We have a lovely guest contributor, DeeAnna Soicher, this week about where to find perfect re-loved costumes from your local Goodwill!

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By shopping at the Goodwill this Halloween season you can support a wonderful organization and dress up in an amazing pre-loved costume.

This entire outfit came from a Goodwill store in the Denver area.

Adore the outfit…..Love the price!

• Long Sleeved Shirt-$4.99
• Yellow Floral Dress-$6.99
• Top Apron Dress (NWT)$6.99

I found all of the items in the women’s section.

Atticus Finch contemplates the fate of Tom Robinson…the jury deliberates.

He can wear this suit for any special occasion, and since kids seem to grow out of dress clothes after one wearing, re-donate to Goodwill and pick up another good looking outfit!

Laura Ingalls Wilder

My model loved the outfit so much she kept it to wear to school. She looks amazing!

Pair this outfit with cowboy boots for a casual look or dress shoes for a more formal look.

We wanted to showcase some “costumes” that can be worn again and again and then re-donated for the next lucky kid.

Think green this Halloween and re-love a costume from Goodwill!

www.ThriftingDenver.wordpress.com

www.ALittleJunkInMyTrunk.blogspot.com

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

We decided it’s time to share some pictures from the Green Halloween festivities last year at Tampa. This year we are gearing up for another amazing run of Green Halloween with over 20 cities hosting events nationwide. We’re all fabulously excited for all of these events launching and hope everyone attending will have a blast!

If you want to host a Green Halloween event, it is not too late! Check out our Get Started section on Green Halloween to find information and simple steps.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Laura from www.kimswhims.net has kindly agreed to do a guest post on the Green Halloween blog about Swap It:

Swap It, is a new page I started on Face book for the sole purpose of swapping handmade crafts. There are so many wonderful crafters and artists there. This is a great way to exchange ideas and to own a variety of handmade art. Artists work with a variety of materials, clay, paint, wood but most use fabric.

We are just finishing up a witch swap. What a wonderful variety of witches. Some are painted, sewn, ornies, dolls, and shoes anything witchy works!  Gather your FB friends, neighbors, sewing group and start your own swap. Always be patient! We never know if a computer crashed, or if someone fell ill. Please don’t jump to conclusions, stay positive and have fun then your swaps will be successful.

Swap it is open to anyone in the US and Canada. If you are not a crafter you can certainly purchase a handmade item to swap. We usually have about a week to sign up and then I pull names out of a hat to pair up partners. Once you have a partner the two of you will decide on a dollar value. Partners will also ask each other if they have a color preference or any other preferences that may pertain to that particular swap. Most swaps then take 2 -4 weeks to complete. Partners need to communicate if a swap is going to take longer we just need to drop a quick e mail or FB message to let that person know when they are running late. I always encourage swappers to let each other know when they shipped with an expected delivery date, this way they know to watch the mail.

We post photos on Swap It’s home page. We all enjoy seeing each other’s swaps. As a crafter and designer I really enjoy seeing the variety of creative items. The people I have swapped with and met have been very wonderful. Everyone is pleasant and easy to work with. Come visit Swap It on Face book and post a note and say hello. Join in any swap. We would love to meet you.

Swap It’s page on Facebook

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Do you have a sweet tooth for justice and activism? Then perhaps you will take delight in knowing that trick-or-treaters of all ages in the US can give Fair Trade chocolate attached to an informational card back to adults in their neighborhoods as a mass action to educate the public about how Fair Trade can ameliorate poverty, child slavery/abusive child labor, and environmental degradation in the cocoa fields. Last year, tens of thousands of groups of children reached over a quarter million households in a single night… and you are invited to help make the Fourth Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating a continued success!

Individual families, schools, congregations, and youth organizations can request kits online through www.reversetrickortreating.org.

DATES TO REQUEST KITS:

Individuals:  September 1-October 8

Organizations:  October 1-8

You can also download a free pdf of our informational flyers or cards from our website and distribute them on Halloween to help us reach tens of thousands of additional households.

We are also challenging households nationwide to buy some Fair Trade chocolate minis to distribute to children from doorsteps on Halloween!

And once Halloween is over, the fun simply does not stop. You can also join our suite of winter holiday programs, including Fair Trade Holiday Caroling, the Fair Trade Holiday Gift Pledge, and the Fair Trade New Year’s Resolution program.

But Fair Trade products can be celebrated year-round. The Fair Trade Campaign at Global Exchange also coordinates Sweet Smarts, a national network of kids, parents and teachers who advocate for Fair Trade certified products through various creative actions (such as the ones mentioned above) to transform communities and corporations, and support small-scale farmers efforts to build a better future for their families and protect the environment.

For a fun informational starter on Fair Trade chocolate, use our FREE Fair Trade Cocoa Curriculum.  More information at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa

Guest post written by Ruby Aguirre of Fair Trade Campaign, Global Exchange.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

This week on Halloween Crafts Roundup, we’re featuring two women with a flair for esthetics and expansive creativity! First is Pamela of French Knots, a blog dedicated to food and crafts (we love both!). Next we have Laura Fisher. Laura is a textile artist, clothing designer and the owner of Baisebeige Studios. Her fashion line is devoted to the Green movement and creates pieces that are friendly to the planet and humanity.

Spooky Halloween Garland

This lovely Garland concept is created by Pamela of French Knots will surely spruce up your living space on Halloween. Directions are located here and the materials needed are normal day items so it’s super easy to make. If you aren’t feeling the “spooky” garland, you can substitute other Halloween-themed words. Or perhaps, make multiple Garlands with different wordings to string around your home as unique decorations!

Polka-dot Pumpkins

While browsing through Pamela’s blog archives, I found this little gem of a Halloween decoration. We all know pumpkins are iconic for Halloween, and many households either crave Jack-0′-lanterns or place pumpkins of various sizes outside to spice up the atmosphere of fall and Halloween. Pamela took this Halloween staple and gave it a twist! Polka-dot pumpkins will definitely stand out from the rest of the crowd.

Decorative Masks

Laura of Baisebeige Studios created these one of a kind decorated masks out of salvaged textiles. Since she’s a designer, making these masks is a second nature for her. She has a special affinity towards Halloween because she discovered people generally are more adventurous and willing to try something new during this festive holiday. Through her various crafts and projects, Laura hopes to inspire and teach others that wonderful things can be made from discarded objects. This craft is targeted for young teens but children could also decorate these masks by drawing or gluing objects or cutouts onto them. Step by step directions can be found here.

We’re constantly on the lookout for more craft ideas to add to our weekly roundup. If you have an idea or a suggestion, please do not hesitate to leave a comment or email us! We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.