The costumes have been cleaned and the scary decorations are being put away.  One of the last reminders of Halloween is the bag your kids used for trick or treating–full of candy.

You walked with your children around the neighborhood getting a stash of Kit-Kats, Snickers, Hershey Bars, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Nerds, and so much more.  Hundreds of pieces of candy busting the seams of your precious child’s trick or treating bag.

As good parents, we NEVER left our children gobble up all their candy right away.  We put it out of their reach if they are young, or encourage them to eat the candy sparingly if they are older.

But what about you? As parents, we do a lot of work to help our children reach their sugar high, and yet we have nothing to show for our hard work.  So what’s the solution? Do you raid your kid’s candy bag?

According to mommish.com, 81% of parents admit to pilfering their kid’s Halloween candy bag.  Does that mean the other 19% of parents have better self restraint?

I admit to getting candy out my kid’s bag EVERY year.  I just throw the wrappers in the garage to cover up the evidence!

What about you? Do you eat your kid’s Halloween candy?

–Dianah Gibson

Halloween is now over and the ghost, goblins, and witches are being put away.

So what happens now? Do we leave pumpkins and corn stalks up for Thanksgiving or go right into holiday decorations?

There are some people that leave their holidays lights up all year long, only to be ridiculed by neighbors. But when should you start to roll out the Manger or reindeer? Before or after Thanksgiving?

Some style experts say Christmas decorations are typically put up in late November or early December, usually to coincide with the start of Advent. Others say the day after Thanksgiving. But there are some homeowners who feel decorating for the holidays is a competition and have to beat the neighbors to flipping the switch on their light display before anyone else!

So when do you put up your holiday decorations?

–Dianah Gibson

I grew up in the Frederick County Public School System and remember having a Halloween Party while at Middletown Elementary School.   It was a day that my friends and I looked forward to for weeks.  The games, food, and being able to wear your costume. But that all changed years ago.

Instead of ‘Halloween’ parties, many schools host ‘Fall Festivals’ with healthy food choices.

Some schools systems and parents have stated many reasons why they don’t like the parties.

1.)  The costumes kids are wearing now look scarier, more realistic.

2.)  Many kids suffer from food allergies.

3.)  Parties take away from classroom instruction.

Gone are the donut eating contests, running for candy after the ghost pinata busted, and the goodie bag full of chocolate bars and Smarties.

Do you think Halloween parties should be allowed in schools?

-Dianah Gibson

Growing up in this area, you most likely took a family or school tour of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  This region of the Mid-Atlantic is rich with Civil War history.  But paranormal investigators also say it’s full of hauntings by those left behind by the war!

The Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was fought on July 1-3, 1863 by the Union Army of the Potomac led by General George Gordon Meade and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia led by General Robert E. Lee. Approximately 94,000 Union soldiers and 72,000 Confederates fought at Gettysburg.  The largest number of casualties in the Civil War happened during the three day Battle of Gettysburg with more than 7,800 Union and Confederate soldiers losing their lives.  Tens of thousands more were wounded and crippled.

Gettysburg is known as one of the most haunted areas in the United States.  Ghost hunters and tourists have captured apparitions and paranormal recording for years.

Here are a few hauntings caught on tape!  On the first video you can see it around 1:55.  The second video gave me goosebumps! Look for the ghosts towards the back.  You’ll see several.

-Dianah Gibson