|
Green Halloween
Tip #1
Swap your decor.
Halloween is the second biggest holiday (after Christmas) for consumer spending on decor.
That's right.
Americans spend billions (1.58 to be exact) on orange lights, inflatable lawn witches, and plastic cauldrons.
If you're getting a little tired of using the same 'ol decor year after year, instead of buying new, how about hosting a Halloween decor swap?
You can swap your costumes, so why not do the same for your decor?
Of course if you do plan a decor swap let us know about it.
We'd love to post your experience, tips, and photos on our site or in a future newsletter.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
For more great tips and tricks, come by and visit us at our new blog.
Recent posts have included ideas on where to find Halloween treasures, how to make a Halloween wreath, and how to help others while trick-or-treating.
Our website is also updated daily with new ideas on topics from Halloween energy conservation to crafts your kids and the planet will love. |
Green Halloween
Tip #2
Encourage your pumpkins to multi-task.
Pumpkins are the quintessential eco-decor item; in addition to making fabulous jack-o-lanterns, they can be used to make a variety of Halloween decor items such as candle holders, vases, soup terrines and more.
They are easy to grow, come in a variety of shapes and colors, and are edible and compostable.
Clearly, pumpkins are talented multi-taskers - so put them to great use by:
- Painting instead of carving pumpkins. You can enjoy their aesthetics now and their flavor later.
- Roasting and eating their seeds, whether you carve or paint them.
- "Recycle" them after Halloween by composting, including them in your yard-waste bin (where allowed), or feeding them to your chickens as one of our readers does.
You may want to experiment with which pumpkins can be carved and eaten and in what recipes they work best. Sugar pumpkins, for example, are wonderful in pies but don't carve well. Therefore if you've got a pie on the brain, choose a sugar pumpkin and paint it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Speaking of carving... our Crayons Beverages sponsored Pumpkin Carving Contest is now underway!
Get more info on all of our current contests by clicking here.
|
Green Halloween
Tip #3
Get creative with your candy.
We'd like to set the record straight on a little rumor that's been going around: We (the Green Halloween team) don't hate candy.
It's the choices of some conventional candy companies that we don't like.
In fact, we're head over heels for several candy companies doing it right - by the ingredients used, the way the people making the candy are treated, and of course, by the way Earth is treated throughout the candy-making process.
If you want to include candy in your Halloween festivities, here are a few pointers:
- Invite the Sugar Sprite/Halloween Fairy/Great Pumpkin to your home after trick-or-treating. Your kids can choose a small amount of candy (such as one piece for every year of their age) to keep and the rest goes back in their pumpkin and out on the porch where a "magical" swap will take place. One or two gifts are left in the candy's place.
- Go organic. Organic candy is better for the planet, the people who made it and for your children. In some cases it doesn't cost more than conventional candy, and even when it does, we believe it's worth it. One great way to save money? Hand out just one piece, instead of handfuls.
- Compost leftovers in your yard waste bin (where allowed) or place a few pieces a day into the soil of your houseplants.
Save 5% on some of our favorite brands of organic candy by shopping at SugarCoatedOrganics.com and using the coupon code: SAVE5.
|
