http://blog.foodallergy.org/2014/10/06/the-teal-pumpkin-project-for-an-allergy-friendly-halloween/ (http://blog.foodallergy.org/2014/10/06/the-teal-pumpkin-project-for-an-allergy-friendly-halloween/)
This is a great idea! I will share it on Facebook and do it myself.
Adding buy teal paint to the to-do list. :)
It's a good idea but DD would be horrified!
Everybody knows when they come though. I have a gluten free basket too!
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/health/halloween-safety-food-allergies/ (http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/13/health/halloween-safety-food-allergies/)
Story picked up by CNN
Just showed up on my Secular Homeschool thread on FB with some positive support.
I shared it on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, and some with no FAs put it on their pages.
Wow--this has really grown. Someone in my congregation asked me on FB tonight to give her ideas for non-food treats. :) I cannot recommend fangs unless they are still wrapped in plastic.
I am getting a roll of nickels, a few rolls of pennies and these glow bracelets (I usually try to have glow bracelets). These are 100 for $10.
http://www.amazon.com/LumiStick-Brand-Glowsticks-Bracelets-Colors/dp/B000IZ9N78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413763247&sr=8-1&keywords=glow+bracelets (http://www.amazon.com/LumiStick-Brand-Glowsticks-Bracelets-Colors/dp/B000IZ9N78/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413763247&sr=8-1&keywords=glow+bracelets)
We've done non-food treats for many years. I must say that I can always recognize the kids with FA's-- they're the ones that REALLY light up to see that we have things like pencils, erasers, tiny toys, etc. in a separate bowl.
Nice idea to add a teal pumpkin and poster, though. :yes:
I'm thinking I might order Halloween rubber ducks from Oriental Trading. Not sure how many to order...my sister wants me to order for her too...and paint her a teal pumpkin when I do mine.
I went to Party City and got some trinkets. I got bouncy balls that have jack - o - lantern faces and mini kaleidoscopes.
Think I'm going to knit a pumpkin (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-pumpkins) in teal! :happydance:
I am also going to either pre-bag each item in Ziploc sandwich bag OR do that when the kids are at the door, if they'd like to have separately bagged.
We don't get many trick-or-treaters, so I can bag as I go.
But if we had tons of kids coming, I'd already pre-bag.
WHY BAG? you ask . . .
because if the safe nonfood item is going into a bag of unsafe candy, I want at least that barrier for it.
Having seen how the Reese (especially) can come open/unwrapped, I'd just feel better.
Ajas- I was thinking about this. I have sixlets for a safe pn/tn candy and was thinking about bagging them as well as the trinkets seperately.
Yeah, I do worry about that. My solution was just throw away all of DS's candy. In the early years we sorted, but then we just tossed everything--bag and all. If DS were going ToT, if have him take a bag for teal pumpkin houses and a different one for the other houses that gets tossed.
I will use Halloween goody bags. Dollar Tree and other dollar stores are a good source.
Good call. I'll be bringing my teal pumpkin and food-free treats to church for our evening event (handing out treats to local kids). I never thought to pre-bag them, but great idea. I used to tell the kids to give the safe treat or non-food item to their parents right away - may still do that this year; we'll see how many kids we get at the church event. I will bring some zip top bags for kids who don't have a parent with them.
I'm so impressed with the coverage this is getting. I've seen CNN and other places on Facebook post about it. Health magazine posted today on Facebook. So awesome!
I know that two of our local stations covered the Teal project this morning on the news. Not sure if the other two did or not.
The cashier asked if I was doing the teal pumpkin project when I bought a plastic pumpkin and teal paint. :) The cashier next to her asked what it is, and after hearing the explanation, said she also wants to do it.
2 local news stations covered it last week, and that is just what I saw.
Like!!
Painted our pumpkin today! I didn't even have to buy the paint. :)
Just liking this more again today!
http://www.freep.com/story/life/family/kristen-jordan-shamus/2014/10/27/teal-pumpkin-project-halloween/17974973/ (http://www.freep.com/story/life/family/kristen-jordan-shamus/2014/10/27/teal-pumpkin-project-halloween/17974973/)
https://www.facebook.com/FoodAllergyFARE (https://www.facebook.com/FoodAllergyFARE)
FARE is attempting to map all the teal pumpkins. I'd like to see it when it's "done".
We should out a link to that post on FAS FB.
I already did. But I added the note that people need to post their area on the FARE thread to have it added to the map.
Maybe for those who don't want to post at FB or at FARE mapping would at least post photos of own TEAL pumpkins in this thread?
And then we could post to them at FB with this thread?
I think we have quite a few folks who don't FB or don't out their location on FB and would rather do something else less identifying?
Other suggestions?
We got our pumpkin done last night!
To be honest, I don't expect anyone from our neighborhood to recognize the symbol, but maybe I'll be surprised. Or maybe I'll brighten the day of someone who didn't know about it, but has food allergies nonetheless. Even if I don't give out a single non-food treat, I still think this is a great idea!
Quote from: CMdeux on October 19, 2014, 11:58:15 PM
Think I'm going to knit a pumpkin (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/autumn-pumpkins) in teal! :happydance:
CMdeux, that is awesome and I want to see it when you're done!
By the way, don't throw out your Halloween candy! Check out the Halloween Candy Buy Back program instead!
http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/ (http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/)
Participating dentists' offices will pay your child $1 per pound of candy they donate (and sometimes offer other non-food goodies/prizes as well) and then will send the candy to Operation Gratitude, which ships care packages to deployed service members!
I was looking up the candy buyback in our area and saw an ad for the switch witch...
http://www.switch-witch.com/ (http://www.switch-witch.com/)
Really hoping that my oriental trading order shows up today...waited kind of til the last minute, but with still with enough time before Halloween. I, however, did not take into consideration that we trick or treat here on the 30th. Fingers crossed, otherwise I will be making a mad dash out for new trinkets.
Quote from: ajasfolks2 on October 29, 2014, 09:52:55 PM
Maybe for those who don't want to post at FB or at FARE mapping would at least post photos of own TEAL pumpkins in this thread?
And then we could post to them at FB with this thread?
I think we have quite a few folks who don't FB or don't out their location on FB and would rather do something else less identifying?
Other suggestions?
My husband posted our pumpkin this morning, and all it asks to you enter is your city and state. It's a "look how widespread the teal pumpkin project is" map, not a trick or treat map. I know some people don't even share city and state, but just thought I would clarify in case anyone thought they would have to give away their address.
Thanks for the clarification.
I'll see if DH or DD wants to post ours once we have it all set up out front.
It's being painted in the spray booth in the garage at the moment. ;D
2ndGen yes--that's how I understood it. I posted ours on the FARE FB post yesterday. There were already a LOT in the Twin Cities.
I did ours on Sunday. Quick and easy. It is a gorgeous shade of teal.
Ours is Rustoleum "Lagoon" I believe:
I started out with a black pre-lit pumpkin that I picked up at a discount store, and stuffed a lightly inflated kitchen trash bag into it (to preserve the pretty pale orange interior and prevent overspray on the light, roughed it up with some sandpaper, and painted away!
(http://images4-d.ravelrycache.com/uploads/CraftyTaoCat/261816158/Teal_pumpkin_being_painted_medium2.jpg)
CM, that looks really fun!
Our trick or treating is over - was on Sunday. Yes, we live in a weird place.
I called FARE and left my city and state to add to the map. I don't share my town on public websites.
Thank you for being an advocate Mookie!
I supplied my sister with a teal pumpkin and halloween rubber ducks from oriental trading. She said nearly all the kids that came to her house when crazy for the rubber ducks...most took candy as well. One of my neighbors asked about the teal pumpkin because he had heard about it on the radio. One of my sister's neighbors (who has a child that's lactose intolerant and I can't remember if has a food allergy on top of that too) asked her about it and said they would have to do it for next year also.
CM, I have the same kind of pumpkin, although I hand-painted mine. Spraying would have been faster and more professional-looking. It worked okay for me, though. I think I will spray a layer of the clear glitter on it. I've seen that done, and I like the look.
I got a craft pumpkin at Target, $8. I used acrylic paint. It went on easily.
We got a couple of hits on our Teal Pumpkin. What a successful campaign!
DS1 is on a sugar high bordering on possession. Round 1 went to jumping up to kick his own behind. This was an alternating leg to buttock in a left-right left-right jog. Round 2 was running circles in the living room like a circus dog with a bad case of fleas. Last round was the real prize winner consisting of riding a broom Hogwarts style. Jump up, flop, land muttering about not being able to fly. Repeat ten times.
Good Halloween. It feels good to do something proactive. A safe and Happy Halloween to you all.
I didn't get a teal pumpkin. I did get some non-edible treats though. There was a big bowl with candy, and a container with non-edibles. They went fast. Kids chose what they wanted, and many didn't chose the candy. Next year I'll get more. I thought most would want candy, so I only had about a dozen, plus some bubbles for toddlers.
First kids were two toddlers. When one saw he got bubbles he said "Oh WOW!" So excited. Lol
We had one family who recognized the teal pumpkin. Same as SL, a large number of kids chose the non-food treats over the candy. :)
No teal pumpkin here (long story). But I had a huge bowl of toys and a smaller bowl of candy - the toys were definitely preferable to the candy this year :)
(I am not home to hand out candy - I place on stools at the end of my driveway).
I never have trick or treaters anymore! No candy, no teal pumpkin. I think its a great idea though.
Look who has jumped on the teal pumpkin project
(http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu281/hezzier/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsdw0snckl.jpeg)
Oriental Trading has embraced the Teal Pumpkin
How awesome is that!!!
Of course, that was a smart business decision for them. They can fill a niche need so well. Smart!
Quote from: hezzier on August 28, 2016, 11:31:48 AM
Look who has jumped on the teal pumpkin project
(http://i656.photobucket.com/albums/uu281/hezzier/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsdw0snckl.jpeg)
Oriental Trading has embraced the Teal Pumpkin
Wow! Awesome!
LOL - Well, they been providing the toys for our Halloweens for years!
Yes, us too, I need to remember to check our rubber duck supplies.
Quote from: hezzier on August 30, 2016, 10:49:47 AM
Yes, us too, I need to remember to check our rubber duck supplies.
I got an email they are sale this week :) And it's not like they expire LOL