Healthy Halloween {but still fun!}

I’m so thrilled to be in NY for Halloween–primarily because I’ll get to see my favorite little people in costumes! Last year, I handed out candy, but I also did an experiment on my unsuspecting trick-or-treaters. I was teaching a nutrition class at the time, and I had my students do this experiment too (I also gave them a choice to do something else in case it wasn’t practical to do the “study”).

Here’s what we did…

Make cute little jack-o-lanterns out of clementines.

Offer kids both candy and jack-o-lanterns.

Tally how many take each (let them take one of each if they want to).

The jack-o-lanterns won in my experiment! The littlest kids were the most excited about them–probably because they actually thought they were little pumpkins. Many kids took one of each, but more kids took a friggin’ orange than a piece of candy alone!

Yes. This did restore my faith in human beings.

I also made these to decorate my front porch with—jack-o-peppers. They were cute. I’d do it again if I was going to have trick-or-treaters this year.

 

I’m not really the type to be super excited about Halloween, but I did enjoy this experiment (and the peppers!) last year. Like I said above, I’d do this again if I was somewhere receiving trick-or-treaters this year.

I don’t plan to dress up this year, and honestly, I’m not sure if my loves will really be trick-or-treating with the hurricane activities impacting us this week. But I was informed yesterday that if it’s too horrible outside to trick-or-treat, we’d just set up candy stations in each room in my friend’s house…so the kids could at least trick-or-treat room to room. I’m all for it. Last time I trick-or-treated (2 yrs ago) it was freezing!

News/Notes: My stuff was moved today. The movers were just 8 hours late (due to weather), and I felt bad for them having to move things out into the awful weather. However, my move was really super easy. I had 11 bins of “stuff” plus a few pieces of furniture and my bike. I was ready and waiting (all day), which turned out to be ok—I graded millions of papers and was super productive while I waited.

I won’t lie, it’s really sad for me to hit this milestone of having my “stuff” moved—It’s on its way to NYC to catch a train to CA. I haven’t talked much (at all?) about what I’m leaving here, but I just want to say that it’s not easy. I’m positive and hopeful and excited, but I’m also sad. Additionally, today is the 9th anniversary of my sister’s death, which feels kind of symbolic with all of this change (and even the hurricane!).

I’m not feeling quite as mad today as I usually do on this date—I don’t expect anyone to recognize or remember it, and honestly this year almost no one acknowledged it. Just a couple friends. If you’ve ever lost someone close to you, you might understand why that is sad–that someone can be forgotten, sure. But mostly because it means this is really over—it is all in the past. It might seem obvious that life has gone on after nine years, but I do still have to check myself on it too—remembering how long it has been, and the future feels really lonely without her. It feels good when life is less sad, but then it also feels sad that it’s been a few years since I’ve picked up the phone to call her before realizing what I was doing.

It’s just another lesson in being blissful and sad all at once. I’m so glad I am at a place where I can do that—I feel like I’m honoring her and also living life at the same time.

Oh! And Matthew’s birthday 🙂 He had the best day. I talked about it on facebook a little bit, and posted a pic of him on my wall too. I was supposed to see him this afternoon, but then I couldn’t because my movers were so late. He called me though, and out of all the great things he got for his birthday, he chose to wear the Santa Monica sweatshirt I bought him to school today. My heart melted a bit. I may not be able to visit all of my friends while I’m in NY this week, but I will surely spend as much time as I can with that boy.

What do you do for Halloween?

Have you ever moved across the country? (or a long distance)

Are you livin’ in the hurricane?!