Unfortunately, even in the small experiment I set up, customizing, packaging and shipping the bottles ran into much more money than I anticipated. By the time I factored in all the supplies and shipping costs, the water just wasn’t going to be reasonably priced for visitors/customers — we’re talking some hefty prices for bottled water here!

But, if there’s three things you’ve probably learned about me by now: 1) I get really jazzed about certain projects. 2) I love coming up with creative and sometimes crazy ideas — to the point I should shut up about them until I figure out if they’re even gonna pan out. (Note to self: I probably should work on fixing that issue in therapy. ) And, 3) I never, ever, ever give up, no matter what! So, even though selling SoS Drinking Water isn’t going to work for right now, I’ve decided to host multiple Season of Shadows Water Bottle Giveaways over the next several weeks — at least until Halloween and maybe even beyond.

I’m hoping the giveaways themselves will continue to raise some additional awareness about the Tap Project. And each time I post a new water giveaway, I pledge to make a $5 donation myself to UNICEF’s Tap Project.

I even added a new H2O page to the site to help keep the awareness alive and hopefully generate actual action based support of the amazing Tap Project.

Speaking of the giveaways, if you haven’t entered the 12-pack of SoS Water and the Mio Strawberry/Watermelon Water Enhancer yet, it closes in six days. I’ll be launching a new 6-pack Giveaway in the next few days… gotta keep you guys hydrated during your Halloween preparations.

Update — 8/17/11: This giveaway has closed. I’d like to publicly congratulate the winner of this giveaway, but she wishes to remain anonymous. She lives in Pensacola, Florida.

While this definitely isn’t one of my fanciest or most expensive giveaways, it has to be the one I’m most proud of because it marks the upcoming launch of a very important nonprofit project here at SoS. In the next week or two I’ll start selling Season of Shadows Bottled Drinking Water, with all proceeds going to benefit UNICEF’s Tap Project. The Tap Project began in 2007, has raised almost $2.5 million in the U.S. and has helped provide clean, sustainable drinking water for millions of children globally.

Through numerous fundraising and volunteering activities, the UNICEF Tap Project celebrates the clean water we enjoy on a daily basis by encouraging celebrity, restaraunt, volunteer, corporate and government supporters to give this vital resource to children in developing countries. The concept is basic and compelling: “When You Take Water, Give Water.”

I’ve probably had a love affair with two things more than any other during my entire life: Halloween and water. And during my recent health challenge my ability to drink water was greatly impaired (Thank God I’m once again able to drink lots of precious H2O.). After living on very tiny amounts of water for months, I now feel I’ve had a small glimpse into what many children around the world are experiencing on a daily basis by not having access to potable water. No one should have to live like that and it’s become an important mission to help others in anyway I can. Once the bottled water page is up and I’m ready to start selling Season of Shadows Water, I’ll explain everything in greater detail in an upcoming entry, but for now, let’s celebrate by giving away some spooky H2O.

The bottled water in this giveaway is manufactured and sealed by a national distributor (so it’s safe and pure), I just added all the Season of Shadows branding and swag to spook it up a bit. One winner will be receiving a 12-pack of SoS water, along with a bottle of the brand new Kraft Mio Liquid Water Enhancer (used to flavor each bottle). Unfortunately, Kraft doesn’t make Mio in Halloween flavors, but you’ll be getting the strawberry, watermelon variety — at least it will look like fake blood.

Here’s a view of the label (click for a closeup):

For more info on UNICEF’s Tap Project, I highly recommend a visit to TapProject.org

Speaking of Giveaways, I’d like to congratulate Deena Chapman of Federal Way, Washington! Deena was one of the winners in the Halloween In America Giveaway. I’m still waiting for a response from the second winner. She has another five days to contact me, or else I’ll be drawing a new winner’s number.

Please, only one entry per household. Duplicate entries from the same IP will be deleted. These giveaways are really based on the honor system, but I do my best to make it as fair as possible for everyone. There’s no catch here, everything is free — including payment of shipping and handling for the 12-pack of Season of Shadows Drinking Water — I cover all costs. To be entered, leave a comment below showing your interest.

Depending upon the volume of entries, comments may only be displayed under this post for a short time. As entries grow, I may remove comments to make it easier for visitors to scroll to the comment box and enter. However, I guarantee all entries will be saved in the order they are received.

When leaving a comment, be sure to include your correct e-mail address and be certain to keep track of your spam or bulk folder after the drawing closes, just in case. Each winner will be contacted through the e-mail address that’s registered with their comment. I will never share addresses, provided by entrants, with any third parties and you’ll never receive unsolicited mail when entering.

This SoS H20 contest will end at 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on July 22nd, 2011. All legitimate entries will then be assigned a number in the order they were received. One number will be randomly drawn to determine the winner.

The winner will then be notified, via the email address they provided, no later than July 23rd. If they don’t respond (with their shipping information) within two weeks, then one more number will be drawn to determine the new winner. Upon receiving their permission, the winner’s name will be featured at the top of this post.

If you would like to see your Halloween or paranormal website or business promoted through SOS and you have some appropriately themed items to give away, please contact me.

So it wouldn’t be October if I didn’t pick up a quart of my favorite Halloween-themed beverage — the one I lovingly refer to as “Goblin Nog.” Technically, Goblin Nog was the name of the Halloween egg nog product released by another Albuquerque dairy back in the mid to late ’90s, but they no longer sell their nog during the most witching month of the year; they now strictly cater to the jolly elf’s busy season. Fortunately, though, Creamland still produces nog with a Halloween theme, simply called “Halloween Egg Nog.” Even so, the Goblin Nog name will be forever be stuck in my mind.

Considering I’ve found very few of my favorite edible Halloween items and Halloween beverages this year, including the conspicuously absent Jones Halloween Sodas, Creamland’s traditional release of Halloween egg nog has me in a state of even greater appreciation for their product.

Here’s a couple of Halloween jokes from the side of the carton:

Q: How do you picture yourself flying on a broom?

A: By witchful thinking.

Q: Who does a ghoul fall in love with?

A: His ghoul friend.

Man, those sound like the kind of jokes a certain visitor leaves for me in his comments. Fess up, Barry, did you write this stuff?

On another note, I’d like to congratulate the winners of the A Haunting Halloween Giveaway: Paul Melniczek of Pennsylvania, ssflipo13 of Buffalo, NY, Cynthia B. of California, Stephanie D. of North Carolina and Andrea of Collinsville, OK — they each won a set of A Haunting’s fourth season. I’d also like to thank everyone who participated — thanks guys!

Halloween Egg Nog has once again started appearing on local store shelves! Being a huge fan of egg nog in general, I’m twice as thrilled to see it wrapped in a Halloween themed carton. Years ago, when I used to work in grocery, we had two companies supplying us with Halloween egg nog. Sadly, one of them (Borden) no longer makes it but at least we still have the Creamland variety. I believe it was Borden who used to call it “Goblin Nog.”

That name stuck with me and I still refer to it as “goblin juice” or “the nog of the goblin.” Come to think of it, that last one doesn’t sound too appetizing when I phrase it that way! Seriously though, it’s super good stuff. Thanks, Creamland!

Here are a few Halloween jokes that are always featured on the packaging:

1.) Where do little ghosts learn to yell “BOO!”?

2.) How do you picture yourself flying on a broom?

3.) What did the papa ghost say to the baby ghost?

4.) Who does a ghoul fall in love with?

Answers:

1.) In noisery school.

2.) By witchful thinking.

3.) Fasten your sheet belt.

4.) His ghoul friend.

Obviously these were written for kids and not a grownup in his thirties. Of course, the thirty part fits me, but the grownup part may be up for debate. Whatever the case, I still enjoy reading them.

Jones Halloween lineup is in stores once again. They usually introduce new images each year, but there doesn’t appear to be a change to the packaging from last Halloween. Last year, I picked up Candy Corn and SpooooKiwi. This time around, in the cans, I grabbed Lemon Drop Dead and Buried Pomegranate; in the bottles, it was Blood Orange. I love the rotting jack-o-lantern photo on the Blood Orange!

I just cracked open the first bottle a few minutes ago — it’s flavor reminds me a lot of Orange Crush. My “fortune” on the underside of the cap reads: “Make As Many Corrections As You Consider Needed.” Boy, do they know me. That’s the motto I use while creating my groundbreakers (and just about anything else).

I didn’t try the lemon or pomegranate flavors. They’ve already been dropped off at my grandparents’ house. I’m the cereal nut, while my grandfather’s the soda fiend.

Related Posts

Halloween Sodas

Out of all the entries I’ve written, I probably receive more feedback pertaining to Halloween Egg Nog than any other. Apparently, to find retailers selling egg nog during the month of October (featuring Halloween artwork on the carton) is even more rare than I first realized. While I would love to overnight a carton, packed in dry ice, to everyone who’s inquired, I know that’s not really feasible. Instead, I’ve tried to do the next best thing by tracking down a great pumpkin nog recipe.

Though pumpkin nog isn’t exactly the same as the egg variety, the pumpkin flavor should contribute to your festive Halloween mood; especially when you consider Halloween Nog doesn’t contain pumpkin and is identical to Christmas Nog — the only difference is the packaging. I haven’t whipped up this recipe yet, but it has received five stars from everyone that’s tried it.

It sounds extremely simple to make, so I’ll definitely be stopping by my local grocery store to pick up the ingredients, which include: pumpkin, honey, evaporated milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and ice cream. For specific quantities and instructions on how to combine the ingredients, visit Very Best Baking’s Pumpkin Nog page.

While the recipe calls for vanilla ice cream, I bet pumpkin ice cream would be really awesome. Of course, pumpkin flavored ice cream won’t be released for a few more weeks. Hang in there, fall and Halloween are on their way.

Related Halloween Egg Nog Posts

Halloween Egg Nog: Located
Halloween Egg Nog

In my never ending quest to find obscure Halloween edition food items, I’ve seem to hit the mother lode of obscurity with the Yoo-Hoo Halloween flavor known as Vampires & Cream. Even though I’ve been a longtime connoisseur of Yoo-Hoo, I’ve never found Vampires & Cream at any retailer during October. Online references to the product are extremely scarce as well, with nary an image to be found. Unfortunately, according to Wikipedia, the Halloween flavor has been discontinued.

If anyone has ever tried Vampires & Cream, please let me know your opinion of the product. I’m even thinking of contacting Yoo-Hoo to see if they have any leftover promotional items they would be willing to part with. If they send me anything Vampires & Cream related, I’ll pass it on in a future entry.

Photo source: The Bottle Cap Man

Related Posts

Halloween Sodas
Halloween Egg Nog
Halloween Egg Nog: Located

The good folks at Odwalla are making a pumpkin flavored protein drink. I’ve yet to try it, but since I am a mass consumer of protein shakes, this one is definitely on my to-try list. The Super Protein Pumpkin is soy based. I currently drink chocolate whey protein after my workouts and several other times throughout the day, but I always add in pumpkin spice. My full recipe is: one apple, one scoop of whey powder, a cup of raw oatmeal, a pinch of pumpkin spice and ice cubes, all blended on high for several seconds.

Now, either that whets your appetite or grosses you out. Hopefully the former.

Thanks to Michelle Geller for the image.

My insatiable search continues for all items Halloween. I’m not much of an imbiber, in fact I’m a teetotaler, but I couldn’t resist posting Halloween themed wine. Hallowine is described as “a sweet apple wine, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.” “It’s most popular in fall, when served warm… a dangerous substitute for apple cider”, according to dcwine.com – where it’s available for $9.99 a bottle.

I’d like to thank Linda Thompson for the photo of Hallowine. She snapped this shot while visiting a great shop in Door County, Wisconsin.