Having a Candy Hangover?

Congratulations! If you're reading this, then that means you haven't over-dosed on candy, you've recovered from a sugar high, or just simply that you're still here and breathing. In any case, welcome to The Creative Cabana where you can breathe and relax because the holiday rush is over... oh wait. We still have Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. WHO AM I KIDDING? We are just getting started with the holiday season! Well for the moment just relax and take a breather to acknowledge one holiday down, three to go.

I hope your Halloween was amazing and filled with lots of great fun. As for me, I didn't do much of my usual Halloween activities- I did decorate a few weeks ago, but as an unemployed and broke college graduate your choice of social activities are very limited. Plus, trick-or-treat around my home was questionable this year. I currently live in Columbus, Ohio and last night there were reports of some wicked (no pun intended) storms in the area. Some of the communities had to delay trick-or-treat to keep the kids and adults safe. So I just went out for pizza with my family, came home and watched Dracula with my Mom. Oh and when I say I watched Dracula, I'm talking about the Bela Lugosi version. For it being a 1930s movie, I appreciate the effort that was put into it, and I understand it's a classic, but I gotta say I was somewhat disappointed. The scenes just dragged, there was very little music, and I couldn't help but laugh at Dracula's random, awkward expressions in the camera. But, I digress, I'm not here to talk about Dracula. I wanted to share some ideas with you for transitioning from Halloween to Thanksgiving.

The thing about Thanksgiving is that unlike other holidays, Thanksgiving isn't quite so IN YOUR FACE! It's definitely a more casual, relaxed, and family-oriented holiday which is nice for people who aren't into the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating, and extravagant partying. So as you're taking down your Halloween decorations, keep out anything that would make cute decor for Thanksgiving- plain pumpkins, scarecrows, fall harvest baskets, etc. Obviously you don't want your singing skeleton or grim-reaper table top still out for Thanksgiving, but if you have any decorations that can be recycled for your family get-together then keep them out! This can save time and money, and trust me when I say some people don't think to just reuse their non-scary generic decorations.
      

Now what to do about leftover food... the simple solution is to take the food to work, school, club meetings, whatever you're involved in and have everyone else feast on your delicious treats. Another idea, a little bit more charitable, would be to give the food to non-profit organizations or shelters who can distribute the food to people who need it. This is especially good if you have tons of unopened candy bags. For some kids beggar's night is every night, so help the community give these kids a little something sweet!

Now the ultimate question is what to do with your Halloween pumpkins? In my personal experience, when I've had pumpkins mine have usually lasted 'til about Thanksgiving, weather permitting, before they start to rot. However, not all pumpkins are created equal, so here's some other ideas if you don't want to keep it around. If you haven't decorated your pumpkin with paints, markers, or other decorative tools then you can still cook and eat your pumpkin. Just make sure to clean your pumpkin really good and then take the seeds to either eat or grow more pumpkins for next year!

You can also use your pumpkin to make good fertilizer. Simply throw it into the compost heap or bury it to help enrich the soil if you have a garden. If none of these options sound good, then simply throw it in the trash- preferably in a bag! Otherwise your pumpkin will rot in the trash and can leaving a nasty mess with a horrible smell!

By doing these activities you're saving money, helping the community, and making less trouble for yourself down the road. If you've got more tips to share for Halloween clean-up then be sure to leave a comment in the box below or on any of The Creative Cabana's social media sites. Enjoy your Friday and get ready to ring in the weekend!

*All images used in this post were gathered from Google Images. I do not own "Dracula" or have the rights to the films, books, or have any connection with Bela Lugosi. No Copyright Infringement Intended.