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.

You know how hard it is to keep a secret, right?

Well, all we can say is that we are relieved and thrilled to be able to finally share one we’ve been keeping for months!

Our “babies”, Green Halloween® and National Costume Swap Day™ will now operate under the nationally recognized organization, Green America!

So what does this mean to you?

If you’re a fan, friend, or supporter of Green Halloween and/or National Costume Swap Day, hold onto your hats! There are going to be a lot more ways to engage with the initiative under Green America’s wing.

(Be sure to sign up for Green Halloween’s newsletter to keep up-to-speed with the newest announcements regarding events, contests, tips, recipes and more).

So that’s the news. We can’t tell you how excited we are with what lies ahead. Please continue to follow Green Halloween and National Costume Swap Day via social media (/GreenHalloween and /CostumeSwapDay), and join us in celebrating this leap into the future.

But we can’t celebrate this moment without first recognizing the incredible generosity of all of the people who have made Green Halloween and National Costume Swap Day possible. After all, while we gave birth to the ideas, it takes a village to raise a revolution.

With gratitude

We have more story to tell (see below for the deets on how the Green Halloween/Green America partnership came about). But first, our sincere thanks…

Our deepest gratitude is extended to the dozens of Green Halloween community leaders across the U.S., many of whom will be in year five of hosting events. Old or new, we recognize your vision, commitment and involvement. To the many volunteers, collaborators, brand partners and organizations who have helped us at the local and national levels, we’re also forever grateful.

To EcoMom® Alliance , founder Kimberly Pinkson, and members such as Heather Keane, we simply wouldn’t be here without your stewardship and look forward to continuing the partnership. Your sisterhood is a precious gift.

Thanks also to Karissa Liloc, web guru; Holli Dunn, photographer extraordinaire; Monica Fields, lifesaver and to the hundreds of green/mom bloggers who have spread serious buzz over the years – you are an unbelievably powerful and collaborative network and we’re proud to know each one of you.

And to everyone who has been a part of growing the revolution; you have created meaningful change and your passion and interest has inspired others. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us.

Together we are changing the world.

Warmly,

Lynn & Corey

Here’s more information about how this great partnership came about:

History

In 2007, when Green Halloween was first born, we had no way of knowing what it would become. Like most parents, we had big dreams, big plans. But we really didn’t know if we had a junior high drop-out or a Harvard-bound phenom on our hands. After all, people were greening their every-day lives, but no one had really touched the holidays.

Remember, this was 2007. The economy had yet to crash and Michelle Obama had not taken on the fight against childhood obesity. Stats were just emerging regarding diabetes in today’s kids (1 in 3 are expected to develop it). Few knew about the prevalence of child-slavery in the chocolate industry. And forget artificial ingredients, heavy metals in face paints and pumpkins rotting in landfills impacting climate change; these topics were yet to hit the mainstream. We could have chosen any holiday or celebration but Halloween was the poster child of holidays needing an overhaul. A makeover, so to speak.

But would anyone else care?

It didn’t take long to realize that a lot of others did care. From day one, we were flooded with inquiries  from parents, teachers, community leaders, the press and organizations big and small. Green Halloween had been born at exactly the right moment.

Growth

In 2008, we officially took the model nationwide. By 2009, we were making news with partners like Dr. Oz’s HealthCorps as growth continued at warp-speed.

In 2010, Corey hatched another idea: National Costume Swap Day. For about one-second we wondered if it would stick. Cue the call from Good Morning America.

In 2011, in collaboration with EcoMom^® Alliance, we had our biggest year yet:

• more than one million people reached via our 70+ national event partners,
• one million units of conventional candy replaced with better-for-kids and planet goodies,
• and more than 200 registered costume swaps in the US and Canada.
• Between 2010 and 2011, we received over $2.5 million in media exposure.

Enter Green America

We were beginning to understand the full potential of what we had gestated. Our babies were getting a little too big for our beds. We could hold tight and hang on for dear life, or we could let them go and watch them soar.

We knew it was time to look for a new home. A home with infrastructure. Where the programs could continue to snowball.

Enter Green America.

Green America (formerly Co-op America) is a national non-profit membership organization that works to grow the green economy, and the nation’s leading green educator for consumers. They work for a world where all people have enough, where all communities are healthy and safe, and where the resources of the Earth are preserved for all the generations to come.

In Green America’s words, “Green Halloween truly embodies what Green America stands for, and vice versa. Green America has a strong presence in the Green and Fair Trade worlds, and we have the capacity to grow Green Halloween and increase public participation.  We are honored that Green America will carry on this great program.”

Of course, we’re honored too.

So where do we go from here?

What does that mean for us? We’re thrilled to remain part of the team, with Green America as the new Mom. We’ll provide support in areas like strategy, partnerships and media, but Green America will take the lead.

We are totally confident in Green America’s ability and willingness to shepherd Green Halloween and National Costume Swap Day and in their stewardship of what we’ve built over the last six years.

See the news release announcing the Green America partnership here.

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® and National Costume Swap Day™.

By Wendy

Flip flops are my favorite thing to wear in the summer. It’s the next best thing to going barefoot. They’re essential for every summer wardrobe; perfect to wear to the park or the beach; and super affordable so you can buy a few in some fun colors. And they’re great for the whole family. But with so many brands selling flip flops, how do you know which ones are actually good for the environment and also environmentally responsible?

Here are 4 flip flops options that are good for the environment and looks for ways to be a sustainable company.

Kinder Soles Prima Line Flip Flops- Kinder Soles are made from recycled water bottles, these flip flops have a new ergonomic design that’s supposed to increase your comfort. Not only are these ergonomic flip flops made out of recycled water bottles, every pair you buy, Kinder Soles will donate 5 pairs of gently used shoes to a family in need with your purchase

Planet Flops Cotton Candy Kid Flip Flops- Planet Flops are made with super soft and durable natural rubber, these flip flops come in so many fun colors, its hard not to buy more than one pair.

Splaff Lazy Boy Flip Flops- Splaff is the original, classic flip flop made of authentic recycled race car tire sole complimented by recycled bicycle inner tube straps lined with natural hemp fabric. They’re also completely vegan!

Havaianas Baby Chic Sandals- Havaianas participates and contributes to many organizations that support our planet. These cute kids’ sandals with tiny bow detail in the center of the flip flop.

So whether you’re making a trip to the grocery store, in the backyard doing some gardening, or going to the movies to see the latest release, put on some eco-friendly flips flops!

What are your favorite eco-friendly flip flops to wear?

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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

It’s so difficult to keep your hair shiny and healthy. And with all the time you’ve probably been spending outside in the heat and sun this summer, you’re noticing your hair looking a little drab. Put some bounce back into your hair with this great do it yourself organic avocado hair mask. All the ingredients are easy to find in your supermarket, and you may already have some in your kitchen already. Best part, this all natural hair mask should only take about an hour to complete the whole process.

What you need:

1 ripe avocado

½ cup coconut milk

3 tsp olive oil

What to do:

Mash up your ripe avocado in a medium sized bowl

Add in coconut milk and olive oil with the avocado and stir in until well blended

Heat up the hair mask ingredients on the stove until warm

Apply the mask ingredients from roots to ends, massaging into your scalp

Leave in for 30 minutes

Rinse out, and wash hair as usual

So postpone that hair appointment at your salon and try this inexpensive homemade hair mask out. This organic hair mask will bring back some of that missing volume, shine, and health back into dull, limp hair, and give your hair smell delightful coconut smell.

If you’re ready to try some other do it yourself beauty fun at home, try these homemade face masks. These DIY face masks are quick to make and you can do this while you have your homemade hair mask on!

What other do it yourself hair masks have you tried and loved?

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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

“Ice cream is happiness condensed.”  - Jessi Lane Adams

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan designated July as National Ice Cream Month.  This gives us more reason, as Americans, to indulge in that creamy frozen dessert that can be enjoyed anytime throughout the year. But what’s the difference between the regular supermarket ice cream you see in the freezer aisle and organic ice cream next to it? It’s the tons of additives and preservatives they add to give ice cream its sweet flavors and increase its shelf life!

Instead, try these organic ice cream options that are most likely in your supermarkets freezer. Not only are they USDA Organic, which means that more than 95% of your ingredients are organic ingredients and less than 5% are approved per the “National List” approved by the USDA, they’re better for your entire family.

Julie’s Organic Ice Cream- a small family owned business, Julie’s Organic not only do they offer organic ice cream, but also organic frozen yogurts, organic sorbets, organic ice cream sandwiches, organic ice cream bars, and organic non-dairy options.

Alden’s Ice Cream- Inspired by his mother, maker of Julie’s Organic Ice Cream, and her passion to make the best purest ice cream for her family as well as being better for the environment, Alden’s offers many light and delicious flavors of organic ice cream, like Blackberry, Mint Chip, and Butter Brittle.

Stonyfield Ice Cream- Stonyfield began as a farming school teaching sustainable agricultural and environment protection practices and sold yogurt to fund their school.  Now it has expanded to include not only their yogurt, but also organic smoothies, organic soy yogurts, and organic ice creams. They also continue to support hundreds of family farms and keep tons of agricultural acres free of chemicals and pesticides.

So as this month comes to an end, help protect the environment and support sustainable agriculture with the entire family. Pick up a box of organic ice cream, getting your favorite spoon, and eat up! It’ll definitely be the sweetest way to protect the planet this month!

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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.