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How to Make Your Own Bomberman Pumpkin (with Ice Cream Cone Hat!)

Tessa Smith
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2
How to Make Your Own Bomberman Pumpkin (with Ice Cream Cone Hat!)

How to Make A Bomberman Pumpkin

As you likely know already, my family loves to game! Every weekend we can be found playing video games, and Bomberman for Nintendo Switch is one of our favorites. We love it because we can all play together – and my youngest just loves to buy all the different hats. While deciding on the pumpkin she wanted to make this year, her hardest decision was which hate her Bomberman pumpkin would have. A crab? Classic ball? Nope, she settled on the ice cream hat, and I am so glad she did!

Bomberman Pumpkin

Bomberman Pumpkin

What do you need to make your very own Bomberman pumpkin with ice cream hat?

bomberman with ice cream cone hat
Our inspiration for this pumpkin!

The first thing you need to do is paint your pumpkin white. Then paint two large lines for eyes, and an outline for the opening of your Bomberman suit. If you wish to leave the suit white, I suggest painting the face peach. If you are opting to change the color of your suit, you can leave the face white.

bomberman ice cream cone

To make the ice cream cone hat, cut your craft foam in to a triangle. Roll it together to make a cone shape and hot glue it together. Paint it brown if you wish, we opted to leave it white. Take half of your plastic Easter egg and hot glue it on the top, so that it looks like an ice cream cone. We went with pink because my daughter has been working hard to unlock the strawberry cone in the game. Once dry, hot glue the cone to the stem of your pumpkin.

bomberman pumpkin with ice cream cone hat

Then all you have to do is decide what color you want the Bomberman suit to be. My daughter’s favorite color is orange so I was surprised she wanted to go with pink. But once it was done, I could tell why. This pink looks amazing! Especially on top of the white “primer” coat.

how to make your own Bomberman Pumpkin

Love this pumpkin? Don’t forget to pin it so that you can come back and recreate it! This is one we will probably do a variation on every year. I am already hunting down a plastic crab for the hat…

Go Into the Night with PJ Masks this Halloween!

Tessa Smith
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0
Go Into the Night with PJ Masks this Halloween!

These goodies were gifted to us from PJ Masks but all opinions expressed are 100% our own.

Owlette PJ Masks Halloween Costume

If you have been checking my site out for a while now, than you know my young daughters love the Disney Junior show PJ Masks. Oh, sorry, they LOVE PJ Masks. My youngest has a backpack, lunchbox, and tons of clothes that are themed with that show. She even had a PJ Masks birthday party one year (and asks to again every year since!). So when a giant box filled with PJ Masks Halloween goodies showed up at our door, she screamed and ran around in circles. I totally wish I had it on video.

PJ Masks Halloween Candy

For Trick or Treaters

I quickly realized something that I didn’t know – there are lots of options for trick or treaters! I guess I always thought the only option to hand out were big bags of candy not themed for kids’ favorite shows. But in the box that came to our door there were not only PJ Masks ring pops, lollipops, and swirl pops, there were also temporary tattoo and sticker packs as well as bandages to hand out! I just know all the young kids coming to our door this Halloween will be thrilled!

Bandages are great because kids might stumble and fall while out and about. Also, who couldn’t use more bandages in their home? Kids are always in need of bandages, and they tend to be a little braver about accidents when they have their favorite superheroes on them!

pj masks bandages

For Your House

No porch is complete without a Halloween greeter. I can promise you that. This year we will have an adorable Gecko holding a pumpkin by our door. And I can all but guarantee he will be in my daughter’s room by her door the rest of the year. He is super cute, true, but most importantly he is sturdy. We have a roof over our porch, but even with the cold winds and rain, Gecko has been safe and sound guarding our door! He is sure to last through season after season!

Owlette PJ Masks Halloween

For Your Little Ones

My youngest daughter has been searching for the perfect Halloween costume this year. When she saw the glow in the dark (yes. GLOW IN THE DARK!!) Owlette costume in this box, she claimed it right away. We tried it on her and I must say, she looks so stinking adorable in it! I have a feeling that this will become a weekend costume once Halloween is over as well. But that isn’t all we got – there was also an awesome Owlette trick or treat basket! Yup, this made her day! You can even grab tons of super cool printable activities and recipes on the PJ Masks website, so be sure to do that!

Happy Halloween!

Keto Approved Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf Recipe

Tessa Smith
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2
Keto Approved Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf Recipe

Keto Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf

Looking for a great comfort food for the chilly months? This is the time of the year that I end up tempted to go back to my old way of eating. Something I used to love to eat was chicken parm with spaghetti. But now that I discovered this keto approved chicken parm meatloaf recipe, I don’t crave it anymore! Serve with a side of zucchini noodles if you wish.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. Ground Chicken
  • 3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 cups Marinara Sauce (no sugar added!)
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Ground Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • Zoodles to serve on the side (optional)

You can easily customize this recipe by adding vegetables like mushrooms (my mom’s favorite!) or peppers or onions. Whatever you are in the mood for! As always, I highly recommend purchasing a block of cheese and shredding yourself. I have an attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer that I use to do this almost daily.

keto chicken parm mini meatloaf uncooked

Directions

  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, ground oregano, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl.
  3. Mix well.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and mix again.
  5. Add 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce and mix well.
  6. Make 5 to 6 mini meatloaves and place on baking sheet or pan.
  7. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. (ovens vary)

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 meatloaves / 4 carbs each

I usually serve with a vegetable side or broccoli or zoodles. If serving with zoodles, I will warm those up with a dab of marinara sauce.

Video Recipe

Check out this video I made so you can see just how easy these are to make. They take less than 5 minutes to prep, making them a great dinner idea for those that are on the go!

Keto Approved Chicken Parm Mini Meatloaf Recipe

keto chicken parm mini meatloaf

A quick and easy recipe for chicken parm mini meatloaf.

  • 2 lbs. Ground Chicken
  • 3/4 cup Mozzarella Cheese (shredded)
  • 1 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
  • 2 cups Marinara Sauce (no sugar added!)
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Oregano
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  1. Preheat over to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, ground oregano, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. 
  3. Mix well. 
  4. Add 1/2 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese and mix again. 
  5. Add 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce and mix well. 
  6. Make 5 to 6 mini meatloaves and place on baking sheet or pan.
  7. Top with remaining marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.
  8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through. (ovens vary)

4 carbs per mini meatloaf. Easily customizable.

Fill Your Whole Home with the Best Sound Thanks to the Bose Sound Family

Tessa Smith
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0
Fill Your Whole Home with the Best Sound Thanks to the Bose Sound Family

This article is sponsored by Best Buy. All opinions expressed are my own.

bose soundbar and home system

My husband and I are the type that always have the latest and greatest when it comes to technology. From our phones, to our televisions, to our audio systems. We are constantly upgrading because we want the best of the best. Well, the best sound system out there right now is easily the Bose system. They have a family of speakers and soundbars so that no matter what room in your house you are in, you will hear superior sound.

bose sound system

With Bose the entertainment possibilities are endless. the best part? The newest Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars has built-in voice control from Amazon Alexa. We have almost all our devices connected to Alexa because it puts millions of songs at the tip of your tongue. Even my daughters know how to use it. And they do. Over and over. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard “Let It Go” and “You’re Welcome“? The answer is a lot. But I kind of love that my kids and 5 and 7 and know how to use our whole home sound system. It is truly that easy.

Fill The Whole House with Sound

Want more music in more rooms? The new Bose family of smart speakers and soundbars work together – so spread sound out through the whole house! The Bose Soundbar 700 is designed to be the world’s best soundbar and delivers an unmatched combination of sophisticated design and exceptional sound. On the other hand, the stylish Bose Soundbar 500 has a thin profile that fits discreetly under your TV. The soundbar’s powerful acoustics will fill the room with sound and the Bose Home Speaker 500 delivers the widest sound of any smart speaker.

bose wifi

Connect with Wi-Fi

That is not all! With Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® compatibility, you can wirelessly stream whatever you want, however you want. Simply download the Bose Music app and you can enjoy one-touch music or manage your library. Plus, future software updates will add new features – and I can’t wait to find out what they are!

Shop the whole Bose family at Best Buy!

Ant-Man and The Wasp Bonus Features + Scott Lang’s Home Tips!

Tessa Smith
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11
Ant-Man and The Wasp Bonus Features + Scott Lang’s Home Tips!

Ant-Man and The Wasp blu-ray

If you have been following me for a while than you know I was out in LA earlier this year to help promote the in theater release of Ant-Man and The Wasp. I interviewed most of the cast (Paul Rudd does not age and Evangeline Lilly is just as amazing as you would think) as well as the Director Peyton Reed. All those interviews can be found here on my site. I also got to see the movie before it came out, and I loved it so much I still went and saw it opening weekend. Now you can take it home on digital, blu-ray, and DVD – and I suggest you do!

Scott Lang’s Tips for Fun at Home

As we all know, Scott had a little more time than usual at home thanks to being on house arrest. He found a way to fully enjoy himself and take advantage of all that free time, and here is how!

scott langs fun at home tips

Bonus Features

I know I have said this time and time again, but I love the bonus content on home releases. Something about the deleted scenes really brings the film together for me. And who doesn’t love a good gag reel? I knew with someone like Paul Rudd in the cast, that would be one of the best parts of the features. And it is. Here are all the ones you can find on your home copy of Ant-Man and The Wasp.

  • Director’s Intro by Peyton Reed
  • Making-of Featurettes:
    • Back in the Ant Suit
    • A Suit of Her Own
    • Subatomic Super Heroes: Hank & Janet
    • Quantum Perspective
  • Gag Reel and Outtakes
    • Gag Reel
    • Tim Heidecker Outtakes
  • Deleted Scenes (with commentary by Director Peyton Reed)
    • Worlds Upon Worlds
    • Sonny’s on the Trail
  • Digital Exclusives:
    • 10 Years of Marvel Studios
    • Online Close-Up Magic University

Giveaway Alert

Enter to win a copy of Ant-Man and The Wasp on Blu-ray and digital code using the Gleam form below. Be sure to check out my other giveaways while you are here and GOOD LUCK!

Ant-Man and The Wasp Blu-Ray & Digital Code

Ant-Man Cupcakes Recipe

About Ant-Man and The Wasp

In “Ant-Man and The Wasp,” Scott Lang is grappling with the consequences of his choices, as both the Super Hero Ant-Man and a father, in the aftermath of “Captain America: Civil War.” As he struggles to rebalance his home life with his responsibilities as Ant-Man, he’s confronted by Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym with an urgent new mission to rescue Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm. Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp, all while attempting to serve house arrest, assist fast talking-Luis (Michael Peña) and the X-con Security crew, and thwart the efforts of a new adversary called Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen) and her ally Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne).

Pick up Ant-Man and The Wasp on Blu-ray & DVD October 16th!

Must Grab Toys for Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Celebration!

Tessa Smith
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1
Must Grab Toys for Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Celebration!

mickeys 90th anniversary toys

If you know anything about me you know I am a bit of a Disney fan. So when I heard about some amazing toys coming from Just Play Toys to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Anniversary (November 18, 2018), you know I was excited! They sent me some that now have a home in the office. My daughters tried to steal the adorable Steamboat Willie plush, but they haven’t succeeded yet. OK, every now and then I let them sleep with him in their bed, but he lives in my office. These are total must haves for any Mickey fan!

mickeys 90th anniversary steamnoat willie

Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Steamboat Willie Feature Plush

Celebrate 90 years of Mickey Mouse with the Disney Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Steamboat Willie Plush! Steamboat Willie Mickey is a classic to treasure, featuring super soft fabrics and exceptional character detail. Just like in the iconic Steamboat Willie short dating back to 1928, Mickey appears in black & white and is dressed in the signature Steamboat Willie outfit with matching Captain’s hat. He even holds a felt ship wheel in his hands and sways along to the Steamboat Willie song with a press of his hand! Steamboat Willie Mickey is the perfect gift for kids as well as collectors, who will especially love the distinctive packaging, which showcases Mickey in the iconic Steamboat Willie art style. Requires 3 x AA batteries (Included). Available at Target.

Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Collectible Deluxe Figure Set

Mickey’s 90th Anniversary Collectible Deluxe Figure Set

Bring home the ultimate Mickey Mouse collection in celebration of Mickey’s 90th Anniversary! The Mickey’s 90th Deluxe Figure Set comes with 10 highly detailed Mickey Mouse figures and features special 90th Anniversary packaging. Mickey comes dressed in some of the most iconic styles he’s worn through the ages including: Plane Crazy Mickey, Pie-Eye Mickey, Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, Steam Boat Willie Mickey, Mouseketeer Mickey, Comic Mickey, Clubhouse Mickey, New Shorts Mickey, and exclusive Golden Mickey. Each figure comes in a unique pose and stands 3” tall – the perfect size for both play and display!

Are you doing anything to celebrate Mickey’s 90th Anniversary?


New Comic Book Day Pull for October 10th, 2018

Tessa Smith
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0
New Comic Book Day Pull for October 10th, 2018

Another New Comic Book Day has arrived and this week there tons of comics I can’t wait to pick up and read through. This is my suggested new comic book pull list for October 10, 2018. We get a The Walking Dead anniversary edition, Catwoman, and the long awaited Spider-Geddon. I am pretty excited for these and look forward to curling up with them this week!

spider-geddon comic

Marvel

  • Amazing Spider-Man #7: This series has been one of my favorites in Spidey history! It kicked off with a bang, and keeps getting better and better.
  • Avengers #9: I am LOVING this reboot of Avengers.
  • Captain America #4
  • Exiles #9
  • Infinity Wars #4 (of 6): This crossover has me like WOAH! I am really digging the story line – and the art is AMAZING.
  • Ms. Marvel #35
  • Spider-Geddon #1 (of 5): I am really hoping this one will be great!
  • Venom #7
  • What If? Punisher #1: Who doesn’t love a good What If?
  • X-23 #5
  • X-Men Black Mojo #1: I am a villains girl so you know I am looking forward to this!

catwoman 4 comic

DC

  • Catwoman #4: Did you know I own every Catwoman ever printed? I kind of adore her. She is my next comic book tattoo actually. If I could only find the time.
  • Flash #56
  • Supergirl #23
  • Superman #4
  • Titans #27: Because of the new show coming out, I am really excited to pick this up!
  • Wonder Woman #56

kick-ass 8 comic

Other

  • My Little Pony Nightmare Knights #1
  • Tangled Hair-Raising Adventures #1 (of 3)
  • Transformers Unicron #5 (of 6)
  • Kick-Ass #8
  • Walking Dead #1 (Anniversary Edition)

Don’t miss my live New Comic Book Day chats over on YouTube to find out what books I am loving and not loving. This is something I do weekly, on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. EST and I look forward to having you join me!

How To Easily Stream Everything With Google Chromecast

Tessa Smith
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0
How To Easily Stream Everything With Google Chromecast

This article is sponsored by Best Buy. All opinions expressed are my own.

google chromecast

I don’t think I am alone in the thought that cable television is not long for this world. With so many options to stream, it just seems like the evolution of things. I’ve only just learnt about live streaming and how amazing it is to be honest! My friend who works in a corporate environment was telling me about a corporate video platform that she uses so she can do things like live stream events -how cool!! Technology is amazing these days, it blows my mind! We have apps for nearly every channel where you can watch your favorite shows, listen to your favorite music, and even catch just about any sports game. And thanks to Google Chromecast (available at Best Buy!), streaming just got even easier!

Stream From Phone to TV

One of the best things about Chromecast is you can streaming on your TV from all your family’s devices. Simply plug it into the HDMI port on your TV and stream your favorite entertainment right from your phone with just a tap. You can listen to your favorite music, catch up on your TV shows, even look at photos! And guess what? You can still use your phone as you normally would while streaming! Enjoy TV shows, movies, videos, songs, games, sports and more from over 2000 apps like Netflix, YouTube, YouTube TV, and HBO NOW. Find more at g.co/chromecast/¹

Stream with Your Voice

Just say what you want to watch from compatible apps and control your TV hands-free because Chromecast and Google Home working seamlessly together. What?! Is that not the COOLEST THING EVER! I am always on the go and buzzing about, even in my own home. Picking up after the kids, working on projects, and writing articles. So to not have to stop what I am doing to start my favorite show with a simple command? Yea, I am all about that!

google chromecast is perfect for streaming
Check out how thin Google Chromecast is! Easily hidden behind any TV!

Google Chromecast even has built in Wi-Fi so it can tie to your whole home in an instant. Let’s face in, we live in the time of amazing technology and Chromecast is here to make streaming everything and anything easier. Watch live TV, movies, even YouTube with the touch of a button (or just by saying “OK, Google, play Daredevil Season 3 from Netflix on my living room TV.” And for only $35? You can’t go wrong!

How to Make Your Own Kaos Skylanders Pumpkin

Tessa Smith
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6
How to Make Your Own Kaos Skylanders Pumpkin

kaos skylanders pumpkin

My seven year old daughter has been watching (and playing) Skylanders for a few years now. So when I said I was making a Fortnite Drift Pumpkin for a segment on The Geekly Show, she told me she wanted to make a Skylanders one. After a few minutes debating who to make, she settled on Kaos because, well, he is bald. That was her number one reason. So here is some DIY step by step on how to make your own Kaos Skylanders Pumpkin!

kaos skylanders pumpkin stencil

Kaos Skylanders Pumpkin

What do you need to create your own Kaos Skylanders pumpkin? Not that much at all. In fact, we had most of this hanging around our house anyways. We only needed to purchase the pumpkin. We went with real, but if this is something you want to keep, pick up a craft pumpkin (I wish we had!).

  • Pumpkin
  • White Paint
  • Black Paint
  • Dark Blue Paint
  • Light Blue Paint
  • Red Paint
  • Paint Brushes
  • Pencil

The first thing we did was paint our pumpkin white. Next, we drew the face on with a pencil. We used the below photo for reference. See why we chose him to turn our pumpkin in to? The round bald head definitely makes it an easy conversion to a pumpkin!

koas skylanders

Finally paint the face in using the paints – or go with a paint pen for the fine details. My seven year old daughter created this one all on her own (yea she got her daddy’s crafty genes). A tip from my good friend who does this stuff all the time (she has the BEST pumpkins – As The Bunny Hops) was to spray down the pumpkin with acrylic sealer if you plan to put it outside in the heat. So be sure to do that!

kaos skylanders pumpkin close up

Be sure to pin this post so you can find it later! I know this is something we will be making for the next few years to come. If you know me, than you know I love the villains, so I am totally cool with that!

DIY Kaos Skylanders Pumpkin

Celebrate Halloween in Style with Hotel Transylvania 3!

Tessa Smith
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10
Celebrate Halloween in Style with Hotel Transylvania 3!

All items in this kit are courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and Jazwares. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Hotel T 3 Crafts

My family went to go see Hotel Transylvania 3 in theaters, and I must say, my daughters really loved it! So much so that they asked to go back and watch it again the very next day (we didn’t). For at least a month they brought up jokes from the movie and would start laughing uncontrollably to themselves. Which is super adorable by the way. So when I was given the chance to celebrate the home release of this film from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment with a kit full of amazing items and crafts – you know I jumped at it!

Hotel T 3 Coffin Mavis

Inside Our Box

The fact that the box itself was a giant coffin (and my girls were a little timid to open it at first thinking a real vampire would be inside) was the icing on the cake! Everything you could possibly need for a Hotel Transylvania 3 movie night (make that day!) was inside. From pumpkin carving utensils, to a Mavis costume, to sing-a-long items, this kit had it all! Not to mention all the toys inspired by the movie from Jazwares, an award-winning toy company that created a whole new series of toys based on the Hotel Transylvania characters. Let’s just say I had two VERY happy little ghouls!

Mavis Halloween Costume Hotel T 3

Our Movie Day

My girls LOVE blind bags! So when they saw the HotelT3 blind bags (or blind trunks in this case), they were over the moon. They immediately asked me to film them opening them up for their YouTube Channel. So you know I did.

My 7 year old wants to be a singer when she grows up, so when she realized there were some lyric sheets in this box, well, I couldn’t get her to stop singing. I also helped transform them into vampires, and my oldest found her Halloween costume for this year – Mavis!

Hotel T 3 sing a long

About Hotel Transylvania 3

Join your favorite monster family as they embark on a vacation adventure on a luxury monster cruise ship so Drac can finally take a break from handling everyone else’s vacation at the hotel. It’s smooth sailing for Drac’s Pack as the monsters indulge in all of the shipboard fun the cruise has to offer, from monster volleyball to exotic excursions, and catching up on their moon tans. But they hit rocky waters when Mavis realizes that Drac has fallen for the mysterious captain of the ship, Ericka, who hides a dangerous secret that could sink their plans for a dream vacation.

This movie is a lot of fun for kids and adults alike. I think the lesson is pretty great too. As you know, I usually don’t give spoilers, so you will have to watch to the end, but things may not turn out how you think they will. My girl Amanda over at Guide 4 Moms and her family really enjoyed this movie too! Her kids are older than mine – so a must watch for families with kids 14 and under!

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3 available on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital October 9!

 

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