Chances are you have quite a bit of Halloween candy left over. Even if trick or treating may not be something you’ve done in several years, the candy still seems to come out of nowhere and tends to stay around for much too long. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, and the winter holidays following that, it’s probably a good idea to say no to all the extra sugar. Instead of letting all of that candy sit there and beg you to indulge in one more chocolate, which always leads to five, try getting rid of it in one of these non-wasteful ways!
1. Send your Parents a Care Package
They mail you goodies, so put together a small box full of fun things and send it just because! Bonus points if you add a nice picture of you, a nice note, a fun Auburn bumper sticker, or a copy of The Plainsman to keep them updated.
2. Make Trail Mix
The best trail mix perfectly balances sweet and salty and there’s plenty of sweet to go around! It’s a very simple snack to make and you can add whatever you like but if you don’t know where to start, try mixing nuts, dried fruit, pretzels, and something sweet like chocolate chips or M&Ms.
3. Fill a Shoebox
There are lots of organizations that allow you to put together a shoebox full of fun items for children in need. Many of them allow candy to be included, but be sure that you read their guidelines so you don’t send something the children won’t be able to have. You can go to Operation Christmas Child, found here, and Christmas Boxes, found here, to give to good organizations to help you get involved! Operation Shoebox even delivers to troops so check out their website too!
4. Donate to Charity
Many charities accept candy donations so check with the local nursing homes, food pantries, veteran’s homes or shelters. You do something good for the community and you put a smile on someone’s face. Make sure ahead of time to see if the charities accept only certain candies. Some places do not accept chocolate or sweets that aren’t packaged a certain way but there is a lot they will take so just do your research!
5. Bake a Cake
Bake sales, birthdays, and holidays are always coming up so make something your friends will love! A simple cake can be dressed up very easily and can make you seem like the expert baker. You can always freeze your candy too so that it’ll stay good for a long time. It’s not too early to plan for that gingerbread house you’ll be decorating soon!