Avoid Being Burned...Check the Date

Does sunscreen go bad?  According to Mayo Clinic most bottles have a three year shelf life.  I always thought I needed to throw mine away and start fresh each swimsuit season, what about you?  That's a sure savings if you go through sunscreen as much as my family does and then toss the leftover bottles at the end of swim season.  I buy all sorts face, stick, spray and rub-on varieties. I am not usually brand-marked either. I go for the water/sweat proof varieties and those made specifically for the face.

So, if you were wondering if your sunblock is still working for you and doesn't have an expiration date on it (and it's not soupy, gloppy, and have an unpleasant odor), go for it!

What is your favorite type of sunscreen?

Halloween Candy Taking Over....10 Tips on Getting Rid of It.

Leftover Halloween Candy Taking Over Your Home? 10 Ways to Get Rid of It.

There is a bowl of Halloween candy that we have aquired from various stops through October.  It now sits and stares at me {struggle}, and the questions and whining haven't stopped-"Can I have a piece of candy?"  We allowed the big boy to pick out his 20 most favorite items and bag it up.  He is allowed to have one piece a day in conjunction with his school behavior [which warrents a piece each day since he is the "golden boy"].  I don't have a problem with that as I want him to enjoy all the fun he had getting it from the farm, fall festival and a few houses on Halloween night.  However, the rest of it must go...Many parents have this same dilemma.  So here are a few ideas on how to deal with leftover Halloween candy.

• Save it for making a gingerbread house for Christmas.  Our family makes a gingerbread house in early December each year, using Halloween candies for decoration.  Our gingerbread house each year is just for decoration.  Quite frankly, after it has been sitting out for a few weeks gathering dust, no one thinks of eating it.  You could make several gingerbread houses and use them for gifts.
• Allow your children the option of trading in their candy for small toys or stickers from the dollar store.  Set a "price" for each item in pieces of candy.  For example your child can "buy" a sheet of stickers for 10 pieces of candy.
• Participate in the Halloween Candy Buy Back.  Participating dentists purchase Halloween candy from children for $1 a pound and then send it to soldiers stationed overseas.  This would be a nice way to  bring a bit of joy to a soldier serving our country.
• You can also send it to troops overseas through Operation Shoebox.
• Donate it to a local homeless shelter, Red Cross emergency shelter, women's shelter, or nursing home.  Some may accept candy for their staff, or to pass out to their residents.  Be sure to call first to check.   This could be a great way to encourage your children to think of others.
• Send it in to your child's class for their reward jar. While I don't agree with the policy, some teacher's think candy is great for a reward jar.  By donating leftover Halloween candy to their classroom, at least it saves the teacher from having to buy it out of their own pocket.
• Turn leftover Halloween candy into a fun learning activity. Visit Candy Exeriments for all sorts of fun ways to turn the leftovers into a learning experience for your kids.
• Encourage creativity in your kids and use the candy for crafts.   Allow the kids to create mosaics from the non-melting candy.  Provide a few basic craft supplies and some glue then let your kids go nuts.
• Freeze some of the chocolate candy and use it throughout the year to jazz up cookies and other baking..
• Send it into the office with a parent.  It will disappear quickly!

I have a few recipes in the near future that I will bag some up and save for, but as for our house...it's time to say good bye.