbon

What you do:

1. Lay out your wreath and candies as your glue gun warms up (I recommend not having the younger kids help with this part of the craft due to the hot glue gun).
 

2. Start with a single row of Smarties first by making a line of hot glue on the wreath.

3. Stick the Smarties candy seam side down so that the candies are sealed shut.

4. Continue to add Smarties candies all around the wreath. Make sure to leave room in between the candies on top so that the candies form a uniform circle around the wreath template. Make sure to leave a 1" gap for the ribbon at the top of the wreath.

5. Once the first layer is done, it's time to start the second layer to fill the gaps.

 6. Add a dab of glue to the center of the gap. Then add a dab of glue to the other end of the Smarties candy on the seam side. Firmly press down so that the glue adheres to each side of the Smarties candies next to it.

7. Once the Smarties candies are adhered to the wreath, measure out some wire ribbon in a coordinating Fall color.

8. Cut the ribbon to length.

9. Take both ends of the ribbon together in your hand and fold in half lengthwise.

10. Using the scissors, cut the ribbon ends at an angle to create a v-cut.

11. Once the ends are cut it's time to tie the ribbon onto the wreath!

12. Wrap one end of the ribbon around the gap at the top of the wreath once.

13. Making sure that the ends are even in length, tie a simple knot to secure the ribbon to the wreath.

14. Hang on your door and enjoy all season long!

And remember, Smarties isn't just the perfect candy to make a cute wreath, they're also the perfect candy to hand out this Halloween! They're low fat and gluten free! Not to mention that kids love them.

Stay tuned for more Smarties fun soon!

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smarties. All opinions are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric