// 18 Easy Halloween Snacks For Kids + Parties

If you're a parent of a young'n, chances are likely that a Halloween party is in your very near future. I've been brainstorming what I wanted to whip up for Toby's Pre-K party next Thursday, but feeling a little uninspired. What's a mom to do in that situation? Pinterest. Sometimes Pinterest overwhelms me, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it. I spent part of last night scouring the site for some inspiration and I picked 18 of my favorite kid friendly ideas!

I tried keeping it peanut-free since peanut allergies are so common. There are a few dairy-free options, too, as well as ideas that lean a bit healthier than others. I'm still not totally sure what I'll be doing for Toby's party, but I'm hoping it's: quick, simple, can be made the night before, and is easy to distribute. 4 year olds are pretty messy by nature... so those rice krispie snacks are looking good... But boy oh boy they're sticky!

Here are the 18 ideas I liked (clockwise):

ONE:  frankenstein rice krispie treats // tootsie pop spiders // spiderweb pretzels // candy corn marshmallows // tombstone pudding cups // TWO: ghost poop goodie bags // candy corn rice krispie treats // "boonanas" // mummy pretzel bites // spider bites // THREE: pumpkin cupcakes // frankenstein cones // ghostly oreo pudding cups // vampire apples // frankenstein marshmallow pops // FOUR: peanut butter eyeballs // mummy pops // jack skellington cupcakes

Any other fab ideas you want to toss into the ring? This girl is all ears! Happy Tuesday!

// How To Throw An Epic Shark Week Party

I moved the August giveaway yet again (to tomorrow!) because duh! SHARK WEEK! It starts tomorrow! And if you know anything about me, you know that I basically live for shark week! It's a religion in our house. Mike and I threw a Shark Week premier party in 2011 and we've been itching to do it again ever since. I was out of town last year (but still caught the premier at a bar with my best friend in Indianapolis... dedication!) and this year we're 2 hours away from all of our friends. I'm thinking 2014 will mark the return of the Flynn's Shark Week party... yeah? Who's coming?!

Since we can't whip up a big to-do this year, we're planning on celebrating in our own way. Just the three of us and some snacks. Can't really argue with that! I wanted to share my tips on throwing the best shark-inspired bash, that way YOU can celebrate the greatest animal to ever live! ;)

The food and drink at any party is crucial. But when you're talking shark theme, you really need to theme it up!

A few handy things we always have on hand for Shark Week include:

1. Goldfish crackers!

2. Swedish fish (I'm totally not a fan of the taste, but hey, some people are!)

3. Shark cupcakes! (Our 2009 version was all gore... these are a lot nicer hey?)

4. Lifesaver candy (Bonus points if you spring for the gummies!)

5. Salsa. It may not sound as appetizing when you think of chum, but it's perfect and delicious!

6. Tortilla chips. There's something swimming in your salsa!

7. Shark cookies. Everyone needs a shark shaped cookie cutter in their pantry!

8. Land Shark lager. The perfect beer for Shark Week!

If you're getting really fancy and want to go all out, you can add some sushi to your menu, too! We usually have small finger foods and sandwiches (cut into triangles... naturally) since I'm not really a sushi person. But I'm sure you can see how it fits the theme!

When we're having an actual party with guests and all that jazz, we tend to whip up an "Ocean Water" punch to serve our guests. You can make it as a cocktail or mocktail! We like to serve both since we have some friends who don't drink, or they volunteer to DD!

Ocean Water (cocktail) Punch

3 cups Malibu (coconut) Rum

3/4 cups Blue Curacao

2L Sprite

Garnish with Lifesaver gummies + Swedish Fish

Ocean Water (mocktail) Punch

5 cups coconut water

2L Sprite

~5 drops blue food coloring (or until you reach desired hue)

Juice of 1 fresh orange

Garnish with Lifesaver gummies + Swedish Fish

Once the food and drink have been taken care of, it's time to think about entertainment! Of course Shark Week in itself is plenty good entertainment, but sometimes it's fun to spice it up a bit. If you're having an adult-only shindig, you can play the Shark Week drinking game (below!). Regardless of the age range in attendance, you can also play Shark Week Bingo! Just change up the rules and prizes accordingly. (Click here for several Shark Week Bingo cards!) Psst... Goldfish crackers make great bingo chips! I'm also not above playing some drunken/blindfolded "Pin the fin on the shark" haha! That's a great DIY game to whip up. Or even a costume contest! Everyone loves an excuse to dress up!

(click here to download + print the drinking game rules)

If you need some decorations for your party, toss out some crepe streamers in various shades of blue. If it's a kids' bash, let your littles craft some fish out of paper plates and paint! You can even download the shark infographic I made back in 2010 and teach your guests a few things while entertaining! (Shark trivia, anyone?!)

The great thing about Shark Week is that it appeals to such a wide variety of viewers! Shark fanatics, casual observers, and people who just love a good party! You can tailor your Shark Week fete to fit kids and adults of all ages! I can't wait for tomorrow's premier... but I really can't wait until next year so I can get back in the groove of throwing a massive Shark Week bonanza! You're all invited! haha

Would you attend a Shark Week party?! Happy Shark Week!

// Outdoor Summer Dinner Menu

Hi there lovely readers of Little Chief Honeybee! I’m Ashley from over at Rainstorms & Love Notes, where I write about things like being a newlywed, packing a carry-on bag with travel essentials, and making delicious (and easy!) food. Today I’m excited to share an Outdoor Summer Dinner Menu that I put together just in time for sunny weather and outdoor dining. My goal was to come up with an easy set of recipes full of light, fresh ingredients that all go together nicely. This menu would be perfect for a stay-at-home date night or an outdoor dinner party with lots of friends, as the portion sizes can easily be adjusted. I hope you enjoy!

 

Pico de Gallo

Serves 4-6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1/2 medium white onion

1 cup water

ice

1 large tomato

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 jalapeno

Instructions

Finely chop the onion, and place in a bowl of ice water; drain.

Chop the tomatoes and cilantro.

Remove the seeds from one half of the jalapeno, and finely chop.

Combine the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and jalapeno, and stir together.

Refrigerate, then serve with chips.

Chile-Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Serves 2

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp chile powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp salt

Instructions

Combine the olive oil, garlic, chile powder, cumin, paprika, lime juice, and salt in a large bowl.

Add the chicken and turn to coat.

Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Grill the chicken over medium heat, turning once, until marked and just cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes per side.

Grilled Corn with Lime Butter

Serves 2

Adapted from here

Ingredients

2 ears corn, shucked

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp lime zest

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

Place corn on a grill rack coated with cooking spray.

Grill 10-12 minutes over medium heat, turning as needed.

Combine the butter, lime zest, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and microwave until melted.

Spread over the corn and serve.

Strawberry Lime Sorbet

Serves 6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas

1 cup frozen strawberries

2 small limes, peeled and quartered

2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

Slice the bananas and place in the freezer until completely frozen.

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until it has the consistency of soft serve.

Freeze until it reaches desired consistency.

 

Sparkling Cucumber Limeade

Serves 6

Adapted from here

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp lime zest

1 cup water

1 cup fresh lime juice (4 to 6 limes)

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

1 cucumber, halved and very thinly sliced

2 cups chilled sparkling water

Instructions

In a small saucepan, simmer the sugar, lime zest, and water over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. 

Remove from heat and stir in the mint leaves.

Let cool for 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup through a sieve into a pitcher. Add the cucumber and lime juice and refrigerate for at least an hour. 

Just before serving, add the sparkling water.

Major thanks to Ashley for putting in all of this hard work to whip up this amazing summer dinner spread! I can't think of a better post for a Friday morning... you can spend your last hours at work thinking about the delicious sorbet and refreshing cucumber limeaide... Then you can run out after work to nab all of the ingredients and invite your friends over Saturday! We've already been doing a crazy amount of grilling this season, but I think we'll be adding the chicken to our menu for next week!

If you want to witness more of Ashley's magic, pop over to her super cute blog Rainstorms & Love Notes! You can also find her on Twitter and Pinterest, and you can follow her blog via Bloglovin! I'll be back tomorrow with a really fun