I just wanted to share with you all how I get thru Holloween.

Yes, I buy a few bags of candy (none that I love) and other goodies (cookies, chips, etc) for the kids that come (and we get quite a lot). I buy myself a bag of my favorite sugar free candy "just in case" I get a craving. Thus I do not eat the candy that is in the bowl.

The key is to have a substitute in case you get tempted and if possible, don't buy candy that you find most appealing (like for me it was always TWIX bars...)

Good luck and hope we all survive Holloween this year (I know we can)

>>"...if possible, don't buy candy that you find most appealing..."

Just buy that horrible Halloween taffy and crappy little suckers. The neighborhood kids might TP your trees the next day, but...

You just keep in your head they are for the kids......ONLY....and dont buy too early....buy last minute and give it all out....hehehe....

Or do like me a go to a party. No candy for me or the kids, who don't need it any more than I do.

I do the "buy what I don't like" thing too. Nerds and Tootsie Rolls...<bleh>

We just aren't handing out candy this year! We're going walking with a group of friends and their kids instead. Hah!

Buy sugar free candy for everyone, then you can have a piece or two. Just make sure none of the other parents relize it was you after the laxative effect takes hold of the kids.......

Halloween is always a favorite of mine. My b-day is the day before and both of my kids have b-days next week . I always go out and buy a ton of candy early. So, I usually have bought a couple of more times before Halloween actually arrives. I have done so this year too, but I haven't touched any of it. Don't feel the need to either. However, I do plan on buying Atkins cheese cake mix for my birthday.

It's not always the "giving out" of candy that's the problem. It's what the kids bring home! With 3 kids we get lots of stuff..and we generally sift through it and sort it when they get home (god forbid one child should eat another child's candy!).

I know once they were in bed, I would help myself to some of my favorites...and that would lead to more....and more.....well you get the picture.

Any ideas on how to keep out of all the stuff that will be around for a few days or weeks....not just a few hours (which I know I can handle!).

Thanks,

Froufie

Hide it. Keep it in the freezer so it stays fresher and you don't have temptation staring you in the face. Let the kids pick out 1 or 2 pieces a day. Then once Christmas and all that candy starts to get near, throw out what's left (by that time the chocoalte is gone and the junky candies are all that's left) with the excuse they went stale and more candy is coming in anyway.

This may not work so well on older kids that are accustomed to pigging out. Teaching them moderation is a good idea though, and with younger ones they just think that's how it's suposed to be.

I just had a truly evil thought... let's all hand out broccoli this year.... think of all the free eggs and toilet paper we'll get!!!! <giggle>

DannysMom3-- I'm curious about you plan name.. Atkins w/veggies? Are you a vegetarian? I've always wondered how that would work.

I go to Sam's Club and buy jumbo bags of candy I don't like. (I do not buy anything with chocolate in it.) So that gets me through until Halloween without getting into the candy. But when the kids get home after trick-or-treating, they have plenty of chocolate candies. So I usually get into trouble for a day or two. I usually pick out a few of the Reese's peanut butter cups. But the kids go through the candies pretty fast, and my husband eats a bunch of the candy too (enough that the kids complain), so by November 3, most of the temptation is gone.

I have an afterschool kids crafting group once a week....and serve treats when they first come in. I decided this year that I would get one salty snack, one sweet-type baked snack, and bring a small box of lemon Jolly Ranchers every time...and they get a juice or healthier-type drink with their snacks. I never eat this stuff myself...I've only eaten a Jolly Rancher once in awhile because I'm diabetic...and I'm used to using one to counteract a lowbloodsugar swing. (I haven't had any of those for a long time now....so the kids are getting all the candy!)

For Halloween....I usually save the leftovers and dole those out to the kiddies at my doorstep. This year I plan on guiding those little hands into the Jolly Rancher box...to grab a fistful!!

Oh yes...BTW....I had a crafting kid request pretzels as the next salty snack. No problem...I HAVE ALWAYS HATED PRETZELS!!

One thing that we've done at our house is the "Halloween Fairy". The kids each picked out 10 pieces of candy that they wanted to keep, and the rest was picked up during the night by the Halloween Fairy. In it's place, she left a gift for each child. It worked out great when my kids were younger, but now that they're getting older I'm hearing "can we keep our candy this year?"

This year instead of candy, I found bags of little boxes of stickers and temporary tattoos that I'm going to give out. The kids will probably be just as happy with those and I don't have to feel bad about contributing to the neighborhood kids' sugar addictions.
As for my kids, I've already told them that they will be allowed to eat (within reason) as many as they want that night and then 1-2 pieces a day (as dessert, they're not allowed to bring it to school) until Thanksgiving when whatever is left is going in the trash. No more hanging on to Halloween candy until well past Valentine's day.
I like the idea of that Halloween Fairy, though....the girls might be willing to give up their stash of mostly cheap candy for a new Barbie or Bratz doll.