Congratulations to Leslie for winning the 100% cotton baby costume from Harrison’s and to Amy for her win of the Fair Trade, 100% alpaca mask and tail set from Ouef.

Winners were chosen at random on Random.org.

Ladies, we’d love to hear which styles you chose…

Thank you so much to all those who entered. Stay tuned for more great, green giveaways!

Why should Christmas have the all fun?

Build a (yummy) family tradition your kids will scream for (in a good way, of course). It’s an activity, decor and dessert – all rolled into one!

Just use a traditional gingerbread recipe (swapping conventional ingredients for local and/or organic, when possible) OR organic graham crackers as the “house.” Decorate with edibles and organic/all natural confections that conjure the Halloween spirit.

Colors to consider: orange, black, purple and of course, GREEN! For a list of Halloween foods colored naturally by Mother Earth, visit out food page. (Who says you can’t use kale grass?)

Don’t have time to cook, but want to create the tradition? Buy the kit (photo above) online from Magic Cabin.

Check out the new Surf Sweets Green Halloween party guide.

It’s packed full of great, green Halloween activities, recipes, games and more!

Reading about making yummy Halloween desserts not enough? Watch their “sweet” videos on YouTube.

We love Surf Sweets organic candy because they are better for kids (and adults) and the planet – but also because they support causes we’re also passionate about too, such as Treeswing.

Which lines do we suggest for trick-or-treaters? We love the Sour Berry Bears and Gummy Bears, both available in .9 oz sizes. Punch your zip into the search bar here and find a Surf Sweets retailer near you.

Surf Sweets is one of our featured vendors. To find out more about our featured vendor program, click here.

I just read a recent report that states:

One of the spookiest parts of Halloween this year may be the amount people plan to spend on their celebrations. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, consumers are expected to spend an average of $56.31 on Halloween, down from $66.54 last year. Total spending on the holiday is expected to reach $4.75 billion.*

I agree. That IS spooky.

But not because our Halloween spending is going down.

I mean, do we really need the $1.23 billion in Halloween decor, most of it made of unsustainable materials by people likely not being paid fairly? Does purchasing 1/4 of a billion dollars worth of Halloween greeting cards (most made from virgin trees) really make our holiday more fun? How, exactly, do the $1.75 billion dollars worth of petroleum-based costumes (which won’t be worn again) lend to meaningful memories?

The answers, of course, are: No, absolutely not and they don’t.

Celebrating green means putting people first and meaning before objects. It’s about having fun with the people we love most and about creating traditions we can all be proud of.

Do we really need all this stuff?

It is true that at some point, all of us will want to buy something, if not for this holiday, then the next.

So, what’s a conscious consumer to do?

Support the retailers who sell sustainably and ethically sourced products. Look for items that are durable and able to be used throughout the year and/or year after year. Let other retailers know that you’d like to see green and Fair Trade products in their stores, and when they do stock the items, tell all your friends. Support their efforts.

So, if you are going to buy this Halloween, use your dollar “vote” wisely by choosing products that support healthy people and a healthy planet, NOT the wallets of manufacturers creating junk that’s intended to be disposed of. (See “Story of Stuff” for a peek at planned obsolescence in the manufacturing world.)

And here is a tip: Before spending a single penny, ask yourself, How does buying ___ support my family’s values and vision for a meaningful holiday? What will not having it mean to me and my family? If I do buy it, will I use it year after year?

What do you think? We’d love to hear your comments, below.

Note from Corey:

GreenHalloween.org offers loads of great advice (if we do say so ourselves!) on everything from eco-fab costumes to healthy Halloween treats/green treasures to how to compost your pumpkins.

But did you know we have articles from experts who know cool stuff like how to stay healthy this Halloween with homeopathics?

Check out out the smart tips from a doctors, dentist, nutritionist, psychotherapist and more!

Want more answers? Let us know by adding a comment below.