Not all Halloween Treats are Equal

For years, our kids loved to sort candy after a night of Trick-or-Treating.







But not all candy are created equal. Especially now that Dova has braces.

According to Great Expressions Dental Centers, here are facts and simple tips to make your Halloween a safe and healthy one.

• FACT: Sticky candies, such as caramel and taffy, increase the chances of broken brackets the day after Halloween.
• TIP: To prevent this from happening to your child, or a neighbor, pass out individually-wrapped stringed cheese instead! Cheese is tasty and its calcium and phosphates help neutralize plaque acid, and ultimately reduces cavities. It will also play nice with brackets.

• FACT: 73% of kids ages 2 -5 will eat candy on Halloween. The highest consumption rate, however, is among 6 – 8 year olds, 87% of which eat candy on Halloween.
• TIP: Avoid letting your trick-or-treaters fill up on sweets. Before sending your little vampire out to trick-or-treat, let them snack on fruits and vegetables. Jack-o Lantern oranges and carrot fingers are fun and festive snacks for your appetizer table.

• FACT: Sweets that are chewy and sticky can get stuck between teeth, leading to tooth decay.
• TIP: Be sure to run from gummy candy, sour candies, and taffy. Instead pass out sugar-free lollipops and hard candies, sugar-free gum, and dark chocolate.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Great Expressions Dental Centers for promotional movie passes and dental kits.

Giveaway - Harbor Sweets Gather Chocolates

What's better than hand-crafted chocolates? Harbor Sweets is working with Pollinator Partnership to aid in their efforts to preserve and protect honeybee pollinators. Now you can indulge in gourmet chocolate delicacies and help raise awareness of the plight of the honeybee. A portion of the sales from Gather (2.5%) will be donated to the Pollinator Partnership.

In each "flight" of Gather Chocolate (similar to how you sample beer or wine), there are six varieties of honey-infused dark chocolate. A six-piece box is $12.50 and 12-piece box is $18.50.

• Caramelized Honey
• Pomegranate Molasses
• Sesame Crunch
• Cashew Caramel
• Coconut Cluster
• Sour Cherry

We split the chocolates amongst my family members and each of us enjoyed them, even the milk chocolate lover. Each chocolate has a rich and distinct flavor, without being too sweet. Harbor Sweets is located locally in Salem, Massachusetts and sold in high-end grocers, gift shops and online. Check out the story behind Gather.



*** If you'd like to win a six piece box of Harbor Sweets Gather Chocolate, check out the easy entry methods in Rafflecopter below (click read more if necessary) . The giveaway ends on September 22th at 12:00am and is open to residents of US and Canada. All entries are verified, good luck! ***

I received samples of the Gather chocolates for this review and giveaway. Yum!