How to get rid of that candy

So you went trick or treating or trunk r' treating or both.  Or your kids went to your work for candy and they were given candy at school and soon the sugar ants will invade your house (if they aren't burrowed in the frozen ground) because there is so much sugar in your house.

As a diabetic, I count sugar intake. I can't stop. I am painfully aware of all the junk my kids like to eat. Halloween drives me crazy in the nutrition department. Not only do I worry about my kids, but resisting stolen sweets from goody bags while the kids are at school is HARD. I think I've already eaten ten mini candy bars from the stash of candy to pass out.

So what is a mom to do? Here's a few ideas:

• Participate in a Halloween Candy Give Back. In most towns there is a dentist or mom with a son or daughter in the military who is collecting candy to send to troops overseas. Watch your local paper or check out this site where people can register their Candy Give Back programs. I love this program because it gets the candy out the house fast and encourages the spirit of giving. 
• Ration. Rationing requires living with the candy and eating only one or two pieces per day. My girls like one piece in their lunch box and one after school. I let this go on until about the middle of November. Then they each pick out a dozen pieces for the future and the rest goes....where it belongs (the trash).  Of course, dentists say it is better to eat all the candy they want on Halloween night and then throw it away. I say, depends on your kids' personalities. Eating all the candy they want in one night could spell disaster, especially if the candy loot bag was gathered on a school night. 
• Truthfully, I found this experiment idea almost two years ago and have never done it. But I should. It sounds awesome. Use the candy to do science experiments. What happens to different candies if you drop them in water? Make charts, graphs, and use a timer. Find safety goggles and an apron. What child wouldn't love spending time with you in this way?  Check out these ideas for experiments on the Mothering website. 
• Make crafts. Craft ideas never enter my head on their own. But because of the Internet my girls think I have marvelous craft ideas! I love the idea of making gift cups decorated like a turkey and filling them with candy. Take them to a nursing home to share or if you have will power, stow them away until your own family Thanksgiving meal. Here are some ideas to get you started:
• Thanksgiving craft at craftgossip.com
• A Thanksgiving themed cup from Make and Takes
• Love this cup from Ziggity Zoom. Just fill it with extra Halloween candy. 
• Read this article on Good. com. The writer says the beans for our chocolate Halloween candy are picked by child slave workers in Africa. I found the same information on other websites. This year is the first I have heard of such practices. Research the issue (or if your kids are old enough, have them do it) and if you find truth in it, what action will you take?
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• Read The Switch Witch. Add another mythical character to your traditions of the tooth fairy and Santa Claus (or if you don't use these story characters, modify the idea of the Switch Witch). The Switch Witch takes the Halloween candy away the night of trick-or-treating and replaces it with healthy snacks or a toy. You can see the possibilities here. Adapt them to fit your family. 

So friends, have fun tonight and let me know if you do anything different this year with your candy.