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Mom of the House: Bring on the 'switch witch!'

In this week's column, Brianna makes some suggestions on how to conquer the world of candy mountains so big you could ski off of them
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Mom of the House with Brianna Bell

If your family is anything like mine, tomorrow your kids will return from trick-or-treating with enough candy to satisfy an army.

Instead, the mountain of candy will belong to one small child, who expects to consume as much as possible, all in one night.

I am new to the world of candy mountains so big you could ski off of them.

Last year was the first year our kids truly understood Halloween, and all the delicious candy that goes with it. I thought we’d visit a few houses and get a small handful of candy, but instead our kids wanted to knock on as many doors as possible. For some reason each neighbour gave a rather large handful of candy per child.

This year I have decided to be a bit more prepared for Halloween night. Our kids will be warned that they get four pieces of candy each (and no full size bars)!

Then, we will proceed to offer a few options to them for their remaining candy.

Below are the options I found when researching things to do with leftover candy.

  1. Call on the Switch Witch: The Switch Witch is a genius idea where children are allowed to switch their candy with the Switch Witch for a toy. Kids aren’t able to choose the toy (this allows parents to manage the budget), but leave their candy out for the Switch Witch to take while they are sleeping, and in return they will get a shiny new toy to enjoy. Some kids may not be willing to part with their candy for a toy, but for those that value toys over tootsie rolls, the Switch Witch is a brilliant idea.
  2. Bake with the chocolate and candy: There are tons of really neat recipes circulating on the internet that uses leftover candy and chocolate from Halloween. Some recipes I’m eager to try include: Halloween Candy Cookie Bars via Today.com, M&M Oat bars via Taste of Home, and Kit Kat Filled Angel Food Cake via Real Simple. Instead of eating all the food, be generous and drop off some baked goods to your neighbours, bring some to work, or send nut-free treats in to school.
  3. Attend a Halloween Buy Back Event: Unfortunately, I was unable to find any businesses or locations in Guelph that offer a Halloween Buy Back, but the idea behind it is that a business offers a trading incentive (money, goodie bags, prizes) in exchange for your candy. Boston Pizza in Cambridge is hosting an event on November 5th that may be worth the drive for some local families.
  4. Save it for Christmas: Depending on the shelf life of the candy (and let’s be real, it’s likely pretty long), you can save the candy for Christmas and use it when decorating your gingerbread house, for different crafts, or even as stocking stuffers. If you are having a Christmas party you can place some leftover candy out on the table or even do a fun piñata for guests of all ages to enjoy.

There are plenty of different options for leftover Halloween candy. You could secretly consume the candy while your kids are sleeping, you can ration it over a few months, or you could secretly toss it (last year I did a combination of all three).

This year both of my girls are excited about the Switch Witch. They are both ready to leave their candy at the door Halloween night for the Witch to exchange for a new toy. My oldest has even reminded me a few times to “text the Switch Witch”.

What do you do with your leftover Halloween candy? Let us know in the comments below!


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Brianna Bell

About the Author: Brianna Bell

Brianna Bell is a Guelph-based writer who focuses on events, small businesses, and community stories. In addition to GuelphToday, she has written for The Guelph Mercury and The Globe & Mail.
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