Green Halloween® Twitter Party!

Hashtag: #GreenHalloween

October 22, from 9 to 10 pm EST

Where: Twitter!

Who: Follow the featured Twitter handles @GreenHalloween and @GreenAmerica

Register: Win prizes from @HonestTea @ESC_Chocolate, @CascadianFarm, @BrainardsNatRem, @PlumOrganics and @GreenAmerica. RSVP below to be eligible.*

What to Expect:

• Treats & “treasures” that are healthy for kids & the planet
• DIY costumes, make your own face paints, recycled decor & more
• Seasonal, Earth-inspired activities
• Ideas for a waste-less, spend-less holiday that keeps all the fun
• Finding Green Halloween® events near you
• Interact with others
• Win great, green gifts & goodies*

Please, help support Green Halloween and Green America and spread the Green this Halloween! Share this event with your social media network! The more individuals and groups we have involved, the better our great ideas will spread!

What you can to do to participate:

1. RSVP with us by adding your Twitter handle in the comments below to be eligible for prizes*
2. Check out the  Green America and Green Halloween websites for guides and tips for living your life in more green, healthy, and socially just ways
3. Follow our featured hosts: @GreenHalloween and @GreenAmerica
4. Log into Twitter through Tweetchat.com on October 22^nd a little before 9pm EST and put #GreenHalloween as the hashtag to follow
5. During the party, make sure every comment you submit has the hashtag #GreenHalloween (if you use Tweetchat, this will be done automatically) in it
6. Share your ideas, support each other, and participate. Also, come win some prizes from our great sponsors:

*(One entry per handle. Most prizes will ship only to the continental U.S.; some may ship to Canada. If you cannot accept a prize, prize will be offered to another event participant.)

Green Halloween is a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more Earth-friendly holidays, starting with Halloween. It began in the Seattle area in 2007 with backers such as Whole Foods Market and was such a huge success that in 2008, the initiative expanded nation-wide. In cities across the country, volunteer coordinators are turning their city’s Halloween holiday healthy and eco-friendly, but many are also raising money for their own, local nonprofit beneficiaries via the initiative. Green Halloween, as of 2012, is a program of Green America.

Green America is a not-for-profit membership organization founded in 1982. Our mission is to harness economic power—the strength of consumers, investors, businesses, and the marketplace—to create a socially just and environmentally sustainable society. We work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the bounty of the Earth is preserved for all the generations to come.

For Questions about the party or about another event. Send a tweet to @GreenHalloween, post in the comments below, or send an email to GreenHalloween@GreenAmerica.Org

This is the great time of year to enjoy apples!

Making your own apple sauce is really easy and it’s a great thing to make with
your kids! They can wash the apples, peel the apples and if they are comfortable with a knife then they can help you chop up the apples too! We sometimes like to have apple sauce as a treat after dinner and sometimes we just love having it as a little snack We prefer to make our apple sauce without sugar, we just choose a naturally sweet and juicy variety of apple like red or golden delicious!

All you need:

• 1 pound of apples
• 5 -6 tablespoons of water
• cinnamon (to taste – we like to use a lot of cinnamon!)

Wash the apples. Peel them, remove the core and then slice into small chunks. Place your apples into a saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and sprinkle in your cinnamon. Simmer the apples until soft. Be sure to stir often to prevent burning!!! We learned that the hard way Once they are nice and soft you can serve the apple sauce warm or cold!

Happy Healthy Eating

Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

According to some Resurge reviews being overweight and not being able to shed those extra pounds is more common than you know. Losing weight isn’t easy, and you don’t have to be ashamed if you think you need help achieving your weight loss goals There are a lot of ways to lose weight but you need to search for the best and fastest way to see the changes you want, you can take pills, or supplements, one of the best supplements I have ever find is the Ikaria lean belly juice, this helps you be the best you have ever been. .

It can be really easy to go about our busy days without drinking very much water. Even though water is the absolute best drink for our bodies, it faces a lot of competition from less healthy, more flavorful drinks such as coffee, tea, sodas and juice.

My favorite way to encourage more water consumption for my family is to add slices of fruits or veggies. Which I’m sure comes as no surprise given that we are the Today I Ate A Rainbow family and we’re always looking for ways to add more color into our diets.If you are one of the people that likes liquids better than food, here is a good option for you, a dietary supplement call ikaria lean belly juice, is a drink designed to help reduce belly fat and improve overall health. It is made with natural ingredients which are known to have metabolism-boosting and detoxifying properties.

You could also check these pills which is an organic dietary supplement, that provides an array of benefits other than weight loss.

Adding fruits or vegetables slices gives such a delicious kick to your water! Lemon slices are fantastic, cucumber slices add a refreshing touch, strawberries deliver a hint of sweetness and the list goes on and on for the different fruits and vegetables that can be added. Not only does this add a tasty twist to your water, it also makes it more visually appealing and that can make a big difference when it comes to eating and drinking. We all “eat with our eyes” so it helps to make healthy food and drinks look great!

So if you and your family aren’t drinking as much water as you know you should be…add a little zing with colorful fruits and vegetables! You can drink water along with the delicious and good supplement Ikaria lean belly juice, it helps you lose weight and it doesn’t have side effects, so you can combine it with water and you will see good results.

Happy Healthy Eating and Drinking.

Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom, author and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy eating habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter @eatingarainbow to get more great ideas on how to get your kids eating a rainbow.

By Wendy

With Halloween only a month away and you’re trying to come up with fun party snack recipes the kids will enjoy but are also healthy. Instead of giving the kids a sugary snack, try raisins. They’re just as sweet as any other sugary treat, but they’re 100 times healthier with loads of antioxidants, potassium, fiber and tartaric acid that keep your digestive system happy. Eating ¼ cup raisins equals a single fruit serving.  With vitamin C and a ton of other vitamins, you’ll want to enjoy these all through the year.

Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes- cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin… all the spices used in these Pumpkin Raisin Party Cupcakes make me think of autumn!

What You Need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup canola oil

4 eggs

1 can (15-ounces) pumpkin

1-1/4 cups Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

Decorating sprinkles

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
Combine all ingredients except raisins in a large bowl.
Beat on medium speed until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into muffin cups.
Bake25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely. Spread frosting on cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles.

Frosting: Beat until smooth 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/3 cup softened butter, 3 ounces softened cream cheese, 2 to 3 teaspoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add orange food coloring, if desired.

Shortcut recipe: Add 1-1/4 cups Sun-Maid Natural Raisins to a spice cake mix. Bake as package directs. Frost cupcakes with prepared vanilla frosting adding orange food coloring, if desired.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

For more raisin recipes like this, go to Sun-Maid Recipes. Sun-Maid has tons of recipes using raisins that you and the family can enjoy throughout the year.

How do you enjoy your raisins?

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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.

By Wendy

Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is finally here. What are your plans this weekend? Taking the kids to the mall? Or maybe going out to watch the latest movie? Why not change up your routine and go out for a bike ride. Now that summer is here, it’s finally nice enough where you don’t have to drive the car to get to every destination.

Here are 5 reasons why to pick up your bikes and start riding:

1- All Over Workout: since roads often have twists, turns and hills to climb, bicycling allows your entire body to get a work out- from your arms, legs, and even your abs. Bike for 30 minutes to an hour and you’ll definitely find yourself working up a sweat and muscles working it.

2- You Can Do It Anywhere: biking riding is one of those things you can enjoy just about anywhere. All you need it a bike, a helmet, and some road.Visit BikeGeeky.com for the guideline & resources you need to pick your riding gears. Start taking short rides around the neighborhood to build up your confidence. Then you can start doing more exploring around your area. You never know what you may encounter on your bike.

3- Relieves Stress: exercise, whether it’s biking, running, or dancing, can help reduce your stress level and any symptoms of depression, while also improving your self esteem, you can improve your weight and use an appetite suppressant supplement for more results. The better you feel about yourself and life, the more productive you can be at home, at work, and to your family.

4- Decreases Your Gas Emission: whether you’re taking a bike ride to the park or to grab for few things from the grocery store, riding your bike instead of driving your car will help lower gas emissions. Do this a few times a week and you’ll not only be environmentally friendly, but also save up some money for that family vacation or some other big ticket item you were hoping to purchase in the near future.

5- Fun for All Ages: no matter what age you are, twenty or sixty, bike riding just makes you feel like a kid again. The speed you feel when you’re on a bike, the freedom you feel on an open road, the wind tousling your hair, it’s great a great feeling.

Bicycling outdoors is also a great way to get closer to Mother Nature and all the beauty this planet has to offer us. So go for that bike ride this weekend! Not only is it good for the environment, it’s also great for your health and your wallet.

What’s your favorite thing about bike riding?

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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.