So it seems like a gust of cold air blew through the neighborhood this evening. The temperature is well below 60°. It’s quite a shock after weeks sweating in the 90° heat. Of course, October 31st will likely be chilly and it’s important to be prepared.

This costume, which comes from Fiskars designer Lisa Storms, is a great solution. The costume uses a long-sleeve shirt, but a sweatshirt could easily be substituted. You can also sewing scraps from around the house.

So, grab that old stained shirt and get started!

This owl costume is simply a brown shirt with rows of fabric ovals sewn beginning at the bottom. Trace the ovals and cut them out. Then sew the pieces on with a needle and thread. Fabric glue or safety pins will also get the job done.

For the hat:

Turn a knit cap inside out. Cut off a semi-circle from the top, then sew the large remaining hat piece back together. Circles and a triangle glued to the hat complete the cute face.

Viola! An owl with a cheap and eco-friendly coat of feathers.

I would say, now we might finally know how many licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, but this is Green Halloween! Give your owl Yummy Earth Lollipops instead!

For more ways to stay warm this Halloween follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

Happy Saturday!

Hopefully you and your little rascals have room for some playtime today (and you have time to do some errands). Here’s a great weekend afternoon activity – a milk carton haunted house!  The great thing about this project is that your structure can be any style you desire. Architecture nerds, go crazy! I am hoping to make a Hogwarts inspired castle. You can also incorporate toy cars, LEGOs, or other figurines.

You’ll need:

- Empty cardboard milk cartons
- Newspaper, origami paper, or pages from a novel
- Card stock or watercolor paper
- Pens and paint of your choice
- Glue stick
- Craft glue
- Candy

Directions:

- Thoroughly rinse and dry milk cartons.
- Completely cover cartons in paper.
- Draw windows and doors onto card stock and paint. Cut them out and attach to the front of the milk cartons.
- Fill cartons with candy.
- Use craft glue to seal containers closed.

Send us pictures of your haunted mansion! We would love to see these rad pads. Get in touch at greenhalloween@veritey.com

For more craft ideas follow us on facebook at www.facebook.com/greenhalloween or Twitter @greenhalloween

This activity comes from the blog Little Lovely. Thanks for the idea!

Halloween. It’s all about the candy, right? Well not long ago, kids in costume had just as much fun procuring pennies for a worthy cause as they did grabbing fistfuls of treats. Why? Because doing good deeds is fun and meaningful, even for the youngest of the bunch. So this year, consider trick-or-treating-for-good in lieu of (or in addition to) trick-or-treating-for-goodies and see what all the excitement is about.

• Change for Children
• Reverse trick-or-treating
• Trick-or-treat for UNICEF
• Trick-or-Treat for Food Allergy
• Sight Night
• Books For Treats
• The Halloween Candy Buy-Back Program
• Treats for Our Troops

How does your family put the “meaning in the greening” on Halloween? Do share the good!

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Looking for more ways to green your holidays, celebrations and every-day? Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®. Connect with Lynn and Corey on Facebook and Twitter.

By Wendy

With the cooler temperatures outside, we’re finally getting into swing of fall. Before it gets too chilly out and the snow begins to hit the ground, enjoy the autumn season with these 5 fun and eco-friendly activities you can do with the entire family:

1- Visit a national state park for a hike- hiking is a great thing to do with the entire family. You’ll not only get to enjoy the great outdoors, but you’ll also get the heart pumping, nice quiet picnic along the hike and maybe see some forest animals.

2- Check out the fall foliage at your local park- take a stroll at your nearest park on a sunny afternoon and you’ll see trees with leaves change from green, to yellow, orange and red. It also makes for beautiful pictures!

3- Go apple picking- whether its apple picking or pumpkin picking, there are tons of local farms that start their picking season’s right after Labor Day and into the Fall season. It’ a fun weekend event for the family. Plus there are tons of activities right on the farm, from corn maize’s, hayrides, haunted houses, apple cider, and more. Check online for local farms and orchards in your area.

4- Make a delicious butternut squash soup- or maybe even a tomato basil soup. Head to your local farmer’s market and you’ll be able to find the fresh and locally sourced produce to make something delicious that will warm up everyone’s tummy.

5- Make your own Halloween costume- with Halloween a week away and no costume, it might be time to get creative this year and make your own costume. You can use any materials you want, from things you already have at home, like cardboard, construction paper, and glue, to picking up a few things at your local craft store. Have the kids come up with ideas and start decorating!

So whether you choose to go hiking or apple picking at your local farm this fall, have some eco-friendly fun this season this year with the family! What’s your favorite fall activity?

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Wendy Yu is a digital marketing professional living in New York City. When she’s not using the power of social media to share ideas on how to be more environmentally friendly, she is exploring the city, trying local foods, and learning more about how she can reduce her carbon footprint.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Green Halloween® or our partners.

Here’s a fun solitaire app game for the whole family. Costumes optional. Giggles required:

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Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of  Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.