I used to love Halloween. I loved the chance to dress up, be someone else for a day, trick or treat. Now, I still love it, but it comes with its own set of problems. Namely, the blatant doling out of candy filled with GMOs, high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, artificial coloring – and the list only gets worse from there.
So how do we, as parents, protect our children from this garbage while still allowing them to have fun and participate in the festivities?
Well, thankfully, we are not in the 1970s, when it was almost impossible for my mom to find me decent natural candy. We live in a day where you can find the natural or organic version of any of your favorite treats, cereals and desserts! Just think of it: Fruit Loops without the artificial color!
We have a ritual in our family. We do all the Halloween fun just like anyone else – including the trick-or-treating. My kids fill up the bags with tons of what I call contraband. I mean pounds of the stuff. We have a wonderful time with all our friends, walking the neighborhood, seeing the costumes, decorations and partying. But once we’re home, those bags get dumped into a box that is being shipped straight to Operation Shoebox.
Yes folks, off to the troops.
I had a hard time reconciling sending them something so harmful until I had a conversation with a marine on leave from Afghanistan. He assured me that they really do look forward to the Halloween candy that is shipped to them from OS (as well as other items, especially personal hygiene products such as soap and wipes), and that it really makes their day.
After the candy gets boxed up, and my kids are staring at me wide-eyed, I break out the good stuff. Yes, I have the organic “Almond Joy”, the organic “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups”, jelly beans and “M&Ms” of all colors (made with vegetable dyes), gummy candy, hard candy and even bubble gum!
They still get all the candy fun without the horrible side effects!
See, my problem is not with sugar. Sugar is not the enemy. It’s all that other stuff that little kids’ bodies can do without. You will enjoy the benefit of better behavior (if your children are affected by artificial colors and flavors, the way I was as a child) and less chemicals in their bodies, which can only be a good thing.
Cob Webs, Pumpkins, and Tombstones…Oh my! Whether you get your October inspo from Better Home & Gardens, Martha Stewart or Pinterest, we’re here to guide you through L.A.’s best Fall Shops. From spooky to simple, there is no shortage of places to pick-up the perfect Hallow’s eve decor.
David S. Pumpkins-SNL
While you want find an appearance from David S. Pumpkins(some halloween SNL humor) in any of these patches, you will find the perfect jack-o-lantern and tons of fun! Our pick of L.A.’s best Pumpkin Patches is listed below.
Get lost. No really, get lost in Tapia Brothers Farm’s epic corn maze (an entire lot across from the patch itself) with a much-needed map and a sheet full of trivia questions. Scavenge through the maze for the answers and once you’ve found them all, submit your name in a drawing for a chance to win a cash prize—an early treat for your navigation efforts. The festive pumpkin patch also offers—you guessed it—pumpkins galore, as well as a fresh farmers’ market (with addicting kettle corn), a mouth-watering roasted corn stand, kids play area, bounce houses, hay wagon ride, and tractor-pulled train. Be sure to check it out on the weekends so you have all the activities at your disposal.
Mon-Fri 9am-6pm; Sat, Sun 9am-TBD (longer weekend hours). Oct 5-31.
When it comes to celebrity sightings, you probably wouldn’t think of visiting the local pumpkin patch. But at longtime favorite Mr. Bones, Hollywood stars and their offspring can’t stay away from the Halloween fun. This family-owned, Los Angeles mainstay would pop up every year in Beverly Hills before recently moving to its new location in Century City. You can expect the beloved Pumpkin Village featuring festive activities like bounce houses, pony rides, a petting zoo, face painting, live entertainment and food trucks to fuel your pumpkin picking.
Mon-Thu, Sun 9am-8pm, Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-9pm; Oct 5-30
Forneris Farms is back again with a four-acre cornfield maze, weekend pony rides, live entertainment and, of course, an impressive selection of pumpkins. Tractor rides will take pumpkin patch goers on a narrated tour through the cornfields and around the farm. Kids can enjoy their own harvest haven by running through a hay bale mini maze, climbing the hay pyramid and getting wild in the giant pumpkin jumper (always a good outlet for the inevitable sugar rush). If you’re not stopping by the petting zoo, playing harvest-themed games for prizes or leading the quest for that perfect pumpkin, take advantage of the refreshments and solid people watching opportunities. Pony rides, the petting zoo and face painting are weekends only. Everything is cash only, but there is an ATM on site.
Daily 9am-6pm; Oct 6—Oct 31.
Rodeo Realty Pumpkin Patch
Rodeo Realty Pumpkin Patch
Pacific Palisades
If you happen to be seaside, join our Pacific Palisades Office for our annual Pumpkin Patch. We will be giving out one free pumpkin for every postcard brought in as well as dishing out eats from everyones favorite burger joint- In-N-Out! Throw on your favorite fall gear and don’t miss out on all the fun!
Saturday Oct. 13th, 2018 12-3pm—839 Via De La Paz, Pacific Palisades
Maybe you have a sweet tooth, or maybe you want to be the house on the block with the best candy around comes hallows eve. No matter your mission, we’ve narrowed down the best candy shops in L.A. to stock up with before the holiday hits. So ditch your jumbo bag of lollipops. These sweetshops are the real-deal!
Sugarfina, a modern-day Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory-esque candy boutique, opened its first storefront in Beverly Hills. Now spreading across L.A., adults and children alike delight in more than 140 candies from around the world, sold around the city—some for the first time ever. You won’t find any oompa loompas here, but you can indulge in the signature turquoise (think: Tiffany & Co. of candy) bento box for $26 to $195, or partake in a gourmet candy sampling at their tasting bar. Exotic candies abound, and include chocolate-covered almonds and chocolate-covered bacon pretzels; chili ginger hearts afire gummies; and matcha green tea caramels.
Inspired by Scandanavia’s candy-crazy culture, Sockerbit is the place to go when looking for sweets that attract the mouth and eyes. The shop’s name, which translates to “sugar cube,” is the namesake for one of their headliners: a white cubed marshmallow. From imported—mostly Swedish—candies to domestic, choices vary and include banana chips covered in Swedish chocolate, and sour gummies with a creamy peach interior. If you’re of the rare black-licorice-loving types, try the coconut-covered or rasberry-filled variety, all sold by the pound.
Part old-fashioned candy shop, part new-age treats, this confectionary mecca has everything for every craving, and two locations: Glendale and Sherman Oaks. In the Glendale flagship, you’ll find the shop split into different sections: There’s a gummy and hard candy room dedicated to those with a persistent jaw, a chocolate room, and an international cove featuring imported candy. When you’re done browsing the other candy-centric areas, check out the soda fountain and relax with a shake or hand-mixed soda made to order.
Find handmade marshmallows and sea salt caramels at this sweet, homey café, whose neat blue-and-white striped exterior is slightly reminiscent of a candy wrapper. Bonus? Save the sugary treats for dessert and show up for the wholesome lunch menu of sandwiches, salads, quiche and the ever-popular dal bowl—almost as good as the homemade confections you’ll treat yourself to afterward. We said almost.
Saving the most crucial for last give your neighbors major FOMO this fall! Whether you prefer to keep your interior and exterior on the Martha Stewart side, or seek to have the best home haunt around–we’ve got you covered. Read below for our picks of the best shops to stock up on Ghoulish decor!!
Rogers Gardens-Halloween 2018
Rogers Gardens
2301 San Joaquin Hills Rd.
Corona del Mar, CA 92625
Wander the corridors of a most magical school where witches and wizards learn their craft. Prospective students are invited to tour the castle. Explore the Headmaster’s Study, a room filled with curiosities and antiquities. Discover where novice witches and wizards study in the Potions classroom, be sure not to tamper with their mysterious experiments. Who knows what mythical creatures are lurking in the cabinets. Students wishing to learn about the magical properties of plants can visit the Greenhouse Conservatory where rare and unusual specimens are cultivated.
Each of the many rooms in this castle is filled with enchanted objects and décor to fill your home with the spirit of Halloween. Visit Roger’s Gardens this Halloween season and surround yourself in a world of magic.
Dapper Cadaver
Dapper Cadaver
7572 San Fernando Road
Los Angeles, CA 91352
(818) 771-0818 www.dappercadaver.comDapper Cadaver, known as the prop house master for film, television, stage and music video set decorators and Halloween party planners, works with the likes of Queen Mary Dark Harbor, Six Flags Fright Fest, Universal Halloween Horror Nights, the Playboy Mansion Halloween party and provided props for the White House Halloween party in 2010. Halloween shoppers will be overwhelmed with candelabras, insane asylum propping (death chair, straight jacket and restraint bed), evil scarecrows, life-size zombies, human skull replicas, hanging ghosts and demons and horrifying animal skeletons. If you have the budget, a trip to Dapper Cadaver will provide all you need.
What started as a temporary store around Halloween, Halloween Town is now open throughout the year. This warehouse has something fun for every room in your home. Decorate by changing out your dishes with Halloween Town’s selection of ceramics featuring different parts of the anatomy. Spook your guests in the bathroom with a blood bath shower curtain and bloody handprint hand towels. Layer the Halloween experience with an array of fog machines, strobe lighting, disco balls and black lights. It doesn’t stop there – find costumes, wigs, invitations, paper good and spine-shivering music.
Aahs
Aahs
1090 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 209-1280 www.aahs.com
Aahs is one of L.A.’s number one novelty gift and gag stores. The Halloween holiday takes over Aahs by mid-September. The buyers at this store think of everything for your party or front yard. It’s even a little bit scary wandering through the store and walking past gross life-size ghouls, bloody scalps, hands and fingers, motion sensor scream machines and spider webs. Hosts can choose from a wide selection of party invitations and party favors and choose from one of the hundreds of Halloween costumes, make-up and accessories from the spooky to the trendy.
