31 Days of {Green!}Giveaways: Day #9
by Corey
Welcome to Day #9 of our
“31 days of {Green!} Giveaways“
Today’s question: Does the Halloween Fairy or Sugar Sprite come to your home on Halloween night? What are your techniques for keeping the fun, but losing the junk?
*Attention Facebook fans: Please answer as a comment on our blog, not our Facebook page in order to be entered to win!*
Today is day #9 of our month-long, trick-or-treating party for parents!
Just knock on our door (AKA blog) each day, answer the daily question (in lieu of shouting, “Trick or treat!” – although you are totally welcome to write that as well) and you’ll be entered to win some absolutely fabulous, ever-so-eco-friendly prizes.
Today’s prize package is worth $55!
From Green Party Goods, a box of 144 biodegradable, soy-ink straws (your choice of color) and a package of sustainably sourced Stripe Napkins. Value: $21. Ships to continental US only.
Gift certificate for (lead-free, mineral-based) Face Paints Set from Terrafirma Cosmetics. Value $24.99. Winner pays shipping.
Orange Vapur anti-bottle at LiveGreene. Value $9. Ships to continental US only.
Here’s how to enter:
1. Add your e-mail address to the comment login, below. (We cannot notify you if we don’t have your e-mail address!)
2. Add a comment (one per e-mail address) with your answer to the question above.
3. Comment must post before 11:59pm PST – TONIGHT
Be sure to review our giveaway rules here. Please note shipping limitations.
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Good luck & have FUN!
(See you tomorrow 
)
October 9th, 2011 at 5:55 am
I go through the Halloween-haul and take out extremely unhealthy candy and replace it with healthier options I had previously purchased. Usually they don’t even notice since they have so much candy when they come home, but I do try to keep a few of their favorites in the bag.
October 9th, 2011 at 6:25 am
I don’t take away any of the candy, but I do portion it so that my children do not go into a sugar coma.
October 9th, 2011 at 8:18 am
My children and I don’t go trick-or-treating, we instead do activities like apple-picking and berry-picking at Upick farms. That way, instead of getting a bunch of unhealthy candy, we can enjoy some family time in nature with healthy snacks.
October 9th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
I have always purchased organic, healthy snacks to offer the little “sprites”. The past few years, I have my local farmer’s market prepare individual snack size bags of organic fruit chips (apple and banana) and pumpkin seeds. Believe it or not, the kiddos love it, as do the ‘older kids’ as well!
Since my daughters are older, they enjoy getting into costume and handing out the “treats”. My girls and their friends have amazing ideas for costumes using recyclables (cardboard, plastic, etc..) They have an awesome theme this year using the “caps” from laundry detergent bottles* I have saved all year. (I have been sworn to secrecy as to the exact “usage” — lol) We also roast the pumpkin seeds from our pumpkins-the are delicious and there are endless spice varieties.
*I recycle the detergent bottles at my local recycle center and the “caps” are donated to our High School’s “Helping Eagles” Community Awareness Program (CAPS) The caps are made from a plastic and are recycled by weight. The monies earned from these recycled caps are utilized through “CAPS” in the form of donations to students and/or their families who are in need.
following blog, Facebook, and twitter.
my twitter/@spoiledmom
October 9th, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Yes, we call her the “Sprite’s Nite Fairy”. She brings a welcome & special gift (usually a craft item, for hand’s on fun) which she exchanges for collected candy. That way, children enjoy the fun & excitement of trick-or-treating, but don’t end up with all the unhealthy candy. In years’s past, the gift has included items like modeling clay, books or paint. Now that my daughter is older, books are still a favorite, along with organic cosmetics or henna.
October 9th, 2011 at 3:33 pm
I am not allowed to gert rid of the treats…so far. My entire family flipped when I told them we were doing Halloween differently this year. The kids just get so much candy that just ends up getting wasted. I would like to hand out non-toxic tattoos but we will have to see about that.
October 9th, 2011 at 3:57 pm
I let my kids pick out 20 pieces of candy from their stash, and then the rest gets donated to their school. The teachers handout candies to students in their after-school programs.
October 9th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Trick or treating for UNICEF is a great way to do something charitable and avoid collecting too much candy!
October 9th, 2011 at 4:32 pm
We don’t take our kids trick or treating. They have a party at school and we get a bag of candy, but it’s doled out a piece at a time for a couple of days then thrown out.
October 9th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
I live in the country, so we don’t get trick or treaters, therefore, I don’t have to buy candy. Yippee! We usually go the the main street Halloween festival in the nearby town and they have mostly toys rather than candy. What little candy we do end up with, we allow a piece or two a day and there’s usually not more than enough for two or three days (because mom and dad are eating it too
.
October 9th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
We just do a straight trade after they’ve inspected their haul. We trade for some kind of toy/game plus a few pieces of more natural/allergen-free sweets. No secret fairy’s or sprites on this holiday since the changes were made when they were older.
October 9th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
My kids are in a montessori school. They don’t allow sugary snacks at any time, so we take all natural treats for their Halloween celebration.
October 9th, 2011 at 6:16 pm
I allow my kids to donate their candy to organizations that help children who are less fortunate, and in turn I take them out to do something fun, such as river rafting, hiking, skiing, whatever they choose.
October 9th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
If you take the kids out early enough, you can recycle some of their candy by giving it to late-night trick or treaters after the kids go to bed…they’ll never know, and you’ll be saving money spent on buying candy!
October 9th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
UNICEF is a great organization to get involved with!
October 9th, 2011 at 7:43 pm
We donate the majority of the candy to a local dentist who sends it overseas and send some to my husband’s work for his co-workers =)
aleashinn(at)gmail(dot)com
October 9th, 2011 at 10:22 pm
The candy witch comes to our house. I leave it up to my kids though, they can request it, in which I put in our “order” by sending her a note we’d like her to come. They get a “thank-you” gift in return for giving up their candy.
We then usually compost it or let it sit for too long until it is stale and throw it away. I did use some of the taffy for decorating cupcakes last year though.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:25 pm
My little ones attend a Fall Festival and play games instead of trick or treating. If they win any candy as prizes, they trade it with me for healthy, organic “treats” & little fun non edible prizes, then I donate the candy.
October 9th, 2011 at 10:59 pm
Last year I bought the kids’ candy from them. With the money they made we went to Value Village and picked out toys.
Some years I have handed out fruit snacks. My mom used to make homemade popcorn balls. We have a long, gated driveway and so no one comes to our place now! We do hit up all our friends’ houses though.
Happy Halloween!
October 9th, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I pay my son ¢10 per candy. The next day he gets to go to the toy store and buy something he really wants. While trick or treating, I bring along a couple of pieces of candy w/no artificial flavoring, coloring or partially hydrogenated oils. He actually thinks that most candy is repulsive. That is what happens when you keep them away from it when they are young.
October 10th, 2011 at 9:32 am
Alternative activities– outside to play, pumpkin/apple picking, games…
October 11th, 2011 at 6:47 pm
Congratulations to Alea Shinn for being selected (via random.org) as the winner for Giveaway day #9.
And thank you to everyone for the great suggestions on how to loose the junk on Halloween. Some of these ideas are really smart!
Check back daily for more great giveaways. Happy Fall!
Mo
October 12th, 2011 at 6:37 pm
We make festive holiday treats from healthy ingredients.