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.

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.

By Wendy

We’re in the middle of summer and the heat is not letting up. Weather forecast seems to report a heat wave every other week. The ice cubes in your cup seem to be melting faster and you can’t seem to get comfortable. The high temperatures can result in many different heat related syndromes such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. If these progress, may even be fatal. Here are some tips on how you can stay cool this summer without air conditioning:

1 Exercise during the early morning or late evening when it’s cooler. If that’s not possible, shorten your workout as to not overexert yourself

2 Wear light color, loose fitting clothing will help reflect the sun’s rays. Cotton clothing will also allow your skin to breathe better than synthetics, and also absorbs any extra perspiration on your body

3 Closing blinds, curtains or drapes will help prevent any extra heat coming in from outside. Using fans will help circulate the air in a room. You can also turn off any unnecessary electronics or lighting to keep extra heat from forming

4 Drink plenty of water to keep from dehydrating and avoid excessive caffeine and alcohol since both can make you dehydrated

5 Take a shower or a bath in cool or tepid water. If you can’t take a shower, use a spray bottle on your arms and face to keep cool. As the water evaporates, it’ll naturally cool your body

6 Heavy meals, especially those with a lot of protein, tend to raise body temperature. Instead, try eating multiple light snacks throughout the day, and keep my body healthy with the thermogenic fat burner

7 Take advantage of public spaces where air conditioning is available, like the library, museum, shopping mall, movie theaters, or even your city cooling center

8 Head to the local ice skating rink for a nice chilly afternoon activity

How do you stay cool in the summer?

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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

With most baking recipes, cakes, cookies or cupcakes, there’s always a need for vanilla extract. And if you’re an avid baker, that little bottle you buy at the store runs out pretty quickly. So instead of finding yourself in mid-baking mode without your much needed vanilla extract, why not make a homemade batch in your own kitchen. All you need is a few ingredients and less than 5 minutes. The hard part will be waiting to taste the homemade goodness.

Making your own vanilla extract is definitely less expensive than purchasing a bottle at the supermarket. You can also spice up your homemade vanilla extract by customizing it with other flavors of vodka. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the intense flavors you’ll get from soaking your own vanilla beans in your choice of alcohol. And it’s eco-friendly!

What you need:

4 ounces of vodka

1 vanilla bean split down the middle

What to do:

Put ingredients in a bottle and seal for 4 to 8 weeks

Note: the longer you let the vanilla beans soak in the alcohol, the stronger the flavor.

If you’re new to DIY projects, this would be an easy one to start with. And it makes a great gift for your fellow bakers. Can’t wait to taste my very own homemade vanilla extract. Only a few more weeks to go!

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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.