Trick or Treat?

Even before October began, stores were stocked with all things Halloween- pumpkin carving knives, ghost decorations, witchy plates and napkins, and of course, aisles upon aisles of candy. Many adults become uneasy or fear Halloween, not because of ghosts and goblins, but because of all the sugary temptations lurking around. Let's free ourselves from that dread and make Halloween fun again, just like when we were kids.

Halloween Prep 🎃Get in the Halloween spirit by decorating your home or picking out your own costume.

🎃Treat yourself to fall scents by getting a pumpkin pie candle. 🎃 Enjoy fall flavors without the sugar. Try pumpkin coffee pods or green apple seltzer.

Navigating the Candy Aisle 🎃 Avoid the Halloween aisle and buy candy around October 28th. We all know the stores are not running out anytime soon.

🎃Give out a candy you don’t enjoy or a non-candy item like stickers or pretzels. Or, in total contrast, go ahead and buy your favorite candy. Savor a few on October 31st and November 1st without any guilt.

Halloween with Children 🎃For Halloween school parties and snacks, try healthy alternatives. My kids' favorite is a clementine “pumpkin”. Peel a clementine, stick a small piece of celery in the top for the pumpkin stalk. Voila, you have an adorable treat kids will enjoy and you feel good about serving. 🎃 Many businesses and organizations put out a candy drop off the first weeks of November. All they collect gets sent to the troops through Operation Gratitude. What a great way to get rid of the candy you don't want around while making a soldier smile!

Yes, Halloween means lots of candy will be circulating, but with these tips we can take the main focus off of the candy. Halloween is a time to celebrate the joys of fall, connect with your neighbors, and bring magic to adorable littles ones proudly showing off their costumes.

Think of the glimmer in their eyes when a child gets one peice of candy from a neighbor. The unabated joy they feel once they get home, dump out their stash, and dig out their very favorites to enjoy that night. Try and think like a kid this Halloween, it'll be a real treat.🧡