As you all know, Halloween is so fun! Love it all but the reality is that candy is horrible evil to our household. Mean to my boy W....not to mention my tuckas!
We are a refined sugar-free household. So, what the heck do we do with Halloween, the holiday of all candy-infused holidays!
We purchased pre-approved treats....plain chips & gum, stickers, Halloween pencils, balloons....and delivered them to specific homes that we would be trick & treating at. Our boys were thrilled to go trick or treating as it was their first time and they loved it! I would hate to deny this for them as it is such a passage of childhood. One year, we'll have to think up a new method, but it worked this year. Yay!
A super-mom I know, created the Candy Man. The Candy Man comes a couple of days after Halloween and takes all the candy away. In return, he leaves a little something that includes toothbrushes. How brilliant is this! This momma is awesome! I am so adopting this fellow into our household, pre-approved treats or not.
One other option, if you live in Calgary, is throwing it all out....for money. There is a dentist in the NW who pays by the pound, for children's Halloween candy, pays the kids or a service club and then all the candy is tossed in the dumpster. Again...pretty innovative. Two young boys made $500+ for their school and had set up candy donation boxes at their school. Cool hey?
What's your trick for getting through the Halloween hangover?
PS: The sad little bunny up top...that's my favorite husband!
On Halloween night we sort the candy into 4 bags: candy, gum, chocolate bars, chips.
ReplyDeleteThe chips go in a bowl on the counter and they're allowed generally one bag/day until they're gone.
The gum is saved for my purse for while we're shopping or driving somewhere.
The chocolate bars go right in the freezer and make an appearance around January/February.
The candy is in the cupboard and they're usually allowed one treat/day until it's gone.
My kids aren't really into the junk food and I'm totally okay with that.
Aaron says hi :o)
That top pic is priceless! I love it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not very super but the Candy Man worked like a charm. I was surprised how well!
You are brilliant and super sweet for setting up your candy drops.
It's so much fun watching them go. Too much fun to miss!
Oh I love confiscated baby pictures of the tough guys. I have said pictures of mine at a time when wearing clothers below the waste was not an option in his little world and stripped every chance he got, no matter where he was. Sad that his parents took pictures eh? Might not be able to scrapbook them, but they sure are cute.
ReplyDeleteLoved the idea of the Candy Man, but I packaged up my candy in little treat packages of cellophane with 5 pieces for the Food Bank. In a time when young children visit for basic food, the children are offered a treat, something they don't see very often. I know if still puts sugar in their mouths, but the smile on their face is also important to them. My kids get enough 'treats'. The kids saw and approved and C will even tell you why. But I love the dentist one!
Talk soon.
Moe
Love the idea of the Candy Man! Last year was my kids first time trick or treating, and both times so far, they seem to forget about the Halloween Candy after a week. So I throw out just about everything in the garbage... and hope they don't ask for candy after that, or I had no explanation as to what happened to it. But the Candy man, could definately start a new tradition if I decide to let them trick or treat next year!
ReplyDeleteI'm closer to Lesley's style...just a little more lazy! ;)
ReplyDeleteI throw all the loot into a big basket and the kiddos are allowed two treats a day.
Of course...when they're sleeping...mommy and daddy raid the basket!
Oh...and just implemented this year...
if they ask for more than two treats a day...I throw a handful away. Cause this mommy can't stand being badgered!
The candy is fun. But to me Halloween is really about the dressing up anyway! The kids would be happy if everybody gave out stickers!
...danielle
That is why I give out stickers, and playdough and pencils and erasers. Eases my minds somehow, I am not contributing to the sugar high factor.
ReplyDeleteMoe