Halloween Fall Giveaway Sweepstakes to Enter

Contests, Freebies

9 0f the Best Giveaways Ever, plus Freebies to Grab 

Mommy Blog Expert has been hard at work rounding up the best giveaways and sweepstakes for you to enter. Contests are listed below for Halloween and into fall. Check the assortment of autumn giveaways and Halloween photo costume contests for your chance to win $1000s in prizes ranging from fun kids toys and books and Halloween costumes and masks to $100 - $500 gift cards to a $3,500 vacation voucher. You might even win the $15,000 check that one national retail chain is giving away. Click on the the links below to enter your choice of giveaways. Also don't miss the Halloween freebies for everyone as you scroll down through this post.

Halloween Stack of Spooky Kids Books Giveaway

Ends 10/28/26

Southwest Airlines Sweepstakes

Win a $3,500 vacation voucher

Ends 11/2/26

$100 Movie Giftcard and More Giveaway 

3 prize packs

Ends 12/31/26

Holiday Toy Sweepstakes

• Grand Prize $1000 in toys for 1 Winner
• Runners Up $200 toy prize package for 3 Winners

Ends 12/4/26

Halloween Costume Photo Contest

Win a $500 Radio Flyer Gift Card

Ends 11/1/26

Spirit Halloween x Butterfinger Sweepstakes

Win a $15,000 check

Ends 11/1/26

Coca-Cola Halloween Giveaway

Spin the Wheel for Chance to Win Prizes

• Halloween Movie Masks
• Fanta Branded Beanie Hats
• AMC Movie Tickets

Limit to 1 game play daily, Ends 11/1/26

Smirnoff Ice Giveaway

Branded Bottle Halloween Costume (100 Prizes, ARV $45)

Ends 10/31/26

Cricut Halloween Sweepstakes

$100 gift code (10 Prizes)

Ends 10/31/26

Halloween Freebies to Grab

FREE printable Halloween Costume Masks

Fun, FREE Kids Halloween Coloring Pages

FTC Disclosure: Mommy Blog Expert is not affiliated with any of the companies to which this post is linked and we are sharing these Halloween and Fall Holiday contests, giveaways, sweepstakes and freebies for our readers to as a public service to consumers. However, the companies hosting these giveaways included in our listing are responsible for the delivery of prizes to winners and for providing the freebies mentioned.  

Dentist Tips for Holiday Candy Treats

Wellness

Dental Health for Halloween and Holidays

Protecting your teeth is important at every age, whether you're a kid or an adult, since we will each only get 1 permanent set of teeth in our lifetimes. During the holidays, candy and other sweet indulgences are even more abundant at this time of year. So there's no better time than now to talk about dental care with the season of sugary delights kicking off soon: Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving, the winter celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas, all the way through other holidays associated with sticky chewy confections like Valentine's Day, Purim and Easter. 

Good brushing and flossing habits, of course, are a given for all of us, as are getting regular checkups and cleanings for your family's pearly whites at your local dentist. Taking that one step further we're encouraging our national base of family lifestyle readers to consider expanding your dental health knowledge and strategy this as the season of sweets begins.

Dr. Craig Noblett, a dentist and president of the American Association of Endodontists, has some valuable information to share that benefits parents, kids and everyone else who has a sweet tooth.

6 Family Dental Tips for Halloween, Other Holidays

• Eat Candy After Meals – Saliva production increases during meals and helps neutralize acids

• Drink Water Immediately After Consuming Sweets – It helps wash away sugary food particles

• Wait 30 Minutes Before Brushing – Wait at least 30 minutes to brush your teeth after eating candy or food. This allows your saliva to naturally do its job of rebalancing the oral environment

• Limit Certain Candy - Hard candies, sticky candies and sour candies are particularly harmful to teeth and especially problematic for those who wear braces and other dental appliances as they can break or loosen the brackets and wires

• Use Halloween as a Teaching Opportunity – Halloween, especially if you have young children, is the perfect time to reinforce why the sugar in candy and other sources such as soda and juice are harmful to your teeth if you don’t take proper care after consumption. Using kid-friendly, age-appropriate relateable terms like “sugar bugs” as opposed to bacteria or acid make it easier for kids to understand
• If you or your child chips a tooth – Seek out consultation as soon as possible from an endodontist, which is a dental specialist who has special additional training focusing on the inside of the tooth 

Where to Find a Local Endodontist

 

Check to see if there's an endodontist near you here  

READERS NOTE: This post is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your own dentist and healthcare team as this is not intended as a substitute for professional dental advice. 

September 11th We Will Never Forget

Remembrance

25th Anniversary of the Attack on America

Over the years I've visited New York many times to see the former site of the World Trade Center, Ground Zero, the Reflection Pool, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the Freedom Tower. Now known as One World Trade Center the single tower office building was completed on May 10, 2013 and officially opened on November 3, 2014. Today the new structure and the adjacent memorial grounds preside over Manhattan representing an unwavering symbol of the the entire country's resilience to this tragedy.

911 Memorial Reflection Pool Built Upon WTC Footprint

 

September 11, 2001

My kids were in pre-school on September 11, 2001 when this tragic event impacted us all. My four children have since graduated from college with 3 of the 4 earning Master's Degrees. Though we are now at the quarter century mark of this terror attack, like many of you who lived through it -- I will always remember that day with complete clarity. 

Years Later the Freedom Tower Under Construction

Freedom Tower, New York City shortly after completion

Los Angeles Times Headlines the Day after the Attack

Beverly Hills 9/11 Memorial made with a warped WTC beam

That feeling of devastation has never left me. Today, I continue to feel blessed and could not be prouder to be an American and citizen of this great country, the USA.

Apple Edible Honey Dish Rosh Hashana Easy DIY

Celebrations

How to Make an Edible Apple Honey Dish

This year Rosh Hashana begins at sundown on September 11 and ends on September 13 at nightfall. This marks the year 5787 on the Hebrew Calendar.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy making this edible food art craft which uses a real apple. This project is among my favorite Rosh Hashanah Arts and Crafts and it is the perfect way to add something special to your table to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

Rosh Hashana 

Apple Honey Dish 

DIY Food Art Craft

Your guests -- young and old will enjoy this whimsical take on the traditional honey dish -- and will no doubt be impressed with your artistic talent too. Just make sure you take a photo of your project when it's done so you'll be able to remember how pretty and fun it looked on your holiday table. 

How to Directions:

1. Select and wash a large apple in variety of your choice that is as symetrical and flat on the bottom as possible.

2. Carefully take a take a small 1/8-1/4" crosswise slice off the bottom so the apple will not easily tip over.

3. For the lid: Leaving the stem (and leaves if any are present) intact, carefully cut the apple crosswise 1/2-3/4" from the top edge. 

4. For the honey dish: Working gently use a small spoon to carve our the inside of the apple, removing small amounts at a time until the apple dish has been created. Try to keep at least a 1/4-1/2" thickness to the outside apple skin both on the sides and on the bottom so your honey dish will not leak.

5. Put apple dish in center of a small festive plate (I used an antique custard dish on pedestal). Pour honey into the dish along with adding a decorative spoon (the one I've used is ceramic). Place the lid on your honey dish gently. Bring your creation to the table and watch your guests' reaction to this easy but elegant presentation.

6. Serve with homemade challah or freshly cut sliced apples for a sweet start to the Jewish New Year. Refrigerate apple dish with lid on wrapped in plastic wrap when not it use and it should keep for 2-3 days.

Shana Tova 

Hebrew Translation: Have a Good New Year!
From my home to yours...

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Still Hope Movie Inspired by True Stories Review

Movies

A Powerful Film Sheds Light on Urgent Crisis

The new film Still Hope, which is based on real-life survival experiences, opens in theaters nationwide on February 5. It shines a much-needed spotlight on the disturbing existence of human trafficking in America today, particularly the abduction of girls and young women. It's something many parents know little about, and if they are aware of it, few moms and dads are comfortable discussing with their daughters the dangers of meeting strangers online.

Many thanks to Studio 523 for providing access to screen this movie before release for the purpose of review. Opinions are 100% my own.

The Storyline

As the movie directed by Richie Johns begins, what appears to be just another ordinary family story about a wholesome 16 year-old girl named Hope (played by Luna Rivera) quickly unfolds into something much deeper, darker, and ultimately inspirational. 

At its heart, Still Hope is about a teen from a loving, close-knit family who is kidnapped and forced into prostitution by someone she thought she could trust. The film doesn’t just tell a story, it reveals to the audience the true horror of the very real human trafficking that hides in plain sight across small towns and big cities alike in the United States.

Hope is just another typical teen when she meets a young man online and agrees to meet him in person. Tragically, he's not the nice guy she expected and he turns out to be a predator. Quickly she's forcibly taken against her will away from her family into the dark world of prostitution and human exploitation for many months.

The dramatization of abuse and torture by those who kidnapped the teen sets the stage for what happens after she escapes her captors. The filmmakers then intentionally shift focus of the narrative to the long winding road to rehabilitation, to her physical and emotional healing as a survivor and to Hope's ultimate reconnection with her family.

One of the film's most poignant themes is how trauma not only affects the victim directly, it also challenges and reshapes family relationships. Hope’s rehabilitation isn’t just physical, it’s emotional, mental, and spiritual. She struggles with trust, nightmares, guilt, and a deep distrust of men, including her own father, whose embrace once meant safety but now reminds her of everything she’s been through and lost. 

The Reality of Human Trafficking Today

To truly appreciate Still Hope, it helps to understand the scale of the very real societal crisis it portrays. While precise numbers are difficult to pin down, credible sources show that human trafficking is a major issue in the United States.

• In 2024, the US National Human Trafficking Hotline received more than 32,000 reports of possible trafficking incidents, involving over 21,000 potential victims including thousands of minors
• Estimates suggest between 14,500 and 17,500 children are trafficked into the U.S. each year from other countries with about 80% of the victims being woman and girls
• Globally, millions are held in forced labor or sexual exploitation at any given time

These statistics are sadly quite realistic. They reflect the lives of real people like Hope which is why seeing Still Hope is so important. It reminds us that trafficking doesn't just happen somewhere else, it can happen in our backyards to kids living in seemingly safe communities.

Parent-Child Discussion Safety Tips

Without a doubt, due to the subject matter, Still Hope isn't easy to watch either for parents alone or for moms and dads to watch together with teenage children. However, it opens the door to an important conversation to have with kids which can be life-changing and potentially prevent experiences like these happening to vulnerable people, particularly girls and young women.

How to talk to kids about stranger danger

• Start early While minimizing the grim details, kids do need some awareness that not everyone online or in person is who they claim to be and could be dangerous
• Teach digital intelligence Friends online should be treated like strangers until trust can be established in verifiable ways
• Practice scenarios Reinforce that it's okay to say "no," to check in often with family and to trust their instincts
• Open the dialogue Create a home where your teens feel safe telling you about uncomfortable things they're worried about without fear of judgment

Final Thoughts

Still Hope isn’t just another film to see on the big screen that both parents and their teens will relate to. It’s educational, emotional, and deeply human. It forces us to look at a hidden community crisis through the lens of one family’s suffering and resilience. And in doing so, it offers something rare: not just a movie, but a call to awareness, compassion, and action. For certain, this film will stay with those who watch it long after the credits roll.

About Still Hope

Buy tickets now to see Still Hope in theaters starting February 5 to help build awareness about human trafficking. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to organizations that care for the recovery of trafficking victims. Visit the official website to learn more and to see the movie trailer.