Holiday Candy

I’m not going to beat around the candy bar bush – I love chocolate. This may not be the most profound thing about me, or the most surprising; after all, I work at a candy company, and most people love chocolate, so chances are pretty good that I’m a fan! But profound, surprising or otherwise, it’s definitely a way I identify myself – as a chocolate lover. Of course I have my favorites, including plain Hershey Bars and oh-so-satisfying Snickers Bars. Those are candy bars I can enjoy all year, and I am happy for that, believe me I am! But there is something special about those candies that only stop by for what seems like a Sunday afternoon before they’re off the shelves and barely past the tip of your tongue. Of all these seasonal sweets, of which there are many that I love, I can’t think of any so fabulous as you, Mini Cadbury Eggs.

I love everything about you, Mini Cadbury Eggs. Ev-er-y-thing. I love your glossy purple bag. I love your adorably speckled candy shell.  I love the way that candy shell perfectly cracks, letting your milk chocolate middle shine! But before the crack of the shell, I love to just enjoy that subtle sweetness of your shell – not a flavor really, just a sweetness. I love finding one of you tucked into the corner of the bag when I thought I’d eaten you all. I love always eating a blue you first. Even though you all taste the same, the blue reminds me of robin’s eggs, and I also love robins! (I don’t eat them though. Pinkie swear!)

I just wanted to write you this note, Mini Cadbury Eggs, to let you know the world isn’t absent-mindedly buying you. You are not an impulse purchase. You are not a take-it-or-leave-it candy. You are special, delicious and treasured. You spring onto the scene like Spring herself, bringing memories of so many Easters before in your arrival. For me and many others, you are *the* Easter candy. You have some excellent company for sure – there’s no denying the delight of jelly beans, Reese’s peanut butter eggs, Marshmallow Peeps and much more! But despite how much I love all those candies, you’re this lady’s favorite. Despite how much I love them all, I love you more. ♥

Don’t worry, we aren’t about to suggest you forego that most favorite of all baskets ever!  (Sorry, clothes baskets, you never really stood a chance.) We just have a new idea for the Easter basket that will turn Easter morning into a marathon of sorts. While it is common for the Easter Bunny to hide Easter baskets before he hops along down the bunny trail, he usually hides them with all the jelly beans and Cadbury Crème Eggs artfully arranged inside, making for a presentation you just hate to destroy but have to! Just imagine how amazing it would feel to be able to dig into every delicious bite without destroying the Easter Bunny’s hard work. Our idea makes that possible.

Instead of holding Easter candy, your Easter baskets will hold folded slips of paper – candy clues. Much like a grand finale Easter egg hunt, your kiddos will have to find every sweet piece one by one. Except perhaps the jelly beans, as they’ll need some sugary fuel to start their hunt. Plus, hiding jelly beans one by one would take weeks! Think of all the clever hiding places that exist in your home – the places a basket won’t quite fit, but a single piece of candy will. The top drawer of the computer desk, inside a coffee mug, peeking out of your purse, the options are endless! Then grab a bag of Easter basket straw, and in each of these hiding places make a small nest with a piece of Easter candy perched on top. Make note of everywhere that something has been hidden, taking care not to hide anything where a pet might be able to find it. Then get ready to write your clues!

Your clues and hiding places can be straightforward and located just about anywhere, or you can have a little fun with clever placement, word play and special memories. For example, where better to hide the Zitner’s Butter Krak Eggs than in the butter keeper in the fridge? And right next to the Butter Krak eggs, all in a row, a dozen delectable Cadbury Crème Eggs in the egg keeper! Have an older child who always made sure that his rubber ducky was around for bath time when he was young? Our Vanilla Ducky is a perfect treat! And a great hiding spot would be sitting right on top of a towel in the linen closet. Peanut butter fan who would go to the ends of the Earth for just one bite? They’ll surely appreciate finding Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs on top of the world – you know, the globe in the den! Coming up with creative locations and clues might not be as fun as actually eating the candy, but we think it comes in at a pretty close second. What unique location or clues might you offer for helping your family find their Easter baskets’ fill of candy? Please share in the comments!

While I must admit that “Yum!” was the first thought that came to mind when the first box of Valentines Peeps rolled into Blair, the second thought was more along the lines of a chin-scratching “Hmm?” I had an idea for these heart-shaped marshmallow munchies, and I’m excited to share it with you!

As if traditional sugar-coated Peeps weren’t delicious enough, the Valentines Peeps lineup features raspberry flavored marshmallow hearts coated in your choice of milk or dark chocolate. Decadent? You bet! Do I feel guilty eating more than one? Nope! These heart-shaped Peeps come but once a year, and I’m not wasting a single second counting how many I’ve managed to unwrap and make disappear!

But I am not content to simply eat these sweet Peeps. Oh no, I had to find a way to drink them as well. Well…to be fair…not quite drink them whole. But add them to 2 drinks I already love to make them even tastier. And those drinks just happen to be coffee and hot cocoa.

I started my Peep experiment with an oversized mug and a piping hot pot of coffee. I plunked a Valentines Peep into the bottom of the empty mug and slowly poured coffee on top, taking care not to splash. As my Peep rose to the top its chocolate coating was already melting, flavoring my coffee and sending sweet smells into the air. The slow melting of the raspberry marshmallow inside followed, lending a slight fruitiness to my drink that I quite enjoyed. When the coffee was gone, there was still some Peep left, which I promptly scooped out with a spoon and enjoyed as a finale!

The rules for the cocoa were much the same, though the cocoa and Peep treat is kid-friendly as well. Just make sure not to prepare it for very young children as the softened Peep may be a choking hazard. I can’t say that even for me it was an easy task to save it for last, so I can only imagine the determination necessary for a child!

If you decide to try taking your coffee or cocoa with a side of Peeps, we’d love to know what you think! In the meantime, we’ll be plopping, pouring, sipping and smiling.

Valentine’s Day is often thought of as a holiday for 2 distinct groups of people: kids and couples. For kids, it usually means creating Valentines to share with classmates and friends, or choosing their favorite pre-made Valentines at the store, which are usually available in a wide variety of styles ranging from timeless to trendy. For couples, Valentine’s Day is typically accompanied by candy, flowers, and an evening out at a special restaurant. For as nice as these things are, they aren’t something everyone can enjoy. Firstly, most of the people reading this are not kids. Secondly, not everyone reading this is part of a couple, and even those that are may have other people in their lives they’d like to extend a little Valentine’s Day love to!

We aren’t suggesting anything scandalous – Blair Candy isn’t looking to be a home wrecker! We just wanted to give you some candy suggestions that are perfect for co-workers, friends and family members; sweet treats that are sure to bring a smile like only candy can.

Cool Candy for Kids: Looking for something unique for your children, nieces, or nephews? Kids are usually huge fans of novelty candy. If it’s something they’ve never seen before, they want it twice as badly! If it lights up, sprays, or squeezes, add a few bonus points. Some super fun Valentine’s candy picks for kids include Giant Gummy Bears, Icee Squeeze Candy and Skittles Sour Light Up Spray. Want to give them novelty candy that brings a Valentine’s theme? A box of Puppy Love Candy is perfect for Valentine’s Day and has enough sweets for 18 of their favorite friends!

Retro Candy for Adults: Want to give something special to friends and coworkers who have a few more candles on their birthday cake each year than they care to admit to? Our nostalgic candy makes for a tempting treat that’s packed with memories. If you want to keep with the popular pink and red theme of Valentine’s candy, consider sharing Candy Lipstick, Atomic Fireballs, or even some cherry or strawberry Air Heads Taffy. Just because the package isn’t covered in hearts and cupids doesn’t mean the candy inside is any less delicious or perfect for Valentine’s Day!

It is a common tradition in homes with young boys and girls for a friend or family member to be in charge of getting the kids as excited for Christmas as possible – and off to bed in a swift fashion – by donning a Santa suit on Christmas Eve and asking them one last time what they are hoping to find tucked under the tree just a few hours later on that most magical of mornings. While this early Santa sighting is always a thrill for the children, it can sometimes take some coaxing to get Santa himself in the same spirit. I personally don’t see the problem with wearing a hot polyester suit and scratchy fake beard in a warm house, but that’s just me! If you have a reluctant Santa on your hands, we have a fun and festive way for you to entice him into the pillow-stuffed suit. Ice cream. The stuff I scream for, and you scream for, and we all scream for…that stuff! And not only will it be a welcomed treat for Santa himself , but it comes with a built-in activity for the kiddos. Blair Candy presents…Santa’s Sundae Bar!

All you’ll need to put together Santa’s Sundae Bar is a few flavors of ice cream and an assortment of toppings. While the get to work on Santa-worthy sundae masterpieces, you and the other adults can finally grab a few minutes of conversation without someone saying, “Mommy. Mom. Ma. Mommmmm. Mom…Mom…Mom!”, or a similar version with Dad-name substitutes. J

Choose a location for the Sundae creation, and set out all the ingredient options. In addition to ice cream, some tasty toppings include Goobers, Almond Joy Pieces, Reese’s Pieces, Gummy Worms, Gummy Bears, M&Ms, marshmallows and crushed cookie pieces, such as Oreos or Nutter Butters. Some of these sweets you likely already have in your cupboard, among other unique additions that might be hiding in there! Each type of cookie, candy or other confection can be placed in its own bowl with a spoon for scooping. Not only will the kids get to choose what goes into the special sundae they create just for Santa, but they get to play a fun mix of Top Chef/Cold Stone in the process. Give each child a bowl and a scoop of their choice of ice cream, and encourage the ice cream-y creativity to begin!

Once all the sundaes are Santa-ready, it’s time for the big guy himself to make an appearance, sampling each sundae carefully and thoughtfully. This is a big decision after all, as he shall be gifting the winner a special Christmas Eve gift! To keep costs low and the spirit of competition light, simply grab a few small presents from a dollar store, wrap them and place them in a velvet sack (also usually available at a dollar store), and let the winner choose two and every other child one. Everybody gets a gift, the winner gets a little something extra and bragging rights, and Santa gets a hopefully-delicious sampling of ice cream creations to keep him cool in his warm suit. Sounds like a pretty nice Christmas Eve to me!

Whatever plans Christmas holds for you, we hope they are full of love and laughter.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

A few months ago, we put together a fun list of movie and candy match-ups for our Halloween Candy and Horror Movies Make a Marvelous Double Feature! post. We had so much fun creating that list that we decided to do another one for Christmas! Popular Christmas gifts for people of all ages include movies, music and books, whether they were special requests, or you just enjoy giving people favorites of yours that you hope they’ll enjoy as much as you do. I know I’ve personally given the book Holes by Louis Sachar as a gift more than once as I feel it’s one of the best books I’ve ever read, and it’s appropriate for kids and adults alike. In fact, the only thing I can think of that would make me love that book more than I already do is if someone gave it to me, and perhaps included some Candy Lipstick! Not sure why that would make a good accompaniment to the book? Well then, you’ll just have to read it to find out.

Even if you haven’t read the book, watched the movie, or listened to the music you’ll be gifting this Christmas, you can still find a tasty candy that complements the title without digging too deep. Your lucky recipient is sure to enjoy the extra step you’ve taken to make their already good gift great!

We’ve put together a short list of ideas about which candies would work well with which movie, music and book gifts. We’d love to hear from you about any that you think of that we didn’t mention, and if you love the idea but are stumped on which candy is best for your particular gift, feel free to reach out to us on Twitter or Facebook and we’ll happily help you come up with something sweet!

Pirate Movies and Books

Whether you’re wrapping up Pirates of the Caribbean or any of the countless other awesome pirate books and movies, clever candy accomplices include 3 Musketeers and Bubble Gum Candy Coins! Candy coins also make a fun addition to books, movies and music that center around money, either in content or just the title. Examples include the amazing Jennifer Aniston flick Friends With Money, the must-read Women & Money by Suze Orman, or even a CD put out by a Young Money Entertainment artist such as Lil Wayne, Drake or Nicki Minaj!

The Twilight Books and Movies

Unless you’ve been hiding from all forms of media for a few years, you’ve surely heard of the Twilight series of books, and subsequent movies, that have taken teens and adults alike by storm. Whether you’re on Team Edward or Team Jacob, chances are pretty good that there’s a Twilight gift-to-be-given on your list this year, whether it’s the books, movies, or even an accessory, such as a poster or t-shirt. Why not add some extra vampire fun to your gift with a box of Wax Fangs? They’re not just for Halloween, anymore! Or, if your gift will focus on Twilight Eclipse, give them something to chew on with Eclipse Gum!

Twilight and pirate presents may be some of the hottest gifts out there right now, but that doesn’t mean the sugary pairings end there. Giving a lady on your list that can use a break from the serious books some top-quality ‘chick lit’? Well, we think Chiclets make the perfect partner! Or perhaps timeless movie favorites Tootsie, Airheads or Major League are ready to wrap? You know Tootsie needs some Tootsie Pops, Airheads needs some Air Heads, and Major League needs some Big League Chew. Oh, we could play this game all day! Candy quite simply makes everything better.

As the days between now and Christmas narrow, it’s no surprise that orders for Christmas Candy are seeing a steady increase. And while we’re packing up Christmas Peeps and Peppermint Tootsie Pops faster than you can say “Santa”, it is the past week or so that has shown a true Christmas trend. The Christmas candy orders in general will continue even into January, but there is a certain kind of Christmas candy order that explodes onto the Blair Candy scene in the two weeks following Thanksgiving. Do you have any guesses as to which 2 types of items are flying off our shelves faster than reindeer during this time? We’ll give you a hint…Candy Canes and Popcorn Balls! Ok, so that wasn’t really a hint, but we didn’t want to leave you in suspense too long!

So what has so many people ordering candy canes and popcorn balls? Two words – Tree Time! In households across the country, people are mumbling less than sweet things under their breath as they attempt to get Christmas trees to stand straight without losing their temper or losing a finger. Ah yes, it is the timeless tradition of bringing something in the house that has no business being in the house, and blaming the tree when it doesn’t want to cooperate. We’ve all been there. And it is one of the most frustrating tasks on the planet. But there truly is nothing quite like the moment when you realize the tree won’t fall after all, the family cat won’t be crushed, and at last all the lights are lit and shining brightly. Whether they’re 15 feet tall and natural, or 12 inches tall and made of tinsel, Christmas trees are among the most magical things in the world. All wrapped up in their branches is wonderment and wishes for health, happiness, and love. So it’s really only fitting that we celebrate and decorate our trees with another of the most magical things in the world – candy!

We always decked out our tree with Candy Canes and Popcorn Balls when I was a kid. And with each passing day, there was a new empty spot here, and an obviously bald spot there, as us kids sneaked a treat or two (or seven) from the tree. Sometimes I’d even notice a new missing popcorn ball in the morning, and I realized why we didn’t get in trouble for eating the decorations – my parents were eating them, too! But for the day or two that the tree was covered in candy, it didn’t only look decorated, but also delicious. And in the days that followed, we weren’t only eating the ‘fruit of the tree’ if you will, but were also rather accidentally making it easier to un-decorate the tree following Christmas. Sure, there were plenty of ornaments that we weren’t about to nosh on, particularly the metal ones. But the candy canes, popcorn balls, and strung pink and white Sugar Popcorn were all fair game, and fair game was festively tasty!

If you’ve never added edibles to your tree, we hope you’ll give it a try this year and see what you think of the results. I think there’s a certain something that candy adds to a tree that other ornaments just can’t capture, and given all the fun options available beyond the classics, there’s really no reason not to indulge in some delicious design. Go ahead…have fun with it! Loop an ornament hook through the string of some Bubble Gum Coal – hang a dozen Mesh Christmas Stockings full of Hershey Kisses – forego the star on top and let Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the gang keep watch over everyone with Toy Story Pez Dispensers. Get creative, mix it up, and most importantly, eat it up! If you need an excuse, just say you don’t have a lot of space to store decorations.

Is your office holiday gift exchange coming up? Or do you and your friends or family members celebrate the tradition of Secret Santa to keep the gift-giving affordable and fun? Personally, I’m a huge fan of Secret Santa. I know it can be tricky to find a really great gift for a modest price, but I adore the thrill of the bargain hunt. I also enjoy knowing that the gift in my Secret Santa bag isn’t socks or a dollar store lotion. Remember – if you buy someone stinky lotion, they just might use it! Do you really want your coworker to have the office smelling like simmering sandalwood well into June? No. No you don’t. And luckily, that is not your only option!

Typically, the spending limit on Secret Santa is relatively low. After all, it’s meant to be a creative and fun exchange, not an adventure for the Platinum credit card. Looking at the Blair Secret Santa as a reference point, we cap the limit at $15; enough room to get something cool and useful, but not so much that it cuts too far into already-stretched holiday funds. If your limit is between $10 and $20 as well, and you’re scratching your head over what to get, fret not! We have a delightfully delicious idea that requires just a little sleuthing on your part.

You may not know the guy from the IT Department’s favorite movie, you may not know the musical artist that gets the woman from Finance singing along every time, but if you listen for a candy wrapper opening, you’ll know what tickles their sweet tooth in an instant! And the spy work gets even easier if they keep a candy dish on their desk.

No crinkling wrappers? No candy dish? No worries! Candy is actually quite a social thing. We may talk about it more at Blair than most places, but even in casual conversation with friends and family the opinions start flying when candy comes up. If you’re shopping for a candy gift for a close friend or family member, chances are you already know exactly what to get them. But if it’s for a coworker that isn’t leaving any clues, start an open discussion the next time there’s a lull in communal conversation at the office. Something as small as, “I could sure go for some Skittles right about now!”, is sure to elicit a response from everyone within earshot. All you need is one little, “Me too!”, or, “As much as I love Skittles, it’s Starburst that I can’t get enough of,” and your Secret Santa solution is in the bag! The candy bag, that is.

You might imagine that the Blair Candy team is immune to the overwhelmed feeling that Christmas can bring. After all, we’re surrounded all day by candy and orders of candy that are sure to make countless people smile when those boxes arrive! And to be honest, it is a fulfilling job. There isn’t a single thing I can think of that I’d rather be selling than candy. It’s fun to be in the business of enjoyable goods – to sell things that make people happy. It’s exciting to see the seasonal candy both new and nostalgic roll off the truck and onto our shelves, serving as a more reliable calendar than any I know. Do I know the exact day of the month or time of the year? Yes…it is Christmas Time! That’s all I need to know.

However, for as upbeat and Christmas-loving as we all are here at Blair, even we have the occasional bad day where it all seems like too much. There’s ever-growing ‘To Do’ lists that cover everything from finding the snow shovel in the mountain of stuff in the garage to finding suitable Christmas gifts for kids’ teachers. And all of this is to be accomplished with the cold air biting at our fingertips and toes, the sun setting sooner than ever, and the line of traffic just to enter the mall parking lot reaching seemingly as far back as our driveway at home! Don’t get me wrong – Christmas is worth it! It’s worth every long line, every dinner and dessert prepared for company, every minute spent cleaning my house to prepare it for that company. It’s the warmest, most wonderful time of the year. But it’s also insanity-inducing. It makes people behave in ways they would never imagine behaving the rest of the year. It can leave us tired and frustrated. Its heart of happiness can be lost in the shuffle. And it’s up to us to ensure that doesn’t happen.

I can’t promise I won’t beep my horn at someone this holiday season, or sigh a mildly exaggerated sigh upon seeing the line at a favorite store. I can’t promise I won’t sometimes lose sight of the love and laughter that Christmas is made of. I can’t promise I won’t be rushing around on December 24th like a madwoman because I forgot to get my nephew a present…again! But I can promise I’ll try my best. I will keep pushing myself to smile and mean it. I will hesitate before honking the horn. I will take a deep breath and remember my favorite things.

I think it’s safe to say almost all of us are familiar with the song My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music. It’s a catchy song with cute lyrics, and at some point most of us had to learn it for a chorus class or concert. It’s a song that gets stuck in my head from time to time, so I decided to rewrite it a bit for the holidays like I did with the Monster Mash for Halloween. I hope you enjoy it, and encourage you to think of it when the bah humbug bites! I know I will. Promise.

Gumdrops in candy bowls and Luden’s in pockets
7 days a week made better with Sixlets
Stockings hung high, filled with Candy Rings
These are a few of my favorite things

Peppermint Tootsie Pops and Hershey’s Kisses for lunch
I don’t eat a few – I eat a whole bunch!
Gingerbread House Kits full of icing
These are a few of my favorite things

Popcorn Balls make me all a’flutter
Like falling in love (with Reese’s peanut butter!)
Time with family and friends and oh-so-glad tidings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the traffic bites
When the cold wind stings
When everything seems amiss
I simply remember my favorite things
I simply remember Christmas!

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived a friendly Candy Queen whom everyone called Pam. She required not that she be addressed as ‘Queen Pam’, or ‘Her Royal Majesty’, for what brought her joy was not her status, but sharing her sweets with the world. Each year, the Candy Queen would eagerly anticipate the great candy holiday of Halloween. She would delight in every morsel of candy corn, relish every lick of a witch finger lollipop. And every year, when the clock struck midnight on October 31st, Pam could be seen walking slowly with her head hung low, saddened that Halloween was precisely as far away as it would ever be. You see, for as happy as Halloween made the Queen, it also inflicted upon her a rare but serious ailment – Christmasnesia! This ailment strikes fast and fiercely at midnight on October 31st, rendering its victim completely unaware that while Halloween passing is indeed a lamentable event, its passing also means that Christmas is right around the corner!

This year came with the same familiar depression as years past, leaving the Queen in her annual post-Halloween slump. But this sadness only lasts for 9 hours, as each year Captain Candy is waiting in Pam’s office for her arrival at 9am, November 1st. And he is waiting not to chitter-chatter, as Captain Candy is so very fond of, but to present to Pam the only known antidote to Christmasnesia…the all-powerful Candy Cane.

Carefully unwrapping the candy cane, Captain Candy presented it to a very confused Queen. “What…what…what is it,” the Queen inquired, “What is this mysteriously-shaped yet sweet-smelling cane?” “It’s a candy cane, Pam,” replied Captain Candy, “A peppermint treat that’s oh-so-wonderful to eat!” And as the Queen took her first hesitant taste of this strange candy cane, as in years past her face immediately flushed with happiness as she exclaimed, “A candy cane, it’s a candy cane! And a candy cane can only mean Christmas!”

With Christmasnesia cured, the Queen rushed to the candy warehouse to take in all she could handle of the Barley Candy now remembered, and the Cella Chocolate Covered Cherries she’d never believe she forgot if we told her, even if they had only been forgotten for 9 hours! And with the Queen in a Christmas state of mind, Festive Fever swept over all of Blair Candy, where more and more Christmas Candy is arriving every day. And the only antidote for the 9 hour lull that follows Festive Fever? You’ll just have to wait until December 26th to find out!