Macaroni and Peas

Halloween is far and away my favorite holiday of the year. I love dressing up, trick or treating, pumpkins, bonfires, corn mazes, and everything else about Halloween. Today, I’m sharing my favorite tips and tricks for getting the most out of the holiday.

Trick or Treating

• Go door to door with your kids. If they’re old enough to go alone, they’re probably too old to go door to door begging for candy.
• Only hit up the houses with their lights on. The unofficial “I’m out of candy” or “I hate Halloween” sign is a house with the porch light off.
• Try to avoid taking homemade treats from people you don’t know. I think homemade treats are great fun, but be sure you know who made them before you take them.
• If your neighborhood isn’t very big or Halloween friendly, look into other places to go trick or treating. Our local mall has a great Halloween event and many schools have carnivals or parties.

Creative Costuming

• Making a unique and fun Halloween costume is a huge deal for me. Last year, my son wanted to be a zombie punk rocker. We created an awesome costume that got tons of compliments. I’m not sure if we can top it this year.
• If you’re planning on trick or treating outside, take the weather into account. Dressing like a cheerleader or Captain Undrepants isnt’ a great idea if you live in a cooler climate.
• Make sure the costume itself shows on the outside of whatever layers you need to add to keep your kid warm. I grew up in Alaska and often had to hide my costume under a big winter coat and hat. Not fun.

Candy Collections

• Give your kid one trick or treat bag. Make sure they can carry even when it’s full. Do not bring extra bags. Once the bag is full, it’s time to go home.
• This is a great way to limit the total volume of the candy stash. It also takes into account a kid’s size…bigger kids will be able to carry bigger bags and will end up with more candy than small kids.
• When you get home, go through all the candy yourself. Chances are, there’s no need for an x-ray, but a once over is a good idea. Make sure all the candy is individually wrapped and still sealed.
• Remove any candy your kid shouldn’t eat. For example, little ones shouldn’t have hard candies that aren’t lollipops and kids with braces shouldn’t have sticky stuff.
• Beware of caffeinated candy. Snickers Charged has about 60mg of caffeine and Jelly Belly Extreme Sport Beans have about 80mg. Just for comparison…a Red Bull has about 80mg of caffeine.

Healthy Handouts

There are a few theories here. Don’t try all of them in the same year.

• Pick only candies you and/or your kids don’t like. This keeps you from nibbling while passing out candy to the local trick or treaters.
• Make something yummy. Popcorn balls, trail mix, and caramel apples are all great choices. Just make sure you know the kids and their parents before handing out homemade stuff.
• Give out something other than food. Just make sure it’s fun. No pencils or toothbrushes. Check out your local dollar store or one of the gazillion Halloween stores online for cheap goodies.