Halloween is (sadly) now over. The decorations are taken down, the haunted house attractions have left town, and the pumpkin patches have all but disappeared. Yet, one thing still remains; your Halloween candy.
We get A LOT, and I mean A LOT of candy around Halloween season, and once the festivities are all said and done, there is still a massive pile of chocolate and licorice and sweets left in your home. Well, it turns out, that pile opens up a world of possibilities!
1. Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Cookie
Take your traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe, but instead of chocolate chips, throw your leftover Reese's, Milky Ways, Snickers, etc. in instead! (maybe skip the Skittles, Starburst, or Twizzlers, I don't know if non-chocolate or caramel candy would taste as well) I have done this before and it is SO GOOD!
2. Give it to your friends as gifts.
Hear me out, you can definitely make this one thoughtful. Sneakily find out your friend's favorite candy or type of candy and create a little care package with all of their favorites! Plus it serves as a great little pick-me-up if your friend is having a bad day.
3. Make art!
I'm serious, you could make a "painting" out of different colored Skittles, melt lollipops to create some seriously cool pottery and sculptures, or even these adorable Candy Bar Pups from Handmade Charlotte!
4. Did you get a lot of peppermints this year? Well, save them and make this really cool bowl!
Perfect for storing the rest of that leftover candy, or even some peppermint bark come Christmas season! Found out how to make them here.
5. Make some sweet candy puns!
Now, I'm kind of a Nerd when it comes to puns, and often get a lot of Snickers from the crowd, but these jokes will give you Mounds of joy and be a Life-Saver at a Halloween party. Plus they make for some pretty sweet cards, a perfect opportunity to put all those candy wrappers to use!
6. Sell them
I mean seriously, just walk around with a plastic bag and charge like a dollar or fifty cents or something cheap like that, and BAM, you've got a business! Even better, wait for a month or so when everyone else runs out of Halloween candy, then make your rounds. I mean, you got the candy for free so anything you do make will be a profit regardless.
7. Did someone say pranks???
Stick some candy bars in the most random places ever to confuse your friends/family, make candy apples with an onion, fill a bowl with M&Ms, Skittles, and Reese's Pieces but tell no one, the list goes on and on.
8. Put out a super nice candy bowl for all your suitemates, guests, and/or family to enjoy
Who doesn't love coming into a room and being offered a sweet treat? Or just grabbing one on the go when you need a little pick me up throughout the day?
9. Use them as board game pieces
If you have never lost a piece to a board game in your life, I applaud you, but if you are part of the 99% that have opened up a game only to realize that there are suddenly very few options for your game piece, then a small, wrapped Snickers or Reese's Cup make for a great substitute. Plus now you have a treat that you can reward yourself with if you win or comfort yourself if you lose.
10. Make candy a key part of Thanksgiving dessert
I mean there's already pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and cookies on the table, why not throw in a few Butterfingers or Starburst to brighten up the dinner table? Plus, aren't Pumpkin Spice M&M's a thing? They'd pair perfectly!!!
11. Share your opinions about Candy Corn
So I did not know this, but apparently, this classic Halloween treat is actually a pretty controversial food! This Candy Corn day (October 30th), Twitter was the battleground of many a candy corn debate over the actual taste value of this sweet.
12. Trade with your friends!
To be honest, this was always one of my favorite parts of trick-or-treating (but is equally as fun if you didn't trick-or-treat, just now have copious amounts of candy). Coming back home, putting on a cheesy Halloween movie, and going through my spoils with my friends. Got some candy you don't like, but you can't stop eyeing your friend's giant Hershey's bar? Then make a trade before all the good stuff is gone!
13. Play LCR
Swap the game chips for candy and you're golden! LCR is soooo fun, but don't worry if you don't know how to play, you can find the rules here.
14. Who needs Venmo when you've got candy?
As long as you're friend is cool with it, you can never go wrong with chocolate.
15. Donate! Donate! Donate!
Operation Gratitude gives Jeep to Soldier in IraqOperation Gratitude is a wonderful organization that accepts candy donations to ship to troops overseas, with an aim to put a smile on soldier's faces. Participants even have the chance to write a handwritten thank you note to those they are helping, creating an even more personalized donation.
16. Save your teeth!
Many dentists offices will now give you toothbrushes, floss, etc for your leftover Halloween candy. This candy will often go overseas to troops, like the aforementioned Operation Gratitude, or wherever else the office seems fit, but either way, your teeth are saved from all the sugar you've otherwise eaten this time of year.
17. Eat it!
I mean all these ideas are fine and dandy, but the bottom line is, candy is really good. And now you have a lot of it. So enjoy it! Life is short and candy makes you happy, and that's truly what matters in the grand scheme of things, calories be damned.
Now, where is the Christmas music?
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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