by Corey

When I was five, my family went to a “haunted house.” It was supposed to be kid-friendly.

But just steps into the experience, I was so freaked out that my parents convinced a group of witches and ghouls to drop their act and show me that they were real (live) people. Nonetheless, I refused to go any further through.

That was the last time I set foot in a haunted house.

The occasion was supposed to be fun, but for me, it was just awful. I was too young and the acting was too real.

For many kids, the typical “spooky” themes of Halloween can be frightening: the un-dead costumes, the haunted decor, the creaky music, if you are looking for table runners for your Halloween then at CV Linens you will find the best cheap table runner. But there’s no need to limit the fun when there’s so many great alternatives that kids of all ages can enjoy.

Here are 3 not-so-spooky themes for your Halloween celebration:

Credit: Oh The Lovely Things

Harvest

Forget ghosts and goblins and think “Harvest” – perhaps a pumpkin or apple theme. For either, decorate the room with harvest items you have grown, picked or purchased (look for organic and locally grown). Stamp names on mini-pumpkins for place-cards. Turn apples into candle holders (keep out of the reach of children). Play pass-the-pumpkin or dunk-for-apples (or hang apples from strings and see who can get a bite). Turn last year’s saved plastic Easter eggs into little jack-o-lanters. Stuff with healthy goodies. Have a Halloween egg hunt. Roast pumpkin seeds or make pumpkin cookies. Make mini-caramel apples (using all natural/organic caramel). Make (upcycled) pumpkin or apple crafts. Press apples for cider. Send kids home with a packet of pumpkin or apple seeds.

Credit: Fiksd

Owls

Owls are a great nod to the season, without being too spooky. Send a paperless Owl e-invitation. Line the front walk-way with paper-bag luminaries with owl cut-outs, or owl-carved jack-o-lanterns. Decorate the house like a forest. Cover walls with recycled craft paper and paint trees. Make smaller “limbs” from crumpled paper bags. Download Owl calls and forest sounds and play during the party. Make a paper mache owl pinata and fill with healthy goodies. Invite an owl expert to attend. Play pin the owl on the tree. Paint owl faces using natural face paints. Make owl pompoms and send home as the gift.

Credit: Green Baby Guide

Bugs

Creepy crawlies can be – well, creepy – but they don’t have to be. Make giant spider webs with strips of old sheets or cheesecloth. Flatten large cardboard boxes and paint with chalkboard paint (black). Use chalk to draw on spider webs. Let the kids add spiders with colored chalk. Cut spiders out of recycled paper (like snow flakes). Make spiders from old bike tire tubes and hang on a Halloween tree. Serve buggy fare made from fruits, veggies and whole grain crackers. Play Bug, Bug, Spider instead of Duck, Duck, Goose.

Or forgo the “theme” all together and simply use colors to create a festive Halloween ambiance without the fear-factor.

Try black, green and purple for a twist on the usual orange and black. Serve foods in these color schemes, too.

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.

Welcome to Day #23 of our

“31 days of {Green!} Giveaways“

Today’s question: How do you “think outside the candy box”

*Attention Facebook fans: Please answer as a comment on our blog, not our Facebook page in order to be entered to win!*

Today is day #23 of our month-long, trick-or-treating party for parents!

Just knock on our door (AKA blog) each day, answer the daily question (in lieu of shouting, “Trick or treat!” – although you are totally welcome to write that as well) and you’ll be entered to win some absolutely fabulous, ever-so-eco-friendly prizes.

Today’s prize package is worth $35!

1 set of three Preserve Jr. Toothbrushes, $10 each Continental US only.

The Today I Ate A Rainbow kit gets your kids asking for fruits & veggies!  Kit contains: An interactive chart that uses colorful magnets to track daily consumption of a rainbow of fruits & veggies, a color coded shopping list and a children’s book called The Rainbow Bunch. $25  Open to Canada and the US.

Here’s how to enter:

1. Add your e-mail address to the comment login, below. (We cannot notify you if we don’t have your e-mail address!)

2. Add a comment (one per e-mail address) with your answer to the question above.

3. Comment must post before 11:59pm PST – TONIGHT

Be sure to review our giveaway rules here. Please note shipping limitations.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook & Twitter for daily reminders & updates for the 31 Days of {Green} Giveaways promotion.

Good luck & have FUN!

(& See you tomorrow )

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.

As the second biggest event in the commercial calendar, trumped only by Christmas, Halloween is certainly scary – if only for the sheer amount of money spent and waste produced.

British spending on Halloween-related paraphernalia has risen from £12 million to £120m in just five years. It won’t be long before Brits have caught up with their American counterparts, who spend an average of £65 a family on Halloween decorations, sweets and costumes.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sackerman519/5132838934/

While the profit-driven side of Halloween has resulted in shelves and shelves of disposable single-use items, the spirit of the festival is something that doesn’t require the eco-minded to throw their morals into the cauldron.

Rooted in Nature

Halloween is based on the Samhain festival that pagans have been celebrating for approximately 2,000 years. Samhain (pronounced ‘sow’inn’) was viewed as the time of year when the barriers between the worlds of the living and those of the dead were lifted.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/beckleybisset/5169457624/

To celebrate Samhain, pagans brought harvest food and sacrificed animals to create a communal feast for the festival. Though the celebration has undergone many changes over the years, it is basically a transitional festival, marking the period where summer ends and winter begins and to give thanks for the harvest.

By keeping this natural focus in mind, eco-conscious Halloween celebrants can decorate their homes in a way that would have made the pagans proud.

So, without further ado, free up some time and head for the hills (or the beach) – it really is amazing what you can find when you start looking. And what better excuse to spend some time in the great outdoors?

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/siegertmarc/6018797302/

Beachcombing

There’s nothing like a storm-tossed, sun-bleached piece of gnarly driftwood to evoke a sense of the sinister – especially in candlelight. Make sure you do some research first, because in some areas it is illegal to collect items such as driftwood. Once you have found a suitable spot where there are no such restrictions, you can collect up any bits of driftwood in a bag – most pieces don’t weigh very much and the search makes for an enjoyable stroll on the beach. Check the tides before going, as you want to be able to search the high-tide line without being inundated by breaking waves.

The eagle-eyed scavenger will also be able to find washed-up bones, rusty pieces of metal, old rope and skull-like stones, which can be made more convincing with the application of a little paint. Dotted around for decoration, most flotsam exudes personality.

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/punkrockpete/1817173559/

Countryside Ramble

The countryside is another free and sustainable source of decoration, but remember to check for any restrictions first! Pick up any pine cones and nuts you find on the wayside. Holly and other thorny shrubs can be used to adorn hats and disguise un-Halloweeny household items – especially those that you want to keep little hands away from.

If you have time to make conserve, cordial and jellies, pick some of the many varieties of berry available during the autumn. If you don’t know which are toxic, there are plenty of sites with information on which to pick and what to do with them.

Also keep an eye out for apples. Apple bobbing is one of the few traditional Halloween games to have survived through the ages.

Feathers – especially those of crows and ravens – make perfect additions to Halloween fancy dress costumes.

Costume Drama

If your child wouldn’t be caught dead in a homemade undead costume, then you’re going to have to rent an outfit. Don’t let yourself be convinced that buying is a good idea – it’s a rare child that will wear the same outfit year after year. Suppliers such as Halloween Express in the US and Escapade costumes in the UK offer a range of Halloween rental outfits.

Welcome to Day #22 of our

“31 days of {Green!} Giveaways“

Today’s question: What’s your favorite Halloween joke?

*Attention Facebook fans: Please answer as a comment on our blog, not our Facebook page in order to be entered to win!*

Today is day #22 of our month-long, trick-or-treating party for parents!

Just knock on our door (AKA blog) each day, answer the daily question (in lieu of shouting, “Trick or treat!” – although you are totally welcome to write that as well) and you’ll be entered to win some absolutely fabulous, ever-so-eco-friendly prizes.

Today’s prize package is worth $50!

Copy of the book, “Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations & Traditions for the Whole Family; $24.95  Open to Continental US only via Media Mail

$15 EcoMom gift certificates via email (Can be used at the EcoMom Green Halloween store or for anything on EcoMom) Open to Canada and the US. Winner pays shipping.

Revolution Foods™ Organic Snack Packs! Reusable paper lunchbox for kids filled with samples of Grammy Sammys, Jammy Sammys, Mashups and Yo’ Drops, Tattoos and stickers for kids, and coupons for mom. $8-10  Continental US only

Here’s how to enter:

1. Add your e-mail address to the comment login, below. (We cannot notify you if we don’t have your e-mail address!)

2. Add a comment (one per e-mail address) with your answer to the question above.

3. Comment must post before 11:59pm PST – TONIGHT

Be sure to review our giveaway rules here. Please note shipping limitations.

Be sure to subscribe to our blog and follow us on Facebook & Twitter for daily reminders & updates for the 31 Days of {Green} Giveaways promotion.

Good luck & have FUN!

(& See you tomorrow )

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.

Meet the girls of Trash Mash-Up!  Bridget and Jessica McCracken are the brains behind this eco-friendly operation.  They reduce waste by taking refuse and transforming it into art and they love working with the community hands-on by creating theatrical productions that are based in the San Francisco area.  I had the opportunity to ask them a few questions recently and here is what they had to say about Trash Mash-Up, working together, and how they celebrate a Green Halloween every year!

How did the Trash Mash-Up idea and name come to be?

Both Jessie and I have been interested in theater and puppets since we were kids growing up in Michigan.  Our parents have always supported our creativity and encouraged us to give back to our community.  When Jessie moved to San Francisco in 2004 (I had been here since 2001), we wanted to establish a community based art project that built creative connections in neighborhood of need.  We saw a need for public space and parks to be fostered for children and families in the Western Addition.  Jessie and I both wanted to work with trash to discuss issues of consumption and environmental justice but in a way that was fun, creative and not didactic.  Trash Mash-Up brings all of these aspects together in a collaborative community art project.

The McCracken sisters: Bridget and Jesse

How do you like working together?

It is amazing to collaborate with my sister.  TMU is a family affair.  Our youngest sister, Kate and our parents, Bill and Louise are on our advisory board.  But it is Jessie and myself who are the teaching artists and Managing and Artistic Directors.  Being sisters we are able to communicate ideas easily and come for a similar art background, both having studied and worked for The Dell’Arte Company.  Although we share similar training, we each bring our own style and ideas to the table.

This little girl is all dressed up and ready for the show!

What is your favorite aspect of the business?

My favorite aspect is leading the workshops.  Theater and art improves students’ self-confidence, communication skills and builds empathy for others.  They transform the learning process. It is amazing the dramatic changes and positive effects of students collaborating in creative ways.  I am always surprised by their solutions and their ability to describe their process.

Recycle and Reuse seems to be the Trash Mash Up theme and we love seeing it turn into art!

What is Your future vision of the Trash Mash-Up idea?

We are hoping to bring Trash Mash-Up to communities across the United States and world.  We are working on revising our study guide in order to better assist the spread of creative reuse.  TMU has had the opportunity to mash it up in Costa Rica, New York, Portland, and even our hometown of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.  Jessie and I look forward to additional community partnerships from around the world.

Great costumes made from recycled materials to put on a show for diverse communities in the San Francisco area.

How do you plan on celebrating a Green Halloween this year?

Trash Mash-Up is thrilled to be apart of the Yerba Buena Garden Festival’s Halloween Hoopla : Dance & Parade for Kids. This is the 11th annual YBGF Halloween program and will featuring interactive performances and games for kids. The Unique Derique hosts, The Venezuelan Music Project plays live music, Preston folds origami and Trash Mash-Up will be creating masks, eco-warrior medallions, noise makers and a Trash Monster for the costume parade. Just before the hoopla ends, children under ten accompanied by adults are invited to parade in their Halloween finery!

Empowering the community through the arts!

Get in on the fun of Trash Mash-Up!  Here are the best ways to contact Bridget and Jesse:

Email: trashmashup@gmail.com

Website: http://www.trashmashup.org

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/trashmashup

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/TrashMashUp

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trashmashup/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trashmashup

Laurali Star can be found on The Damsel in the Attic!

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.