Have You Heard of the Switch Witch?

Either I'm the only person around who hasn't heard of the Switch Witch or this is a relatively new-ish concept. In a nutshell, some clever parents came up with a way to do away with the sugar overload that frequently comes with Halloween. I like the idea because it doesn't completely eliminate the fun of trick-or-treating or try to convince the general population to hand out fruit and toothbrushes instead of sweets (good luck with that one).

Anyway, the Switch Witch concept is kind of like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus all rolled into one. The idea: little Jane comes home from trick-or-treating, she and mom ooh and ahh over the candy and select a few favorites from the stash, and then she leaves her bag of candy outside her bedroom door before going to bed. That night, the Switch Witch comes along, takes the candy, and leaves behind a small gift in exchange. Best part? Jane wakes up to a new toy, book, whatever and mom and dad get to secretly gorge themselves sick on Jane's Halloween candy for the next three months. How cool is that?!

Frankly, this concept couldn't have come along at a better time. M is old enough now to visit more than three houses on Halloween. This, of course, means more candy. More candy that K and I have to somehow try to ration and/or confiscate from someone who will most certainly feel that every single piece rightfully belongs to her. But the only thing M loves more than candy is the idea of waking up to a surprise gift. Hallelujah!!