Bud Light Lime: Apple - Ahhh - Rita

I apologize for the lack of Holidaze updates.  My girlfriend and I are currently in the process of moving into our new apartment and it's gotten in the way of posting about drinks and candy.  Believe me, I told mover after mover how important this stuff was, but they just weren't hearing it.  But I'm back today and want to talk about something I've been drinking a lot of, this season.  For well over a month, since as early as August, I've been indulging in the fine flavors of Bud Light Lime! Their signature "Rita" collection has been a favorite of mine since they were first introduced and, during the Summer months, they're the perfect mix of alcohol and fruit flavor.  When I visited Las Vegas in July, nothing beat an ice cold Straw-Ber-Rita by the pool on a 110 degree day!  But, what about Fall?  What about the Season of the Witch?  Well, have no fear!  Bud Light Lime has us covered!

Entenmann's Pumpkin Pop 'Ems

I've always loved what companies like Entenmann's and Little Debbie do for the holiday seasons.  Whether it's an orange frosted cupcake or a bat-shaped brownie, Halloween cakes have always been a part of my tradition.  Looking back on my childhood, Hostess was actually the best to ever do it.  Do you remember those awesome "Scary Cakes" boxes?  Man, at one point, they even featured The Munsters!!  Today, they don't even release Scary Cakes at all.  That's a shame, but Entenmann's hasn't shut the door on Halloween.  No, they're still all-in and seem to change up their offerings every year!

It's no secret that I'm not the greatest fan of the Pumpkin flavor, but I do love me some Entenmann's Pop 'Ems.  If you're unfamiliar, they're basically Donut Holes similar to Dunkin' Donuts' Munchkins.  We've discussed them before and, especially this time of year, they're always a hit.  Ya can't beat sitting back on a cool night with a box of Pop 'Ems and a Horror movie.  That's what makes the season so special!  Now, how do Pumpkin Pop 'Ems stack up?  Well, opinions are definitely going to differ depending on your preference, but I'll attempt to go into this objectively.  After all, Pumpkin flavor has grown on me through the years and I can actually name a few products I don't hate.  Let's hope this is one of them.

Upon opening the box, there's that awesome scent of Pumpkin.  While I usually don't enjoy the taste, I absolutely love the smell.  It reminds me of my childhood, from Halloween to Thanksgiving, and brings back such happy memories.  There are many aromas associated with this time of year, but Pumpkin definitely ranks higher than most.  Even if I didn't enjoy the way these Pumpkin Pop 'Ems taste, my nose surely got its money's worth.  Scent is the strongest tie to memory and a couple bucks for a box worth of memories isn't a bad deal.

I can't deny it, these are delicious!  That being said, there's only a vague hint of Pumpkin recognized by my taste buds.  For the most part, these are Pumpkin / Cinnamon Donut Holes that taste more like Glazed Donuts than anything else.  For me, that's a hit, but it doesn't mean the Pumpkin flavor isn't present.  It definitely is, but in a way in which non-fans like me can appreciate the subtly.  It's like a beginner's book for those of us who haven't acquired the Pumpkin taste, but desperately want to sit at the cool-kids' table.  For those of you who love Pumpkin more than a white girl at Starbucks, then you're still in for a treat.  These may not be as strong as you'd expect, but they may deliver the balance you're looking for.  The flavor can go either way, but one way it can't go is wrong.  It has something for everybody and I think that was Entenmann's goal.

Remember, don't leave your Entenmann's Pop 'Ems unattended.  They're delicious and bound to get stolen by a ghoul or two.  I made that mistake for one second, and look your peered through the plastic.  These Pop 'Ems are available everywhere, so why do green goblins need to lay their eye(s) on mine?  Get your own!

Then again, who am I to argue with Ghostface?  There's plenty to go around, just take your Pop 'Em and I'll sit over here with my laptop pretending you're all real to the six people who will ever read this.  Ha, and real-life wonders what's so important that I need to get home.  Umm.. duh!

8 / 10

Bewitching Blend Tic-Tac

A busy day means a quick post, but that doesn't make today's any less special.  Throughout the Halloween season, there are so many products released that some get lost in the shuffle or don't make my radar.  Usually, the smaller the product, the less I notice it.  I guess that makes sense, but it's important to give all Halloween products their due diligence so that we continue to receive such a vast variety from so many different companies.  Sure, they may not all lead to 1,000 words, but not everything has to.  There's only so much I can say in today's review, but Halloween Tic-Tac's deserve to be featured!

These Bewitching Blend Tic-Tac's aren't new for 2014, but I never gave them the respect they deserve in the past.  Tic-Tac's aren't something I normally by.  This is the type of product you hope somebody else has when you're in need of a mint.  But when you see that a company has changed things up in celebration of your favorite season, ya gotta reward that with a few pennies.  What's so special about this?  The way it look!  Orange and Apple flavored Tic-Tac's aren't especially intriguing, but together they make Halloween art.  Combine that with a purple sticker, a pretty witch, and her Bewitching Blend logo and we officially have Halloween in our pockets!

This Witch is impressed.  I don't know if she enjoys the flavor or is green with envy after seeing a non-green, non-scarred, Bewitching Witch on the Tic-Tac sticker.  I feel for her, as do most women who look at the People Magazine covers, but she has nothing to worry about.  Personally, I prefer my Witches green and gross.  Frankenstein would probably wife this Witch up!  But maybe I'm totally off-base.  Maybe she is impressed with the flavor!  After all, they're not bad at all!  The Green Apple Tic-Tac's are delicious, but the Orange taste like medicine.  Believe it or not, I actually like that because there's nostalgia attached to it.  I guess I'm weird like that, but I enjoy Orange Tic-Tac's and certainly don't eat them for fresh breath.  If you're looking for something minty and refreshing, you gotta go the traditional route.  These are for your fruity taste buds and they're worth the few cents.  Just think of how cool you're going to be once you whip these out from your pocket and offer them to your friends.  Oh snap, look at you!

8 / 10

Pumpkin Spice Oreo Cookies

It may be the most highly anticipated cookie of all-time.  CNN calls it breaking News.  The President has called it a National Treasure and, from what I hear, thousands of white girls are lining up around the corner to get their hands on new Pumpkin Spice Oreo cookies. Okay, none of that true, but it wouldn't surprise me.  Have you seen the attention these are receiving?  They're all over the media.  Major news outlets have them covered and foodie blogs have been counting down the days to their release.  It's an odd happening for junk food and I haven't seen anything like it since Nabisco first released their Candy Corn Oreos. As a fan of these gimmicks and the variety of Oreo flavors, this is surely a treat!

Caramel Apple Blow Pop Lollipops

As usual this time of year, work and real-life tends to get in the way of posting on The Holidaze.  I don't know when people will begin to realize how important it is to write about toys and candy, but we're not going to let that ruin our fun.  Continuing with this season's unofficial Caramel Apple theme, I'm back today to talk to you about the newest Blow Pop lollipop flavor.  I think I was as surprised as anybody to see Tootsie break away from their traditional flavors to join in on the Halloween celebration, but it's certainly welcomed!  As a kid, Blow Pops were amazing!  Because they were more readily available on an individual basis, I had no problem dishing out a few cents to enjoy a Sour Apple lollipop.  Let's face it, that's the top taste and most popular flavor of the classics.  Watermelon is a close second, but it's still no contest.  That's why this bag stood out to me so much!

Reese's Orange Peanut Butter Pumpkins

Their may be no more traditional Halloween treat than the Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkin!  For as long as I can remember, the Peanut Butter Cup spin-off has been a part of my Halloween experience.  I remember getting tons of them as I Trick-or-Treated with my cousins down the shore.  The pumpkin shape was always simple, much like the Peanut Butter Cup, but the wrapper truly set it apart from what we're used to.  Whether it was that spooky purple background, fall leaves, or a more classic orange design, the art is just as nostalgic as the candy, itself.  Just looking at retro images on Google is enough to get my head spinning in a Halloween 'daze!  But, this year, there's something new!  Or, is it?

Caramel Apple Laffy Taffy

When I told you that this season belonged to the Caramel Apple flavor, I wasn't kidding!  As I write this, I have at least 4 new Caramel Apple products in my kitchen and we're only half-way through September.  Although Pumpkin Spice may be the unofficial flavor of Fall, there's no denying Caramel Apple is making a strong run at the title.  No matter what aisle you turn down, you're bound to find companies cashing in on Caramel Apple's popularity!

Holidaze Contest : You Can Win NECA Mego 8-Bit Jason!

It's Saturday.... The... 13th!!  Um, that doesn't work..

Ah well..

As I mentioned in The 2013 Holidaze Halloween Countdown Intro, I'll be holding my first contest this Halloween season.  Well, if you're following me on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, they you already know that this contest has already begun!!  That's right, up for grabs is an NECA Mego NES 8-Bit Jason figure!!  If you're unfamiliar with 8-Bit Jason Voorhees, here's a bit of a refresher.  Remember when Friday the 13th was released on Nintendo?  Remember that weird color combination creators used for Jason's likeness?  It was a contrast between turquoise and purple, everything that Jason wasn't in the feature films, and wasn't much to talk about... until last year.  When NECA released a SDCC exclusive Jason figure, featured in his NES colors, the geeky world went wild.  Why was this now so popular?  I honestly couldn't tell you.  There's just something about nostalgia that sparks interest and reignites our childhood into a frenzy.  All of a sudden, Jason Voorhees in blue and purple was a hot commodity and sales went through the roof.  Unfortunately, I never did track down the original SDCC exclusive, but NECA recently released a different, even-better, NES 8-Bit Jason in Mego form.  He's bigger, cooler, and could totally be yours!  How do you win NES Jason?  It's easy!

Spookylicious Pop-Tarts are Back!

Finally, Target has begun rolling out their Halloween aisles and the spooky season is well underway in retail.  While searching the aisles for new and unique products, I was happy to find an old friend return in 2014.  After last year's unexplained absence, Kellogg's has brought back their Spookylicious Halloween Pop-Tarts!  In a time where we're always looking for the latest and greatest, it's nice to see traditional treats given the respect the deserve!

Caramel Apple Oreo Cookies

These have been out for a few weeks now, but after today's announcement that Nabisco will be releasing Pumpkin Spice Oreo Cookies on September 24th, it was only right that I finally bring these Caramel Apple Oreo Cookies to The Holidaze!!

Halloween Kit-Kat

I love Halloween gimmicks.  When it comes to Halloween candy, it wouldn't feel like the season without pumpkin shaped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or bat shaped Peppermint Patties.  Those little things, the attention to detail, and going the extra mile to celebrate the season are what makes Halloween so special.  Although I've covered most of these individually wrapped candies in the past, I continue to buy them every year for my own enjoyment.  Because they're usually the first Halloween products released, sometimes as early as August, they've become tradition.  They're a sign that Halloween is soon to make it's arrival and a reminder to make a dentist appointment sometime in November.

Jolly Rancher Caramel Apple Crunch -n- Chew Candy

Before I begin tonight's review, let me preface it by telling you that this season, without a doubt, belongs to the Caramel Apple flavor.  In recent years, Pumpkin Spice ran the show and it seemed as if the whole world had become obsessed with everything orange and brown.  Pumpkin coffee, ice cream, donuts, cake, candy - you name it, they made it!  And it's not that Pumpkin Spice has gotten any less popular, it's just that Caramel Apple is climbing the ranks and finally getting just as much, if not more, notoriety for it's amazing taste.  When you look through the Halloween aisles, you'll see it everywhere.  As we progress on The Holidaze Halloween Countdown, you'll see it even more.  For a guy like me, who isn't really a fan of Pumpkin Spice, this is far from bad news.  I love the Caramel Apple flavor and enjoy seeing so many companies roll out their varieties.  The more we have, the more we all win in the end.  So this isn't a warning, but just a simple notice to be prepared - there's going to be a lot of Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Spice, and Candy Corn.

Tis The Season!

The 2014 Holidaze Halloween Countdown!

9 . 7 . 14

It's Almost Time..