By Wendy

With the cooler temperatures outside, we’re finally getting into swing of fall. Before it gets too chilly out and the snow begins to hit the ground, enjoy the autumn season with these 5 fun and eco-friendly activities you can do with the entire family:

1- Visit a national state park for a hike- hiking is a great thing to do with the entire family. You’ll not only get to enjoy the great outdoors, but you’ll also get the heart pumping, nice quiet picnic along the hike and maybe see some forest animals.

2- Check out the fall foliage at your local park- take a stroll at your nearest park on a sunny afternoon and you’ll see trees with leaves change from green, to yellow, orange and red. It also makes for beautiful pictures!

3- Go apple picking- whether its apple picking or pumpkin picking, there are tons of local farms that start their picking season’s right after Labor Day and into the Fall season. It’ a fun weekend event for the family. Plus there are tons of activities right on the farm, from corn maize’s, hayrides, haunted houses, apple cider, and more. Check online for local farms and orchards in your area.

4- Make a delicious butternut squash soup- or maybe even a tomato basil soup. Head to your local farmer’s market and you’ll be able to find the fresh and locally sourced produce to make something delicious that will warm up everyone’s tummy.

5- Make your own Halloween costume- with Halloween a week away and no costume, it might be time to get creative this year and make your own costume. You can use any materials you want, from things you already have at home, like cardboard, construction paper, and glue, to picking up a few things at your local craft store. Have the kids come up with ideas and start decorating!

So whether you choose to go hiking or apple picking at your local farm this fall, have some eco-friendly fun this season this year with the family! What’s your favorite fall activity?

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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

Summer has flown by this year! And now Labor day is just around the corner and you’re trying to plan one more trip to the beach before you have to officially say goodbye to summer. Here are 5 easy ways you can stay eco-friendly at the beach with the family:

1: Pack up the car with as many people as possible, or use public transportation- this will not only help lower overall gas emissions and save you money, it’ll also make for some great family fun and some great pictures!

2: Use the designated walking areas instead of walking on dunes- beach grass and sand dunes help protect the land against the water and beach erosion. Using walkovers when we see them will help us keep the beach as wildlife flourishing.

3: Take everything you brought to the beach with you when you leave- whether they’re recyclable or not, be conscious of what you bring to the beach. Make sure you pack everything with you and disposing them in the right places. This helps prevent any remnant items from being left behind at the beach and potentially floating out into the water, which could end up hurting wildlife, such as fish, turtles, and other sea creatures.

4: Always pick up after yourself- The beach isn’t another bathroom or garbage can. Pick up all your leftover beach toys, snacks, and water bottles. If someone needs to use the restroom, use the public restroom. Pick up after your pets and dispose of their waste in the garbage.

5: Use eco-friendly sunscreen- if you’re at the beach, you’re bound to go into the water. Choose a eco-friendly sunscreen that uses safe ingredients to keep the water and wildlife safe of harmful toxins.

With these 5 easy tips on how to stay eco-friendly at the beach with the family, you’ll be able to help keep our beaches well protected and a ongoing summer destination for everyone.

What other tips do you practice to stay eco-friendly at the beach?

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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

Happy Friday everyone! The weekend is finally here. What are your plans this weekend? Taking the kids to the mall? Or maybe going out to watch the latest movie? Why not change up your routine and go out for a bike ride. Now that summer is here, it’s finally nice enough where you don’t have to drive the car to get to every destination.

Here are 5 reasons why to pick up your bikes and start riding:

1- All Over Workout: since roads often have twists, turns and hills to climb, bicycling allows your entire body to get a work out- from your arms, legs, and even your abs. Bike for 30 minutes to an hour and you’ll definitely find yourself working up a sweat and muscles working it.

2- You Can Do It Anywhere: biking riding is one of those things you can enjoy just about anywhere. All you need it a bike, a helmet, and some road.Visit BikeGeeky.com for the guideline & resources you need to pick your riding gears. Start taking short rides around the neighborhood to build up your confidence. Then you can start doing more exploring around your area. You never know what you may encounter on your bike.

3- Relieves Stress: exercise, whether it’s biking, running, or dancing, can help reduce your stress level and any symptoms of depression, while also improving your self esteem, you can improve your weight and use an appetite suppressant supplement for more results. The better you feel about yourself and life, the more productive you can be at home, at work, and to your family.

4- Decreases Your Gas Emission: whether you’re taking a bike ride to the park or to grab for few things from the grocery store, riding your bike instead of driving your car will help lower gas emissions. Do this a few times a week and you’ll not only be environmentally friendly, but also save up some money for that family vacation or some other big ticket item you were hoping to purchase in the near future.

5- Fun for All Ages: no matter what age you are, twenty or sixty, bike riding just makes you feel like a kid again. The speed you feel when you’re on a bike, the freedom you feel on an open road, the wind tousling your hair, it’s great a great feeling.

Bicycling outdoors is also a great way to get closer to Mother Nature and all the beauty this planet has to offer us. So go for that bike ride this weekend! Not only is it good for the environment, it’s also great for your health and your wallet.

What’s your favorite thing about bike riding?

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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

Kids love being creative. Whether it’s with crayons, markers, or paint- they’re crazy about it! Especially if it also means they’re allowed to get a little dirty. That is why I love the idea of making your own finger paint. It lets your kids get their creative juices flowing with paint, with their hands being their paint brush. And it’s all non-toxic! So if they accidentally get some on their face or swallow some, you won’t have to worry too much. It’s super easy to make and your kids will have much fun playing with it, indoor or outdoors.

What you need:

½ cup cornstarch

3 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

2 cups cold water

Your choice of food coloring

What to do:

Put all your ingredients into a medium pan and cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Stir mixture until you start seeing it thicken.

Remove from stovetop quickly and let mixture cool.

Split mixture into a 3-4 batches.

In each batch, put a few drops of your favorite food colorings until you get your desired color.

Put each batch into separate air tight containers with lids to make it easy to store.

This batch of homemade finger paint is good for about 3 days. So if you see your finger paint getting a bit too thick, just whip up a new batch and you’ll be on your way to more finger painting fun. Or if you think you don’t need as much, you can always adjust the ingredients and make a smaller batch.

Another great non-toxic toy you can make with your kids is homemade play dough. They’re easy to play with, can be molded into lots of different forms, and keep kids busy.

What are your favorite do it yourself make at home activities for the kids?

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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

Rain showers are great in the summertime. With the high temperatures these past few weeks, it’s very much a relief to see some rain in the forecast. But with the kids at home from summer vacation, what can you do to keep them busy? How about making your own play dough!

Play dough is one of those toys that have been around for decades. They’re easy to play with, can be molded into lots of different forms, and keep kids busy. There are a lot of different play dough’s on the market, most made out of flour, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil. But why not make your own in the kitchen and from ingredients you already have in your cupboard. Not only is it super easy to make with your kids, its non-toxic.

What you need:

1 cup flour

3/8 cup salt

1 tbsp cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 tbsp oil

1-2 tsp food coloring

What to do:

Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar). Add all ingredients into a medium saucepan and cook under medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until a ball forms and most or all the moisture is gone. Turn out play dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it cool. Store in an air tight container.

What other diy projects do you like making with your kids?

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Wendy Yuis a digital marketing professional living in New York City. When she’s not using the power of social media to share ideas. 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.