Sunshine and Sippy Cups — Page 114 — Smart Solutions for Busy Moms!

Fall Style Report: Pick Pumpkin!

How can you not love pumpkins in the fall? There’s pumpkin bread, new Pumpkin Spice lattes at Starbucks, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, the Pumpkin that brings Cinderella to the ball…. Some of my fave things involve pumpkin! So, when it comes to this year’s fall style, I’m definitely digging a pumpkin inspired look. {Well, not a pumpkin SHAPE, silly – more of the color and texture….} Keep reading to see my fave new pumkin-inspired find for fall –

Fall Fashion – Pick Pumpkin!

I just adore this color lately… And pumpkin is way more versatile than you might think. You can wear it with black or brown. It works with other neutrals as a pop of brightness, and contrasts great with other colors, like a bright teal, navy blue, forest green, and looks great with so many fall prints. Love it. Here are some of my faves:

Philosophy: Get this Homemade Pumpkin Pie scented product to bring a yummy fall baking scent with you all day long. This is a multi-tasker – it’s a shampoo, shower gel, and bubble bath all in one!
Bracelet: I totally love this sun catcher crystal bracelet from Oka Jewelry – so pretty, and it’s a steal at only $19.99. Comes in a rainbow of other colors too!
Ring: This pretty bright-orange pumpkin ring is available on Etsy – perfect from Halloween all the way through fall to Thanksgiving.
Hair Accessories: How fun is this pumpkin patch-inspired Harvest Hair Crown, also available on Etsy? This could work with everything from a hoodie and boots to a pretty fall dress.
Shoes: Oh, how I need to learn to walk in heels again… These Pumpkin Suede pumps from Chinese Laundry are perfect for this time of year! Pair them with thick tights and a solid grey knee length dress – then toss on a printed scarf with a hint of pumpkin color in it to match!
Purse: Last but DEFINITELY not least – Check out my absolute favorite new find for fall… The Nicole Double Shoulder Bag in Pumpkin from Emilie M. Affordable and so fun – Perfect way to add a little bit of fall to your wardrobe.

I got this pretty new Emilie M. bag a few weeks ago, and at first, I wasn’t totally sure about this color. I had ordered it in pumpkin because I want to bring a new fall color into my wardrobe this year – and I’ve never really worn this shade. {I pretty much wear all black, all the time. Sometimes I mix it up with some dark grey…} But it arrived, and I thought – Man, why did I get brave? What will I wear this with?? But I wanted to shake up my usual same-old a bit, so I loaded it with my daily “mom gear” – ad committed to giving it a try. I am SO glad that I did – seriously, I have gotten more compliments on this than any other purse that I’ve had in years. And this color seriously matches EVERYTHING.

Rockin’ the Pumpkin Purse for Fall

Love this, right? I thought that it might look too “Halloween-y” with a black dress, but it totally works. It’s not a bright orange – this shade seriously works as almost a neutral. It also looks amazing with a pair of jeans, chunky cream-colored sweater, and tall brown boots. Well – Like I mentioned, it works perfect with everything. For real, ladies.

Want to check out the new fall purse line-up at Emilie M. too? Use coupon code SPEAKUP at check out on www.emiliemshop.com to receive $10 off your first purchase!!

For more great mom-friendly fashions, check out my Momma Loves Fashion board on Pinterest!

{Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post on behalf of SheSpeaks/Emilie M. I received a complimentary purse of my choice for this campaign – but only the best products make it onto this site. I love this brand, and think you will too!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 10, 2012 Filed Under: Deals and Coupon Codes, Busy Mom Solution, Shopping | 4 Comments

How to Get a Free Week of Meals from Barilla

Enter to WIN a week of free meals… You will loooooove these new super simple, super tasty, super quick Barilla Microwaveable Meals! There are 5 flavors, with a list of 100% natural ingredients that you can actually recognize, and no preservatives! Rockin’, right?

How to make a meal in 60 seconds…

To learn more about these super smart meals that are perfect for moms like me {and you!} who are often too crazy-busy to stop to eat a good meal, read my post – Can you really make a great meal in 60 seconds? If you’re lovin’ this idea too, and want to win a set of coupons to go and pick our your favorite five choices for a week of free meals, then use the Rafflecoper form below to enter to WIN! Have fun & Good luck!

[Read more…]

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 10, 2012 Filed Under: Giveaways | 10 Comments

Can You Really Make a Great Meal in 60 Seconds?

“Raising a kid is part joy and part guerilla warfare.” – Ed Asner… Yep, being a mom is a hard job. Taking care of kiddos all day and managing a household is a seriously hardworking job – add on a job you do from home, or a day spent outside the home at work, and you’ve got some serious multi-tasking going on. Time management can be tough for us busy moms – and what is the one thing that is usually first to neglected? YOU! We all know how important it is to take the time to keep ourselves healthy, happy, and hanging strong, but we often neglect to really follow through with finding the time. So – today, I am here to help you make one super simple change that can improve your energy level, your waistline, and your wallet: Barilla Microwaveable Meals.

“I’d like to be the ideal mother, but I’m too busy raising my kids.” – Unknown

Ok – I know what you’re thinking… “Um, Meagan, how is some packaged meal option going to make my day that much better?” I hear ya. That’s what I thought at first too. But, let me give you a super quick {because I know you’re a busy lady!} run-down of why these rock, and how they’ll improve your day:

They’re fast. Seriously – The package is shelf-stable, not frozen. Take it out of the outer cardboard packaging. Peel up one corner to let the sauce vent some steam. Pop it in the microwave for ONE MINUTE. Then simply peel the plastic off, stir the sauce cup into your pasta, and enjoy. Even the busiest of us can spare 60 seconds to make a meal, right?
They’re not junk. 99% of the meals you can make in a minute or two are going to be super processed and full of weird ingredients. Not these babies – 100% natural ingredients, no preservatives, two whole grain options, filled with veggies, and – NO JOKE – I recognize every single item in the ingredients list. No funny business. That is almost unheard of in a pre-packaged option.
They’re affordable. These sell for under $2 bucks at Walmart – and you can even get some money saving coupons on their site: Barilla.com/ReadyMeals. Awesomesauce, I know.
They fit into your diet. One of these little meals to go are around 300-ish calories – add a shake of parmesan cheese, a side salad packed with veggies, and some ice water flavored with lemon, and you’ve got an amazing lunch or dinner that can fit into just about any diet plan. LOVE that.

These come in a bunch of different options, depending what type of pasta you’re into – Traditional or Spicy Marinara, Tomato & Basil with traditional noodles or whole wheat, and my fave – The Whole Grain Vegetable Marinara, shown above. It’s got a mix of zucchini, red and yellow bell pepper, carrot, and eggplant – all simmered together with chunks of sun-ripened tomatoes, olive oil, onion, and a super tasty blend of spices. You pour it over their Barilla Whole Grain Fusilli pasta that’s made with 51% whole wheat, for a totally perfect “Mom-on-the-Go Meal” – Amazing.

Keep Calm and Eat Pasta

Love this pic. And, you can find more fun stuff on the Barilla Facebook page – follow them for updates on new products and promotions, as well as sweet contests and coupons. You can also learn more about the new Barilla Microwavable Meals on their website – Discover the best of Italian cooking… Without cooking!

Find more meal-time inspiration on my Momma’s in the Kitchen board on Pinterest!

Enter to WIN a Free Week of Barilla Microwaveable Meals too!

{Disclaimer: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Barilla and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate. All photos and opinions are my own – Only the best products we test make it onto Sunshine and Sippy Cups – these rock, and I know you’ll love them as much as we do!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 10, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Food | 23 Comments

8 Perfect Indoor Grilling Recipes for Fall

When you think Best Buy, you probably don’t think about cooking, right? You probably think gadgets and games, computers, Geek Squad assistance, stuff like that. But – Best Buy is so much more than just smart tech – they also have super smart solutions you can use in throughout your whole home. As a member of the Best Buy Blogging Board, I get to learn about a lot of the cool new products they’re carrying for fall – but never would have expected a gadget that can feed my family breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Learn how I do it with my totally awesome new kitchen helper – the Griddler, by Cuisinart. {And prepare to have your mind blown – this thing rocks.} See it in action here…

Grilling isn’t just for summer anymore – Indoor Grilling Made Easy with the Griddler

Awesome, right? You can use it as a griddle or grill – or half and half – to cook up a super hearty breakfast for you and the fam in the morning. Then it can be used to make perfect paninis at lunch time – or use it to make quesadillas or grilled cheese. At dinner time, you can make just about anything you can think of – veggies, steaks, chicken, kabobs, pork, steaks… This baby makes it super simple to cook them all. LOVE it. You know what else I love? That I was able to clear out a whole kitchen cupboard now that I have the Griddler – I donated our quesadilla maker, the sandwich maker, our small grill, the old super small panini maker, and the waffle maker {you can buy waffle plates for the Griddler too!} – this gadget does everything that ALL of those things can do, in one super cool looking appliance.

Eight Indoor Grilling Recipes

Want some mouth-watering inspiration for using the Griddler? It can convert to a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle, half grill/half griddle – and even a waffle maker with the extra attachment plates. That means that you can cook a crazy-huge variety of stuff on it – Check out some of my personal favorite indoor grilling recipes:

Bacon-Stuffed Pancakes: This totally amazing idea for stuffing your pancakes with bacon can be cooked using the griddle pans of the Griddler. I’ve made these a few times – and they are definitely a “man-pleasing” breakfast choice, lol.
Breakfast Griddle Sandwich: This is sooooo good – great combination of sweet and savory. Again, like many breakfast choices, you’ll make this using the griddle plates.
Snickers Grilled Dessert Panini: I was part of a group project to come up with recipes featuring Snickers minis {see my Snickers Football Snackadium recipe} – and I came across this idea that another member of the group came up with. SO on my list of to-makes this week!
Vegan Philly Cheese Panini: SUPER great idea for switching up a usually Philly sandwich into a healthier vegetarian version that’s sure to please even most meat-lovers. Can’t wait to try this one too! And the Panini plates on the Griddler make it a snap!
Homemade Trader Joe’s Chili Lime Chicken Burgers: This copy cat recipe is seriously delicious. I’d actually never tried the original, and have never had any type of Chili Lime style chicken. But it was love at first bite. For reals.
Grilled Corn with Parmesean Butter: This super simple recipe from Rachael Ray is perfect for cooking on the full grill plates – and the perfect side dish for any meal! And, did I tell you how easy clean up is, since the grill plates pop right into the dishwasher? Love that.
Grilled Tandoori Chicken: Cook up this amazingly good main course using the grill plates – the drip pan catches any bits of grease, the chicken cooks super quickly since the Griddler cooks both sides at the same time, and you’ve got a totally easy clean up when you’re finished.
Red Wine Grilled Steak: See those beautiful grill marks on the steaks? Hard to believe that this was cooked indoors! This is my own recipe – incredibly simple, and is a perfect fit for cooking up quick on the Griddler. I ove that you can get serious steakhouse quality meals cooked on this thing. Rockin’.

You’re getting excited, aren’t you? The Griddler is a busy mom’s best friend – Easy to use, simple to store, cleans up in a snap, and versatile enough to cook up anything you need to please picky eaters, finicky foodies, and starving teens. But – it’s not the only awesome kitchen problem solver that you’ll find at Best Buy – I’m telling you, check out their awesome selection the next time you’re there. They’ve got tons of stuff that I never would have expected, and awesome prices. Just like they’re total pros at choosing the smartest tech to fit your families needs – they’re also pros at choosing cool home, health, and beauty gadgets to fit your needs too {remember the Fitbit weight loss super star?}. Seriously – Check Out this Week’s Home & Appliance Offers! You’ll love it. Check out a few more of my faves…

Best Buy is your Busy Mom Solution Headquarters!

Seriously – how cool is it that Best Buy is now stocking other non-techy solutions that help solve the challenges of our busy lives? OXO makes some of the smartest kitchen gear – the POP containers are a super cool way to ensure that you don’t waste money on groceries, since they help keep all of your pantry staples stored safely and air-tight. {Plus, they’re a total-space saver since they’re rectangle shaped and easily stackable!} Their reusable water bottle means you cut down on waste by not buying and throwing away a ton of disposables. And there are so many other cool pieces – Cocktail shakers, avocado slicers, measuring cup with fat seperator, and more! You’ll find them all at a Best Buy near you, or on BestBuy.com.

Love it? Share it!

8 Perfect Indoor Grilling Recipes for Fall {Learn how to make indoor grilling easy!} sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/09/how-on… Follow @bestbuywolf for more tips!

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) September 9, 2012

Learn more about the unexpected products perfect for the whole home that are available at Best Buy on Pinterest!

{Disclaimer: As a member of the Best Buy Blogging Board and Product Ambassador team, I received compensation for this post in the form of the reviewed product or a gift card. All opinions and overuse of the words awesome and amazing are 100% my own. Only the best products reviewed make it onto this site – I love the Griddler & Best Buy, and know you will too!}

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 8, 2012 Filed Under: Busy Mom Solution, Food | 16 Comments

Red Wine & Pepper Grilled Steak Recipe

Grilling is not just for summer anymore. Simple indoor grilling recipes… You guys know that I am totally in love with the Griddler from Best Buy, right? {Want one? Check out the Best Buy Free Shipping offer to get it shipped asap!} I totally cleared out a whole kitchen cupboard, and tossed a bunch of my old gadgets, since this baby does the work of them all in one sleek, easy-to-store appliance. And I am so excited to be able to do some great grilling indoors, as the weather starts to turn colder. {We’ve been known to grill outside in the snow at times – we love dinner made on the grill!} So, let me share a super simple new recipe we cooked up this week on the Griddler – Red Wine & Pepper Grilled Steak. So good.

Red Wine & Pepper Grilled Steak Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup red wine
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tsp McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning
Pinch of white sugar
Pinch of salt
Dash or two of coarse black pepper

Instructions

Mix up the red wine, peppercorns, Grill Mates, sugar, salt, and pepper all together in a saucepan, and heat over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring well. Let it cool a bit, then pour into a big resealable plastic bag, Add the steak, seal the bag, flip around to coat - then refrigerate for 1 hour to marinate. {Marinating is like meat magic....}
Use the Griddler full grill plates, and heat to medium high. Grill for about 5 to 8 minutes for medium-rare doneness. Time will depend on thickness of steak, and how you like 'em cooked.
Open the Griddler, and take steaks off the grill. Let 'em rest for 2 to 3 minutes to let the juices reabsorb into the steak. Serve. Love.

https://sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/09/red-wine-pepper-grilled-steak-recipe/

The Griddler: Smart Dinnertime Solution for Busy Moms

This recipe makes enough marinade for about 2 pounds of steaks. It’s super simple, so good, and with the Griddler it’s even easy to clean up. For more amazing indoor grilling ideas see my post – How a Best Buy Gadget Can Feed Your Family All Day Long. And if you have a fave tip or recipe for indoor grilling – post a link in the comments so I can try it out!

Learn more about the unexpected products perfect for the whole home that are available at Best Buy on Pinterest!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 8, 2012 Filed Under: Food | 2 Comments

Bloggertunities

“Don’t agonize. Organize.” – Florynce Kennedy

Welcome to another edition of the weekly Bloggertunities – new leads, opps, resources, and events for amazing women bloggers like you! I keep promising that this will get back to it’s regular Wednesday morning posting time, but again, I’m late. I’m just recovering from whooping cough, and a rib that I fractured from coughing {who DOES that?} – and now Abby is sick too. Luckily, the doc called us today with good news, Abby does not have whooping cough too. Probably just a virus. But she’s still quite the fuss pot – “Sit in chair momma! Sit in chair right now! Cartoons! Cartoons in chair – cartoons with Abby! RIGHT NOW!” Ah, good times. But hopefully, with my nephews back in school, my days a little less hectic, and a recovery in sight – I can finally get back on track again. {Ha.”Man, I’m soooo caught up on work. I just have nothing to do now – I guess I’ll go relax with all of this free time” – Said no mom blogger ever.} I hope that you’re all enjoying the new transition into fall too – and ready for all of the online excitement that the holiday season brings! And, speaking of excitement – I’d love for you to all help out a fellow blogger who’s in the running for a super exciting contest with Macy’s!

Help a mutha-blogga out – Sadie Lankford, formerly of Randomosity, now owner of Slap Dash Mom, needs our help! Most of you know and love her – so let’s help her win the Macy’s Blogger Contest. For this week’s challenge, she needs all of the likes and pins she can get on her Mom on the Go Pinterest board – Let’s see her make it to the next round!!

Giveaways and Events

Twitter Party: Join us for the back to school Mompact Twitter party to share tips, connect with other moms, and win a bunch of great swag! RSVP here for the party, and be sure to give it a tweet to share with your friends too. You’ll have chances to win some great gear like an EasyLunchboxes set and cooler, Today I Ate a Rainbow , Grand Prize of the Easy Daysies Collection, and more!
Giveaway Scout: This is a great site to add your blog to – it’s simple to do, add your blog to Giveaway Scout here – and then they’ll automatically pull new giveaways, coupons, or other frugal type posts to share in their daily newsletter. Easy peasy.
Harry Potter: Ok, I have to admit it… I’m a total Harry Potter nerd. The kids wanted to watch it last year, so I started ordering the DVD’s from Netflix. By movie 5 I was hooked. So… I was pretty excited to join this new giveaway – A BluRay boxed set of Harry Potter 1-7. It’s free to join, and you can purchase extra links.
Halloween: Are you already getting excited for fall? For cozy hoodies and tall boots, crisp apples and fall leaves – and of course, all the fun of Halloween! If so, join this great new Halloween-themed giveaway event, free links, from Mom Powered Media.
Linky: Promote your giveaway this week on Koupon Krazed’s Win it Wednesday linky – I’ve added all of my current giveaways there, and it always drives some new faces my way!
KitchenAid: This is always a super popular prize – Who doesn’t want to win a new KitchenAid mixer, right? This has a value of $300+, and the giveaway event is open now for sign ups – Don’t miss it!

Review and Brand Opps

K5 Learning: Apply to work with them, and get a free 6-month subscription to their online learning resources to review. I’ve heard really great things about them – both the products, and working with them as a blogger.
Bookieboo: This is an awesome network filled with moms of all fitness levels, who are striving to live healthier lifestyles – and helping their families on their way to better health too. There’s great conversation, awesome opps, and a cool community feel. Join Bookieboo today.
Security System: Blog Friendly PR is looking for bloggers who are interested in reviewing a new home security system. It includes 1 base, 1 console, 3 door & window sensors, 1 fire safety sensor, 1 motion detection sensor, 1 keychain remote, 1 yard sign & decals, and service.
FavorDeal: I just signed up to work with them, when I found myself falling in love with their amazingly cool, super inexpensive accessories. {I bought 4 owl rings, 2 owl necklaces, another cocktail ring and a leather bracelet for $20 bucks, shipped free. For real. Total steal. Because you know I love owls…} Join today either their partner review program, and watch for their upcoming affiliate program. They’re a foreign company, so the English is less than perfect, lol. But I have friends who have worked with them, and they’re legit and follow through. I was ordering this stuff anyway – so why not share a fun review when I get it, and earn some free swag? So – if you’re an accessory junkie too, you might be interested!
Disney Panel: Disney is going to be opening up their Disney Moms Panel for new applicants soon – You just have to watch for the announcement, coming any day during September. Get details on their site. You definitely want to get your app in as soon as they open it, since last year they had to cut it off after 20,000 applications. Craziness, right?

Makin’ Money

Eden Fantasys: Ok, this one isn’t for everyone. But I’ve blogged about Eden Fantasys many times, and there are plenty of ways to keep it PG and family friendly. I am in looove with the bath and body products – especially the Cake and Booty Parlor lines. You can join their affiliate program to earn a whopping 20% on any product purchased from your link. And, when you order yourself, add product reviews to the site, rate items, etc – you earn more free points that can convert to free product gift cards. Love it. Also, if you’ve blogged about them a lot in the past, why not join this program and add in affiliate links to any of those posts that still get traffic?
Paper Coterie: You know I love this one :) If you haven’t signed up yet, and would like to get a taste of what their products are like – Right now they’re giving every single new customer a free $40 credit to spend on their site – no strings. This is how I originally found them last year, with this deal. I totally fell in love with their pretty products – so when they opened up an affiliate program this year, I jumped in right away! You can learn more and sign up here. {Another bonus – you get codes for free stuff each month too!}
Amazon: If you live in a state where you can work with Amazon, this is a fantastic affiliate for anyone to join. Do reviews? Add an Amazon link to the product in each post. Do craft tutorial? Add links to some of those cool supplies and tools you use. Do recipes? Share links to the cool baking pans you use, or your favorite kitchen gadgets. Love it.
Commission Junction: As the holiday shopping season approaches, it’s a great time to get signed up with a few new affiliates. That way, any product/brand/holiday shopping idea you share this season, you’ll have a way to monetize that post. All of those clicks add up! Commission Junction has a TON of brands to choose from.
Cookies Kids: This is like my super fave site to shop for kids clothes on – {See the crazy-amazing deals I got for Abby last week. Sah-weeet.} And did you know that you can earn free credit from them just for sharing their info? You get a link like this – Join me at CookiesKids.com! – that gives your reader a free $10 credit when they sign up, and rewards you with a free $10 too when they order. With you huge social media influence, it’s a great way to share fun stuff, and get rewarded for it.

Good reads and resources

PR Pitches: Are you tired of a million and two random and totally not relevant to your site pitches each day? You know, the ones addressed Hi, {followed by no name at all} – or maybe the totally sweet “Dear Blogger” pitch? Well, here’s a post with a great piece of advice for getting those to stop.
Media Kit: I am loving this article – SUCH a great critique, and filled with so many amazing ideas to help you build a better blogger media kit. I’m super excited to work on some big changes inspired by these tips! This is probably the best article on blog media kits that I’ve ever read.
Tips: This is a great post from a blogger who does PR too. She put together a list of things that bloggers do that can be really frustrating for PR, and that can totally distract from your awesome content. Dear Bloggers, Please… {Advice to Bloggers, from Bloggers and Marketers.}
Facebook Engagement: This is the whole goal of Facebook, right? To build a community of people who are engaged and interested in what you have to say? This new report is really interesting: How Superbrands Breed Superfans: 6 Best Practices for 10x Greater Fan Growth. Definitely worth reading through.

Guest Posting & Freelance Writing

Crafts: If you’re a crafty momma, And Then There Were 5 is looking for a couple of ladies to guest post monthly on her site, sharing fun kids crafts. If you’re interested in branching out, sharing your projects, and bringing some new faces your way, this is a great opportunity.
Examiner: There are so many fun local things in my area that I wanted to write about and promote, but they didn’t really seem quite right on my blog, since only a small percentage of my readers are going to be local. So I have a column on Examiner.com that I really enjoy, you can see what they look like here – Frugal Living Examiner. It’s been a really great way to connect with local business owners – plus I often get perks like free attraction tickets, since people want me to write about their events. Learn more about being a writer on Examiner.com, and pick your topic today.
Project Eve: This is a fun and informative site that you might already be reading… ProjectEve.com. They’re expanding, and are now looking for new guest posters on the following topics – Marketing, Money, Management, Technology, Innovation, Startups, and Family.

What’s new with you?

Do you have cool blogging news to share – or a helpful blogging tips post you’ve written lately? Do you have a weekly linky or hop that you’d love to share? How about a fun giveaway or event sign up to promote? Feel free – as always! – to share them in the comments below so everyone else can check them out too. The more good stuff here, the merrier!

Are you a blogging rockstar? Then grab these new leads, opps, events & tips for women bloggers – sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/09/blogge… #rockyourblog2012

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) September 7, 2012

Follow me for new weekly updates!

You can sign up to get my daily email updates – up there in the sidebar – if you want to make sure you never miss a weekly Bloggertunities post. You can also browse through all of the good stuff in the past Bloggertunities posts, and check out my big Blogging & Social Media board on Pinterest too. Have a great week!

Posted by Meagan Paullin on September 6, 2012 Filed Under: Blogging Resources, Weekly Opp's | 8 Comments

Football Party Food: Build a Snackadium with #SNICKERSMinis

“The reason women don’t play football is because eleven of them would never wear the same outfit in public.” – Phyllis Diller… My home is a football home. I have some serious football lovers living here. Me? I have very little understanding of it all, but I like the food, I love having people over, and enjoy all of the excitement around it all. So in a way, I guess I love football too. I remember years ago, when Mike and I were first dating – His favorite team of all time, the Seahawks, made it to the Superbowl. Since we live just a couple of hours from Seattle, there was a LOT of excitement all over town for that game – it was a huge deal. Billboards all over town, stores were selling out of Seahawks gear, it was craziness. That was the first game I ever really watched – Mike explained how the game worked to me as it was played, and I finally “got” it. Alas, the Seahawks didn’t win {yes, I am a firm believer that those stinky ol’ Steelers stole the game. Sorry Steelers fans!} – but it did give me a much better appreciation for the game. These days, Mike manages his super-serious fantasy football team, we watch the games every week, and we love to have football parties. So that means I needed to come up with some creative new football party foods this year, since football season is in full swing now…

How to Build a Snackadium for Football Party Fun with #SNICKERSMinis

You might remember the Snackadium that I made last year, using chips and dips. I made that a couple of times for different parties, and it was a HUGE hit. So, I thought it might be fun to try to create a new Snackadium this year made out of sweets instead. My challenge was to find the new NFL bagged Snickers Minis at Walmart, and incorporate them into my dessert display. And I love a challenge! Here’s a list of what you’ll need to do this too:

Snickers bagged candy, the minis and the fun size bars.
Wilton white and milk chocolate candy melts, one bag each – and you’ll have lots left over for other projects too.
A bag of rod pretzels
Disposable aluminum baking pan {I forgot this, and had to use an old cookie sheet, which doesn’t look as clean and nice}
Fruit dip {or make your own, mix half marshmallow fluff with half cream cheese. So good!}
Caramel dip
Food coloring
Stadium fillers – I used 2 packages of filled sandwich cookies,1 big bag of apple slices, and the rest of the Snickers candy
One giant Rice Krispies Treat, cut into squares
Toothpicks

And, before you head out to Walmart to pick up all of these goodies, make sure to print out some of the new football party coupons – so you can get extra savings. {See my own Walmart search for NFL Snickers bagged candy on Google+.} Because us busy mommas on a budget need all the help we can get, right? Once you’ve gathered all of your supplies, you’re ready to get started on your Snackadium.

How to Build a Snackadium

Ok, building a Snackadium takes a a bit of time, but it’s really pretty darn easy to do. First step is to gather all your supplies and Snickers candy. Now, let me walk you step by step through the basics:

Playing Field: I used a fruit dip tinted green with Wilton gel color to make the field, and caramel dip on each end to make the end zones. To help keep the edges even, I put down two little wooden BBQ skewers where I want the divide to be – as you can see in the second photo above. Then just take them out when you’re done, and smooth any little shmears.
Goal Posts: These look complicated, but are pretty much impossible to mess up, I promise. Take two Snickers fun size bars, and dig a little notch in one side of each one like the photo, so they fit snug around the pretzel rod. That’s your base. Break one pretzel rod in half, and another into smaller sections, to make the top of your goal posts. To put it all together, melt some milk chocolate candy melts – dip each piece in candy, stick ’em together, and arrange on wax paper to cool {once they harden, they’ll stick together sturdy.} My trick: I used a thin book {yep, that’s the Baby Brezza cookbook that Abby and I are in!} – Then I laid the pretzel goal post on it, with the bottom Snickers bars on the stovetop beneath, so the whole thing could lay flat. Worked great!
Stadium Walls: Cut your giant Rice Crispy Treat into rectangles – then stick them together with toothpicks, to make a retaining wall around your stadium.

Congrats – The hard part is behind you! You’ve made your football field, set up a wall around the perimeter {love using that word. Perimeter…} and you’re goal posts are cooling down. Let’s fill the stands, and set up the field. Ready? Go….

“Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence.” – Erma Bombeck

Filling the Snackadium is simple – just take whatever goodies you’ve got, and fill them inside of your Rice Crispy Treat “stadium” walls. This makes your crowd of fans – ready and eager to see the #SNICKERSMinis players enter the marshmallow dip playing field…. To make the players, you’ll just melt a couple of handful of white candy melts in a couple of different bowls, and add a different color of food coloring to each one. Dip the tops of the Snickers minis in the candy, let cool – and now you’ve got two opposing teams. Grab your cooled candy and pretzel goal posts – put one in each end zone, with the caramel dip keeping them in place. Then place your chocolate football players on the field, however you wanna set ’em up. Now it’s time to cheer – and let the games begin!

“If winning isn’t everything, why do they keep score?” – Vince Lombardi

Here it is – the Snickers Snackadium! Fun, right? When I make this to bring to parties, I’ll definitely be using the disposable aluminum pans, for a cleaner look. This was just kind of a test-drive, to see how this would all come together. I love it – and I’m sure it’ll be as popular as the chips and dips Snackadium of last year – if not more popular, because I mean, who doesn’t LOVE Snickers, right? Perfect football party snack. Love it!

Hope you have fun building your own Snackadium too!

You can find tons more ideas on building Snackadium creations online, there’s an actual site – Snackadium.com, totally devoted to it. There are some crazy-impressive ideas on there that make me feel like SUCH an underachiever, lol. And if enjoyed this little tutorial, I’d love for you to share it with a retweet or a pin!

How to Build a @snickers Snackadium – Perfect for fall football parties! sunshineandsippycups.com/2012/09/footba… #SNICKERSMinis & #CBias

— SunandSipCups (@SunandSipCups) September 6, 2012

If you decide to make your own Snackadium this fall, either the chips style, Snickers style, or something totally new – I would love, love, LOVE it if you’d come share pics on my Facebook wall! I might even feature them on my site – I love seeing the amazing creativity my readers have. You guys rock.

Like Snickers on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter @Snickers too!

{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 SNICKERS® Brand #CBias #SocialFabric. All photos and Snackadium creativity here are 100% my own work.}