Halloween the holiday when fear is fun! But the scariest part of the holiday may be the volume of extra fat and sugar consumed by ourselves, and our children. Don’t get me wrong, having a treat on the holidays is great! After all, treats are what help make special occasions special. But moderation is key. The massive bags of halloween candy are excessive for anyone. Here are our tips for getting rid of all that extra candy.
–Operation Gratitude or Soldier’s Angels: These organizations collect extra candy as well as basic necessities and cards, then send it to our troops abroad.
–Find a ‘Halloween Candy Buy Back’ location near you: These are typically held at participating dentist offices or other participating businesses, and will trade candy for toothbrushes, small toys, or other objects.
–Make a donation to your local food pantry or food bank.
–Ronald McDonald House: These are located at area children’s hospitals and serve to provide free housing to families of ill children. Donations are accepted here.
–Prepare packages for your local nursing homes or assisted living facilities. First, make sure to check with the nursing staff to ensure that the packages are only presented to those residents for whom candy is safe.
–Become the “candy fairy”: Similar to the tooth fairy, trade your child’s candy for a toy or game that they would enjoy.