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Halloween - Meet the Halloween Gift Witch

29/10/2013

6 Comments

 
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Halloween could be such a fun holiday (who doesn't love dressing up?) if only it weren't for the ridiculous candy, sugar, artificial flavorings, artificial colors and insane amount of E numbers.

When trying to keep a healthy home and give the occasional (preferably homemade) sweet treat, Halloween is challenging.  And yes, it has sadly invaded Hong Kong, but luckily not so much in the local schools yet.

It is not that I am against sweets or fun, but I am very much against artificial coloring, chemicals, refined sugars and things that even the mainstream press is recognizing.

For example, these great articles:
Halloween Warning: Watch Out for Neurotoxic Artificial Food Dyes in M&M's Candies 
Is Sugar Toxic?  
Big Sugar's Sweet Lies
Sugar and Aging: How to Fight Glycation
Study: Saccharin And Sugar Found More Addictive Than Cocaine.

What to do? 

Please allow me to introduce you the Halloween Gift Witch!

  • She exchanges a candy for a great gift.
  • You are allowed to take xx number of candy to keep, then put the rest in a bag, with a note to the Gift Witch.
  • Then in the morning, you get a gift and the candy is gone!


If you prefer, you could change the Witch to a Gift Goblin, really up to you :)

Also, please do encourage the school, neighbors and everyone you know to give out things like stickers, tattoos, pencils, erasers, bubbles, balloons, toys, etc... as candy alternatives.

Cool pdf link from Green Halloween and Non GMO Halloween:
http://www.greenhalloween.org/2011nongmoguide.pdf

6 Comments
jenambrose
29/10/2013 02:24:47 am

All great ideas!

Reply
Cathy
29/10/2013 08:03:59 am

What a great idea! But out of curiousity, what does the Gift Witch do with all the candy she collects?

Reply
Jacqueline (aka LantauMama)
29/10/2013 12:16:11 pm

Hi Cathy - well, to be honest, I throw them away. I am not a fan of junky E filled candy and prefer it go to nobody. But sometimes the kids take the initiative and give it to our helper.

Reply
Buckeroomama link
30/10/2013 04:05:24 am

This is brilliant idea. I cringe at the bags of candies the children get around this time of the year.

Reply
Dana
30/10/2013 01:42:32 pm

I half-jokingly told my 9 year old son that if he didn't go trick-or-treating this year we could go to a restaurant of his choice instead. Amazingly he took me up on this, and we are off to the Korean tomorrow for dinner! And he is my candy-crazy kid. I may have convinced two of the other three as well (depends what their friends are doing). The third will meet up with his friend who has changed schools, but has agreed to give away most of his candy. I guess all of our discussions about sugar over the past few weeks have paid off.

Reply
Jacqueline (aka LantauMama)
30/10/2013 03:26:00 pm

Dana, I love this! Please share your secrets in what discussions you have been having - clearly they worked.
Enjoy your family dinner, with your very smart kids (well done mama!)

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