Ever heard of the ‘Candy Witch’?

It may be safe to assume that most parents dread the aftermath of Halloween: bags full of sugary candies devoured by small mouths smeared with chocolate, wrappers strewn around the floor,

My youngest joyfully eating stolen candy, with an upset sister looking on

and then.... the GREMLINS that come to visit.

These children who the night before had disguised themselves as angels or princesses all of a sudden turn to bickering gremlins, that cannot be consoled. And the catalyst is found in their tummies -- the load of candy they had consumed.

I've tried all sorts of tricks throughout the years to rid my otherwise fairly peaceful home of those post-Halloween-gremlins, from sending the candy to Tonga to hiding it on a top shelf (only to be eaten by us parents -- shame) to slowly throwing it away. But I have to admit, it did come with some guilt. After all, the girls were so excited about their collected bounty.

And then one Halloween I discovered a way to get rid of them in a way that made us all happy: The Candy Witch.

The Candy Witch moves with just as much speed as Santa Claus, and as she has almost the opposite characteristics as Santa, I think it's safe to assume she lives at the south pole. Flying around stealthily on her broomstick the night of November 1st, she sneaks into each house. If there is a pile of candy on the table with a note to the Candy Witch, she takes the treasure trove of candy and leaves a Halloween-y gift or two in its place.

IF YOU LEAVE AND A NOTE

You get a GIFT!!!!

Ironically, she has left in her path Halloween gifts that are very similar to those highly discounted "after Halloween" products at the store ....

My daughters now look forward to getting as much candy as they can get their paws on, not so they can eat them, (though I let them pick out a certain number for themselves) but so they can leave some for the Candy Witch. Both my oldest daughters are astounded that the Candy Witch seems to only go to our house and not their friends.

If only their friends knew to leave their candy on a table with a note to the Candy Witch....

(If you are fortunate enough to have the Candy Witch visit you at your house, you may suggest this book by David Carter. We love his creative buggy pop-up books!)

Halloween Bugs: A Trick or Treat Pop Up Book (Bugs in a Box Books)