Using Random.org, we randomly chose our winner for costume giveaway #1. Congratulations to Wenonah for winning the first of three fabulous, 100% cotton Halloween get-ups for baby from Harrison’s Halloween Costumes.

Thank you, Harrisons for your contribution to the early Halloween fun!

Disappointed that you didn’t win?

Buy your own Harrison’s costume here, or enter our second of three Harrison’s giveaways. Yes, we have more!

Here is the scoop:

Celebrate your baby’s first Green Halloween with an adorable, 100% cotton get-up from Harrison’s Halloween Costumes! Designed by a hip Californian mama looking for cute and spooky costumes for parents, grandparents, and gift givers with a sense of humor.

Five styles available:

“Frankenbaby” (cute Frankenstein)
“Dracula” Vampire
“Scary Spider”
“Witchie” girl witch dress
“Vampira” girl vampire dress

Sizes 0-6 months only.

How to win?

All you need to do is reply to this post. Easy!

Stay tuned for your third and final opportunity to win a Harrison’s costume. (We’ll also be announcing additional opportunities for more great, Green Halloween gear.)

Harrison’s Halloween Costumes are the only 100% cotton (non-petroleum-based) baby costumes that we’ve seen on the market. They’re available for sale at CastlesNCrowns.com.

For other safe, eco-friendly costume ideas, visit our costume page.

Winners chosen at random. Comments must be received by SEPTEMBER 18TH at 11:59am PST. Must be at least 10 entries. One per person, please.

Yesterday we promised we’d share with you the incredible work by photographer Mark Jordan, the artist taking belly painting to a whole new level.

Here’s a peek at some of his photos (which he has give us permission to share):

To see the entire gallery with even more amazing images, click here.

Please note: Mark Jordan’s photos are not to be used, or sold without his permission. Images may be purchased by contacting the photographer.

Want to whip up some of your own safer-than-store bought belly (or face) paints? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s recipe feature from our book, Celebrate Green!

Halloween is right around the corner and if your due date is too, you’re in luck. And not just because your little one is almost here but because your baby bump is just perfect for dressing up! Now that’s reason to dance!

Just think of the possibilities…

• Pumpkin
• Watermelon
• Earth
• Fish bowl
• Basketball/ baseball
• An Easter egg
• Beach Ball
• Pearl in a shell
• Happy face

Or, forget the cliches and dress your belly up as something unique like – the president. Huh? Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post featuring the amazing work of Photographer Mark Jordan.

Of course, green mamas-to-be will want to steer clear of most conventional face and belly paints, even those labeled “non-toxic” unless you know what all of the ingredients are (companies are not required to tell you) and whether the ingredients are safe. (Go to Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database to search the ingredients – if they are even listed.)

The better bet? Buy face pencils such as by Lyra, made under European’s stricter safety standards or make your own belly paints using the easy recipe in our book, Celebrate Green!.

Have you decorated your baby bump in clever ways for Halloween, or incorporated it in some other way into a funny, interesting or beautiful costume? Do share, do share!

Oeuf is one of our favorite companies. Creating simple, sustainable, use-able products for house and home, Oeuf pleases people and planet for the holidays and every day.

They’re on our minds a lot these days; in fact we just raved about their new gorgeously green garlands on our Celebrate Green! blog.

But since this is a Halloween blog, and you’re here to gather pointers for making yours a green holiday, we’ll try to curb our enthusiasm and stick to the point: Oeuf’s mask and tail accessories rock.

Not only are they made from soft, safe, sustainable alpaca, they’re knitted in Bolivia by people earning living wages. All this and more is why you will love them.

But what about the kiddos?

Without so much as leotard and tights, pants and shirt or even a pillow case with holes for a head and arms, your little one will be transformed into a Wild Thing. (The kind that doesn’t have to go to bed without his supper.)

Which leads us to our last point: when it comes to costumes (and a whole lot of things, come to think of it), less can be more. (Does your child need to be enveloped in polyester buntings to look and feel like a real-life lion? No. And buying just the masks and tails allows your child to get creative with the in-between costume parts, too.)

Looking for something similar for your wee-wild-one?

Check out Oeuf’s animal hat and booties.

Are your kids not into the animals? Too old for the furry stuff? Check out these mean beanies, for Bat Boys and Bat Girls (slightly different styles). 100% alpaca and Fair Trade, but all your kids will care about is how to make their costume as cool as their hats.

Celebrate your baby’s first Green Halloween with an adorable, 100% cotton get-up from Harrison’s Halloween Costumes! Designed by a hip Californian mama looking for cute and spooky costumes for parents, grandparents, and gift givers with a sense of humor.

Five styles available:

“Frankenbaby” (cute Frankenstein)
“Dracula” Vampire
“Scary Spider”
“Witchie” girl witch dress
“Vampira” girl vampire dress

Sizes 0-6 months only.

How to win?

From now through October 15th, we’ll be giving away THREE costumes over the next few weeks. To enter to win the first, all you need to do is reply to this post with your costume plans for this Halloween. Easy!

Stay tuned for second and third opportunities. Winners chosen at random. First round ends August 31st.

Harrison’s Halloween Costumes are the only 100% cotton (non-petroleum-based) baby costumes that we’ve seen on the market. They’re available for sale at CastlesNCrowns.com.

Discover when do baby boy start talking. Most babies say their first words sometime around their first birthday. But babies can start communicating long before that. Before babies start talking they are gathering and absorbing information. That information eventually becomes the foundation of the first baby talk. And the best way for parents to help their babies make it to those first words, and help their language development thrive from there on, is to talk to them.

For other safe, eco-friendly costume ideas, visit our costume page.