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®.

by Corey

Yup. I know these guys. The one in the “This is what AWESOME looks like” t-shirt is my brother, Chris (dad, teacher-by-day, ACDC-cover-band-rock-star by night). The bathing beauty is my dear husband, Ryan. Like many dads (and moms, to be fair!), they hadn’t thought twice about their Halloween costumes until their kids we’re hanging all over their legs,  one hour before the Halloween party began, begging to see their costumes.

“Uh-oh,” Ryan whispered to me. “What am I going to be?”

We quickly scanned the room, his eyes settled on my old robe. “Gimme that. And that,” he said pointing to my blue shower cap.

He threw the get-up on (yes, with shorts underneath!) and there it was, his Halloween costume.

Chris’ kids apparently helped him throw his costume together too. (Although he swears he’s not actually wearing one. “What? You don’t think I wear this everyday?”) Still, the costume works.

So, green guys – even if you too have less than an hour, and not a dollar to spend, you can still hold your head up high with these last-minute (green) Halloween costumes (for guys):

• Young Republican: Oxford shirt, khakis, blue and red tie, loafers, hair parted on the side.
• Plumber: Saggy pants, work boots,  old-white t-shirt (one size too small), baseball cap, tool-belt, toolbox
• Olympic swimmer: Speedos, kids’ swimming medal around the neck
• “Mommy“: Wear Mommy’s clothes
• Greek God: White sheet wrapped into a toga (Yes! Wear shorts!), cut ivy down from your tree outside and form into a wreath

Get the kids in on the fun and invite them to dress Dad for Halloween. They may (or may not) come up with a killer costume, but the process is sure to bring on the giggles (and the good memories too).

Have fab and funny costume ideas for your last-minute, eco-friendly man? Do tell!

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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®.

by Corey

This healthy (and gluten free!) Halloween idea couldn’t be easier. Or cuter. Or yummier.

Roast the “ghosts” then let kids “decorate” them with organic sour cream (or cream cheese) and sliced olives (or even colorful bits of veggies if your ghosts are willing to wear more than white).

What you’ll need (use organic ingredients whenever possible):

• Potatoes
• Olive oil or butter
• Sea salt
• Sour cream or cream cheese
• Black olives, sliced

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Slice potatoes length-wise, about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick. Trim bottoms flat (don’t toss what you cut off, bake and eat too!). Lay on pan, single layer and brush with butter or olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle with salt. Roast for 30-40 minutes. Cool. Spread on sour cream or cream cheese. Add olive eyes.

… and presto! Boo-tiful “edible decor” for your Halloween bash!

What are your fave healthy (or healthier) Halloween eats? Do share! We can’t wait to eat ‘em – er, we mean read ‘em.

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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®.

by Corey

This Halloween tip is just too cute (and easy!). Perfect for healthy treats, edible decor or a party activity for wee-ones.

What are your most clever Green Halloween ideas? Can’t wait to hear ‘em!

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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®.

It’s time to start carving pumpkins!

Be sure to save the seeds as they make a great tasting and healthy snack. Pumpkin seeds provide our bodies with zinc which is perfect at this time of year to help ward off colds. We love roasting pumpkin seeds and trying different combinations of flavors. We always do some with sea salt, then we mix things up a little by using things like garlic salt and Worcestershire, or for a sweeter flavor we
sprinkle on cinnamon and nutmeg! It’s fun to get your kids involved and let them create fun combinations! We’ll share our favorite recipe and cooking method you!

What you’ll need:

• Medium Pumpkin
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt

What to do:

* Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut open pumpkin and scoop out the insides into a big bowl. Add water to the bowl to help separate the seeds from the stringy flesh (a lot of the seeds will just float up to the top!) and then rinse seeds in a colander.

* To make the seeds nice and crunchy we boil our seeds before putting them in the oven. You can skip this step if you’d like as it’s not essential. In a small pot add the seeds (for a medium pumpkin is around 1/2 cup) to approximately 2 cups of water. Add 1 tablespoon of sea salt. Bring to a boil and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

* Remove from heat and drain.

* Spread Olive Oil on the bottom of a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet then spread the seeds (try not to have the seeds touching). Bake on the top rack until the seeds are golden brown 10 -20 minutes depending on how brown you like the seeds.

*Take out of the oven and allow seeds to cool. Then enjoy this tasty fall snack!!

Happy Healthy Eating

Kia

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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!