Happy Halloween (yes, from the dentist)!

LOL, only a few more days before Halloween! And if you've been following us on social media, you'd know that some of us here at ALFIE Dentistry really, really, really, really LOVE sweets (Mind you, I may only be speaking for myself in this respect :D). So we'll definitely save you the lecture that you might've been expecting

But if you wanted a refresher on some Halloween Treats that are Dentist-Approved, check out this oldie-but-a-goodie post on Trick-Or-Treating Tips.

In today's post, we'll talk about fun things you can do to celebrate Halloween that don't involve stuffing your faces full of sugar (and I can't help it, so I'll just blurt it out: "because-sugar-that-remains-stuck-on-teeth-get-eaten-by-bacteria-who-poop-out-acids-and-DESTROY-your-teeth). Phew, that feels much better.

Without further delay, here are some Dentist-Approved ways you can enjoy Halloween (and if you're really ambitious, you can turn this whole thing into a party!):

Pumpkin-Carving/Pumpkin Painting

For the traditionalist: think pumpkin carvings! There are some really great ones surfing around on the internet to give you ideas. I'm not sure I trust myself with a sharp knife and a hard pumpkin, so painting them is a more me-friendly way to enjoy this season (And it's also kid-friendlier with the paints). Here are over 70 painted pumpkins.

Costume-Making

This could be as simple as tossing a white bed sheet with eye-holes over yourself and calling it a day. But you can always channel your inner Crafty Cathy and make something out of nothing (there are so, so many ideas you can get - as well as tutorials off YouTube! It could be really fun).

Alternatively, if you've graduated from pumpkin-painting, you may want to play with face paints and make yourself into a skeleton or even a vampire-drooling-blood (you know, because googling "vampire" gives you about 50 million images - over half of them have a streak of blood coming from their mouths. Apparently, vampires are slobs as well, LOL).

Home-decorating

Who wouldn't want to live in a creepy dark, cob-webby lair-like home? It's all in the name of good fun. So, stock up on fake skeletons, witches' cauldrons, tarantulas, and for whatever reason: our local craft store sells science lab equipment(?) under the "Halloween" section.

Halloween Crafting

Other than creating your own costume, decorating your home and making squash look scary, you may need other ways of letting out your Halloween Spirit.

You can grab some sticker paper, draw or print October-y images onto them and cut out your own stickers. Or make Halloween Cards/Invitations - these ones are pretty awesome!

Photo Booth

If you've already decorated your home, you can even reserve one particularly instagram-worthy section of it for a photo booth. Or if you don't want Halloween to be spewing out of every inch of your home, just create a nice spooktacular backdrop in a small section of your home. Load it up with orange and black streamers, add in some props and make people take selfies. Here are some great suggestions that have inspired us.

Baking Treats

Inviting people for a baking party is one of the best ways to get other people to do all the leg-work for you and end up with something potentially really tasty. Whoops. Did we say that out loud? We meant that...urmmm...it's fun to spend time with loved ones baking. You can go with either savoury treats or sweet. And yes, DIY sweet treats are dentist-approved - because you can control the amount of sugar that goes into them (hint, you might want to consider not adding as much). You may also want to practice good oral hygiene habits if you're going there. Just sayin'.

Horror Movie Marathon

Why not load up a movie (or two) to enjoy with your baked treats? You can go really-horrifyingly-scary, startling-but-not-really-scary movies, psychological thrillers, or if you have children, do some kid-friendly films.

Scary Book Reading

Not feeling for a big get-together? Explore the classics like Dracula or Frankenstein or books by Stephen King or Edgar Allen Poe. Don't want to invest in a long novel? Google 'short horror stories' and enjoy! There are kid-friendly Halloween stories and stories about creepy kids - there's really something for everyone, LOL.

Escape Room Games

While many escape games run all year round, October brings out a lot of the Halloween-themed ones. If you've never tried, you're locked in a room (usually with friends) and you look for clues/complete tasks to get you out.

Haunted/Ghost Walks

What better time than in October to explore unsolved mysteries and weird supernatural occurrences that have happened right in your own city. Some of them take you into haunted houses and some of them take you into familiar territory and give you a whole new perspective on them.

Halloween Events

Not only do escape games revamp for this season, but also amusement parks, heritage sites, and the Toronto Islands - just to name a few. Check out what's happening in your own town and experience the city in all its gory...I mean, "glory".