Comments on: Halloween: There’s a Monster at the End of this Month (and a few tips for how to survive it) http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/ Whole Food Nutrition made Simple & Affordable Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:53:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cyndi http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1099 Cyndi Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:02:20 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1099 We do like Kate and another poster. The kids pick out 10 candies and leave the rest in a bag on the doorstep for the Candy Fairy, who leaves a $10-$15 toy. They told a friend and his family started doing it and call it the "Switch Witch". I heard about it from Stephen Cherniske, biochemist and science head of Univera (supplements); he does this with his kids. But no sugar is the best sugar IMHO! We do like Kate and another poster. The kids pick out 10 candies and leave the rest in a bag on the doorstep for the Candy Fairy, who leaves a $10-$15 toy. They told a friend and his family started doing it and call it the “Switch Witch”.

I heard about it from Stephen Cherniske, biochemist and science head of Univera (supplements); he does this with his kids.

But no sugar is the best sugar IMHO!

]]> By: carrie http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1071 carrie Sat, 31 Oct 2009 05:40:42 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1071 @Kat, That sounds awesome!!! (We miss you guys by the way, and hope your new house is great and that you all are transitioning (and feeling) well! We have been walking by your house saying "Ezra's house is empty now". Yeah, great rule about sugar during flu season and way to hand out better items! I wish my kids could trick or treat at your house!!!! Everyone else had such great insights; thanks for bearing with my rant and sharing! @Kat,

That sounds awesome!!! (We miss you guys by the way, and hope your new house is great and that you all are transitioning (and feeling) well! We have been walking by your house saying “Ezra’s house is empty now”.

Yeah, great rule about sugar during flu season and way to hand out better items! I wish my kids could trick or treat at your house!!!!

Everyone else had such great insights; thanks for bearing with my rant and sharing!

]]> By: Kat Salisbury http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1070 Kat Salisbury Sat, 31 Oct 2009 02:34:24 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1070 We are only going to TWO houses and making the day about our trip to the Pumpkin Patch, roasting pumpkin seeds and handing out Playdoh and Goldfish crackers to the trick or treaters:) We have a "No sugar during flu season" rule in our house right now and have a little song to go with it:) We are only going to TWO houses and making the day about our trip to the Pumpkin Patch, roasting pumpkin seeds and handing out Playdoh and Goldfish crackers to the trick or treaters:) We have a “No sugar during flu season” rule in our house right now and have a little song to go with it:)

]]> By: Pampered Mom http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1069 Pampered Mom Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:23:26 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1069 I love that book! Our kids do a very limited trip around my parents' subdivision which typically nets things like pencils, a toothbrush, and one year even a little bit of money. After we sort through the candy at night and get rid of the Nestle stuff we'll set aside a few pieces. The rest the kids are leaving out for the Sugar Sprite who will leave them a small toy during the night. My husband will take the rest to work. :0) I love that book! Our kids do a very limited trip around my parents’ subdivision which typically nets things like pencils, a toothbrush, and one year even a little bit of money. After we sort through the candy at night and get rid of the Nestle stuff we’ll set aside a few pieces. The rest the kids are leaving out for the Sugar Sprite who will leave them a small toy during the night. My husband will take the rest to work. :0)

]]> By: FoodRenegade http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 FoodRenegade Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:54:11 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1068 Ha ha! I LOVE IT. This was one of my favorite books when I was a toddler. It totally cracked me up then, and it still does today. :) Thanks for sharing your tips. ~KristenM (AKA FoodRenegade) Ha ha! I LOVE IT. This was one of my favorite books when I was a toddler. It totally cracked me up then, and it still does today. :)

Thanks for sharing your tips.

~KristenM
(AKA FoodRenegade)

]]> By: Gudrun http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1067 Gudrun Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:25:00 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1067 we used to be hard core about Halloween (completely restricting the amount of sugar), but then as parents, we figured it was a good learning opportunity. So many times we make decisions for our kids and they don't quite get the reasoning. Nowadays, we go trick-o-treating, and we have a candy buy-back program (#6) above, and ultimately, we try to balance our need to control the sugar with our children's increasing responsibility and need to make their own decisions. Frankly, I would like to be doing this education now, while they are at home, rather than when they become teenagers and young adults! we used to be hard core about Halloween (completely restricting the amount of sugar), but then as parents, we figured it was a good learning opportunity.

So many times we make decisions for our kids and they don’t quite get the reasoning. Nowadays, we go trick-o-treating, and we have a candy buy-back program (#6) above, and ultimately, we try to balance our need to control the sugar with our children’s increasing responsibility and need to make their own decisions.

Frankly, I would like to be doing this education now, while they are at home, rather than when they become teenagers and young adults!

]]> By: Sarah http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1066 Sarah Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:22:07 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1066 Oops - I just reread my comment and realized it sounded like I meant to say that sugar causes swine flu. Obviously not. What I meant to say is that they way YOU said it, that sugar causes immuno-supression and immuno-supressed people are more at risk to become sick, including by swine flu, is a great point. Okay, off to make breakfast! Best, Sarah Oops – I just reread my comment and realized it sounded like I meant to say that sugar causes swine flu. Obviously not. What I meant to say is that they way YOU said it, that sugar causes immuno-supression and immuno-supressed people are more at risk to become sick, including by swine flu, is a great point.

Okay, off to make breakfast!

Best,
Sarah

]]> By: Sarah http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1065 Sarah Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:20:24 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1065 Great post! I think the thing that really hit home was your correlation with sugar causing immuo-suppresion and swine flu at the end. That little paragraph needs to be bolded and centered and posted at the top! :) We don't eat much candy in this house (If anything is sweet, it's normally a baked good or honey) but my son he has it from time to time. He knows it is a special treat and, just recently he learned from Yo Gabba Gabba that "too much candy makes you sick." He tells that to me with complete seriousness every few hours these days. So we are taking it slow and easy and I'm not even sure if we will be trick or treating as we'll be at my parent's house in CO instead of at ours. BUT . . . my in-laws last night came over with a Halloween basket for my son. At Easter they did pretty well with only one outright piece of candy, a chocolate bunny, and some yogurt covered raisins. I think the basket was round out with some books, stickers, and box of goldfish. Not bad for people who completely eat the Average American diet and think I'm crazy. But last night. . . they came over with some of his favorite treats (two mini bags of M&Ms, not too bad at first) and a box of Colored Goldfish (the kind I'd never buy because they are full of artificial colors . . . who eats purple goldfish?) AND, because somehow my FIL thinks that he and Lloyd have thing "thing" with cookies, an eight-inch in diameter sugar cookie with icing that says Happy Halloween. Oh, and a book. So yeah. Ugh. I love them. I love how thoughtful they are to put this together, I'm even okay with a cookie, but a straight sugar cookie? How about something with oats? Or peanut butter? Anything other than just white sugar and flour held together with white sugar and corn syrup. Oh well. Okay, rant over. Just wanted to send my love and thanks for writing this! A little online hug and thank you your direction - I know I'm not alone! Best, Sarah Great post! I think the thing that really hit home was your correlation with sugar causing immuo-suppresion and swine flu at the end. That little paragraph needs to be bolded and centered and posted at the top! :)

We don’t eat much candy in this house (If anything is sweet, it’s normally a baked good or honey) but my son he has it from time to time. He knows it is a special treat and, just recently he learned from Yo Gabba Gabba that “too much candy makes you sick.” He tells that to me with complete seriousness every few hours these days. So we are taking it slow and easy and I’m not even sure if we will be trick or treating as we’ll be at my parent’s house in CO instead of at ours.

BUT . . . my in-laws last night came over with a Halloween basket for my son. At Easter they did pretty well with only one outright piece of candy, a chocolate bunny, and some yogurt covered raisins. I think the basket was round out with some books, stickers, and box of goldfish. Not bad for people who completely eat the Average American diet and think I’m crazy.

But last night. . . they came over with some of his favorite treats (two mini bags of M&Ms, not too bad at first) and a box of Colored Goldfish (the kind I’d never buy because they are full of artificial colors . . . who eats purple goldfish?) AND, because somehow my FIL thinks that he and Lloyd have thing “thing” with cookies, an eight-inch in diameter sugar cookie with icing that says Happy Halloween. Oh, and a book. So yeah.

Ugh. I love them. I love how thoughtful they are to put this together, I’m even okay with a cookie, but a straight sugar cookie? How about something with oats? Or peanut butter? Anything other than just white sugar and flour held together with white sugar and corn syrup. Oh well.

Okay, rant over. Just wanted to send my love and thanks for writing this! A little online hug and thank you your direction – I know I’m not alone!

Best,
Sarah

]]> By: Kate http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1064 Kate Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:14:08 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1064 We do the "Candy Fairy" to get rid of ours. The kids pick out a few candies that they like & then put the rest outside their door for the "candy fairy." I toss the candy and leave a small toy in it's place. I feel like this also teaches them to be discriminating about sweets too - eat what they actually enjoy and not just "because it's there!" We do the “Candy Fairy” to get rid of ours. The kids pick out a few candies that they like & then put the rest outside their door for the “candy fairy.” I toss the candy and leave a small toy in it’s place. I feel like this also teaches them to be discriminating about sweets too – eat what they actually enjoy and not just “because it’s there!”

]]> By: Jen http://www.organicthrifty.com/2009/10/30/halloween-theres-a-monster-at-the-end-of-this-month-and-a-few-tips-for-how-to-survive-it/comment-page-1/#comment-1063 Jen Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:49:14 +0000 http://www.organicthrifty.com/?p=452#comment-1063 This post had me laughing at a few points, despite it's serious nature. First of all, we have that book. I admit that it is hidden right now because I got so tired of reading it over, and over, and over again to my 21 month old son! Now I feel guilty, and should get it out soon... if I can remember where I hid it. :) Secondly, I am a biologist, so I love that you "nerded out" on biology!!! Thankfully, my son doesn't seem to like sweets, and since he's so young, we don't plan to take him trick or treating. We think he will enjoy answering the door for the trick or treaters at our house just as much, or more than going out himself. Now I need to decide what to give those kids, that won't put them in a processed sugar coma. Great post, and excellent tips! Thanks. This post had me laughing at a few points, despite it’s serious nature.

First of all, we have that book. I admit that it is hidden right now because I got so tired of reading it over, and over, and over again to my 21 month old son! Now I feel guilty, and should get it out soon… if I can remember where I hid it. :)

Secondly, I am a biologist, so I love that you “nerded out” on biology!!!

Thankfully, my son doesn’t seem to like sweets, and since he’s so young, we don’t plan to take him trick or treating. We think he will enjoy answering the door for the trick or treaters at our house just as much, or more than going out himself. Now I need to decide what to give those kids, that won’t put them in a processed sugar coma.

Great post, and excellent tips! Thanks.

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