October Checkin - How are You Handling the Halloween Candy?

[LisaHendey]

Hi all! I was in Walmart the other night and was greeted at the door by BAGS and BAGS full of candy. Since I don't shop in Walmart or Target too often, the site of it jolted me - my kids are older so October doesn't have that sense of "All Halloween all the time" that it had when they were little. I remember the entire month being filled with field trips, outings, and costume occasions.

Where we live, we rarely get a trick or treater, so I don't buy Halloween candy. Having it in the house sets me into a sugar frenzy that will last until Christmas.

Do you buy yours early, or wait until the last moment? Can you employ will power to keep yourself from eating it? Or does it bring you down like it does for me?

[Lynn Wehner]

I am NOT a Halloween fan ... just ask my kids. ;) Oh how I dread the "candy warfare" that seems to consume our home for several weeks! After the kids have weeded out their favorites, I now try to bake with some of it, send some into work with my husband, or give some away to a shelter.

As for my own purchase strategy, though, I usually buy early ... but I'm sure to avoid all the varieties that make my heart sing. I just can't be trusted with chocolate around! But anything NOT chocolate is not worth it in my book, so I stock up on the fruity stuff for our neighborhood visitors.

[LisaHendey]

Lynn, how funny - I used to buy the kinds I really didn't like too! Good strategies!

[Karen Murphy Corr]

Our children's parochial school collected bags of candy (brown paper bags - big ones - bigger than lunch bags) to be donated to a Catholic ministry on the streets of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver that reaches out to prostitutes. They didn't tell the children about the prostitutes part, mind you. The children were told it was for ladies who live on the streets. It is put into packages with information on drug and alcohol treatment and a prayer - that kind of thing. I can't think of the name of the ministry but it's quite incredible. There was a story about a woman volunteer in the North Shore News either in 2008 or 2009 actually. I don't know if there's a similar thing in our new city, but I liked that. The children were excited to share actually - and I liked it that then Halloween became about doing for others and not just getting. A lot of drop-in playgroups and community centres were also offering family costume parties with the emphasis more on playing and activities and crafts with a bit of sweet thrown in. And in Lotus Land I've always had friends happy to have sugar-free granola crunchy parties for preschoolers and toddlers.

[Karen Murphy Corr]

Oh - did a quick Google and found the link. The ministry is called Agape.

[LisaHendey]

Karen, do you make your own granola and if so, could you share the recipe?

[Paula Rutherford]

We don't get trick or treaters out where we live either, so if I buy anything, it is a very few very good candies (read: dark chocolate!) for us to share. The last couple of years we have driven into town and gone trick-or-treating in my Sister-In-Law's neighborhood, where the kids literally filled pillowcases with candy. And I have 5 kids who are old enough to go door-to-door. Needless to say, we do not need or want that much low-quality sugar/high fructose corn syrup in the house, so we saved most of it to throw at a parade we march in every year. This year we will be spending the night and going "door-to-door" inside my Mother-In-Law's house - we'll knock on one bedroom door and someone will put a candy in our bags, then go to the hall closet door and someone else will pop out and put another candy in the bags.

My In-Laws, when they lived in town and had lots of trick-or-treaters, would buy candy right after Halloween (or whatever holiday - Christmas, Easter) when it was on sale, and save it for the following year.

Also, our parish is holding an "All Saints Day" party and everyone is invited to put on Saint costumes (after Mass, of course) and compete for best costume. We will have a pot luck lunch and activities and games for the kids. More emphasis on activities and fun and learning about the Saints, less on candy.

[LisaHendey]

Paula - I love the "door to door" idea! Also, how cool that your parish is honoring All Saints day in such a special way. I wish ours would do that!

[Jamie Mc]

I had quite a few candy coupons so last weekend when I went grocery shopping I picked up our Candy...I may pick up a couple more bags, we tend to get a lot of kids and I tend to be pretty generous with the amount I give...my Dh thinks I'm too generous especially with the peanut butter cups...I did buy our favorites and I did it purposefully, I'm noticing that my blood sugar dips after a lot of activity and I get especially cranky when that happens, but a peanut butter cup or a candy bar with nuts has both protein and sugar to help level me off a bit between meals, and it has chocolate, which is always fabulous. I still have some more candy coupons too, so I might as well put them to good use...

So far, I haven't touched the candy I bought last weekend, it is in hiding in a grocery bag and I really haven't been too tempted, the hershey kisses and candy corn however...well, lets just not discuss that, shall we?
Jamie

[Erika Drain]

We don't do Halloween at all! We don't buy candy for the neighbors either. Lights out and no decorations should give them a sign that we don't celebrate as most houses in my neighborhood. We started this about 6 years ago and don't regret it at all! ;) We celebrate the next day by dressing up as saints on All Saints Day instead and my kids could explain it all to you, as small as they are.

[Sarah Reinhard]

We live in the country, so I get to avoid this purchasing thing altogether!

However, I do struggle with having it in the house and the consequent sugar high...and the constant begging for candy...and the -- well, you know how it is with little kids.