*This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, PEOPLE Magazine & Hershey’s, but all my opinions are my own.  #HersheysPeople #pmedia http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

Isn’t it amazing when two of your favorite things come together?  I try to limit my candy eating as much as possible but there are times when a good piece of chocolate is exactly what you need.  And I’m an absolute magazine fanatic.  Reading a magazine while eating chocolate?  That is a good moment.  And sadly they are very rare.

Last week while shopping at Target, I used my coupon (there are a limited number of prints available for this coupon so hurry, only available while supplies last!) to get $2.00 off PEOPLE Magazine and a bag of Hershey’s Dish Candy (you know, not full size bars, but candy that would be suitable for serving in a dish).  Growing up my grandmother always had a candy dish filled when we visited.  It is something I have always thought I would have in my own home.  But with children, that candy dish never stays filled.  In an effort to curtail cavities I have opted to keep the dish put away.  But there is one time of year when I do keep a dish with candy in it, Halloween.  My husband and I have been finding that the candy the kids bring home from trick or treating is sub par.  So we keep good candy at home for us to munch on.  Since we don’t have many places to put up Halloween decorations around the house, I decided that this year we would do a Halloween centerpiece on the dining table.

Along with the little sticky rats and some hand decorated pumpkins I tucked in a small cake stand, that I got from A Fabulous Fete, to hold the candy dish.  This makes it a little more difficult for the kids to get to (but not much, I’ve had to stop them from eating it before dinner time on quite a few occasions).  My husband has a go-to candy bar, year round.  A simple Hershey’s chocolate bar really makes him happy.  I prefer the Special Dark.  So the classic bag of Hershey’s Miniatures makes us all happy.
I have 9 hours a week, when the stars align, and both kids are in school.  This is when I cram in everything I possibly can.  I usually work non-stop during these hours.  But lately I have been realizing that it is perfectly acceptable for me to take a time out.  I feel so refreshed when I just sit and do something for myself.  It may only be 10 minutes but it makes me happy.  We’ve only had one cooh-ish, Fall-like day in So Cal so far, but it was enough to get me craving a nice warm cup of Earl Gray tea which goes amazing with Hershey’s Dish Candy.

And I can’t just sit there and stare at the wall with my chocolate and tea.  This is my chance to read something light and get caught up on my news.  While some celebrity focused mags are super salacious and negative, I prefer to read something, like PEOPLE Magazine, that has human interest stories, great reviews of movies, TV shows and music, and stories that are more about someone’s life and how they have overcome obstacles rather than what they are eating and what clothes they are wearing.  I buy them almost weekly, but sometimes they stack up and I have several to read through at a time.

Do you hear that?  Just me slurping on my tea and crumbling empty chocolate wrappers.  Bliss!  I will make this chocolate last through Halloween though.  I won’t be a hog and keep it all to myself.  I’ll make sure I save the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars for my husband.

On VERY rare occasions, I will try to get a few minutes to myself with one of my son’s around.  It is an advanced maneuver that I haven’t truly mastered yet.  As you can see, he also likes chocolate.  My other son has food allergies so when the kids get candy together, they usually have something sour.  But this little guy LOVES chocolate.  Since I was feeling generous, I let him have a little chocolate tasting and try all the flavors.

His choice?  Mr. Goodbar.  It was fun getting to share a few special moments with him and his treats.  I guess having “me time” isn’t all its cracked up to be.    And a few minutes later, the candy was put away and his older brother got home from school.  Both boys were immediately dressed in their Halloween costumes, running around the house trying to out ninja each other.  And just like that, back to reality.  And its not such a bad place to be.

*This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, PEOPLE Magazine & Hershey’s, but all my opinions are my own.  #HersheysPeople #pmedia http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO