by Corey & Lynn

Want to know how the Mexicans spend All Soul’s Day and celebrate the dead? Some of our amazing friends from the original Green Halloween NYC extravaganza are hosting a dynamic, destination-driven event that demonstrates the “creativity over candy” model deliciously.

The La Calaca Arts Festival, taking place in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico (Nov 1-4, 2012), conjures themes of life and death, ancient and new, through art, music and culture.

Programming for the festival will take place at venues throughout the city over the four days, including a large interactive art exhibition in Parque Juarez for adults and children. During the day, lectures, workshops and guided tours of traditional altars, costumed processions and decorated cemeteries will be featured – along with installations and performances organized by local artists, non profits, and cultural institutions. In the evenings, visitors will experience the exquisite culinary options in San Miguel, while the world’s largest stringed instrument, the ‘Earth Harp’ is played in the city’s center. A large closing celebration featuring live musicians and performers – both local and international – will culminate the event on November 3rd.

Yep, you read that right. What a sweet treat: America’s Got Talent finalist, William Close (Earth Harp) will be performing for thee days during the event.

Follow La Calaca Festival on Facebook or check out www.lacalacafestival.com

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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.

Join National Costume Swap Day for a Twitter Party!

Have your swapping questions answered, support and connect with swapping enthusiasts around the country, and share ideas about reducing waste, saving money, and the joys of greening your Halloween. Maybe even win some prizes!

When: October 4^th, from 9 to 10 pm EST

Where: Twitter!

Who: Follow the featured Twitter handles @CostumeSwapDay (host) @Green Halloween @CelebrateGreen @GreenAmerica @EcoMomAlliance

What you can to do to participate:

1. RSVP with us by sending a tweet to @CostumeSwapDay with the Hashtag: #CostumeSwap
2. Get into a nice National Costume Swap Day or Green Halloween mood
3. Follow our featured hosts: @CostumeSwapDay @GreenHalloween @CelebrateGreen  @GreenAmerica @EcoMomAlliance
4. Log into Twitter through Tweetchat.com on October 4^th a little before 9pm EST and put #CostumeSwap as the hashtag to follow
5. During the party, make sure every comment you submit has the hashtag #CostumeSwap (if you use Tweetchat, this will be done automatically) in it
6. Have some fun with a great group of people

Please, help support National Costume Swap Day by joining in on the fun. Also, please share this event with your Twitter network! Do this for your own swap’s benefit, and for costume swap supporters everywhere!

National Costume Swap Day is Saturday, October 13, 2012. To find a swap near you, go to: http://www.greenhalloween.org/CostumeSwap/find_2012.html.

For Questions about the party or about another event. Send a tweet to @CostumeSwapDay, post on the National Costume Swap Day Facebook Wall, or send an email to GreenHalloween@GreenAmerica.Org

By Wendy

Labor Day is over and the kids have officially started school! Now it’s time to shift gears and start thinking about how you can pack a healthy school lunch for your kids to ensure they get all the nutrients they need to satisfy their hunger and growing bodies. From all the back to back classes kids have these days, it’s important you give them healthy food that tastes great and gets their brains working. Here are 5 tips on how to pack a healthy school lunch for your children:

1- Pack a well-balanced lunch: this should include something from each major food group. This will help your kids get a good variety of delicious foods to enjoy at lunch that will keep them full and alert for their afternoon classes.

2- Involve your kids in packing lunch: getting input from your kids on what they want to eat will get them excited about their lunch and ensures they eat it. The last thing you want is for your kids to bring home an uneaten school lunch and be hungry for the entire school day.

3- Avoid anything with peanuts: more and more schools are banning lunches that contain peanuts and/or products containing traces of peanut oils.  So leave the peanut butter and anything else that may contain traces of peanuts, at home for their afterschool snack.

4- Keep foods at the right temperature: for items that should be cold, use mini ice packs. For hot foods, try using a thermos. Lunch bags with insulation can do double duty, like this great insulated lunch bag that are not only cute but reusable.

5- Make school lunch preparation quick and easy to pack: this will make it easy for you to get everything packed and ready to go in the morning without too much stress.

Hope these tips help you give your kids a healthy school lunch that will help keep them full and alert for the entire school day. Do you have any other great tips on how to pack a healthy, well-balanced lunch? We’d love to hear them!

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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.