A Gourmet Family Movie Night With World Market Plus #MovieLoversSweeps

***Disclosure: As a World Market Ambassador, I received complimentary product to facilitate my post. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

With a family of 5, we don't go to the movie theater too often. Not only is it expensive, I also constantly worry that Sophie and Xander will turn into Holy terrors in the theater. Especially Xander....I can just picture him growling at people who don't give him their candy, climbing over all the seats, and screaming bloody murder. Not to mention his "mean face". Whoever coined the phrase "Terrible 2's" needs to come up with something far more sinister sounding for 3 year olds, in my opinion! 

So when we want to kick back and enjoy some cinematic magic together, we usually opt to have family movie night right here at home! I know. Anyone can watch a movie at home any time they'd like. There's nothing remarkable about that. But, with a little creativity and some international flair, even an at home movie night can be something completely memorable. Promise. I am going to show you how to turn an ordinary family activity into something that the kids will be bragging about to all of their friends. All you need is a trip to Cost Plus World Market! They have some great products to facilitate any entertaining needs you might have!

I absolutely love shopping at Cost Plus World Market. I always get inspired in the most unexpected ways when I see their gorgeous, global decor, funky housewares, and of course, their international snacks. 

So when I decided to let World Market help me plan an epic movie marathon, I was super excited. We shop at the Fairlawn/Akron, OH World Market, and I was able to find everything I needed to make this occasion extra special. One of the sales associates, Keiona, was very friendly, helpful, and gave some great suggestions. That's one of my favorite reasons to shop at World Market. Great service! 

We decided to have a rather swanky tasting menu to accompany our movie day. I got tons of great cheeses like Smoked Gouda and Wisconsin Pepper Cheese, some decadent Italian Blend Olives, and some rustic salamis. I even got some gorgeous serving pieces to present our treats! 

The first movie we watched together was Iron Man 3. (No, not because I walked the red carpet at the Hollywood Premiere. Okay...Maybe that had a wee bit to do with it!) Since Tony Stark is known for his excesses and world travel, I decided that our snacks should be inspired by the Mediterranean. We enjoyed a Charcuterie platter with sliced salamis and cheeses, some homemade, rustic Italian bread, and of course, some wine and olives. (The kids had fruit juice!) Oh, and there was a mint chocolate bar to share as well, upon the request of my chocoholic hubby!

After our first movie with Italian and Mediterranean snacks, I switched things up again. During The Lone Ranger, we had some World Market All Natural Veggie Tortilla Chips and Roasted Salsa Verde. You know...A taste of the Wild West! I also whipped up a batch of homemade guacamole. 

I absolutely love the fact that World Market offers all natural products. I am very careful about what I feed my family, and look for natural or organic products whenever I can. These tortilla chips were amazing, with delicate red pepper, spinach, and corn flavors. Paired with my spicy guac and the Salsa Verde, they created a flavor party in my mouth! 

Our final movie was one especially for the kiddos: Despicable Me 2. Okay, so Dan and I love those mischievous little Minions, too! I decided to take a snack that is well-loved by kids all over and put a little spin on it. I found this awesome Nostalgia Electrics Popcorn Popper at World Market, and I simply couldn't resist! 

Like I said, I wanted this movie marathon to be extra special, so ordinary popcorn simply would not do. I decided to jazz it up a little, and created what I like to call "Garlic Bread Popcorn" using ingredients I already had in my pantry. Some organic butter, a little Parmesan Cheese Blend from World Market, and some ordinary spices make this popcorn...well...pop! 

It's super simple to make, and definitely brings popcorn to a whole new level. Here is my easy-peasy recipe. You can feel free to adjust all seasonings to your liking! (I like to add extra garlic and cheese!) 

Overall, our family movie marathon was a huge success. The kids loved being able to sample snacks from all over the world, and of course, we loved curling up on the couch together watching some incredibly amazing films! 

Do you love movies as much as I do? Why not plan your own inspired Movie Party? And definitely be sure to check out World Market and their phenomenal selection of food & drink that is sure to make any get-together a complete success! 

Enter the World Market Movie Lovers Sweepstakes! 

Cost Plus World Market has teamed up with Fandango to offer an amazing sweepstakes that caters to all those movie lovers out there! (And let's face it: Everyone loves movies!) 

This sweepstakes runs from February 7, 2014 till March 7, 2014. Enter online at worldmarketsweepstakes.com for a chance to win our grand prize package:

·       Grand Prize
FREE Movies for a Year ($1600 Fandango gift card)
$1,000 World Market gift card

·       3 Runner Up Prizes: 
$500 Fandango gift card and a $500 World Market gift card

Participants can earn bonus entries for liking our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Tumblr brand pages for more chances to win.