Top 10 Things to do With Your Halloween Candy

Halloween was yesterday. Today is Nov. 1. A new day, not a holiday!

But, the holiday lingers with the candy it left behind. What are we to do with it all?

Some parents let their kids (and themselves) have whatever they want. Others eat it themselves! Still others will ration it—allowing themselves and their kids to have one or two pieces daily until it runs out.

Here are some other ways to consider getting rid of the candy so you and your family don’t end up eating it for the next few weeks.

Top 10 things to do with Halloween Candy:

10. Donate it to a local nursing home, homeless shelter or a charity for the staff to enjoy.

9. Freeze the chocolate candy. Out of sight, out of mind. It will take much longer to eat the loot when it’s tucked away in the freezer. Hey, you might even forget about it!

8. Be creative with it. You can make things out of candy like collages, mosaics, sculptures, greeting cards and more. Think of the candy as non-edible craft supplies.

7. Put it away. Christmas is right around the corner—what better way to decorate gingerbread houses than with already-owned decorations? You can be very creative with leftover candy to make ornaments as well.

6. Make jewelry out of it. Kids can make candy necklaces and bracelets out of lollipops, sweet tarts, smarties and more.

5. Take your candy to work. While I’m not advocating that anyone eat candy all day long, it is a known fact that when you put food in an office environment, it disappears quickly!

4. Return it. If you didn’t go thru all the candy to give away and you have unopened bags… return it.

3. Save it for a family birthday. If you have one coming up, put the candy away for a piñata, goodie bags or cake decorations.

2. Make chocolate covered fruit with it. A lot of melted chocolate goes a little way. Only so much will stick to the fruit and it’s a good way to get your kids (and yourself) to eat more fruit. Throw away unused melted chocolate, as it will stick to the pot anyway.

1. Throw it away. Most of us hate wasting food, but let’s face it, if we don’t get rid of it, it will soon be applied to our hips (and it’s not really “food” anyway).

There you have it. Another Halloween has come and gone, and Nov. 1 does not have to mean the start of a four month eating fest that goes straight through Valentine’s Day.

Instead, start November and the holiday season fresh and healthy. Get a head start on your New Year’s Resolutions so you can keep them this year!