D.I.Y Robot Chocolate Box + Valentine's Gift Basket Idea #HSYMessageOfLove

The following D.I.Y Robot Chocolate Box and Valentine's Day Basket content has been sponsored by the Hershey Company. All photos contained below are copyright Momma Told Me Blog 2016.

Momma Told Me: I love you.

As we grow up the holidays seem to become less and less glamorous. When we're young every holiday is a chance to be showered with gifts, consume delicious treats, and take a day (or entire break) to recreate and relax. When I became an adult so much of the holiday magic had gone away. I was now expected to buy my own gifts, plan my own parties, and spend my own money. I thought for sure I would never look towards a holiday with quite the same anticipation and excitement again. Then children came into my life and I grew up.

Spoiling nieces and nephews, and the littles at the daycare, is not the only thing about holidays which brings me renewed joy- but it's certainly one of them. It is amazing how children can give you a fresh perspective; how a child turns the attention and needs away from yourself to them- and you don't mind one bit. In fact, you actually kind of like it.

Watching my family grow, becoming an Aunt- growing my circle of friends who I call and consider my family as well, has been the final stage in embracing holidays as an adult. Sure, Valentine's Day, and even Mother's Day are 'corporate' holidays fueled by the sale of gifts and sweets- but it IS fun to have an excuse to celebrate those you love. And what is more important about a holiday like Valentine's Day than the people you celebrate it with? February 14th is much more than an excuse to grab a date night with the hubby, or a chance for star-crossed lovers to get engaged, it's a day to spread a little love to everyone who brightens your life- Especially kids.

This year I'll be making little baskets for all of the daycare kids (look for that coming in the next few weeks,) but today I wanted to share something special I made with my 13 year old niece, Sabrina, in mind. Gifting to tweens and teens can seem impossible. 13 is a tough age between wanting to be doted on and treated like a superstar, to complete rebellion and looking down on 'kid' things. We're lucky Sabrina still falls on the 'cool' side of 13- and that is extra fun for me! She's an energetic, self professed nerd, who loves kitschy things that express her own style. So I set out to make her a one of a kind Robot Chocolate Box and Nerd Love Gift Basket.

The first thing I did was gather some leftover crafting (plastic) test tubes, my favorite robot silicone candy mold, and a daily pill organizer from the dollar store. My test tubes were filled with delicious Hershey's candies like Good N' Plenty. I filled my robot candy mold with melted Hershey's Milk Chocolate pips (that's the official name for a square of chocolate!) And then I converted my colorful pill organizer to a cute periodic table inspired candy case that could even double as a fun (and delicious) study aid.

There were no shortage of delicious Hershey's Valentine's edition treats to fill my special Nerd Love basket with- I stuffed the bottom with Hershey's Milk Chocolate Hearts Filled with Caramel, Hershey's Kisses Hugs, Hershey's Assorted Miniatures and more. As sweet as kids are, I wanted to make sure I didn't fill my basket with nothing but sugar, so I added in some other nerdy delights such as Hexbug miniature robots, smelly markers, a Wind Up Robot craft kit, flavored lip balms and more. Then I moved on to the star of my gift basket- my Robot Chocolate Box.

What's the best part about Valentine's Day sweets? The excitement of opening up a heart shaped chocolate box and exploring the assortment of treats inside! I wanted to bring the fun and excitement of a traditional box of chocolates to my Nerd Love theme in a fun layered container full of surprised and treats- so I re-purposed a few plastic organization containers with a lot of BLING. At the beginning of the new year organization products are on sale everywhere, especially the local craft store, where I bought my robot body (a bead organizer cube,) head (a desk supply organizer,) and feet for just under $7 total. While I was there I also spent about $12 on some glitter scrap booking sheets and sticker rhinestone sheets. Googly eyes, pipe cleaners, felt, and crafting glue I already had on hand at home.

There's really no wrong way to make a Robot Chocolate Box- the more compartments to hide sweets and surprises in, the better- and the 'blinging' process was wonderfully therapeutic! For those who don't have the patience to hand set rhinestones, you can buy sheets of these sparklies very cheap in the scrap booking aisle, and there are even cloth like 'sparkle' crafting sheets you can wrap your containers with to add maximum sparkle with minimum effort.

Once I'd decorated my robot, complete with a 1.45oz Solid Milk Chocolate Hershey's Kiss atop his head, it was time to fill him with magical things! His head, being the largest compartment/container, was filled with pink, purple, and blue Hershey's Kisses Conversation Candies- special Hershey's Kisses with fun messages printed on the bottom. His body was 3 layers of 6 compartments each, and I filled those with wind up toys and delicious Valentine's Hershey's candies such as Kit Kat candies, York Peppermint Patties, Reese's Hearts, Jolly Ranchers and more. I even filled his little feet with special Jolly Ranchers FaveReds flavors!

I am in love with how my Valentine's Gift Basket and Robot Chocolate Box turned out and can't wait for them to pop up Valentine's Day morning- I know my robot creation will be a welcome guest on our breakfast nook for the coming months as his many treats are enjoyed in moderation. The basket- I'm sure it will disappear to Sabrina's room and never be seen again! I still have several Valentine's Day idea to share with you, so be sure to stay tuned for more fun and simple DIY projects and recipes to celebrate with your friends, family, and kiddos. For more information, including recipes, visit CelebrateWithHersheys.com. Now, tell me, who do you treat on Valentine's Day?

What Daughter Says: Share Valentine's Day with your kids and help spread the love this February 14th.

#SayMore With Hershey's Kisses Deluxe + D.I.Y. Checkers Board Tray

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

Momma Told Me: That's nice to hear.

Growing up my father was always there, even when he was not, which was quite often in the scheme of my childhood years. Pop worked Monday- Friday, as a traveling technician servicing his company's equipment everywhere from our home town to 100's of miles away. He was almost always 'on the road' before I'd even risen for school, and he'd often return home just in time to tuck me into bed. Because all we really had were the weekends, we made our moments count during the week.

My father was notorious for finding reason to 'extend' my bedtime just a little longer. He'd make ridiculous bets, call me downstairs for a 'forgotten' dessert, and offer just one round of our favorite game, Checkers. For my 6th birthday my grandparents sent fun twist on the classic game, Chockers, and a bag of Hershey's Kisses. The game was identical to the classic one, with the exception that the pieces were actually plastic Hershey's KISSES and the 'Kings' were delicious chocolates the winner actually got to eat. Momma was never too keen on that version- especially since my father so often let me win so he could share his favorite chocolates.

Delicious Hershey's KISSES have been a symbol of love in our family ever since those childhood memories first blossomed. Every holiday we'd send a bag of KISSES out to my grandmother, and every holiday she'd send some right back. And, let's not forget, they're KISSES- sharing a Hershey's KISSES is just like sharing a melty chocolate hug. And, I don't know about your family, but ours holds chocolate in high regard when it comes to expressions of love through gifting! So, when I discovered new Hershey's KISSES Deluxe chocolates, the delicious new Hershey's KISSES with twice the chocolate and a premium Hazelnut center, I immediately wanted to share them with my father.

In fact, Hershey's KISSES has an exciting campaign currently going on right now to encourage their fans to #SayMore this holiday season with more meaningful conversations and deliberate interactions. The Say More campaign is precisely the type of message we here, on Momma Told Me, like to preach with our retrospective stories. Every year I gift my father something handmade, and this year's gift is inspired by those Hershey KISSES memories, and bed times stretched by chocolate Kings and crinkled wrappers. This year I'll be gifting my father a home made Checkers board and a box of Hershey's KISSES Deluxe.

Making this project was a time for me to not only reflect on warm, fuzzy, memories, but to inspire a dialogue with my father about how much those memories truly meant to me, within the scope of my childhood and even still to this day. I began by finding a square serving tray I could easily re=purpose for a board game. Since I already had 1.5" round wood discs from the craft store, I knew I needed a board at least 12" x 12," so I picked up a 14" square bamboo serving tray that was affordable, and lightweight enough to be carried from room to room, or stashed under the coffee table when not in play.

Your color scheme will vary, depending on your tastes and the finish of your chosen tray- I decided to go with a classic red and black grid. Using odor-free rub on wood stain I applied 2 coats of red to one side of 32 discs (the board base), and both sides of 18 discs (my playing pieces,) then repeated the process with the remaining discs for the black. Once dry I measured an even distance from the walls of my tray and cut cardboard spacers to lay inside as a guide for a centered grid. Using wood glue I daubed a spot of glue for each marker until all 64 spots were placed. I then placed a heady box atop the grid for several hours while the glue set.

To allow for the 'Kinging' of pieces I used a gold paint marker to draw crowns on one side of 4 pieces, for each color- though, players can also double collected pieces to signify a 'King' as is traditional. My preference? Gift your Checkers board with a 35 count box of Hershey's KISSES Deluxe for use as the 'Kings.' In any case, I sealed all of my pieces, and the board, with 2 coats of clear acrylic paint spray- in a well ventilated outdoor area wearing proper face protection.

This was a very affordable and simple product with a wonderfully clean finish and final look. The tray has handles so it can be taken from room to room, or even outdoors, without the game being disturbed, and all pieces can be contained inside so pieces are never lost. In an age where family members poke one another and send emojis from the next room over, couldn't we all use a little more time to reconnect over a classic board game like this? When was the last time you spent some time getting to know your house guests over a little good matured competition and delicious chocolates?

New Hershey's KISSES Deluxe are all about taking a moment to savor life with the friends and family that mean so very much. Share the rich chocolate flavor, and delicious hazelnut center, with someone this season and see what conversation you can strike. We're all so busy running to and fro this time of the year, why not relax and reconnect? Need a little more inspiration? Check out this heartwarming video of how one family was encouraged to Say More to their mother. Follow Hershey's on Facebook for more #SayMore inspiration. Do you know someone in your life you'd like to take some time to reconnect with? Who might enjoy a chance to say more over delicious Hershey's KISSES Deluxe?


What Daughter Says: No matter how much those around you know how you feel about them, take the time to share and #SayMore this holiday season.

I-C is hosting a contest for the new Hershey KISSES Deluxe where our readers can enter to win one of 50 Hershey’s KISSES Deluxe 75 – piece gift box valued at $35! *I-C will randomly select fifty winners from all program entries and will handle fulfillment of the winning prizes.

Adorable D.I.Y. Pet Costume Tutorial + All The Hershey's Candy You'll Need For A Ghoulish Halloween!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #TrickOrSweet #CollectiveBias

Momma Told Me: You can't take the whole bowl!

I wasn't one of those lazy kids.

I spend the first half of my younger years in a condominium complex- The Trick-Or-Treating was compact and over quick. The majority of the residents were retired, or younger college students; most lights were off on Halloween, and Momma rarely let me go up the stairs to a second floor unit. It wasn't until we moved into our family's first house that I truly got a taste for what the holiday was all about. Not only were there houses and yards filled to rafters with haunted house themed decor, but people from all across our city drove their children in to go door to door in our housing complex.That first year I covered 8 blocks, on crutches, I was so excited by the prospect of 'real' Trick-Or-Treating!

Of course not all areas of the country, or communities, participate in the old-fashioned door-to-door festivities. Whether you're Trunk-Or-Treating, throwing the party of the year, or simply celebrating desk-to-desk around the office, nobody wants to be caught out of candy. Remember those van-fulls of sugar crazed kids in costume I mentioned above- yea, they had my poor father lights out and behind the door by 6:30 PM that first year. The toddlers and pre-Trick-Or-Treaters had cleaned him and that tiny bowl of candy sheer out before the action even began! As a result, even over a decade later, my father knows to buy his Halloween candy in large variety bags like the selection available from Hershey's at Walmart.

I won't lie- I still go back to my parent's house every Halloween. Jay and I live in the sort of neighborhood that drives their kids to my father's neighborhood- so the Hallow's Eve 'action' here is pretty dismal. Instead, we dress up the fur kids, bring along a few large variety bags of Hershey's candy from Walmart, and help my dad fend off the hordes of decorated zombies kids. This year, I even decided to make Truffles, the cat, and Nora, the Morkie, their own personalized costumes; bean bag animal hang tags. It's so simple, anyone can do it; so make sure to grab a variety bag of Hershey's candy (someone has to taste test at least 1 of each type before you pass them out, right?) and the following materials from Walmart;

1 Red Poster Board Shet

1 White Poster Board Sheet

1 White Paint Marker

1 Gold Paint Marker

1 Black .3-.5 Calligraphy Pen

1 Red Pet Collar

1 Medium Sponge Brush Applicator

1 Bottle White Glue

Scissors

Hole Punch

Pencil

Ready?

Now, you COULD print an enlarged bean bag animal hang tag off the internet, cut it out, and slap it on your pet, and call the job done. This may or may not work depending on the size of your pet- for me, I truly wanted that handmade look, and the keepsake of personalized hang tags for each of our pets.

1. Begin by printing a basic heart outline, or free-handing one if you're just THAT awesome. Keep in mind the sizing in proportion to your pet. Larger pet's will allow a more natural scale while smaller pets might have to go a little bigger to get all the details in. Cut out the stencil and cut the edge off the left side of the heart to create the 'folded' edge.

2. Trace the stencil with a pencil, onto the white poster board, making sure to leave ample room for the mirrored half to the left of the stencil. Fold the poster board along the flat edge of the heart and cut through both layers, following along the stencil lines.

3. Place the red poster board inside the folded white heart and trace the outline of the heart in pencil. Cut the red heart along the stencil lines.

4. Place some white glue in a disposable cup (or on a paper plate) and lightly daub the glue, with the sponge brush, on the front face of your white folded heart. Place the red heart cutout on top, smooth evenly, and place something flat and heavy atop for 10 minutes while it dries. Make sure weight is evenly applied to avoid rippling or bubbling.

At this point you may want to go try your own Halloween costume on, practice your superhero lines, or simply create an excuse to try another flavor of Jolly Rancher lollipop (I suggest Pink Lemonade, it's the Bomb.com.) You've got 10 minutes to spare, might as well put them to use! I also took the time to 'integrate' all of the different types of varieties, since we had so many different candy options in each of our Hershey's large variety bags. One of my favorite things, as a trick-or-treater, was always getting to pick from a big selection of candy, and we NEVER disappoint on that level!

5. Once your tag has dried you'll want to take your gold paint pen and outline the outer, front, edges of your heart. Be sure to do this over a paper plate, drop cloth, or newspaper so you don't draw a gold outline on your work sruface! Paint pens usually dry pretty quick, but you might want to place a sheet of computer paper over and surfaces you hand may rub on when doing the next steps, just in case.

6. Take the white paint pent and draw a 'Ty' logo on the (red) front of your heart tag. Then go ahead and take your calligraphy pen and draw a bar code, care instructions, and any other little details you'd like to ad. Feel free to copy them off a bean bag tag from a character that resembles your pet! Be careful, this ink will want to smear before it fully dries, so watch where you put your hands! Next, go ahead and put your pet's name on the (right hand) inside tag face, along with a 4 line, rhyming poem. Here's what I put for Nora:

Hair here, there, everywhere

It's hard to believe there's a dog in there.

Always smiling, she never frowns

It's great to have this dog around!

7. All that's left is to use your hole punch to put a hole in the upper left corner of the folded hear tag, than attach it to the hoop on your pet's collar with a key ring. Or- you could go fancy pants like me and fashion a makeshift 'T-tag' out of crafting wire covered in hot glue....your choice.

I especially like the D.I.Y. bean bag toy pet costume because it can be made to fit ANY size pet, and is worn with minimal disruption to the animal. It's great for animals to don't particularly like to get 'dressed up,' as most pets normally wear a collar everyday anyway, and you can choose the size tag that will suit your pet best. These also can be worn for special events, or even every day in October to turn heads while on walks, or just to add a little extra adorable to those Instagram pet shots!

Truffles is the ham of the family, but she really doesn't like being told she has to take a photo- she much prefers to just strike a pose and wait for me to grab the camera. She didn't mind her 'costume' much but she wasn't keen to hanging out on the bed for me to take these shots- apparently it was play time and I was interrupting. You'll have to catch all the fun outtakes on our social feeds over the next week. There is one with a TIE Fighter that is absolutely adorable!

While I do own Truffles' bean bag counterpart, Boots the Cat, I couldn't find it in time for this post- but I did find Nora's bean bag doppelganger, Duster the dog! While we do brush and groom the dog for her photo shoots she really does look more like a dust bunny when she has her druthers! Duster's even hanging around in Nora's bed cabinet for the remainder of the month- there's just something a bit spooky playful about about having a silent stuffed dog on hand! Plus, Duster will guard all of the delicious Hershey's candy until we can pass it out at league and on Halloween night!

No matter who is celebrating this Halloween, the fur kids- the actual little ghouls and goblins, or just you and your significant zombie other don't get caught without candy. Nothing wrecks the party quicker than a vegetarian zombie without tofu brains like an empty candy bucket and a door bell! Stock up on all of your favorite Hershey's treats with large variety bags of Hershey's candy from Walmart. And be sure to grab all of your other Halloween D.I.Y. supplies and decorations while you're there- we can never get out without a trip down the seasonal aisle! P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for some fun Orange Reese's treats in the candy aisle, just for Halloween!  Now, tell me, what are your plans this Halloween? Do you have any particular memories of running our of candy at a bad time?

What Daughter Says: Be the 'cool' house on the block, stock up on all of your favorite Hershey's candy in bulk with large variety Hershey's bags from Walmart!