When I think Earth, I think blessed!

In the month of November, its common to want to count our blessings in honor of Thanksgiving.  When you think about Earth, what comes to mind?  As a nature and green enthusiast, I think about how lucky we are that someone spoke up for the rights of the animals, our oceans, our parks, and the solidity of our way of life.  More than a decade ago, people weren’t aware and took for granted what beauty we possess on this beautiful planet.  We took for granted what we consumed and fed our children and we took for granted that the swamps, oceans, lakes, and parks would always stay pristine.  I propose that this Thanksgiving, you introduce your love of the planet into your feast!  This is a great way to pass down the wisdom of the ages to your children.  It’s easy!  All you have to do is write it down, mention it aloud, or simply invite changes into your meal for everyone to notice.  You can do this by using a free-range turkey, composting your scraps, or by using your green bags to buy your Thanksgiving meal this year.  You lead by example and trust me, your kids and other family members will take notice! Stay tuned for up coming tips on how to go green for Thanksgiving but for now, just be grateful to have gone green and look up the cheap skip bins, they are a great way to start recycling,  Skip Bins Brisbane and their system will then give you the best price for one of our skip bins in your area from one of our many trusted and reliable suppliers.  Your awareness reduces your carbon footprint on the planet.  Now that’s something to be grateful for!

Buy your Thanksgiving meal with a nifty green bag!

Consider alternative fuels to reduce your carbon footprint

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle bottles, newspapers, plastic bags, and more!

If you keep plants or plant a tree, expect clean air for years to come

Earth is really in the palm of your hands!

Be thankful that you decided to Go Green!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

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.

Reuse, Recycle, Go Green!

Blogger Laurali Star can also be found on The Damsel in the Attic or on her personal blog.

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.

What is Green Easter?  It is the opportunity to take one of your favorite holidays and turn it into something that aids in fueling the Earth with eco-friendliness!  Sounds green to me!  To polish up the offer even more, Earth day is only two days away so why not get started now?  Get your green on and let’s go!

Creative Kismet Free Downloadable artwork!

Click here to get it!

The Easter Egg Hunt.  Teaching your children to appreciate Earth and nature is part of the appeal towards getting them to join hands in the future.  A fun way to get kids involved is to set up an Easter egg hunt outdoors.  Most families already do this anyways so why not get creative?  Nocturnal animals come out at night so grab your flashlights for a p.m. egg hunt.  If your familiar with the animals hiding out in your own backyard, make it into a fun scavenger hunt as well.  Not a night owl?  Have the kiddies rise early on Sunday morning for a little fresh air on the water.  Take a kayak or canoe out to one of your favorite local haunts on the local river or ocean.  Once there, set up a fun hide and seek with the eggs. Last year, I took my daughters to an island favorite and we even saw a real Easter bunny!

Tip: If you opt to head out on the water Easter morning, you may be better off taking the plastic eggs because bugs usually inhabit the islands and backwoods and would go after your real eggs before the kids have a chance to discover their hiding place.  Be sure to remember where you hide them so that your not leaving anything behind that could harm an animal.

Recycle your Easter Basket.  In my last blog post I showed you how to renovate an Easter basket into an enchanting garden.  There are other uses too.  I asked my 9 year old daughter, Chloe, for tips on this very topic and the first thing she admonished is that the plastic ones could be used for a barbie doll pool!  I don’t typically buy the plastic ones but on the occasions when someone else in the family buys them, this is a great use instead of a great waste.  Great tip Chloe!  Another use is for decorative touches around the house, like holding washcloths, magazines, or even to carry cleaning supplies if large enough.

Sweet Treats.  As green moms we want our kids to eat healthy and its one of the main reasons co-founder, Corey Colwell Lipson, started Green Halloween.  If we don’t want our kids downing a bunch of sugar on Halloween then we certainly don’t want them doing it for Easter either.  After all, the Easter bunny does eat carrots, not candy!  If your looking for a sweet treat, try out one of our fabulous sponsors at Surf Sweets.  They offer an array of organically sweetened jelly beans and gummy candies.   If you want to sweeten the deal a little, go fondue style with either organic cheese, caramel, or Fair Trade melted chocolate that is dark and full of antioxidants.

It’s all about the eggs.  You can either choose to use the plastic eggs that can be reused every year or go with organic, cage-free eggs bought from your local farmer.  If you choose to go traditional by coloring your own eggs, look for kits that use natural dyes like Eco Eggs Natural Easter Egg Colouring Kit.  If your feeling creative, make your own natural dyes with grape juice, blueberries, beets and more.

Happy Green Easter!

Blogger Laurali Star can also 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.

Spring is here, no doubt about it!  According to The National Gardening Association and their sister website created just for children, Kids Gardening.org, this is a great time of year to gather up seeds and some starter mix to get your little one in a green state of mind.  In order to create a windowsill or indoor garden, here are a few containers that you can make from materials found around the house.  You could also just purchase everything needed to start a quick and easy garden from www.thetreecenter.com. Not only are you fostering a love of nature but your teaching your child all about how to reuse and recycle at the same time.  Dig in to these eco-friendly containers!  After all, April is National Gardening month!

Recycle a box from your cupboard to create an indoor garden!

Easter is peeking just around the corner so why not recycle the egg crate and plant some seeds!

Have your child recycle their Easter basket by transforming it into a lovely garden!

Recycle old jars to create a kid-friendly garden surprise!

Tips of the Trade:

Before you begin your project, Annie’s Root4Kids recommends that each container be cleaned with soap and water first.  Always add a drainage hole or two so kids don’t over water their plants or seedlings.  Keep the soil moist but not soaking wet! Keep in an area that is well-lit, such as a windowsill.  Their little flowers and veggies cannot grow without sunlight.

Be sure to label your containers.  I like to use themes.  For example, a pizza garden, a fairy garden, a butterfly garden, or a salad garden helps the kiddies focus on a certain mental task.

Most importantly, let your kids dig in and get a little dirty!  Children are most likely to remember their p’s and q’s when play is involved and it may just spark a lifelong love of gardening.

Blogger Laurali Star can also 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.