Sweets & Spiders Party

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I remember when Halloween used to be the most polarizing holiday. People either really loved it or really, really hated it. Over the years, Halloween has transformed from a holiday that is all about being scared to being more about the chance to be creative and get together for a good time with friends. Even my church gets into the act, setting up speakers and tables outside on Halloween to play music and give out hotdogs and candy to our neighbors. Things have really changed for the positive, and I’m so glad about it!

One of the fun ways that I’ve heard of people showcasing the fun side of Halloween is by BOO’ing other folks. I hadn’t heard of this until a couple of years ago, but some of my friends said they used to BOO when they were younger. Instead of waiting for someone to know on your door while trick or treating, you create a BOO kit and leave at their door as a surprise. What you put in the kit is up to you, but I know you can never go wrong with candy!

Since Ayva is getting older, and so many of the other parents in our social circle are super creative, I’m joining in on the Halloween fun this year. I’m BOO’ing folks, sending buckets of sweets and candy with Terrence to work, and adding a little spookiness to our home decor! Instead of being afraid of spiders, I’m going to celebrate them. As long as they’re fake. Ha!

To get in the Halloween spirit, I created a Sweets & Spiders Halloween Party plan to surprise Ayva. The star of the party is the Candy Cheese Ball made with 3 MUSKETEERS®. It’s super easy to make, and so delicious to eat! Before you dive into the recipe, take a second to enter this sweet (get it?) giveaway!

#booitforwardsweepstakes

Okay, so to make the Candy Cheese Ball, here’s what you need:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 30 unwrapped mini 3 MUSKETEERS®

What To Do

• Combine all of the ingredients except for the candy. Mix everything with a hand mixer until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• After an hour, turn bowl over so that cream cheese mixture is on the plastic wrap. Remove the bowl and wrap the plastic around the cream cheese and form it into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.
• In the morning, unwrap the cream cheese ball and cover with 3 MUSKETEERS® candy. Serve with pretzels.

After the Candy Cheese Ball is complete, it’s time to set up the rest of the party. I was able to get all of the candy from Walmart and fun drinks like a 6 pack of 7UP® in a funny Halloween can! I also picked up the Monster Stash (SKITTLES®, STARBURST®, and LIFESAVERS®) which has 315 pieces of candy, and  the Mixed Minis that includes SNICKERS®, TWIX®, MILKY WAY®, and 3 MUSKETEERS®.

Make A BOO Bag

For the BOO bag, I used a printable to let our neighbors know why there’s a bag of candy on their doorstep, and added a few other fun things like pencils and fake spiders. Ayva and I both love surprises, so I’m hoping someone decides to BOO us, too!

Want to do some BOO’ing of your own? Check out the BOO hub for ideas, the BOO kit printable, and a coupon to save $2.00 on on ONE (1) 6pk 8oz Cans or TWO (2) 2L and 2 bags of Mars® Candy!