From brightening someone’s day with some baked goods to gettin’ crafty with the candy, we’ve got cool ideas for all of those treats! 
 
Donate everything!
There are so many places and people who have use for all that candy. So spread the sweetness. Nursing homes, the food bank, women’s shelters, and schools, would all love and appreciate your donation.

Check out secondharvest.org for more info. Or send the candy to the troops in a care package (check out opgratitude.com) for more info.

Bake it up…and give it away.
There are tons of uses for sweets in cooking. Try baking cookies or brownies with peanut butter cups or topping a batch of sugar cookies with M&M’s. Then, wrap them up in some cute packaging and give them to someone ya heart.
 
Get crafty.
There are tons of things you can make with your leftover candy. A Halloween wreath for next year is a great one to make with stale candy. Using wrappers to make necklaces are perfect for gifts. Or, save it to pop on a gingerbread house for the holidays.
 
Freeze it!
Can’t stand to part with your treats? Freeze them. Candy can be saved for up to a year if frozen. This is great if you need a couple pieces for a baking project or simply to satisfy those chocolate fixes we all need every once in a while.
 
By: Olivia Arrington

 

This 21-year-old from Champaign, Illinois blazes across the ice as a Short Track Speedskater for the U.S. team. Check out her fave ways to cross-train and why she doesn’t believe in making excuses!  
 
GL: So you must skate a ton, but do you cross-train at all?

Katherine: We do a lot of cross-training. Biking is a big one since we live out in Salt Lake City. There are a lot of mountains out here so once a week we go on road bikes and ride up a pretty intense mountain. We do weight training, running, jumping, all kinds of dry land training that’s really specific to our sport.
 
GL: Are there any fun workouts you like to do in your free time?

Katherine: I love yoga and cardio kickboxing and any kind of Zumba or hip-hop class. I’m looking to be a group fitness instructor someday!
 
GL: So who inspires you?

Katherine: Both of my parent’s are really inspiring. They both will do anything to get the work done. They’re very focused and very driven, and what amazes me the most is that they put aside their personal needs to get whatever has to be done. No exceptions, no excuses!
 
Katherine clearly inherited that trait from her ’rents! Despite a crazy-busy schedule in Canada, we spied her going for a midday run, in between events and appearances. Hello, dedication!

By: Katie Abbondanza

 

Get in on Din
From sports to student council, being super-busy makes it hard to find time to sit down and eat. But, research has shown that kids who eat with their family perform better in school and have healthier eating habits. Plus, recent stats revealed that it isn't just about what you eat for dinner, it's about the convo and laughs that come along with it. Work together to make mealtime more fun (and less stressed!) for everyone. 'Rents don't make your vegetarian faves? Make a stir-fry with tofu to show them it can be tasty. Or, have everyone pitch in for DIY pizzas or rotate who will chop veggies each night of the week.

Here are 5 more ways to amp up your dinner!

Get involved. Bring all the family into the picture and get everyone workin’ on the cookin’. Teamwork with the sibs can be tough, but it'll be worth it.

Funkify the feast. Make some cool placemats or add some fall flowers or pumpkins to the table.

Spice up the meal. Try new flavors that'll have everyone wondering why you've been noshing the same ol', same ol'. Check out all the yummy recipes on girlslife.com!

Rock out. Make a play list of each family member’s favorite tunes and play it while you all cook and eat. This sets a happy vibe for the entire dinner.

Make a delectable desert. Yes, the goal of Eat Better, Eat Together month is to eat healthy. This doesn’t mean you have to skip desert all together. Go shopping with the fam and have everyone pick one of the favorite fruits, then make a fruit salad. If this still isn’t sweet enough add a small side of chocolate dip. Delish!

By: Olivia Arrington

 

Lately we’ve been seein’ lotsa athletes exercising in arm warmers. With the temps dropping, adding extra layers is key. These “socks” let ya wear your fave tanks and, unlike a long-sleeve t-shirt, they’re made to wick sweat off of your bod (key for chilly afternoons).

 

Sock Guy Acrylic Pink Arm Warmers, $18, amazon.com