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1. Donate to troops or first responders
You can sign up as an individual, group, or business and send your candy to Operation Gratitude. Want something closer to home? A group called Soldiers' Angels lets you search by zip code to find a location near you to donate.
2. Support a good cause
Many charities take candy, not just after Halloween but after Valentine's and Easter too. Call your local food pantry, homeless shelter, or nursing home to see if they would like a donation of unopened Halloween candy.
3. Find a candy buy-back program near you
There are businesses — it seems to most often be dentists —that have a candy buy-back offer post-Halloween.
4. Get in the holiday spirit
Store your leftover Halloween treats until it's time to decorate that gingerbread house!
5. Make trail mix
Just add chocolate, candy corn, raisins, pretzels, and other leftover goodies in with some pumpkin seeds, nuts, dried fruit, and/or popcorn and you'll have an instant afternoon pick-me-up.
6. Freeze it
Freeze leftover candies, then add to your holiday coffees or hot chocolates for a little surprise you and the kids will love!
7. Sweeten up that sundae bar
8. Say goodbye to chocolate chips
Cut or smash chocolate candy bars into chip-sized pieces to add to your favorite cookie, brownie, or cupcake recipe
9. Make a fondue
Yep, empty all that chocolate (don't forget the caramels too!) into a slow cooker. Add some cream, and let it get ooey-gooey. Just add fresh fruit on skewers to dip and you're set!