Niagara Falls Trip Overview

In August we spent a weekend in Toronto followed by three nights in Niagara Falls, ON.
In Niagara Falls, you will find a variety of activities - Falls related activities, "tourist-trap kitsch", Fallsview indoor Water Park, casinos, and more. We spent our time in the Falls area and did not venture to the wineries or Niagara on the Lake which are a little further from the falls.

We stayed at the Clifton Victoria Inn which is part of the Falls Avenue Resort which includes the Fallsview Indoor Water Park. While in Niagara, we were able to enjoy the views of the Falls, the fireworks over the falls, the Falls activities, the Clifton Hill Activities, and the Fallsview Indoor Water Park.  We loved the location of our hotel as it was easy walking distance of almost everything, but set off the main tourist areas so it was a little quieter.

Disclaimer: I am a Groupon Affiliate and am compensated for sales through Groupon links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read all terms and conditions before purchasing.

Groupon is currently running deal on the Sheraton On the Falls which is part of the complex that we stayed at.

Sheraton On The Falls

Stay with Dining Credits and Wine Tasting for Two at Sheraton On The Falls in Niagara Falls, ON. Dates into June.

More details at Groupon

On Friday, Sunday, and holiday nights in the summer there are fireworks over the falls. We arrived on Sunday night in time for a light dinner. We had the Secret Garden recommended to us by a concierge at the Falls Avenue Resort. The restaurant is located adjacent to Oakes Park and is built into the hill between Falls Avenue Resort and the falls. They had outside dining that overlooked the American Falls and Rainbow Bridge to the US. We had sandwiches which were well done (their croissants were great). The waitress recommended the adjacent Oakes Park as a non-crowded fireworks viewing location. We were able to find benches to sit on to watch the fireworks. It was not crowded and was a very pleasant walk from there back to our hotel.

Our original plan had been to split the Falls activities across Monday and Tuesday and spend parts of each day at the Fallsview Indoor Water Park. However, the possibility of storms on Tuesday encouraged us to make sure to finish the Falls activities on Monday as many were outside. While it did not storm on Tuesday, it worked out well to have done the Falls first and arrive at the water park in the morning when it was less crowded than in the afternoons.

For the Falls activities, we bought the Niagara Parks Commission package that included Maid of the Mist*, Behind the Falls, Niagara's Fury and White Water Walk. It also included transportation on the WeGo bus system. We loved Maid of the Mist and Behind the Falls and enjoyed the White Water Walk. For more details, see my review of Niagara Falls Attractions.

Ready to Ride Maid of the Mist

Monday night we spent in the Clifton Hill area which I would classify as "tourist-trap kitsch". There are several mini-golf courses, several wax museums, numerous horror attractions, gift shops, and various other attractions (Guiness World Records, Ripley's Believe It or Not, arcades, etc). For more detailed reviews of the Clifton Hill attractions, see my review.

at Wax Museum

Tuesday we spent most of the day at Fallsview Indoor Waterpark which my daughter loved.

After the water park, we had a buffet dinner at Fallsview Restaurant with spectacular views of the Falls from one of the top levels of the Falls Avenue Sheraton. The food was quite varied including pasta, seafood, Mexican, and more. There was fresh fruit, salad, and sides. The desserts were also great. We arrived for dinner early which worked out great. We were able to get seats against the window (right next to the door for the observation deck) and they offer free kids buffet with an adult buffet from 5-6p.

View from Observation Deck at Fallsview Restaurant

We never made it across to the American side of the falls. The Rainbow Bridge crossing near the Falls frequently had a long line for Customs (into the US in the morning and into Canada in the evening). Had we been doing our main border crossing at Niagara Falls, we would have done the American side on our way in or out. Since we live in Michigan, it is considerably shorter for us to drive across Canada from Niagara Falls instead of through the US. My daughter was quite confused when we got in the car to leave Niagara Falls and we told her we wouldn't be back in the US for 3 hours even though she could see New York.

We had a great time on our Niagara Falls Trip and definitely recommend a family trip to Niagara Falls.

* I just discovered that Maid of the Mist is no longer operating from Canada. They will still operate tours from the American side. Boat tours from Canada will be provided by Hornblower Niagara Cruises. Hornblower currently provides boat tour experiences for US National Parks at Alcatraz Island in San Francisco and the Statue of Liberty from both New York and New Jersey.

Fallsview Indoor Water Park & Falls Avenue Resorts

In August, we spent three nights in Niagara Falls. When we were planning our trip, one of my friends mentioned they had stayed at the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark. I knew that would be a big hit with my daughter, so I made sure to check it out. You can choose to stay at one of the Falls Avenue Resort Complex's four hotels and include a water park on your stay or you can visit Fallsview Indoor Water Park on a daily pass.

The four hotels in the complex are:

• Sheraton on the Falls
• Crowne Plaza Niagara Falls - Fallsview
• Skyline Inn
• Clifton Victoria Inn at the Falls (which was a Hampton Inn when I booked our stay in June)

When I looked at the on-site hotels, I was drawn to the Clifton Victoria Inn since we have had good experiences at other Hampton Inns and because it offered FREE breakfast, FREE parking, and FREE Wi-Fi all of which are big money savers for us. The FREE Wi-Fi was especially important since were were trying not to use the internet on our phones while in Canada (at $2.05/MB I was cautious). It was the only Falls Avenue hotel not physically connected to the waterpark, but it was a short walk - across the street and roughly a block to the parking garage. In cold weather you may be able to walk through the Skyline Inn so you would only need to walk across the street while outside.

We booked the hotel for three nights with the water package for only two of the nights. The water park passes are valid from 1p the day they start until the water park closes on the day your pass ends. We arrived on Sunday evening and based on the weather forecast that had Tuesday with a threat of rain, we decided to spend Monday on outdoor activities near the Falls and start the waterpark Monday afternoon and have it run through our departure on Wednesday.

We were traveling with my parents and my family of 3 staying in separate rooms. You have the option of booking just the hotel or the hotel with water park. The water park package is only sold as 4 admissions, but offers the ability to add additional passes for each day. Since the water park add-on was for 4 people (and I only needed 3), it made more financial sense for my parents to just reserve the hotel and use my extra Water Park pass and purchase an add-on pass.

The Clifton Victoria Inn was similar to a Hampton Inn. We found the WiFi to be adequate, the breakfast was typical of an included breakfast. It was quite crowded the first morning that we were there, but it was a Canadian Holiday (Monday of a 3 day weekend) which increased the crowds at the hotel. It was considerably less crowded the other two mornings that we were there. FREE Parking was available behind the hotel (most Niagara Falls hotels that I looked at charged nightly for parking). Our room decor was perhaps a little dated, but not overly so and everything was clean. I would definitely consider staying there again. While the Clifton Victoria Inn is not directly on Falls Avenue like the Sheraton or Crowne Plaza (and does not offer rooms with falls views), I enjoyed it's location. It was a quick walk to the water park, Falls Avenue, or Clifton Hill, but it was set apart from the noise and lights of the touristy areas.

We spent most of the day Tuesday at the Waterpark and stayed until lunchtime on Wednesday. We loved the watermark. One of the main features of the park is the slide tower which features 4 tube slides, 2 mat slides, and 2 body slides. We tested all of the slides, but our favorite was definitely the bowl slide. You can ride the bowl slide in either a single or double tube. You proceed through an initial pipe slide that exits onto the edge of a large bowl. You circle the outside towards a raised drain with a single opening. Once you enter that opening, you continue down a pipe slide (sometimes backwards) until the landing chute. We did have a few cases where we got stuck in the bowl just missing the exit and had to push ourselves back into the main flow to catch it the next time around.

I was very impressed with their organization on the slides. They had color coded lines on the stairs for the 4 tube slides and holding areas on the main landing if the lines were long (as was typical for the bowl slide). We definitely noticed an advantage in line length by arriving early in the morning.

On the mat slides, you could race since the tracks were mirror images of each other. You ride these slides head first on your belly. We also liked the body slides which you rode on your back with legs crossed, although we did end up with wedgies after each ride.

Fallsview Waterpark also features a Wave Pool, an outdoor basketball pool, and a play structure with anumber of slides on it. However, it does not have is a lazy river. We definitely missed not having the lazy river. The play structure had a number of slides, that went in different directions making it hard to keep track of our daughter. Our second day, we were smart and claimed chairs near the play structure so we could sit and watch our daughter play on the structure. Unfortunately the Wave Pool broke our second morning at the park. My daughter was not happy with us as we had hustled her past the wave pool to ride the slides before the line got long and then the wave pool was broken when we went back to it. They were working on the Wave Pool for quite a while, so it was probably up and running soon (unless they needed to order a part).

The first day, we walked to Fallsview Water Park from the Clifton Victoria Inn in our swim suits with t-shirts/coverups on and walked back to our hotel in the same way to shower and change when we were done. The second day that we were at the Water Park, we had already checked out of our hotel since we were heading home that afternoon. There are showers and changing rooms available in the mens and women's restrooms that we used. There were only two showers (private) available in the ladies room, but since it was mid-day, my daughter and I were the only two using them. There are also open showers available in the hallway outside the restrooms for a non-private shower.

There are lockers that you can rent at the Water Park. We rented a large locker each day to store our phones, wallets, and dry clothes in. If it hadn't been for the phones we may have skipped it and used a waterproof case for money and credit cards. I loved the locker setup where you bought a key for a locker and had free in and out access to it all day. It was very nice not to have to pay each time we wanted to get something from our locker.

Our first day at Fallsview Water Park we stayed at the park from 10a until around 3p. We had lunch at the Planet Hollywood Beach Club (a counter service restaurant) which is inside the water park. They offered a variety of items such as burgers, wraps, chicken fingers, and more. It was convenient and nice to have options other than pizza or burgers and fries.

We definitely recommend adding the Fallsview Water Park to your itinerary at Niagara Falls. Note that we were there in the summer when the water park is open daily. During the winter months, the Water Park is not open daily.

Disclaimer: I am a LivingSocial Affiliate and am compensated for sales through LivingSocial Links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read terms and conditions before purchase as they are only summarized below.

LivingSocial is currently offering a deal for the Clifton Victoria Inn that includes a one night stay for up to 2 adults and 2 children, four 2-day passes at the WaterPark (day of arrival and departure), 4 Mini-Golf Passes, and 4 Games/child at Adventure City. You will also receive dining credits at various restaurants in the Fallsview complex. You can combine vouchers for a stay of up to 4 nights. The package costs $145 Canadian on Sundays through Fridays and $169 on Saturday. Your LivingSocial voucher will be valid until February 29, 2016. Be sure to check blackout dates and other terms before buying your voucher.

Lowe's Build and Grow Holiday Train Workshop

Lowe's holds Build and Grow workshops on select Saturdays throughout the year. For the 2013 holiday season, they will be having a Train Engine Workshop on Saturday, December 14 from 10-11a.

Kids will be able to build a Train Engine complete with Rub & Smell Stickers. This craft is so cute. Unfortunately, all of the stores near me have already reached capacity. Maybe you'll have better luck where you live.

You can check for availability and register online on the Lowe's Build & Grow website.

I took my daughter to a Lowe's Build and Grow workshop last spring and she had a really great time. We would have attended again except the location near our house books up quickly so I often don't know our schedule before it fills up.

Michaels Holiday Kids Club Events

Michaels Stores offer Kids Club Events many Saturdays throughout the year. Kids Club Events are $2/child and run from 10a-noon with 4 half-hour sessions (last one begins at 11:30a). They have two upcoming events for the holiday season.

Melted Snowman Ornament on Saturday, December 7. On Saturday, December 14 kids can make a Crayola® Wintery Work of Art use oil pastels.

We have attended many Michaels craft events through the years (although not since they switched to the new Kids Club format).  We have found some projects to be easier than others. Several times we have found ourselves inspired by the project to buy materials to create similar crafts to give as gifts.

Book Review: Origami Yoda Series - Act now for a Great Deal

As I have shared many times before, my daughter loves both Star Wars and reading. She is always reading Star Wars encyclopedias, visual dictionaries, and more. In addition, we have 20 minutes a day of reading where she has to read a chapter book. After seeing far too many Star Wars easy reader level 2 books come home from the school library, I knew I needed to find Star Wars books that were closer to my daughter's reading level (she was reading Level 2 readers 3 years ago).

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and am compensated for sales through Amazon links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

I have seen The Origami Yoda series at the store and in August decided to purchase the first book in the series, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, for her to try. It took a few weeks for her to finish the American Girl series that she was reading at the time and to convince her to give the book a try.


Once she started the book, she was hooked. While she was reading the book, we had a busy day and she missed a day of reading. The next day she asked if she could read for 40 minutes to make up for the missed day. I told her she is always welcome to read for longer. She read for 35 minutes that day, stopping only when she finished the book. She loved the book and was asking for Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book, the second book in the series. I requested the book from the library. Unfortunately when we went to pick up the book, I discovered that I had accidentally requested the audio book instead of the book. The book already had three requests on it and the library had ordered more - it is obviously a very popular series. Instead, we found Star Wars: Secrets of the Jedi to checkout until we could get the rest of the Origami Yoda series.

That night, we got home and my daughter was re-reading parts of Origami Yoda. She rarely does this with chapter books, so I knew the series was a winner. I decided that if she was going to re-read the books that it would be worth having our own copies and ordered a set from Amazon.

Once she finished that she was able to read Darth Paper Strikes Back in only a few days. She has since finished The Secret of the Fortune Wookiee (Origami Yoda) and Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppett: An Origami Yoda Book t. She is eagerly awaiting the March release of the fifth book in the series, Princess Labelmaker to the Rescue!: An Origami Yoda Book.

In addition to reading the books, she has made her own Origami Ewok from the directions in Surprise Attack of Jabba the Puppet. She has also requested the companion art and craft book, Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling: An Origami Yoda Activity Book for Christmas.

While I have not read the books, she loves the style of the book with doodles and drawings adding to the text. She says that while it has a story to be read front to back, there are little episodes that she can go back and re-read out of order.

If you want your own copies of the Origami Yoda series, Amazon currently has The Origami Yoda Files: Boxed Set for $36.65. Plus through December 1 they are offering an additional 30% off any book (the box set counts) with the code BOOKDEAL at checkout. Sicne we already have all 4 books, I was able to use the code to pre-order Princess Labelmaker.

Upcoming Holiday Events at Barnes & Noble

Barnes and Noble stores nationwide will be holding a series of FREE story time events for kids as well as charity programs, and Downton Abbey programs for adults. Individual stores may be participating in all, some, or none of the events. You can find the event dates and times for Barnes & Noble locations near you by using the Store Locator to select your local store.

The press release below includes more details about each program.

Barnes & Noble to Host Series of Free Storytime Events Designed to Spark a Love of Reading and Excitement for the Holidays

New York, New York – November 12, 2013 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), one of the nation’s largest booksellers and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today announced a series of special holiday Storytime events for children and families, designed to spark a love of reading, build excitement for the holiday season and encourage generosity towards others. The events center around favorite kids’ books and characters including How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, The Polar Express and The Elf on the Shelf®.

“It all happens at Barnes & Noble this holiday season and our booksellers are very excited to once again host our annual holiday Storytimes, as well as launch a few new events,” said Sarah DiFrancesco, Vice President of Business Development. “These events have been carefully planned to encourage children to read and get everyone in the family into the holiday spirit. From adopting an elf to encouraging kids to do one good deed each day for 25 days, attending a Barnes & Noble holiday event will certainly make everyone’s heart grow three times larger (just like the Grinch).”

Barnes & Noble’s 2013 children’s holiday store events include:

• The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition Storytime — Stores nationwide will host The Elf on the Shelf  Storytimes & Adopt-an-Elf events throughout November and December. The free event will kick off with a reading of The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition.  The story, written by Carol Aebersold and Chanda Bell, reveals how Santa knows who to place on the Naughty and Nice lists each year.
• Thanksgiving Storytime – In November, select stores will host a free Storytime featuring a reading of a Thanksgiving-themed title such as Thanksgiving Day Thanks by author Laura Malone Elliot. Booksellers will add to the festivities by showcasing other Thanksgiving children’s book titles like Clifford’s Thanksgiving Visit on the spectacular display of NOOK® HD+.  Holiday treats and fun activities will round out the festivities, along with a time of sharing as children express what they are thankful for.
• Festival of Lights at Chanukah Storytime – From November 27 to December 5, select stores will host a free Chanukah Storytime featuring a reading of author Jane Yolen’s tale, How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah? The special event will include fun Chanukah activities for the little ones. People of all faiths are welcome.
• “Grinch Day” – On December 1, stores across the country will celebrate the first-ever holiday event, the “25 Days of Grinchmas,” encouraging kids to “Grow Their Hearts Three Sizes by Doing One Kind Deed Each Day.” Grinch Day celebrates everyone’s favorite grump, the beloved green curmudgeon from the Dr. Seuss classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The festivities will include a Storytime, fun Grinch-themed activities and treats.
• Take a Ride on The Polar Express – On Friday, December 6, at 7 p.m., stores across the country will ring in the holiday season with a free Storytime featuring a reading of author Chris Van Allsburg’s heartwarming tale, The Polar Express. Children are invited to dress in their pajamas and “wind their way to the North Pole” during a reading of the holiday classic.

This holiday season, Barnes & Noble will also host a special event for adults:

• Downton Abbey Parties — From November 29 through December 15, stores nationwide will host celebrations for fans of all ages of the PBS drama Downton Abbey. The free Downton Abbey parties will feature show trivia and many fun activities, including costume contests, BYOTC (Bring your Own Teacup), find the fox (plush animal) hunt in the store, and more.

All Barnes & Noble holiday events are free and open to the public. For further details about the special holiday events, contact any Barnes & Noble store or visit the Barnes & Noble Store Locator.

In addition to hosting all of these great events this holiday season, Barnes & Noble has some other great holiday programs:

• Holiday Book Drive - For more than 20 years, Barnes & Noble customers and booksellers have demonstrated their holiday spirit and support for children who are less fortunate through the Holiday Book Drive, which runs from November 1 through January 1. Last year, stores collected and donated more than 1.5 million books to more than 2,000 local charities across the country that provide services to children.
• Holiday Gift Wrapping Program - In the rush of the holiday season, customers can save time and help a good cause by having their gifts wrapped in Barnes & Noble stores. The program helps not-for-profit organizations looking for a fun and easy way to raise money during the holiday season through gift wrapping services offered to customers for donations. The gift wrapping program runs through December 24. Organizations interested in participating should contact their local store for more information.

The very best gifts are all at Barnes & Noble this holiday season and customers are invited to discover and experience everything that Barnes & Noble has to offer at any of the nearly 700 stores nationwide or online at www.bn.com.

About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is a Fortune 500 company and the leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products.  The company operates 674 Barnes & Noble bookstores in 50 states, and one of the Web’s largest e-commerce sites, BN.com ( www.bn.com).  Its NOOK Media LLC subsidiary is a leader in the emerging digital reading and digital education markets.  The NOOK digital business offers award-winning NOOK® products and an expansive collection of digital reading and entertainment content through the NOOK Store® (www.nook.com), while Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, LLC operates 692 bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble is proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.  Barnes & Noble.com is ranked the number one online retailer in customer satisfaction in the book, music and video category and a Top 10 online retailer overall in customer satisfaction according to ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index (Spring Top 100 Edition).

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by visiting the company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

Candy Corn Fruit - A Healthy Halloween Treat

I was tasked with bringing a healthy Halloween Treat to the party my daughter's Brownie Troop was having for Halloween and Juliette Gordon Low's Birthday (Juliette Gordon Low is the founder of Girl Scouts).

Since it was Halloween, I wanted to bring in a themed treat. Since there are 24 girls in her troop and it was a combined party with 10 Daisies, I had a few constraints due to the quantity involved. I needed to be able to assemble them fairly rapidly, they needed to be easily transportable (with the quantity I needed), and I didn't want to spend a fortune.

A few years ago I had carved Jack O'Lantern oranges for my daughter's preschool class of 12. I knew from experience that I didn't have the time to carve 35 oranges. I found candy corn fruit cocktails on Pinterest and liked the idea, but needed to shrink the serving size for both transport and cost purposes. I also knew the whipped cream on top would be a challenge since I needed to pre-make the fruit.

I took this inspiration and used the pineapple (my daughter's favorite fruit) and oranges as the yellow and orange layer. My daughter and I visited the produce section of the store to pick a white fruit. We settled on bananas since the inside is white. I also opted to use fresh clementines instead of canned Mandarin oranges.
I peeled the oranges and separated them into individual segments. I cut the pineapple into wedges about 1" wide and 1/2" tall. Then I sliced the bananas into 1/4" thick slices and cut them in half.

I used wooden toothpicks to skewer a pineapple chunk. an orange segment and a banana. I was able to fit enough candy corn fruit for 35 girls into a container and packed additional fruit in separate containers for the girls to take more of their favorite.



Overall, I was very pleased with how these turned out. The bananas did start to turn brown by the next day, but lasted about 2 hours before that. Definitely not a food you can make far in advance, but less time sensitive than whipped cream. The only change that I would make in the future would be to use plastic toothpicks as my toothpicks softened over time and a few broke.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Ultimate Wish Saturdays at Toys R Us

Halloween is over, so now it's time to turn towards Christmas.

Every Saturday from November 2-23, Toys R Us stores will be holding Ultimate Wish Saturday. There will be FREE activities and giveaways. You can enter by 1p each day for a holiday raffle to win a $100  gift card that day.

They are also offering a Wish List Promotion. You can build your child's Wish List online or use the Wish List Wizard from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Once you build your child's list and make $100 of purchases before November 30, you will receive a $10 gift card valid December 12, 2013-April 30, 2014.

Halloween is Over, Amazon's Countdown to Black Friday Begins

Now that Halloween is passed and we are into November, Amazon has kicked off their Countdown to Black Friday event with expanded Daily or Lightning Deals available. They are continuing their Lightning Deals on items from the Holiday Toy List. In addition to toys, there are a number of videos on today's deals list.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and am compensated for sales through Amazon links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read all terms and conditions of the deal before purchase, they are only summarized here.

The easiest way to take advantage of the Lightning Deals that are part of Countdown to Black Friday Deals is to be an Amazon Prime member so that you receive free 2-day shipping. With the recent increase in the minimum for FREE Super Saver Shipping (to $35 from $25), it is harder to take advantage of Lightning Deals without paying for shipping.

The deals start at 9a with:

• 9a - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
• 10a - LeapFrog LeapReader Reading and Writing System, Green
• 10:20a - "Dr Seuss How The Grinch Stole Christmas" - save 57%
• 11a - Estes 1491 Taser Launch Set
• 2p - Uncle Milton Mars in My Room Collectibles
• 3:20p - Despicable Me - save 57%
• 4p - Playmobil Pop Stars Stage
• 5p - Imaginext DC Super Friends Superman Playset
• 6p - K'NEX Angry Birds Christmas Advent Calendar - Amazon Exclusive
• 7p - Neat-Oh! ZipBin Dinosaur Medium Play Set

The deals listings for the Grinch and Despicable Me don't include a link to the product on sale, so your best bet is to find them on th Countdown to Black Friday Deals page.

In addition, to these Lightning Deals, the LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Friends deals that I shared the past few days are still available. They also have:

• up to 39% off Disney Movies
• Up to 50% off Harry Potter Movies
• Up to 63% off DC Superhero Movies & TV

Leftover Halloween Candy? Make Halloween Candy Bark

I was really worried that our trick or treat numbers would be down this year due to the rain so I was making plans to use my leftover Halloween candy. However, I don't seem to have much of a drop-off and have far less candy left than I thought I would. I was surprised that my daughter lasted for almost 90 minutes in the rain. If the weather's nice next year, I think I'll need more candy.

Last night when I was deciding what sweet treat to bring to my daughter's class Halloween party, I stumbled on a few suggestions for Halloween Candy Bark. I was inspired and offered it to my daughter this morning and she loved the idea.

I prepared the pan by lining a cookie sheet with my Silpat Baking Mat. You could also use parchment paper, wax paper, or aluminum foil.

My first step was to chop up the Halloween candy. I started with two fun-size bars of each of our chocolates: Hershey bar, Twix, Kit-Kat, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, and Snickers. Plus I had two packs of Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, M&Ms, and Whoppers. After chopping each up, I spread the candy on my cookie sheet to determine if I had enough chocolate. I decided I wanted more chocolate, so I added two more of each type. I then transferred the chopped chocolate to a bowl. Be sure to mix the chopped pieces up so that you end up with a variety on your bark instead of concentrations of a particular type of chocolate.

Not Quite Enough - Time to cut more

Rather than use chocolate chips that would need shortening added, I used Wilton Candy Melts as the base for my bark. One of the recipes recommended using dark chocolate since you are adding more sweet with the mostly milk chocolate candies. I used a combination for my base - 1/3 of a bag of light cocoa melts and a full bag of dark cocoa melts. I melted the chocolate melts in a double boiler although you could also melt them in the microwave according to the directions on the package.

Ready to be Refrigerated

When the chocolate was smooth, I spread it on the cookie sheet being careful not to hit the edges. Then I sprinkled the chopped chocolate bars on top. I placed it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow it to solidify. Once the chocolate had hardened, I removed it from the baking mat and broke it into chunks.

Finished Product

I found the M&Ms add some nice color (I used a Halloween color pack). My daughter asked about adding StarBurst, but I suggested sticking with chocolate varieties. The beauty of this is that you could add whatever you had. I have a feeling it might be a good way to get rid of some less popular choices like Baby Ruth that would be fine in smaller quantities and add a crunch to the bark.

The chocolate bark was a big hit at my daughter's class party. Unfortunately I had to ration it after a mishap on the way into school. I was juggling a bag of games, a witch's hat, my water bottle, my phone, my keys, and the container of bark. The container of bark was the ball that got dropped, with the lid popping open and half of it spilling on the sidewalk. I was lucky that half of it stayed in the container and I was safely able to serve it. I had nothing to put the spilled bark in, so I pushed it off to the side and collected it into the empty container on our way back to the car after the class party.

I am definitely remembering this recipe for next year, or maybe for my daughter's rejects this year (I only have about 10 pieces left).

Happy Halloween - Now Don't Miss these Toy Deals for Christmas

It may be Halloween, but yesterday when I was at the mall I discovered that they are in the process of setting up the Santa set. Amazon is also trying to entice you to start your Christmas shopping.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and am compensated for sales through Amazon links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links. Please read all terms and conditions of the deal before purchase, they are only summarized here.

Today's deals for kids include:

• now - Children's Classics - Prokofiev: Peter & The Wolf / Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals / Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Bernstein Century)
• 11:59a - Playskool Showcam 2-in-1 Digital Camera and Projector (White)
• 12:59p -Fashion Angels Monster High Braidzilla Bracelet Braiding Kit
• 12:59p - Phineas & Ferb CD
• 1:59p - Barbie Digital Dress Doll
• 3:59p - Twister Dance Rave Game
• 4:59p - Classics for Kids CD
• 5:59p - UNO Blast Card Game
• 9p - Recess CD by Justin Roberts

In addition, to these Lightning Deals, the LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Friends deals that I shared the past few days are still available.

Amazon offers FREE Super Saver Shipping on purchase over $35 (they raised the minimum on FREE Super Saver Shipping to $35 from $25). Fortunately we are Amazon Prime members, so this has a minimal impact on our family. Personally, I love having Amazon Prime. I find that I no longer overbuy in an effort to meet the minimum of Super Saver Shipping. I also was unable to take advantage of many of the Lightning Deals since they did not hit the shipping minimum. We also use the streaming video several times a month. They have a great selection of PBS and Nickelodeon shows for the young kids including Dinosaur Train, Dora the Explorer, Wonder Pets, and many more. You can try Amazon Prime with a 30 day free trial. After that it is $79/year. An affordable way to try Amazon Prime shipping for the holidays is through Amazon Mom. Amazon Mom subscribers receive a 3 month free trial of Amazon Prime, 20% off diaper and wipe Subscribe and Save orders, and 20% off a total of 5 family essential Subscribe & Save orders. Note with the 3 month Amazon Mom trial, you will only receive the Prime Shipping benefits and not the video streaming or free books through the Kindle Owners Lending Library. After your 3 month trial, you can purchase Amazon Prime for $79/year and have full access to all of the Amazon Prime benefits.

Preserve Your Halloween Memories in Print

Shutterfly is offering some amazing deals to help preserve your Halloween memories.

Disclaimer: I am a Shutterfly Affiliate and am compensated for sales through Shutterfly links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

They have the following discount options:

• New Customers enjoy $10 off your purchase of $20 or more with code CANDY. Valid 10/29-10/31.
• Take $10 off your purchase of $20 or more with code YAY4HOLIDAY. Valid 11/1-11/3.
• Take 50% off Hard Cover Photobooks & Pages with code PUMPKIN. Valid 10/29-11/3.
• Get 101 Free Prints with code SPOOKY. Valid 10/30-11/1.

You can also use SHIP30 for free shipping on orders over $30.

I am planning to stack the PUMPKIN code for 50% off of a Hard Cover Photobook with YAY4HOLIDAY to make an autograph book for our upcoming Disney vacation. I have done this several times before and my daughter really enjoys it.

What type of PhotoBook would you make? Halloween memories? Vacation Photo Album? A gift for a milestone birthday or anniversary?