What to do with all this Halloween candy?!

Each year, we are faced with the challenge of sifting through bags of candy and convincing our kids there are better things to do with it than sit down and pig out on it all! Here are some of the ideas we have used in the past.

1 - Recycle it! We allow each child to fill a small ziploc with their favorites. The rest goes into my oldest sons pinata at his birthday party (only 3 weeks after Halloween).

2 - Build with it! Christmas is only a few weeks after Halloween. Save the appropriate candies for your holiday gingerbread house.

3 - Bake it! One cool surprise we've done is baking surprise cupcakes for Thanksgiving (or anytime). Simply fill cupcake tins with a little less batter than usual and then push a few M&M's, Rolos, Snikers or any "meltable" candy in the center. Each one will be a surprise! (this is a great idea for treats for your child's class, too). You can also freeze things like 3 Musketeers and the use a grater to sprinkle on top of the cupcake icing! YUM!

4 - Get creative! While this may not work with chocolate, you can "make" things out of hard candies. Picture frames, Christmas ornaments and such. Just make sure you seal it with something so the critters (like ants) don't start feasting on your creation.

5- Share it! Get creative and turn a plain old milk jug (or any old container) into something fun! Let your kids decorate it and fill it with the good stuff. Bring it to your local nursing home, homeless shelter, charity or school for the staff to enjoy. Attach a card that says: The ______ family thanks you for all you do!

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