Worst…Treat…Ever
Tonight was our neighborhood’s annual Halloween Hayride. I live in a really unique neighborhood of approximately 40 homes on lots anywhere from 1 to 5 acres each. It’s a great place to live, especially if you have kids. It’s basically a giant cul-de-sac with 2 small cul-de-sacs branching off of the main one. There is only one way in and one way out of the neighborhood, so we don’t have any thru traffic. As I said, a great place to raise a family. One of the only drawbacks to living here is that there are no street lights and no sidewalks. About 15 years ago some neighbors got together and decided it would be great to have all the kids pile onto the back of a trailer lined with bales of hay, and drive around the neighborhood and all trick or treat together. It provides safety for the kids and is a great way to get to know your neighbors. As an added bonus, rather than answering your door several times a night, you only have the one onslaught of kids, then you can put the candy away, and call it a night. It’s awesome. My kids love it, and they get some really great candy and treats. Last year, one neighbor was giving out FULL SIZED SNICKERS BARS — Awesome. So, I just sat down to go through my daughter’s treat bag. As a good mom, it’s important that I check to see if any of the candy is tainted and to remove any of the strawberry twizzlers and keep them for myself. Motherhood has its privileges. So, I grab a handful of stuff, lay it down on the counter and spot this: 
Now, don’t get me wrong. I understand that some health conscience people like to give out healthy alternatives such as pretzels, oranges and other crap that kids don’t like to get. Halloween themed pencils are also a good choice if you don’t want to give candy. But people, Halloween is not a re-gifting holiday. While it may be tempting to go through your junk drawer and spread the wealth to your neighbor’s kids, it’s just not in the spirit of the holiday. Not that I’m against re-gifting — I have done it myself. (Of course, I’ve never re-gifted to any of my wonderful friends that read this blog, but you know, some other people.) Anyway, who thinks to themselves, “What 3 to 10 year old child wouldn’t be delighted to receive a Ricky Martin Livin’ La Vida Loca mini keychain?”
I’m going to do a bit of undercover investigating around the neighborhood. Christmas will be here sooner than you think, and while I will give out wonderful homemade candy to many of neighbors, the giver of this little Halloween trinket will be re-gifted a small, beautifully wrapped box with a card that simply says: “Feliz Navidad”.
