Happy Halloween! Did you celebrate all weekend? How much candy have you eaten? TRUTH! How much?
I asked this question on the FHM Facebook page Friday and over 50% of you hadn’t eaten ANY Halloween candy yet! Yes, I was beaming with pride. Just ecstatic to hear you are steering clear of the junk. Not an easy thing to do this time of year.
On Saturday, I ran into a neighbor at our local neighborhood trick or treating event (where we tortured our dog by dressing her as a skunk.) She and her kids were hitting the neighborhood trick or treating event for the afternoon and then heading to a Halloween party for the evening. Tonight they’ll be out again doing traditional door-to-door trick or treating.
So, two things here:
1) When did Halloween become a week long event???
2) Should we feel cheated or lucky that Halloween was a one day affair when we were a kids?
We laughed with our neighbor about the insanity that is now Halloween. Then she shared with me their Halloween rule. Each of their girls gets to keep as many pieces of candy as their age. So, the 5 year old gets 5 pieces of candy. Not 5 pieces a day, but 5 pieces TOTAL. The 3 year old gets 3 pieces. Yes, this is a brilliant mom. You can get all dressed up and go to all sorts of Halloween events. You can party your 5 year old heart out. And you can have 5 pieces of candy. Perfect.
Under what circumstances would a 5 year old need more than 5 pieces of candy, anyway? If you set this sort of precedence, you can completely change the meaning of Halloween for your family. Make it fun. Make it exciting. Dress it up and tie it in a big ole bow. Don’t make it all about the sugar.
And you, yes you, Mama . . . the same rules do NOT apply to you. No, you may not have 35 pieces of candy if you are 35 years old. Sorry. Amidst the festivities, you may forget that. You may think you need 35 mini Snickers. I promise, you do not.
While I’m calling you out here, might I suggest you avoid playing Candy Cops after bedtime. You know, the game where you raid your kid’s candy and take out all the good stuff. The good stuff = Reece’s, Snickers, Twix . . . I know you leave behind the Dots, Nerds, bubble gum and Tootsie Rolls. By the way, who gives out Tootsie Rolls? They are so disgusting and non-candy like. I don’t understand them. Same goes for black licorice. Blech, so gross.
I was tempted to be that lady who gives away raisins, but I settled on Dum Dums, pencils, mini decks of cards and bouncy balls.
But, I digress. . .
You will be faced with an exorbitant amoung of candy today. Will you control your intake the way you control your child’s intake? I hope you’ll let your child enjoy a few pieces and GET RID of the rest. Here are some ways to do that:
1. Outside Garbage Only: Let your child select a few pieces and dump the rest. In the outside trash, not under your kitchen sink where you WILL be tempted to dig it out a 10pm tonight. (Yes, I’ve done that too.) Outside garbage = necessary.
2. Donate To Our Troops: Find out where you can do this locally. I know Lawton Elementary in Seattle has a contest to see which class can bring in the most candy to send overseas in care packages to our troops. Such an awesome idea!
3. Donate to Shelters or Food Banks: I think this is a festive idea. However, if you do this, may I suggest you also give something somewhat healthy? Homeless or in-need people are no different than you and me, they need nourishment too. Frequently, they only have access to donations such as Top Ramen and Mac n Cheese. Not so nourishing.
4. Donate To Your Office: Get it out of your site. Put it far away from your desk and do not look back.
5. Freeze It: If you must keep it, or some of it, put it in the freezer, where you will likely only take one piece at a time.
6. Hide It: This is what I do with candy/treats in our house. I have my husband hide it from me. He’s not tempted by sweets like I am. I make him put it where I will not find it. I usually forget about it after that. Ok, TRUTH, I have been known to frantically dig for candy once. Or twice. For the most part I can keep it out of sight, out of mind, though.
I hope you will only eat what you will truly enjoy. I can’t tell you how many times I have eaten candy just cause it was in front of me, not because I really wanted it or even liked it. Now if I’m going to eat candy, I’m only going to eat something I really LIKE. Not something I only half like. After not eating candy for a long time, I realized I don’t even like most of the Halloween candy out there. If I’m going to eat candy, I want a dark chocolate truffle or a fancy salted caramel. M&Ms and Reece’s just taste like plastic in comparison. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was some plastic in them. Yes, that’s how full of junk and non-food most candy is.
Keep in mind, sugar indulgence begets sugar indulgence begets sugar indulgence . . . If you start this cycle it can last for days, weeks, into the New Year. So, be very firm with yourself. Know where you are drawing the line with this holiday. Choose your indulgences carefully, enjoy the heck out of them, and hop back on the healthy eating train. Do not let this holiday bring you to your sugary knees and carry you into 2012 wracked with guilt and regret. It is simply NOT WORTH IT.
Comment below – where are you drawing the line with Halloween? How will you recover from this holiday without it impacting your waistline?
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