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 It's that time of year where we all reflect back on the past 12 months and make a plan for the months to come. If you're ready to really make a difference in 2008, try making a promise to go easy on the planet with one (or all) of these Green Parent New Year's Resolutions:
- Park It: Make every effort to walk, bike, or take public transit instead of driving you car. For inspiration, check out Alan Durning’s Year of Living Car-Lessly to read about his family of five’s car-free adventures.
- Eat Local Foods: According to a recent report by the Natural Resource Defense Council, the average American meal contains ingredients from at least five countries outside the U.S. These ingredients are shipped by boat, train, and plane to our dinner plates, leaving a path of pollution and resource depletion in their wake. Make an effort this year to eat foods that are grown closer to home. Check out Sustainable Table for a state-by-state list of the seasonal foods that are found near you.
- Trim Your Trash: Why put yourself on a diet when you can make a resolution to put your trash on one instead? The average American produces roughly 4.5 pounds of trash each day (that’s 17 pounds of trash thrown away each day for a family of four!) Trim that waste-line by practicing the three R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Check out these posts for great ways to reduce waste:
- Turn Off A Light: There’s nothing worse than heading out the door with your arms full of kids, diaper bags, sippy cups, and snacks, only to realize that every light in the house is still burning. Make it your New Year’s resolution to turn off lights as you leave a room…better yet, put your kids in charge of “light patrol.” You'll save a bundle in energy bills and light bulbs!
- Vote Green: 2008 promises to be a big year at the ballot box, both at the national and local level. So before you cast your vote, check out the League of Conservation Voters to see where you favorite (and not so favorite) candidates stand on the environment.
It’s just about time to say good-bye to 2007 and ring in 2008. Get your new year off on the right foot with these eco-friendly tips to green your New Year’s Eve celebration.
Send Evites: Paper invitations are so 2007. Send email invitations, or evites, for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Check out www.evite.com for free evites as well as party planning ideas and themes.
Green Decorations: Get creative with your party décor. Repurpose items you already own to jazz up your party in lieu of single-use paper or plastic party decorations. Pull out a fancy bowl and fill it with greenery from your yard, fruits, or leftover bows and ribbons from your holiday celebrations; drape a scarf over your book case or end table; or enlist your kids help in making handmade crafts to decorate your event.
Eco Eats: Challenge yourself and your guests to bring local and/or organic foods and dishes to your party.
Don’t Trash The Planet: Ring in the New Year with a minimal amount of waste with reusable dishes, napkins, and silverware. If you need more dishes than you own, try renting dishes or using biodegradable products that you can throw in your compost pile after the party. (Try www.plumparty.com for biodegradable plates, cups, and even straws).
Get Toasted: Check your local yellow pages under party rentals or party supplies to rent champagne flutes for your celebration so that you and your guests can toast the New Year with eco-savvy style.
Looking for holiday decorations that are safe for your kids and the environment? Follow these tips to deck the halls with eco-friendly style:
1. Go Lead-Free: Watch out for ornaments and holiday decorations that are coated in lead-based paint. Instead, look for decorations that bear the 100% lead-free label.
2. Go -Au Naturale: Look to nature when decorating your home this year. Here are some great ideas for natural holiday decorations: organic popcorn, cinnamon sticks, holly, ivy an evergreens, pine cones, cranberries, homemade gingerbread, organic fruit and vegetables, and dried Indian corn.
3. DIY: Give your kids some markers, eco-friendly paints, scissors, and recycled paper and let their creativity shine. If they need some inspiration, suggest they cut out shapes of stars and snowmen from the paper and decorate with markers and/or paints. Another idea is to make a candy cane using alternating stripes of red and white recycled paper. Or they add some festive flare to pine cones with gold or silver paint and some leftover holiday ribbon.
4. Keep It Fair: Green is, at the very least, the hippest new trend. So impress your friends and family with fair-trade decorations that show off your eco-savvy style. Look for decorations that are locally made or check out Ten Thousand Villages for Fair Trade Certified options.
Whether you like lights that are white or multi-colored, make them green with LED lights that use 90% less energy and last much longer than traditional bulbs. LEDs don’t heat up like standard bulbs...so they stay cooler, are safer for kids, and pose less risk of fires. And if one bulb does break or burn out, the rest of the lights in the strand will keep glowing.
If you can't find LED Christmas lights at your local store, check out Holiday LEDs or Forever Brights from Christmas Treasures to light up your holidays while going easy on the planet. To get even more green from your outdoor Christmas lights, try Solar Illuminations for solar-powered Christmas LEDs.
Photo credit: Graham Soult
You can't celebrate Christmas without setting up a Christmas tree, but how do you know what type of tree makes the most eco-savvy choice? According to the National Christmas Tree Association, about 29 million Americans brought home a real, live Christmas tree in 2006. But that still pales in comparison to the 70% of Americans who prefer to set up an artificial tree. Whether you choose real or artificial, here's how to make sure you get the greenest tree:
The Green Parent Pick: Go get a real tree. Sure, it means cutting down a tree. But these days nearly all Christmas trees are grown on tree farms. So deforestation is not an issue and it is really no different than harvesting corn or any other crop. From a global warming perspective, sustainable tree farms actually provide a continued “sink” for carbon dioxide emissions. Just be selective about the tree farm you choose to buy from and look for one that does not use an excess of pesticides and other chemicals.
Green Parent Tip: Get the family together and head out to your local tree farm to cut your own Christmas tree. Surf over to EcoBusinessLinks to see if there is an organic tree farm in your area. When the holidays are over, toss your undecorated tree in the backyard to provide wildlife habitat or in the compost bin for next year’s mulch.
Live Trees: A live, potted Christmas trees may seem like a good option for Green Parents, however, you have to make sure that you live in an area where your tree will thrive once it is planted. In addition, live trees are truly not meant to endure the warm temperatures inside your home. So it’s best to either leave it outside or bring it in for only a few days during the season.
Green Parent Tip: If you really want a live tree, your best bet would be to find a suitable tree in your backyard, and decorate it (with eco-friendly decorations, of course) right where it stands.
Artificial Trees: Artificial trees require the use of a significant amount of energy and petroleum-based (PVC) resources in their manufacture. In addition, most artificial trees today are manufactured in China, and are literally shipped halfway around the world to their destinations. And there are also some new concerns about residues of lead and other chemicals on artificial trees. However, if you are going to buy one tree that you are sure you will use and reuse year after year for the next few decades, the environmental damage caused by producing and shipping your tree would be minimal when averaged out over the lifespan of the tree. And just think of all the gas and energy you will save from year to year by not having to head out to the local Christmas tree farm.
Green Parent Tip: Purchase an artificial tree that is made in the U.S.A to minimize the pollution and resource consumption caused by shipping. (Check out ChristmasDepot and USChristmastree for artificial trees that are 100% lead free and made in the U.S.A.) Reuse the same tree from year to year.
Photo credit: Marcelo Terraza
 The holidays just wouldn't be the same without a visit with friends and family. So for many of us who have wandered a little from the proverbial family roots, that means a trip by sky, rail, or road. Here's how to green your holiday travel.
1. Leave The Flying To Santa: Traveling by airplane releases significantly more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere (and therefore causes more global warming) than traveling by car or by train.
2. Tune Up Your Sleigh: If your holiday travel includes a road trip, make sure your car is in tip-top condition so that you can maximize gas mileage, curb air pollution, and save a few bucks at the pump. Get an oil change, check your car's fluid levels, belts, and spark plugs, and make sure your tires are properly inflated. Click here and here for more info about driving green.
3. Lighten Your Load: Go easy on yourself and the environment by pairing down your holiday luggage. Whether you travel by car, train, or plane, the more baggage you have, the more pollution will be emitted to get it to your location.
4. Offset It: Offset your holiday carbon emissions with companies such as GreenTags or Green-e that invest in projects to absorb or prevent the release of carbon dioxide. (Green Parent Tip: Carbon offsets also make a great gift! Click here for more eco-friendly gift ideas.)
Green thinking is everywhere these days, in your appliances, in your favorite movies, in your kid's school, and yes, now in your menorah. There is a movement underway, launched by the Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (COEJL) called Let There Be (Renewable) Light: A New Look At Hanukkah that offers eco-savvy tips to help Green Hanukkah.
Sure, you could argue that Hanukkah, even at it's most elaborately festive, does not even come close to eliciting the same commercial over-consumption and environmental damage as Christmas. But the fact remains that there are a number of things that you can do to celebrate Hanukkah with your family while minimizing your impact on the environment. Here's a few ideas:
- Raid your recycling bin to make your own "green" menorah
- Check out The Green Parent Holiday Gift Guide for low-impact, eco-friendly gift ideas.
- Save paper by sending your holiday cheer via ecards and slideshows instead of by mail.
- Surf over the COEJL website for blessings, energy saving tips, games, and kid-friendly craft ideas to help you celebrate an eco-savvy Festival of Lights.
Materials
8 Toilet Paper Roll Tubes
1 Paper Towel Roll Tube
1 long board or box
Recycled Aluminum Foil
Recycled Paper (I used scrap pieces of red, orange, and yellow recycled construction paper)
Non Toxic Paints (I used blue and white)
Non-Toxic Glue
This craft is eco-friendly because it recycles items that you probably already have before they hit the trash bin. So take a look around and see what you can scrounge together while assembling your materials. If you don't have non-toxic paints, you could use leftover wrapping paper, markers, or the back side of scratch paper instead. No tin foil in the recycle box? Use muffin cups, extra garland, or a silver marker instead. If you don't have enough toilet paper or paper towel roll tubes laying around, ask friends to give you theirs (yes, they will laugh). You should have plenty within a few days. You get the idea.
Putting It Together
Here's how I put this craft together, but feel free to get creative and change it up to suit your materials and your kids.
- Using your non-toxic paints, paint each toilet paper roll tube and the long board blue. Paint the paper towel tube white. Let everything dry and decorate however you'd like.
- Cut out nine squares (about 2-3 inches in size) from the aluminum foil.
- Glue aluminum foil to the long board. Then glue each tube to the foil as shown in picture, making sure to place the paper towel roll in the middle of the board.
- Cut out the flame shapes from your recycled paper.
- Using tape, adhere the "flames" to the "candles." Light the middle candle (the paper towel roll) first, and then one additional toilet paper candle on each night of Hanukkah.
Get out your address book, it's time to send out your holiday greeting cards. If you are like most Americans, this is the one time of year where you send out cards to family and friends both near and far. In fact, Americans send out almost 3 billion greeting cards over the winter holidays (that's enough cards to fill a football field ten stories high!) But holiday cards generate a mountain of wasted paper in addition to heaps of environmental pollution in their production and shipping. So this year, why not save the planet while saving yourself a fortune in time and cash and spread a little eco-cheer instead. Here's how:
- Choose from one of the 25,000 free e-cards available from Care2. Customize one for each person on your list or send one card to everyone. Each free card you send generates donations to environmental organizations.
- Set up a holiday slideshow (complete with music or falling snowflakes) at Photobucket and email the link to family and friends. Photobucket has preset templates for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa.
- If you simply must go with paper, look for cards printed on recycled paper (try PaperCards.com, Rossetti Designs, or KidBean.)
- Enlist your kids' help in making cards from scratch using newspapers, magazines, and recycled holiday cards that you have around the house.
“The competition for kids’ mind share is intense…
Everything from Disney Princess to That’s So Raven
to Pirates of the Caribbean we position as a lifestyle brand,
and we are able to drive that lifestyle message through product.”
— Jim Fielding, executive vice president of global retail, sales, and marketing,
Disney Consumer Products*
With Thanksgiving over, the winter holiday season has officially begun. Tis the season for caroling, holiday parties, decorations, gingerbread houses, dreidel games, and of course, lots and lots of shopping. My last post, The Green Parent's 2007 Holiday Gift Guide, was aimed at helping you spread the holiday cheer without selling your soul. I hope this list gives you plenty of ideas to get you started on your shopping list. But I also felt it was necessary to mention the deeper issue here, which is whether or not you even need to buy new things in the first place...to spend or not to spend.
 As a Green Parent, you may be hoping to curb the consumerism a bit and celebrate the holidays without mounds upon mounds of presents. With the latest toy recall scares, you may also want to steer your children away from certain brands and/or styles of toys that are produced under questionable conditions.
But this can be difficult to do when your child is clamoring for the toys they see advertised on TV, in stores, on their friends, and even in their schools. Because each year, in an effort to grab your attention and earn your dollars, retailers and manufacturers usher in a seemingly endless bombardment of advertising aimed at you (of course) and also at your children. So kids at a younger and younger age are "branded", and drawn to the logos and characters they see on everything from their diapers to their utensils.
Conscious consumerism is the focus of a non-profit agency called The Center For the New American Dream. This year, they have launched a holiday blog called Holiday Parenting Tips in an effort to help parents "navigate the highly commercial holiday season as responsibly as possible." This is a great place to start if you are looking for ways to have a great holiday season without breaking the bank or wreaking havoc on the planet.
You can also check out their brochure, "Tips For Parenting In A Commercial Culture", to better understand the minds of the markerters who are targeting your children and to find tips for teaching your children the ABCs of advertising. (I found the quote at the top of this post, along with many others, in this brochure.)
I don't like to be stressed at the holidays. Nor do I like to feel guilty. I plan to buy both of my children a number of presents this season, but I also vow to start teaching them both the true meaning of the holidays and the true meaning of all of those holiday ads!
*“License! 2005 Industry Annual Report,” (Advanstar Communications, October 2005), 45, www.licensemag.com/licensemag/data/articlestandard/licensemag/ 412005/184293/article.pdf.
Are you worried about your holiday gift list this year? With all of the news about global warming and environmental degradation, let alone sweatshop labor and toxic toys, what's a Green Parent to do? Never fear, there are tons of gifts that you can give to show your spirit without selling your soul. Here, without further ado, is The 2007 Green Parent Holiday Gift List...a list of gifts you can feel good about:
Give The Gift That Gives Back
Charities: Check out The Charity Navigator (www.charitynavigator.org) to find a charitable organization to match the interests of anyone on your list. The independent site lists charities by category and gives detailed information about the mission, efficiency, and capacity of thousands of organizations.
For The Little Idealist: Even the youngest recipient will be delighted with a charitable gift that piques her interest. Does the kid on your list love books? Donate her favorite title to the local library. Does he love the outdoors? Give him a gift membership to the Sierra Club (www.sierraclub.org) or the Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org). Or adopt-an-animal from the World Wildlife Fund and your recipient will receive info about the animal as well as a plush version to cuddle. For more ideas check out Idealist.org (www.idealist.org) for a listing of charitable groups that were founded by kids.
Offsets: Help friends and family offset their carbon footprint with a gift of renewable energy credits (RECs) or greentags. The money you spend on carbon offsets will be used to support projects that reduce or sequester carbon emissions. Check out Carbon Neutral (www.carbonneutral.com) or Green Tags USA (www.greentagsusa.org) to calculate carbon emissions and purchase greentags.
No-Waste Gifts
Flowers: Send your loved ones a bouquet you can feel good about from Organic Bouquet (www.organicbouquet.com.) For something unique, try the Fresh Myrtle Wreath Frame; a beautifully lush wreath made from domestically grown myrtle. It can be used as a frame, a wreath, or a centerpiece. $64.95
Chocolates: The holidays just wouldn’t be the same without chocolate. Dagoba Organic Chocolate ( www.dagobachocolate.com), Green & Black’s ( www.greenandblacks.com), and Newman’s Own Organic Chocolate ( www.newmansownorganics.com) all make deliciously decadent organic chocolate selections. For something extra fancy, try Art Bite Chocolates made from organic Costa Rican chocolates. These hand decorated treats come in four delectable flavors: Whole Pistachios, Dried Ranier Cherries, a local specialty, Organic Cocoa Nibs and Chipotle Pepper, $29.95 (for 1 dozen).
Eco-Friendly Sweets: If your child has a sweet tooth (and what child doesn’t!) he will love making his own treats with a Glee Kit. Choose between the Chewing Gum Kit, the Gummy Candy Kit, and the Chocolate Kit. Each one comes with all of the ingredients necessary to make the treat as well as fun stories and info about the origins of the candy.
Toys You Can Trust
Roy Toy Building Sets: Roy Toy Classic building Sets, such as the Log Cabin and the Fort are Made in the U.S.A. from solid wood and non-toxic finishes. Each set contains over 140 all-wood pieces and a complete set of building instructions so kids can use to get down to building. $29.95
The Power House Kit: from Gaiam gives kids the supplies they need to build a model house complete with PV solar panels, wind turbine, greenhouse, and desalination system. The kit comes with an illustrated manual that includes 70 experiments and 20 building activities. $175.00
Organic Cotton Stuffed Animals: Look for a stuff animal, like this puppy or bear from Gaiam, that contains nothing but pure 100% organic cotton and low eco-impact dyes. $12.99
Puppets: Sequoia Wildlife Finger Puppet Playset: This beautiful playset contains six wildlife puppets (owl, bear, blue jay, squirrel, hare and fox) and a 17-inch plush sequoia tree. Older kids can put on puppet shows for little ones (and vice versa) to learn about animals, nature, and communication. Net proceeds of the sale of this toy benefit the Sierra Club. $39.95. Cool Eco-Friendly Stuff
Gifts To Pamper: Does someone you know need a little pampering? Try the Feel Amazemint gift set from Aveda with all-natural products that cool, refresh, and protect the skin from environmental damage. $29.99. Or try the Angelica Gift Set from Aubrey Organics, a light citrus parfum and bath powder (made from rice and tapioca…not talc) set made from organic ingredients that are certified cruelty-free and vegan. $21.95
Eco Gadgets: Boys can’t resist their toys, so gadgets such as a hand-crank flashlight for the car or a solar-powered radio for the boat are sure to be a hit. Check out Sundance Solar (http://store.sundancesolar.com) for a number of eco-gadget selections.
Recycled Gadgets: Motherboard Business Card Case: This sleek case has a circuit board cover which fits snugly over a brass-colored metal base. Holds up to a dozen cards. No two patterns are exactly alike. $25.00 or Record Label Holiday Ornaments Laser cut from vintage 45 rpm records, these zero waste ornaments come packaged in sets of three different records in a clear, recyclable box. $18 for a set of three.
Books For All Ages
Hoot by Carl Haissen Nature’s Art Box by Laura C. Martin and David Cain The Lorax by Dr. Seuss The Magic Schoolbus: At The WaterWorks by Joanna Cole, The Gaia Girl Series by Lee Welles WoodsWalk by Henry W. Art and Michael W. Robbins Worms Eat My Garbage: How To Set Up & Maintain A Worm Composting System by Mary Appelholf
More Americans travel over Thanksgiving than any other holiday. According to AAA, 37.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more this Thanksgiving, up 3.1 percent from last year. And while all of that travel is great for family bonding, it's not so great for the environment. Here's how to keep it green and still see your loved ones this Thanksgiving.
1. Take The Train: Traveling by train causes less environmental pollution than traveling by car or by plane. And just think…you won’t have to strap the kids into a car seat, worry about traffic, or have to navigate your little ones through airline security. 2. Get A Tune Up: If you are planning to drive, make sure your car is in tip-top condition so that you can maximize gas mileage (and make fewer painful trips to the pump). Make sure your tires are properly inflated to improve your fuel efficiency by another three percent. Click here and here for more info about driving green. 3. Offset It: No matter how you decide to travel, offset your carbon emissions with companies such as GreenTags or Green-e. Carbon "offsets" invest in projects that absorb or prevent the release of carbon dioxide. Photo courtesy of Elvis Santana
I usually make it a rule in my house that we don't talk, shop, or decorate for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. Any sooner than that and we risk an all-encompassing holiday burn-out. This year, however, I am making an exception, so that I can thoroughly research all of the eco-savvy new games/books/toys/and gizmos out there and have my Green Parent Holiday Gift List ready before you hit the stores. So, I'm making my list and I'll be checking it twice. If you know of a cool green something or other (product, gift card, charity, etc.) that you think should make the list, drop me a line. And be sure to check back here on Green Friday (formerly known as Black Friday) for a list of earth-friendly gifts that will please everyone on your shopping list.
Ahhh...the Halloween festivities are over. And as your kids crash down from their sugar high, it's time for you to wipe off the smudged face paint, take apart the costumes, put away the candy corn, and get rid of those wilted pumpkins. Here's how to clean up after your Green Halloween:
Pumpkins: Pumpkins are 100% compostable, so chop 'em up and toss them in the pile or bury them in the backyard. Don't have a compost pile? Click here to learn how to start one. In some areas, you may be able to throw your pumpkins in with other compostable yard waste for the city or county to pick up.
Costumes: Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean that your child has to give up his favorite costume. Put it in the dress-up box for playtime around the house. If you do want to get rid of it, pass it on to your local thrift shop or sell it on eBay.
Candy: If you've hit your limit on Halloween candy, pare down your supply and donate the rest to a local nursing home, Boys and Girls club, or women's shelter.
Photo courtesy of Thad Zajdowicz
You've carved pumpkins, put together a costume, decorated the house, had a Halloween party, and picked up your Halloween goodies to hand out on the big night. Now it's time to grab your little ones and head out for a fun night of trick-or-treating. Here's how to keep it green:
Carry A Reusable Sac: Grab an old pillowcase, a tote bag, or a canvas shopping bag for your kids to fill with treats. But whatever you do, don't use a flimsy, disposable, plastic bag that is likely to break before the night is through.
Eat Some Candy!: It's Halloween, and if you're going to do the whole trick-or-treat thing, relax a little bit and let your kids gobble up some of their hard-earned treats! Set a limit for the amount of candy they can eat that night and then put the rest away (preferably out of sight) for another time. If they decide to eat as they go, just make sure they put the wrappers in their pockets to throw away later.
Pass It On: It takes just one small-town neighborhood block for my kids to accumulate enough candy to rot out all of their teeth (even the ones they don't have yet) and rev up their systems for a good month. So at our house, the kids get to indulge for a few days before I pull the plug and get rid of the sugar. Fortunately, there's no need to throw it all away. Nursing homes, women's shelters, and Boys and Girls Clubs all happily accept candy donations.
If you're shopping for treats to hand out this Halloween, you are likely to find a frightening assortment of artificial ingredients, plastic packaging, and sweatshop trinkets. How scary! Steer clear of these ghoulish wares and Green Your Halloween by giving out treats that don't trick! Here are a few ideas:
- Fair Trade Chocolates: Chocolate is always a popular choice at Halloween. But according to the non-profit group Global Exchange, 40% of the world's cocoa is produced in "abysmal working conditions" where children are exploited and used as laborers. Give out fair-trade chocolates instead. (Try Exquisite Swiss or Endangered Species Chocolates)
- Gummies: Fruitabu's Organic Smooshed Fruit is made without any scary artificial ingredients. Individually-sized packs come in great seasonal flavors like Autumn Apple, Abundant Apricot, and Bountiful Blackberry.
- Lollipops: College Farm Organic offers an assortment of lollipops and hard candies made with all-natural ingredients. Even better, the candy bags and wrappers are fully-compostable leaving you with a no-waste treat!
- Popcorn: Hand out individually-wrapped bags of organic microwave popcorn. (Try Newman's Own Organics)
- Raisins: Earthbound Farms organic raisins are available in individually sized boxes
- Snack Bars: Earth's Best snack bars make the perfect bite-sized Halloween treat
- Soy Crayons
- Stickers
- Temporary Tattoos
Ready to scare up some Halloween fun this weekend? Decorate in black and orange for your next Halloween party but keep it green with these easy tips. And be sure to have a great, green time!
Invites
- Poo Poo Paper: Skip the usual paper invites that cost a fortune to mail and take forever to fill out. Instead, email an invite to your friends for free (try www.evite.com). If you really want to mail out a card, put the poo poo on paper with an invitation made from elephant dung (www.poopoopaper.com)!
Food - Keep It Local: Serve locally grown and produced foods to your party guests. If it's a potluck, challenge your guests to bring a dish that contains locally grown ingredients.
- Pass On Paper: Use dishes, utensils, and napkins that can be washed and reused rather than disposables. If it's a huge party and dishwashing is not an option, consider purchasing biodegradable plates, cups, and utensils that can be tossed in the compost bin.
- Show Your True Colors: Enlist your kids help in coming up with dishes that show off your Halloween green (and black and orange). Ingredient ideas include black olives, raisins, orange bell peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, kiwi, and green apples.
Decorations - Click here for a ton of Green Halloween decoration ideas
Games - Bobbing for Apples (another alternative is to tie strings to apples and hang from a tree. Blindfold guests and have them try to chomp one.)
- Pumpkin Carving: Gather up some locally grown pumpkins (click here for more info about pumpkins) from a nearby pumpkin farm and let guests carve or paint their own to take home.
- Recycled Costume Exchange: Have guests bring old costumes from years past or old clothes and props from around their house that can be recycled as costumes. Click here for some great DIY costume ideas.
- Make Your Own Haunted House: Turn old bed sheets into ghoulish ghosts, rocks into creepy spiders, and old dolls into "headless" horsemen! (Be sure to factor in the ages of your guests so as not to frighten little ones)
 Nothing says "Happy Halloween" like a pumpkin. Whether it's carved or painted, spooky or silly, a pumpkin is a tried and true symbol of the Halloween festivities. They are ridiculously versatile...you can use them as decorations, as side dishes, and even as inspiration for your costume. And growing pumpkins is even good for the environment. According to a report from the Royal Military College of Canada, pumpkins have the ability to remove toxic DDT from the soil. So do something good for the planet and go get some pumpkins!
Here's how to Green Your Halloween and have a Jack-O-Lantern full of eco-friendly fun with pumpkins.
- Go Local: Buy your pumpkins (as well as apples and other seasonal produce) from your local pumpkin farm or farmer's market to save energy and resources that would otherwise be used for shipping, packaging, and transportation.
- Use It All: If you carve your pumpkin, be sure to save the seeds. Pumpkin seeds can be baked and served as a special treat at home or at your next Halloween gathering. You can also feed them (dry or wet) to the birds and squirrels in your yard. Some zoos even accept pumpkin seed donations for their animals.
- Compost: When the holiday has past and your pumpkin begins to look a little wilted, be sure to give him a proper "burial" in your compost pile.
 Not that long ago, Halloween decorations consisted of a couple of pumpkins on the front porch and old clothes fashioned into a stuffed scarecrow in the yard. But today, Halloween has begun to rival Christmas with the amount of planning, preparation, and purchasing that goes into the holiday decorations. Don't be frightened....there are plenty of ways to decorate for a Green Halloween that won't spook the planet. Check out these ideas for Green Halloween decorations...
- Seek Out The Spooky...Reuse and recycle stuff around your house to use as Halloween decorations. Don't worry if it's not perfect. Halloween as all about the eerie, the gross, and the creepy, so it will look even better if it's dirty or falling apart.
- Get Thrifty: Hit your local thrift store for awesome decorations that won't cost a fortune.
- Reuse decorations from year to year...don't just throw them away...that's SCARY!!
- Go Au Naturale: Skip the inflatable and light-up decor that wastes both money and resources. Instead, opt for natural decorations like pumpkins, corn stalks, mums, and straw bales.
Add a little spookiness to your front yard with stuff that's already laying around your house. Check out these ideas for transforming everyday items into frightfully fun decorations: Cardboard Box
- Coffin: Paint it black, stuff a shirt with newspaper and hang it from the side
- Tombstone: Paint it gray and add a funny epithet
- Skeleton: Paint it white and cut out a skeleton design
Recycled Newspaper/Paper
- Witch's Hat: Paint it black and fold into a pointy witch's hat.
- "Chain": Cut out strips of paper into chains that you can use to decorate inside or out
Rocks
Spiders: Paint black and attach pipe cleaners as legs
More Ideas - Stuff old clothes with newspaper to form a scarecrow for your front porch. Add a hat and some funky shoes.
- Use old stockings or the netting from a bag of oranges to make spiderwebs.
- Turn an old sheet or pillowcase into a ghastly ghost. Use a small amount of crumpled newspaper to stuff the "head." Tie off the head with a string and add a spooky face with markers. Hang your ghost in a nearby tree and let him blow in the wind.
With Halloween fast approaching, I am dedicating this week's blog entries and newsletters to helping you prepare for a Green Halloween. I'll give you the scoop on the costumes, decorations, pumpkins, and treats that provide scary amounts of fun without frightening the planet. Ready to get started? Check out these ideas for greening your kids' Halloween costumes...
- Raid The Thrift Store: Hit your local thrift store first when looking for Halloween supplies. Most stores have an abundance of pre-made costumes set aside that you can pick up for pennies a piece. If you don't find exactly what you're looking for, wander the aisles to find cool clothes that will transform you child into a clown, princess, wizard, nurse, "mad scientist, or treehugger!
- DIY The Props: If your child needs a special prop to go with his outfit, help him make it out of the materials you have at home. Swords or “magic” wands are easily made by cutting the shape out of a piece of cardboard and covering it with aluminum foil. Make a cape for a wizard or princess using an old fancy pillowcase. Cut it lengthwise and attach a thin piece of felt at either end.
- Add Effect: Add "glow in the dark" stars to your little one’s princess or ninja costume for an extra special effect. Or jazz up your child's costume with green (or red or blue) facepaint. Just blend ½ teaspoon diaper cream with 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch. Add a little water to get the paint to the desired consistency. Scoop the mixture into a few separate containers (such as egg cups or bottle caps) and add 1 or 2 drops of the food coloring of your choice to each. (These face paints will wash off with warm water, but be sure to take the usual precautions for allergies and clothes stains.)
Costume Ideas
Here are some great ideas for simple, eco-friendly Halloween costumes for you and/or your kids. Got a few great ideas of your own? Post them here for a chance to win great Halloween prizes (can you say fair-trade chocolate and reusable treat bags?)
Black Cat: Black sweat suit, black headband (attach 2 black felt ears), old black scarf or boa to use as tail (attach with a safety pin). Use black eyeliner to draw on cat eyes and whiskers. Cowboy/Cowgirl: Jeans, flannel shirt, bandanna, boots, cowboy (cowgirl) hat Ghost: It doesn’t get any easier than this one. Cut two eye holes in an old sheet (if you don’t have an old one, you can pick one up at your local thrift store.) Jazz it up by using a permanent marker to add spider webs, chains, and a face. Mummy: Dress child in an all white or all black outfit. Cut an old sheet into long strips. Attach strips with masking tape to child’s clothes and wrap loosely around legs, torso, and arms. Use white face paint all over face. Ninja: Black turtleneck, billowy black pants, black belt, and a sword Pirate: Red pants, white billowy shirt (open at the collar) balck belt, black boots, black hat, 1 dangly clip-on earring, 1 black eye patch Princess: If you can’t find an old princess dress at your local thrift store, seek out any material that is frilly and/or sparkly that can be pinned around your child’s waist as a skirt. (Try a fancy pillowcase or tablecloth). Make a crown out of aluminum foil. For special effect, add glow in the dark stars all over the costume. Scarecrow: Old jeans, flannel shirt, straw hat, boots. Cut an old newspaper into thin strips. Using duct tape, attach the newspaper strips to the inside cuff of each pant leg and the inside cuff of each shirt at the wrist. Use red face paint and black eyeliner to make red cheeks, and black “stitching” around mouth and eyes. Spider: Black sweat suit, 2 pairs of black tights. (Cut the legs off of the tights and stuff them with old newspaper (4 legs total). Attach 2 legs to either side of sweatshirt with safety pins. Using black sewing thread or safety pins, attach the lower leg on the left with the lower leg on the right in front of child. Next, attach the middle leg on left to the left sweatshirt arm and the middle right leg to the right sweatshirt arm.) Zorro: Black pants, black shirt, cut mask into strip of black felt, black belt, black shoes or boots, sword Photo courtesy of scol22, stock.xchng.
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It's that time of year where we all reflect back on the past 12 months and make a plan for the months to come. If you're ready to really make a difference in 2008, try making a promise to go easy on the planet with one (or all) of these Green Parent New Year's Resolutions:
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