By Wendy

I love weddings. They’re a joyous occasion where you get to witness two people profess their love to one another in a very public manner. Most of the time, you’ll also see family and friends you haven’t seen in ages, which is always a treat. My cousin recently got married and the flowers at her wedding, from her centerpieces to her bouquet, were gorgeous. But to have beautiful flowers for your wedding, they usually come at a cost. That’s where going green with your wedding flowers can actually save you some money and it protects the environment at the same time. Here are 3 tips on how to be environmentally friendly when it comes to wedding flowers:

1- Choose Organically Grown Flowers: choosing pesticide free flowers are good for the environment and for the people who grow them. You can find them at local farms and farmer’s markets. They’ll have the best pesticide free flowers for you to choose from.

2- Choose In-Season Flowers: check with your flower vendor to see what flowers will be in-season for your wedding month. Choosing flowers in-season will allow you to forgo having to fly in off-season flowers from across the county, which can also bring up costs.

3- Think Local and Global: getting your flowers locally saves the earth by cutting down the gas emissions it would’ve taken to get them shipped from across the country. Plus, your flowers will be fresher and likely to last longer on your wedding day.

4- Rent, if possible: check with your vendor if you can rent the centerpiece containers instead of buying them. You can also try repurposing your ceremony flowers for the reception. This will help you to create less waste and save you some money at the end of the special day.

So if you or someone you know is starting to plan your wedding, or just loves flowers in general, consider these tips on how to go green with flowers.

What are some other tips you have for going green with wedding flowers?

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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

Kids love being creative. Whether it’s with crayons, markers, or paint- they’re crazy about it! Especially if it also means they’re allowed to get a little dirty. That is why I love the idea of making your own finger paint. It lets your kids get their creative juices flowing with paint, with their hands being their paint brush. And it’s all non-toxic! So if they accidentally get some on their face or swallow some, you won’t have to worry too much. It’s super easy to make and your kids will have much fun playing with it, indoor or outdoors.

What you need:

½ cup cornstarch

3 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 cups cold water

Your choice of food coloring

What to do:

Put all your ingredients into a medium pan and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Stir mixture until you start seeing it thicken.

Remove from stovetop quickly and let mixture cool.

Split mixture into a 3-4 batches.

In each batch, put a few drops of your favorite food colorings until you get your desired color.

Put each batch into separate air tight containers with lids to make it easy to store.

This batch of homemade finger paint is good for about 3 days. So if you see your finger paint getting a bit too thick, just whip up a new batch and you’ll be on your way to more finger painting fun. Or if you think you don’t need as much, you can always adjust the ingredients and make a smaller batch.

Another great non-toxic toy you can make with your kids is homemade play dough. They’re easy to play with, can be molded into lots of different forms, and keep kids busy.

What are your favorite do it yourself make at home activities for the kids?

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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

With all the flip flop wearing we do during the summer, we have to make sure our toes are in tip top shape and sandal ready. But with all the different toxic chemical ingredients that are in nail polish, like Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP (dibutyl phthalate), Formaldehyde Resin, and Camphor, it makes you think twice about painting that nail polish you recently purchased on your porous nails.

A number of companies are now offering eco-friendly nail polish options that contain none of those toxic ingredients. These nail polishes come in many environmentally friendly shades to choose from minus all those chemicals so you can use it and share it with your best girlfriend. Have pretty nails and help make this planet a more beautiful place.

Here are some great environmentally friendly nail polishes you can try:

Peacekeeper Nail Polish in Paint Me Va Voom- infused with argan oil, a great source of vitamin E, Peacekeeper Nail Polish will help keep your nails beautiful and strong. It’s also vegan!

Piggy Paint Nail Polish in How Merlot Can You Go- the color name itself makes me want to purchase this! Piggy Paint Nail Polish has less of those harsh chemicals you usually find in nail polishes. It’s also low in order, kid friendly and comes lots of in fun vibrant colors.

Toe Shades Nail Polish in Havana Red Cream- Nail polish that’s peelable and can last up to 21 days, Toe Shades is a great option for those who hate removing nail polish with acetone.

Scotch Naturals WaterColors Canal Street Daisy- an eco-friendly alternative to conventional solvent-based nail polishes. Scotch Naturals doesn’t contain any toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, acetone, or heavy metals. And they have a line for women and kids!

If you’re done painting you nails with your new environmentally-friendly nail polish shade, but still could use a bit more pampering, try this DIY hair mask for shinier and healthier hair, or these homemade face masks to really treat your skin.

Who knew being eco-friendly could be so beautiful!

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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

We’re always looking for ways to be eco-friendly indoors, especially when it comes to household chores. So what about laundry? Our weekly routine always includes one or more loads of laundry a week. Are there ways to make doing laundry more eco-friendly?  Laundry Enhancer Powder- it naturally and safely neutralizes odors and smells from your laundry that are almost impossible to remove.

One way to be more environmentally friendly with our laundry is to use cold water. Cold water is just as effective as using warm or hot water. Not only is it just as effective, it saves on heating energy, helps prevent shrinking, and keeps clothes from wearing out too quickly.

Another way you can be more eco-friendly with you laundry is the detergent you use. Is there a way to be more eco-friendly with your suds? Try these naturally derived laundry cleaners to get your clothes clean. They’re tough on stains and gentle on sensitive skin.

Seventh Generation Free & Clear Natural 2X Concentrated Laundry Liquid- contains plant-derived cleaning agents to lift dirt without the need to harsh chemical

Ecos Liquid Laundry Detergent from EnviroKlenz cleans a full laundry load only using 1.5ounces, so it’s both economical and eco-friendly

greenworks Laundry Detergent- get clean clothes naturally with plant derived cleaning agents and no harsh chemicals

Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent- a super concentrated detergent, Seventh Generation Natural Laundry Detergent is not only tough on dirt, its biodegradable

Nellie’s All Natural Laundry Soda- no harsh chemicals and hypoallergenic, this tough laundry soda is great for those who want to have naturally clean clothes. All you need is a tablespoon to do even the toughest load of laundry

Or you can make your own laundry soap! Here’s how you can make your own batch of powdered detergent

What you need:

2 cups finely grated soap

1 cup washing soda

1 cup borax

What to do:

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight plastic container

Use 2 tablespoons per full load

What are your favorite eco-friendly laundry tips?

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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

I love bread. And baking bread is probably one of those things that everyone should learn. It’s one of the simplest foods you can eat but it really can go with every meal. And it holds tons of those essential nutrients to keep you full and energized for the entire day. Usually we pack sandwiches for lunch, which means going through at least one store bought loaf of bread a week. Instead of buying bread this week, we decided to bake it. You’ll be eliminating all those unknown ingredients that come with commercial food production but also more environmentally friendly.

What you need:

3 cups warm tap water, about 110 degrees Fahrenheit
2 envelopes (0.25 ounces) of active dry yeast
1/3 cup honey

5 cups all purpose flour

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon salt
3 ½ cups whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons butter, melted

What to do:

In a large bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and 1/3 cup honey. Add 5 cups all purpose flour, and stir to combine. Let it set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.

Combine 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour.

Flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until it’s not too sticky – just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch. This may take an additional 2 to 4 cups of whole wheat flour.

Place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough.

Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch down, and divide into 3 loaves. Place in greased loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 to 30 minutes.

Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard.

With your freshly baked bread, you can make toast, sandwiches, or even enjoy with soup. Here are some healthy soup recipes the whole family will enjoy.

Roasted Carrot Soup- this soup is good for you and fun for the kids to decorate and create their own designs.

Simple Tortellini Soup- healthy and easy to make, this simple tortellini soup is all about comfort and warming the soul.

Have you ever tried making your own bread?

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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.