December is here and I still have Halloween candy. I can’t get myself to part from the loot my children collected in October.
Of course, it is no longer their loot. It’s mine. I hid the bucket in an undisclosed location. Yesterday, I almost got caught eating a Kit Kat. My daughter walked into the bedroom and saw me huddled over in my closet. “What are you doing, mom?” I quickly chewed the last bit of crisp wafer. “Oh nothing,” I said. “Just trying to find a scarf.” Fortunately, the evidence was gone. Except for the empty Kit Kat wrapper on the floor. Lolli didn’t notice.
This is NOT the right way to eat a Kit Kat!
All this leftover candy is making me crazy. Nonsensical.
I just can’t get the nerve to physically dump the Halloween candy in the trash. Even though the candy is nearly sixty days old. I feel like it’s a waste to throw perfectly good chocolate away. Let me back up for a minute. What I meant to say was, I cannot, will NOT, throw out a single Kit Kat bar. Unless, of course, there is mold on one of the bars. In which case, I might eat around it.
Kit Kat bars are my favorite Halloween candy. Shoot, they are my favorite candy no matter what the occasion. These chocolate wafers make other candy bars seem insignificant. Although I gotta admit, Resees Peanut Butter Cups are a close second. The point is, there is a pumpkin pail perched in my closet, filled with an amazing assortment of Halloween candy. And I am struggling to get rid of it. Especially the 26 uneaten Kit Kat bars. Yes, I counted each one of them.
So, there you have it. The reason I cannot pitch the Halloween candy. Those gosh darn Kit Kats.
Please help. I need to know when the rest of you throw out Halloween candy. Or, do you still have a secret stash?
I have a few pieces left, but not many. Husbandio, on the other hand, gets a box or two of Turtles every year at Christmas and he makes them last ALL YEAR. I don’t own that kind of restraint. I believe that the best place to hide chocolate is IN MY MOUTH.
Posted by mylifeisthebestlife | December 11, 2012, 6:16 amHusbandio clearly deserves an award! I don’t know a single woman that could make a box of chocolate or bottle of wine last an entire YEAR. There’s no waiting when it comes to our guilty pleasures!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 6:24 amI’ve never had a bottle of wine that would last an entire NIGHT…
Posted by mylifeisthebestlife | December 11, 2012, 6:25 amI wonder if there is a Husbandio Award for that kind of restraint on this blog?! lol… with all the AWARDS going around… I am sure somone has come up with one… teehhheee… great post!
Posted by coastalmom | December 11, 2012, 6:26 amI think you’re onto something here, Diane. What’s one more award? Especially when it’s for exercising restraint. Let’s put it this way, I would NEVER be nominated in this category!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 6:30 amThanx for an excellent blog!!! I admire your constraint – it’s December and you still have all that candy left?!? If we celebrated Halloween in South Africa, my stash would not even earn “stash – status” due to the fact that it would be wiped out by end October for sure!!!!
Posted by critterlover | December 11, 2012, 6:17 amHa ha! I like that–your stash wouldn’t even earn “stash status.” Okay, you’re making me feel a lot better about myself. Now I won’t feel guilty for eating a Kit Kat bar or TWO everyday. Glad you stopped by for a visit!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 6:33 amMy kids’ Halloween candy is currently sitting in the candy jar on my desk at work. There is a Milky Way calling to me at this moment!
Posted by Kelly | December 11, 2012, 6:22 amOh, YUM! Treat yourself to that Milky Way. Especially if it’s the bite sized one. You won’t feel so guilty. By the way, Kelly, I am thrilled to learn that I’m not the only one who still has Halloween candy laying around! We might as well keep it till the new year, right?
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 6:27 am
Posted by tiny lessons blog | December 11, 2012, 6:52 amEw . . . I know what you mean about the white spots. Definitely time to throw out candy when you see those markings. Maybe I should just try closing my eyes like you did. Probably a less painful way to say goodbye to the chocolate!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 8:52 amMy kids hide their Halloween candy from me now! I have never made it as long as you have so you definitely shouldn’t feel bad. I have never found an expiration date on chocolate…or maybe it was never around long enough to be relevant!
Posted by Gardengirl | December 11, 2012, 7:27 amOh no! I can’t bear the thought of my kids hiding their loot for me. Halloween candy is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. Maybe because I didn’t actually purchase the candy for myself. I view the candy pail as an open invitation.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 8:29 amThe only reply possible, “I’m not the only one!!!!!!!”
I’ve stepped up my Halloween candy eating over the last week, because, yanno, I have to not feel guilty buying Christmas candy for the stockings. 
Posted by mrs fringe | December 11, 2012, 8:13 amI like your thinking, Mrs. Fringe. You just helped erase ALL my guilt! Now, may I ask–what is your favorite Halloween candy?
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 8:18 amI’m torn,Snickers are always up there, but I’m currently having an hourly rendezvous with chocolate covered Riesens.
Posted by mrs fringe | December 11, 2012, 8:23 amBwahahahaha!!!! You’re a kid at heart!!! But why not add to your addiction…:
http://www.mikesblender.com/kit%20kat_strawberry.jpg
They have these in Japan! I wonder if they are sold here…just for you!
Posted by Mustang.Koji | December 11, 2012, 8:19 amOh, wow! I’ve never heard of those candies. Are they like taffy? If so, I’m sold!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 8:22 amNope! They are KIt Kats but with a strawberry flavor…and there are others! My oldest son bought a whole bunch at the Haneda Airport before we boarded.
Posted by Mustang.Koji | December 11, 2012, 8:25 amAre you kidding? Strawberry covered Kit Kats, even better! That’s amaaaaazing!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 8:26 amKit Kat’s are my favorite too! But I am not sure I could eat around mold! Hahah
Posted by DressedinMYcloset | December 11, 2012, 9:13 amAnother Kit Kat fan. Whoo hoo! As for the mold, I’d have to be VERY desperate for chocolate in order to eat around it. There are days I crave chocolate so badly that I just might consider taking the plunge!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:12 amYou have kit kats, I have gummy bears hiding away from the kids
I would even go that far to call it an addiction! If we had more jelly beans around here in Greece, they would come no2. Don’t get me wrong, I love kit kats, it is just that I am already totally full (to the point where I already feel the sugar grinding my teeth) in order to inhale some chocolate on top of that. Don’t you worry though, where would all the fun be if we did not have our little secret stashes to put a smile on our face??
Posted by wonderlandbytatu | December 11, 2012, 10:10 amYes, yes and yes! My affinity for Kit Kats are like an addiction. As for the gummy bears and jelly beans, those are my hubby’s favorite types of candy. I am a die hard FAN of chocolate! Just have to get better about taking it in small doses. Otherwise I will feel the “sugar grinding on my teeth” as well. Yuck! Glad you stopped by Tatu. Hope all is well!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:42 amIf those Kit Kat bars find a new home inside your Christmas stocking then
Enjoy!
a) it is recycling and that is a good thing. Everyone says so and b) you can hold on to them for another 60 days entirely guilt free because now they are no longer Halloween candy, but Christmas candy and everybody knows that you are allowed to keep Christmas candy well into March!
Posted by Wineness | December 11, 2012, 10:25 amThat is perfect!
Posted by Gardengirl | December 11, 2012, 10:31 amDefinitely a win:win situation. Great tip! A totally GUILT-FREE solution.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 10:34 amI hide candy too well. I forget where I put it and find it many months later, under the assumption that it is then rancid, I toss it. So sad. So, so sad. – __ -
Posted by cheerupitsraining | December 11, 2012, 11:47 amAw, that is kind of sad. But you’re probably better off NOT knowing where you hid the stash. Just think how much processed sugar you are eliminating from your diet by forgetting!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:14 amwe still have ours, but then, we also still have a few chocolate bunnies from easter too
Posted by Barbara @ Just Another Manic Mommy | December 11, 2012, 1:04 pmWow, Barbara! You beat me! Our chocolate bunnies from Easter are long gone. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a few jelly beans hidden in my daughter’s pj drawer!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:18 amha!ha! Yes, we still have some left (hidden), but like you I leave the chocolate for me!
I found a recipe online last year on what to do with all these chocolate and candy at houseanhome.com (section video), but haven’t tried it yet! 
btw, you are so funny! 
Posted by now at home mom | December 11, 2012, 3:04 pmOf course, you would have a recipe that turns leftover Halloween chocolate into a fabulous dish. You are the queen of DIY! Maybe next year you can try the recipe and let us know how it turns out!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:36 amOh! Thank you!
if I do, I will! 
Posted by now at home mom at home mom | December 13, 2012, 3:38 pmAnyone who still has a Halloween Kit Kat in their house in December has remarkable willpower!
Posted by All Seasons Cyclist | December 11, 2012, 3:41 pmGosh, thanks! I’m starting not to feel so bad about my secret stash. Maybe I really do have more willpower than I thought!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:21 amI couldn’t do it! I intentionally don’t purchase any chocolate for Halloween in hopes I’ll only have to show restraint with the chocolate my kids get during the hunt. I have zero willpower! No way I could keep that stuff around. I would be found on the floor closet in a chocolate induced coma! Great post!
Posted by littlemisswordy | December 11, 2012, 3:51 pmHa! I can see it now . . . you on the floor in a chocolate induced coma. That’s a great word picture. And yes, chocolate in the house IS dangerous. I just feel it’s my duty to eat the candy and not throw it out. I might ask my husband to do the honors instead!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:25 amLOL! My kids, my husband and I sat down this past Saturday night and enjoyed what little was left of the goodies my kids brought home Halloween night. I am so happy to see it go. Just before Halloween 2012, we still had a small bag of Halloween 2011 candy in our pantry. I’m with you on this. I could never throw out perfectly good candy or chocolate. That’s just wrong.
Posted by Nancy | December 11, 2012, 5:17 pmOh, good! I’m not the only ONE who refuses to throw out chocolate. That’s funny that your family recently finished off remaining treats from Halloween. My kids think I dumped their candy pails long ago. Perhaps that’s why I feel so guilty, because I’ve been hiding a secret stash from them!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 5:22 pmI laughed out loud all the way through this! How funny :^D
I can’t imagine my kids collecting enough candy that it would last this long. I mean, there’s no “throwing it out”. It just all gets devoured… and disturbingly quickly.
Really, you are a funny person, and a great writer. Count me as a new fan.
Posted by dinkerson | December 11, 2012, 5:28 pmSounds like you and your family REALLY like eating Halloween candy too! I’m assuming it gets devoured even before Thanksgiving rolls around. Probably better that way because you need to make room for Christmas treats. Thanks for stopping by!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 8:30 amthe answer is – you don’t throw out halloween candy – you eat it all!! i still have some left. yes – i – it is all mine and i am secretly eating it day by day. (cue crazy laugh) Ahahahahaaha!!
Posted by icescreammama | December 11, 2012, 7:40 pmI like your thinking! Your evil laugh is even better. Of course, the candy is ALL ours. How else are moms supposed to reward themselves for a hard day at work?
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 11, 2012, 7:54 pmwell, ya huh, and what better way to dress up your ice cream.
Posted by icescreammama | December 11, 2012, 7:56 pmGiggles! I usually eat it for a couple weeks and then forget about it until Halloween rolls around the next year. Ewwwwww!
Posted by Running from Hell with El | December 11, 2012, 9:02 pmOh no! You actually forgot about the candy. I don’t think that would ever happen in my house. Though right about now, because I’ve eaten so much chocolate, I do wish I would’ve forgotten about my stash! Probably best if I lay off the Kit Kats until Christmas. Maybe even Easter!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:38 pmAnka, my kids’ candy was gone very very quickly, helped by their dad. My husband eats a lot of candy, too. It was gone pretty fast, I’m afraid I can’t help out here. In fact, we’re now buying Christmas candy. There’s still candy, always!
Posted by The Bumble Files | December 11, 2012, 10:57 pmSo, your pumpkin pails have been empty for quite some time. I’m sure my husband would’ve helped make the chocolate disappear quickly too, but I didn’t extend him an invitation. Maybe next year, I’ll show him my secret stash!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:33 pmMake the most of the time you have left – that’s my advice. Savour every Kit Kat you can get now, because the time will come when even if you hide the wrappers, she’ll smell it on your breath. At least, that has been my experience….
Posted by charlotterose | December 12, 2012, 3:09 amGreat advice, Charlotte! I should savor the moments I have alone with my Kit Kats. I didn’t even consider the possibility of my children detecting chocolate on my breath. I would be caught red handed in that case!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:19 pmI am a chocoholic too! I don’t think about how old it is…I just eat away! Enjoy!
Posted by go Mama O | December 12, 2012, 5:36 amYay! I’m not ALONE. I never think about the expiration date either. I just see chocolate goodness and eat away too. Nothing is going to come between me and my Kit Kat bar!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:21 pmKit Kats…mmmmmm. I have a real problem with keeping chocolate in my house because I eat ALL of it. So about a week or two after Halloween, my husband takes the remaining candy into his school; teachers and kids gobble it up so I don’t have to. My waistline thanks me…until those Christmas cookies appear. Then all bets are off!!!
Posted by whencrazymeetsexhaustion | December 12, 2012, 7:01 amOne smart lady! You already have an exit plan in motion. Perhaps I shall consider graciously donating the candy next Halloween. I’m sure my waistline would thank me too!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:25 pmFunny you should mention Halloween candy. The kid’s bags have been stashed away in my room this whole time so I could dole it out occasionally. Just yesterday I packaged it all up and put it away on a top cupboard in the kitchen. They clearly don’t need anymore candy this time of year with all the Christmas sweets being handed out. But I can’t for the life of me just throw it away. I know for a fact that most of this does not go bad because I do this every year…and if it does get a little stale the kids don’t notice! I’ll bring out the candy bag later in the winter or spring when there is no other treats floating around!! Definitely keep the Kit Kats and devour away my little Baby Ruth (those are my favorites!!)
Posted by motherhoodisanart | December 12, 2012, 7:41 amI’m with you, Melissa. I can’t for the life of me THROW out chocolate either. Sounds like you’re a Halloween candy hoarder too. It’s always nice to have a small stash of candy at your disposal, right? But, I must confess, the Baby Ruth’s are already gone. Along with the Almond Joys, another personal favorite!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 13, 2012, 9:27 amThat is one massive bite out of that Kit-Kat! Lol.
Posted by bequoted | December 12, 2012, 6:15 pmSuper HUGE bite, isn’t it? That’s not how I eat my Kit Kat bars. I break them off one wafer at a time!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 12, 2012, 10:22 pmTag – You’re it! Check out the details here: http://wedelmom.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/christmas-wishes/
Join the fun!
Posted by wedelmom | December 12, 2012, 6:19 pmThanks, friend! I will check it out.
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 13, 2012, 8:19 amWe only took Li’l D to a few houses, so his total stash was maybe 30 pieces. For the first week, he enjoyed dumping out his bag of loot and picking out one piece daily. After that, he got bored of it, so we’ve still got half of the bag. (I say “half” because I’ve asked him to have a few pieces, which he’s impatiently told me is fine.)
I’ll keep the candy for some time to come, seeing as most of my candy in childhood was bought from dollar stores already expired. :p
Posted by Deborah the Closet Monster | December 13, 2012, 8:59 amI can picture the look on your little guy’s face when mommy asked for a piece of HIS candy. I’m sure it was similar to my three year old son’s expression. Role reversal at its finest. In all fairness, it is THEIR candy and the proper thing to do is get permission. As for the expiration date, I probably need to put on my glasses to notice that marking on a candy wrapper. Apparently, my contacts aren’t strong enough. Hope you and your men are doing well, Deborah!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 13, 2012, 2:56 pmGuilty here too. We still have two buckets. At this point, I have started taking it to work and passing it out to crabby kids and teachers…. a survival method to get us to the holiday break!
Posted by Kerry's Organized Chaos | December 16, 2012, 2:51 pmPassing out leftover Halloween treats is a great idea! I can’t think of a better way to get out of a crabby mood than by receiving a piece of candy. By the way, you totally beat me with your TWO buckets. I was feeling bad for still have one bucket remaining!
Posted by Keeping it Real | December 16, 2012, 9:17 pmLove this. Love it.
Posted by st sahm | January 6, 2013, 6:55 am