What's the easiest switch you can make for the environment? Eat less meat!

Every week we are exploring vegetarian meals for meat eaters. Cooking with seasonal vegetables can seem really limiting at first, but the possibilities are endless. And it is worth it. Just cutting one day of meat eating out of our diet can keep thousands of pounds of CO2 out of the atmosphere a year. No seriously, it's that big a deal. Plus, it's a great opportunity to have some new adventures and try new things. Just another way to take care of the planet AND make life a little bit better!




I love a holiday and I am never above theme food. Halloween is generally about the sweets (and you can figure out some plastic free ones here), but I thought it would be fun to come up with some meat-free Halloween food so you can party and fight climate change all at once!

from Hey Nutrition Lady

These pumpkin and black bean Tacquitos from Hey Nutrition Lady uses an almost cliche ingredient in a fresh and unexpected way, I think you could do fun spins on guacomole and salsa too to have a really fun theme night.

from Amuse your Bouche

I have never really gotten the appeal of stuffed peppers before, but it is literally impossible to deny the genius of these vegetarian stuffed jack o lantern peppers from Amuse your Bouche. Come on! That business is just brilliant. So perfect for the theme!

from Mom Foodie

If you aren't looking for something that literal, this pasta from Mom Foodie has that black and orange color palette. But honestly, the black and white striped pasta she is working with are pretty cool, and you could do all sorts of cool, spooky dinners with it.

from Colavita recipes

If you are going for a more gory noodle, you cannot do better than beet pasta. It is both really creepy looking and freaking delicious. Beets noodles (beets cooked with thyme and olive oil, goat cheese, and lots of pesto) is the most eaten meal in our house. Yes, it's weird. If you want a more sophisticated version, I would check out these beets noodles from Colavita recipes.

from Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Love the pumpkin idea but not sure where to go with it? This pumpkin lasagna recipe from Yummy Mummy Kitchen looks super good. And it has chard! Who doesn't love chard? Ok, most of us, but I can see how it balances the sweetness of the pumpkin.

from Live Eat Learn

Lastly, nothing says fall holiday like a roasted veggies, and these ones cut into Halloween shapes from Live Eat Learn are on theme and healthy! You just need a lot of time. I mean, this has to take a ton of time and skill, right?

Do you make theme food for Halloween? What is your favorite Meatless Meal in the fall?



Want more vegetarian recipes to try? Awesome! Adding more meatless meals to your diet is such a fun challenge and you can discover so many things you like. Check out this page for all of the Meatless Monday Recipe Round Ups!

Every holiday comes with an aggressive push from stores and the people around us that it is time to shop. Halloween is not an exception. Even the questions we ask each other often center on what we will buy instead of what we will do."What are you going to be?" often really just means "Which costume are you going to buy?" It can be overwhelming! 

I am trying to raise my kids a different way, because I believe our overconsumerism is costing us the environment, their future, and honestly just the fun of being a kid. I want them to equate holidays with celebrations and memories, instead of the ultimate goal always being to accumulate stuff. You don’t have to be a parent to feel this way; I want it for my own life too.

I don't think of Halloween as a big consumer holiday, but my Target would like to differ. Now there are about a billion decorations, costumes, and crafts for sale. I hear the question of what to buy for your trick or treaters all the time (if you want to be eco-friendly, I have the answer right here).  Choosing a Halloween costume is really just a visit to the store (and a super wasteful one- those are cheap plastic fibers wrapped in cheap plastic packaging).

All of that is fine, and I am not going to say we won't go buy a pumpkin (or a costume) this year, but what if you are trying to celebrate holidays without making it all about stuff?

If you are ready to have a Halloween that leaves consumerism at Target, here are my best ideas for traditions and activities worth remembering.

1. Go Visit a Farm or a Pumpkin Patch

If you live in most corners of the United States, there is probably a farm within an hour or two drive that has apple-picking, pumpkin-picking, hay rides, corn mazes, pumpkin canons, or who knows what else. With a little bit of research, you can set an easy new tradition, support a local business, and really commit to your fall outdoorsiness.

I think the pumpkin patch or farm can get a bad reputation because it is just so instagrammable, like you just go for the cute pictures with the pumpkins. And obviously, it isn’t a very accurate representation of how much fun you can have there.  But you don’t have to treat it that way (and can pick a quieter place), and if you have kids, they will almost definitely have a good time. We went many times before we had kids, and it was still really cute and fun, and we could climb on the hay pyramid without even worrying someone could fall off.

We know that appreciation for the natural world comes with being in the natural world. Some of these places feel a lot more like Disneyland than nature, but that dirt is real. That air is real. Opening up a cob of corn (or hitting your brother in the head with it) is all real. This may not be the most outdoorsy thing you do all fall, but it can still be fun, silly, and builds that connection between outdoor spaces and fun traditions. Throw in big bouncy areas and corn mazes, and you can beat out anything in a store. This is a classic for a reason! Pick one with busy-ness in mind, or try a couple! 

2. Decorate a Pumpkin

Decorating a pumpkin is a super fun activity to do together, and you can use all materials you already have in your house! I know, I know, you have to buy the pumpkin (unless you grew it!) but at least it keeps that consumerism to a minimum?

I personally love a carved pumpkin, but let’s not kid ourselves; an activity with that many knives isn’t really for everyone. My kids used to draw the faces on for us, and then they were off to do something else while we cut. Now, they love to design and cut out pumpkins. 

If you have little little ones and want to do something more their speed (or you just like doing something different) we are in the age of pinterest, and tons of ideas are out there.


We have done painted pumpkins, which look great even if your kid is not really on the top of their artistic game yet (we can't all be Yayoi Kusama). My only advice is to avoid plastic stuff, which includes glitter. It can be fun, but that is just adding more plastic trash to the Earth (and if you really want scary, go read about all the things plastic is doing to our bodies).

If you have more sophisticated painters, check out this post of ideas from A Pumpkin and a Princess and get inspired!

3. Make your Own Costumes

The best way to avoid the waste of those Target and Walmart costumes? Make your own! Think about something fun you want to be, raid a secondhand store to get inspired or find supplies, or even make it completely from scratch! If you have kids, you could even come up for ways to involve them in their own costume-making. It doesn’t have to be anything super fancy or clever, but the pride of coming up with something and then executing it is SUCH a good feeling. You could even turn it into a costume making party and spend the day eating fall treats, watching scary movies, and putting your ideas together. Your kids will remember that way more than a trip to Walmart.

Blank on ideas? Try Pinterest. Also, buzzfeed has a mind-boggling collection of Halloween costume posts. If all you have is jeans and a ripped up t shirt, someone on the interwebs can tell you what to be.

Just start early. And set realistic expectations. And avoid masks, because masks are almost always really creepy.

4. Host a Scary Movie Night

I have a friend whose family watches scary movies as their Thanksgiving tradition. How hilarious and weirdly accurate is that? If you want to be a little more on the nose, you could do this for Halloween.

You could commit to a specific theme (“witches,” “classic monster movies,” “oh that’s freaking gross,” or “teen girls survive the patriarchy in the form of aggressive, disfigured white male”) or just play your favorites. This could take so many forms, and if you really wanted to commit, you could throw in some gross or spooky movie snacks too.

If hosting at home isn’t your style, check out what your local movie theaters are doing for Halloween. We have a movie theater in Seattle that plays Hocus Pocus every year. You might find something really fun to try out.

5. Bake Halloween Treats (Maybe for your Neighbors?)

Bonus points if you use the guts of the pumpkin for this!

One of the BEST things about Halloween is that people really commit to the theme, and there are so many fun things to try with it. I am obsessed with all the genius Halloween treat ideas that are out there, and I already had a blast making skeleton cookies with my kids (they were not good, but we had fun making them). You could come up with your own treat traditions and pick your favorite recipes to make every year.

But the question arises quickly- do you actually need more treats around this sugary holiday?

The other best thing about Halloween is that it gives you an excuse to walk around the neighborhood and chat (albeit briefly) with all of the people who live near you. There aren’t that many events in a year that really provide that level of neighbor mingling- our neighborhood even has a special event at the park nearby, so we start there and visit everyone on our way home. I love getting to see all those faces and feeling like everyone knows each other a little bit better.

So, while you are doing the rounds, What if you turned the tables and brought a treat for them as well?


Another option is to go "booing" which is a big tradition in some parts of the country. You leave a bag with some sort of treat (notice the sign says gathered, not bought, so you could make something) on two neighbors' porch, and then they pay the fun favor forward to more neighbors! It's all supposed to be anonymous, but be sure to put something on the bag to signal you know them and the contents of the bag are safe.

6. Play in the Leaves

I have such good memories of playing in leaves as a kid (even as a teen). Even if you are a pack of adults, why not go rake some up (offer to help neighbors if needed) and play. Just throw them at each other and jump in the pile (and then finish helping your neighbor if you went that route, or you look like a real jerk).

7. Go to Something New

I am willing to bet that somewhere near you, there is something going on for Halloween or in the days leading up to it. Check the museums, aquariums, and zoos near you; they often have a pumpkin bash or "boo zoo" with all sorts of fun and strange events. If you don't scare easily, zombie walks can be really cool and weird (and you could dance like you are in the "Thriller" video, therefore living out my dream). Danny Elfman music is touring the US, playing Beetlejuice and Nightmare Before Christmas music all over the country. Churches have Halloween alternatives or fall festivals.

Don't tell me that nothing happens where you live if you aren't getting out and enjoying these things (in fact, see if you can't get involved! Even better!). Even the smallest towns I have lived in (we are talking under a thousand people here) had a super popular haunted house. You definitely have something near you, so start there!

On Halloween day, most neighborhoods have Trick or Treating, but check and see what else is going on. Lots of communities have costume contests or get togethers to kick off the night. Our neighborhood park is always overflowing with kids and people doing the "Halloween Walk." Be sure to check- you can go to these things for free, and it can be the highlight of the day!

And if all else fails, go to a haunted house. I have only done it once, and it is solidly not my thing. If I want to be terrified, I will read articles about climate change. That said, if you think it is fun, you go right ahead.

8. Be the Favorite House for Trick or Treaters

I came up with a list of treats to hand out on Halloween, and my favorites on there are things you can make yourself. Wouldn’t it be so kickass to give all of your trick or treaters a magic wand this year? All you need are pencils or chopsticks, hot glue, and paint.

I also love the idea to do painted rocks as your treat for the year. Kids love small things they can choose, and making them could become a really fun tradition. Go on a search for good rocks. Paint those rocks (like monsters or aliens or magical stuff) and put a date on the bottom. So simple, but that could be the memory that sticks out for your kid.

9. Celebrate All Saints Day

The day after Halloween is All Saints Day. Celebrated by Catholics and some Protestants, this religious day has very different connotations depending on denomination. If you are a Christian and want to try adding it into your celebration, do research on how your church celebrates it and maybe go to an All Saints service. Halloween tends to focus on the darkness, but what I love about All Saints Day is that it focuses on the love between those on Earth and those in Heaven. Celebrating both gives you the opportunity to talk about the darkness and the light around mortality.

If you have kids, you can discuss what being a saint means (again, very different answers depending on who you ask!). You can read about saints or about heaven, and you can even name your favorites or your name saint if you have one. I personally like the idea of just having a simple potluck to celebrate.

Another idea is to reverse Trick or Treat and take helpful items to shut ins, the homeless, or other people who need them. I like this as a counter balance to Halloween's accumulation of candy.

10. Make Decorations

Yes! Whether you like spooky, gory, magical, or just cute, you can make tons of Halloween decorations for your house and have tons of fun doing it. My older son is almost 4, and he was so excited to decorate this year. It can be so easy (and fun) to just buy everything you need, but consider which things you could do yourself. Here are a few of my favorite decoration ideas:

from DIY Make It

I love these luminaries that use recycled milk jugs from DIY Make It. So Simple, and you get to recycle!

from Pars Caeli

These Halloween ghosts from pars caeli look super simple to do while still having a lot of impact. If you are on a limited budget, this could be a great option.

from Marvelous Mommy

My favorite decorations are these bats just made out of simple construction paper. You can find plenty of variations, but my favorite are from Marvelous Mommy.

from Good to Know

My last favorite are these monster doors from Good to Know- so fun, and you could make yours out of whatever leftover party or craft supplies you have in your house.

There are seemingly infinite options out there, but if you want to start somewhere, I love this post of recycled projects from Guff.




How do you celebrate Halloween? What is your favorite Halloween tradition?

We can minimize our fossil fuel use and support makers near us by buying more from local makers (and a lot less from big stores). I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So let's look at some of the best stuff together. 

from Nevada Knits

1. Nevada Knits makes chunky knit pumpkins I want to hug. They remind me of a lot of stuff they sell at Michael's, with a sort of rustic feel, but these look like you should hug them (and not that much more expensive). They would be awesome with kids in the house

K and J Creations

2. K and J Creations (Texas) makes all sorts of sweet yard art out of reclaimed wood (so you know I love them), but they seem to turn it out most for Halloween, with jack o lanterns, candy corn, and ghosts! My favorite are the ghosts- you can't deny how cute these are.

from HBixbyArtworks

3. HBixby Artworks (Yakima, Washington) makes these pumpkins out of recycled books. A little sad, but they also come out very cute and at least the book isn't wasted completely. And this good idea comes with lots of variations so you can find something perfectly your style; try  MonAmiePaperie (New Mexico) or Hi Butterfly (Colorado) as well.

from A Black Star

4. A Black Star handpaints Silhouettes onto pillow covers (always a great way to decorate- not much room to store and lots of impact). They have some awesome Halloween-themed ones, from Beetlejuice to Bride of Frankenstein. They also have Jack Skellington and Sally, but everyone Nightmare before Christmas is a Christmas movie. I like Halloween Kelley's Collection pillows as well.

from Playin with Scraps

5. Playin with Scraps (Pennsylvania) sells ornaments made with recycled scrap metal, but my favorite is this bat. Very cute and recycled too! Double win.



Have a favorite etsy shop that didn't make the list? Point me there! Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

We can minimize our fossil fuel use and support makers near us by buying more from local makers (and a lot less from big stores). I want to keep highlighting amazing makers in the US, and I feel like my Etsy links can get caught in the more mainstream shuffle. So let's look at some of the best stuff together. 

You can find costumes for little ones in all sorts of consignment stores, and it makes so much sense, because especially when they are this little, costumes can't get much reuse. If you are going to buy a super original and adorable (and probably expensive) Etsy costume this year, get something in consignment next year. Alternating between these routes will even out to be comparable to buying those plastic bags filled with polyester from Target, K Mart, or Walmart. It's a different approach, but it might reap some cool rewards.

from TreeAndVine

I love TreeAndVine so much. We bought our son a phoenix costume for a Halloween costume. Not only are their gorgeous (and mostly bird-related) costumes made in Maine, but they are sewn out of Eco-felt, which is made of recycled plastic bottles. Could it possibly be any better? Your kid can be a little recycling bird! Unbeatable!

from The Wishing Elephant

If you are looking for cute, but you want to see a lot of options, try The Wishing Elephant (New Hampshire). And its clear they have amazing designs and tons of positive reviews. They have such a wide bunch of baby costumes- the Staypuff marshmallow man, a pineapple, C3P0, and a swan tutu (it's so good. Somebody dress their baby at Bjork). Lovely choices and sparkling reviews! My favorite is their flamingo dress. The fatter the baby, the better.

from Boo Bah Blue

Boo Bah Blue (Washington) sells the kind of costumes you imagine you would make if you actually sewed things. They kind of look like costumes from old 70's Halloween pictures, and in the best way. Plus, a toddler dressed as an ewok can't be denied.

from The Costume Cafe

The Costume Cafe (Austin, TX) is popular enough that they are done taking orders for Halloween a month in advance (crud!), but if you want to dress your spawn as food (and who can blame you?), I would start here. Their costumes sometimes look simple, but they have really thoughtful and funny details sure to make their getups a huge hit. Plus, the hats. The hats!

from KidHub

Last year, I bought one of these dinosaur hoodies from KidHub, and it is so well-made and adorable. The Bub wore it out all the time. Even better, the costume is incredibly low key and non-fussy, so if you have an uncooperative toddler (or very cold weather) this could be the ticket. Also, I think it would look damn cute with a tutu, which is really the best part of having a little girl.



Want even more eco-friendly and local shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Ethical and Eco-Friendly Shopping Lists. 

I love trick or treating. Because it is an event about neighbors- you go, you visit the people who live near you (or they visit you in cute little costumes), and everyone is a little bit closer and more connected. That is a big deal, as we all desperately need those connections in our life.

That said, trick or treating is of course terrible for the environment. On that one days, millions of people hand out millions of tiny pieces of candy, each in their own plastic packaging.

If you want to really be scared this Halloween, do a little research into where that plastic goes (our land, our wildlife, and our water) or what it does. It poisons us. It screws with our endocrine system and our hormones, being connected to things like earlier puberty, lower sperm counts, and even cancer. Lots of cancer. Even scarier? Every piece of plastic you hand out this Halloween will still be perfectly in tact when you die. It will still be around when your trick or treaters die. That tiny snickers wrapper will outlive us all (poisoning us every future generation along the way).

Blech, if that doesn't give you the heebie jeebies, what will?

Luckily, more and more of us are wising up to the danger of all this plastic nonsense, so we are seeking out better options for our trick or treaters and our world. These are the best plastic-free options that will make you a FAVORITE in the neighborhood, not a weird hippie pariah. Getting away from plastic is going to be the norm, you are just cool and ahead of the curve.

JUST REMEMBER. We will recommend paper-wrapped candies, but some,  like pixi stix and nerds are owned by Nestle. If you care about the environment, you basically have to avoid this company. If you aren't sure about a candy, somewhere on the packaging it will say who it is owned/distributed by. The bare minimum is that we stop supporting companies that push plastic and actively destroy our environment.

A New Approach to Sweets

1. Local Candy. I know our local candy stores offer small chocolates (like Hershey Kisses) wrapped in foil. If you brought your own bag, you could get the candy without the plastic bag (and support a local business).

2. Dum Dums. These candies are wrapped in wax paper, not plastic, but they are hard to come by not in a plastic bag. Still, if you want the best of bad options, dum dums are probably it.

3. Jelly Beans. You could get jelly beans or other bulk candy at the grocery store and put them in little paper bags.

4. Fruit. Yes, have the confidence, be THAT person! You can still make handing out fruit fun by decorating your oranges or bananas with little faces.

5. Chocolate or Yogurt-Covered Pretzels. Again, you can easily buy these in the bulk section at your grocery store. Then you can put a few in paper bags to hand out on the day.

6. Make your Own! You could buy one silicon mold (they have them for everything- LIST) and make your own chocolates. It might be a really fun project to do together, and even if you have to buy one bulk chunk of chocolate to start, you could find one wrapped in foil.

7. Foil-wrapped candy. Want to avoid plastic and be the most popular house on the block? Give out old-fashion candy bars, wrapped in foil or paper. You could also do Hershey kisses, but they usually are packaged in plastic bags.

8. Raisins. I know this sounds lame, but my kids freaking love raisins, and you most likely won't run into allergy issues. Might be perfect!

9. Leftover Easter Candy. Nope, I am not joking. If you get well-meaning candy from family at Easter or at Birthday Parties, throw it in a bag and bring it all out at Halloween. It may seem crazy, but it keeps things out of landfills, and honestly, most of the candy you buy at the store is probably not that new either.

Homemade Treats

Before we even get started, YES I know. Most of us probably cannot pull these treats off, because parents don't want unwrapped things handed to their children. We trust plastic more than we trust people, which is its own problem, but you do really have to assess whether you live in a neighborhood with enough trust and familiarity to pull this off.

Secondly, I would probably give two options, only because more common allergies like dairy and nuts come up a lot in these sorts of recipes. I love the teal pumpkin project, so having an option that is allergy-aware really makes a lot of sense.


10. Popcorn Balls. So fun to make! Perfect if you live in a neighborhood where you know most of the people. Just don't poison them, because that is not neighborly.

from Big Bear's Wife

11. Rice Krispy Treats. You can make these quickly (or with a fun theme) and hand them out. Again, better if you are ballsy or have trusting neighbors. Before researching this, I had no idea just how many cute Halloween rice krispies are out there, but you have infinite choices, all adorable (my favorites are these Frankensteins from Big Bear's Wife).

from Tastemade

12. Halloween-Themed Pocky Sticks. My kids would lose their mind. They love those freaking pocky sticks, and you could make these from Tastemade easily.

from Lil' Luna

13. Monster Cookies. These cookies from Lil' Luna are ridiculously cute, and they definitely fit the theme of the day!

from Yummy Healthy Easy

14. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. A little sophisticated for some kids, but these strawberry ghosts from Yummy Healthy Easy are freaking adorable.

from Nob Hill Design

15. Skeleton Cookies. I am slightly obsessed with the idea of these chocolate cookies made into skeletons. So simple, but really fun!

from Major Hoff Takes a Wife

16. Brownies. Another simple one to make, and I like these witches' hats from Major Hoff Takes a Wife, because they are pretty simple to make (and use paper straws)!

Non-Edible Fun 

17. Painted Rocks. Kids love things where they get a choice, so paint a bunch of rocks like little monsters or animals, and let each kid pick one. You can do it every year, so they have little collections.

18. These Fabric Fortune Cookies. I just think these are the absolute cutest, and they are so simple to make!

19. Pencils. I like ones with funny sayings on them like the sell on BettieConfetti.

20. Seeds. Yeah, maybe this doesn't seem fun, but you could give pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds and ask to see how huge they get in the coming year? Kind of like a fun challenge. Again, only if you know the kids. Being a creeper is never good.

21. Chalk. So simple, but so genius. Our kids can never have enough sidewalk chalk.


22. Crayons. You could go big and melt down your own crayons into a cool mold. If you are less ambitious, you could just buy a set.

 23. Mini-Coloring Books. I love this idea, because you could just print some images out and make your own.

 24. Washi Tape. You know what a great idea this is if you have ever watched a kid play with painters tape. Not the most zero-waste option, but the paper will decompose, and the kids will have tons of fun.

25. Small Notebooks. I love the little books from Field Notes or Decomposition books. Another option would be to go to a secondhand craft store and just buy a pile of notebooks to give away. You could decorate them with Halloween stickers, or just let the kids use them for whatever they want!

26. Yo Yo's. Ok, most yoyo's are plastic now, but if you don't have many trick or treaters coming, these wood ones are a pretty solid option (and made in America).

27. Toy Cars. Hot tip- you can go to any secondhand store and find a bunch of metal hot wheels in bags and ready to go. This, to me, is the perfect solution, because you are keeping toys out of landfills, and tons of your visitors will be so excited! This could also work with any small toy. You could just buy a couple of random bags and let each kid pick!

28. Slime or Play Dough. You could make your own and put it in a little glass mason jar. I love this "monster slime" recipe from Lemon Lime Adventures or this play dough recipe from The Pistachio Project.

29. Reusable Candy (or Shopping) Bags. Our neighbors gave us cute reusable bags a few years ago, and we still use them!

30. Wands. Tell me you wouldn't be psyched to get a magic wand as a kid (I mean, I still think that would be cool as an adult)! You can make them yourself (here is a super fun diy from Red Ted Art) or buy them from a Dash of Eccentricity.



Have an amazing trick or treat and make friends with a new neighbor! If you want more green holiday tips, check out the Green Family page!

You want to make your Halloween a little greener this year? Weirdly enough, this holiday is one of the EASIEST to transform from trashy to eco-friendly. In fact, if you have been wishing you could make your life a little more sustainable, this is the PERFECT PLACE to start.

Not sure why you would want to have a green Halloween? I have some scary info for you...

- All those trick or treating single serve candies create tons (literally tons) of plastic waste. 40 million kids go trick or treating every year. Think about how much candy that is. That plastic will outlive you and all the kids you hand it out to, filling our landfills and water.

- Polyester costumes are made of synthetic plastic (see Big Oil) fibers. These shed off in the washing machine and now there are more microplastic fibers in the ocean than there are stars in the sky.

- Plastic is the cause of endocrine system problems, hormonal irregularities, and other nasty stuff. We don't even fully understand all of the problems plastic is causing us.

Ok, enough! The bad news is pretty obvious, but the good news is that all of this is easy enough to avoid.  You don't have to be the neighborhood jerk with your blinds closed and you lights off. Halloween is fun (and community-building). You don't have to give it up, just some simple switches can transform your approach to the holiday, making it even more fun and saving the world:

1. Buy your Costumes Secondhand

Huzzah! This is the season for secondhand shopping- even if you don't usually do it, you finally head inside your local consignment store. Thank you, Halloween!!

Almost all costumes you see in stores have all kinds of plastic problems. Most are made from 100% polyester to keep them cheap. Not good. Even worse, they come wrapped in those plastic bags that really aren't good for anything else.

When you think about it, it's kind of confounding that we don't all get our costumes secondhand. There are already so many costumes out there that someone (large or small) wore for a few hours. Almost all consignment stores go all out for Halloween (even Thred Up does sometimes). You can get the exact same costumes, barely used, for a quarter of the price.

For example, I just bought a baby lobster costume from a neighbor for 10 bucks. It is so cute, and it originally sold from Gymboree for 33 dollars. If you are celebrating every Halloween with new costumes, that adds up.

So before you do anything else, why not check out your local consignment shops and get inspired? Or join your local Facebook buy and sell groups and see what people are selling? It's the most eco-friendly (and cost effective) thing you can do this Halloween. And if you aren't a regular, why not take a walk around the store while you are in there. You might be surprised at what you can find.

2. Or Get Creative

Can't find anything you are crazy about in consignment (too typical, too obvious, etc) or you have a very specific thing you want to be?

Get creative and make it yourself. You can still combine things from your local Goodwill and consignment, maybe with pieces you will actually use after the holiday. Make your own armor, your own mermaid tail, whatever it is you need, pinterest that business and see if you can make it.

By buying the parts and making it yourself, you bypass the plastic bag of polyester. Plus you are way more likely to reuse things.

Want more advice on how to get plastic out of your life? I have plenty here.

3. Really Think About that Candy

I wrote a handy list of candies (and other things) to give out and what to absolutely avoid. So easy to do, even if you only want to shop at your regular store.

You may not think of this candy as a big issue, but those miniature chocolate bars come with major baggage. You can make a positive difference just by shaking some of that nonsense off. Halloween candy comes in all of those tiny plastic wrappers, because we trust plastic and companies more than we trust our neighbors (isn't that a terrifying thought?). Some of the candy companies are also absolutely terrible for the environment (don't give Nestle one penny of your money).

 Try one of these instead and you can do some good. Check the list in full, but depending on your priorities, you can find something right for you.

If you want to avoid plastic, try Dum Dums, Hershey Kisses (maybe made in Mexico), or boxed raisins.

If you want to buy something American, try Boyer Peanut Butter Cups, Mars Chocolate (Snickers, M and M's, Twix, and Milky Way), Cow Tales, or Jelly Bellies (get them in bulk and package them yourself?).

If you want something really local, go check with your local candy shops! You may even be able to buy them in bulk and put them in paper packaging (depending on how well you know your neighbors.

If you want to hand out fair trade candy, try Unreal Chocolates, Yum Earth Lollipops (also made in the US), or Bug Bites (proceeds go to endangered species).

4. Easy as Can Be, Hand Out Dum Dums

Last minute rush to the store but you still don't want to totally suck? Dum Dums. Wrapped in wax paper, not plastic, and still made in the US. Not perfect, but you can find them no matter where you shop. Easiest option that you can find literally anywhere, and I still think they are a treat!

5. Skip the Candy All Together

Does anyone want to be the person handing out toothbrushes? Eh, not so much, but you have other options that are still fun without being candy (or plastic). Here are some of my favorites:

-Treats- Alright you either need to have balls to do this or know the kids coming to your house. Our neighborhood moves in a whole pack, so we have about 20 trick or treaters, and it is over. I could probably get away with something baked because I know most of the parents. If you have some balls and some time, give out your treat of choice (caramel apples? Rice Krispy Treats?) back. Making things from scratch generally avoids packaging. Just remember to keep your poison and drugs batch separate.

- Rocks- Paint rocks with cool Halloween themes. Kids love a painted rock or anything they get to pick. Fun project, low cost, and they will love it.

- Fruit- Alright, maybe you don't want to be that person either, but have you seen the cute pumpkin mandarins? Super fun, healthy, and zero-waste! Score! Another great option? Raisins. They come in paper packaging instead of plastic, so you are doing a little less damage.

- Stickers- My kid loses his mind, basically daily for stickers. Not plastic free, but not bad, and you can find some good bulk options. I like these ones, because they are at least reusable, so they might be played with longer.

- Chalk- You could hand out chalk or crayons- kids love them. I have also found sidewalk chalk in thrift stores multiple times, so you might check. If you want something more eco-friendly, check these out.

-Seeds- Ok, maybe not for everyone. But I think this might be cool! You could do little succulent pots too if you don't have too many kiddos coming.

- Fabric Fortune Cookies- These are so incredibly cool. If you are crafty and have leftover fabric, this might be awesome.

6. Love Decorations? Love Etsy. Love Thrift Shops. Just Stay Out of Target

I love decorations for all holidays, but Halloween might be the most fun. This time of year, we used to go to Michael's or Target and buy a bunch of fun decorations. It was honestly really fun, but now I realize that we could definitely do better. Lots of the stuff hasn't held up well over time, and it was ALL made in China stuff. Lots of plastic, lots of fossil fuels wasted on shipping, lots of foolishness.

But I am not giving up my decorations. I love being festive, and I am keeping at it. I have just changed my strategy. Every year, I buy one of two things off of Etsy for holidays. You can find all sorts of amazing Halloween goodies on Etsy (50,000 things come up when you search). Work ahead, and you can get some really unique and original stuff in some of their stores. Here is a list of my favorites.

Anything else I want, I have to make myself or find at a thrift store. We've had lots of fun projects. But I also love that I can still find a good/silly impulse buy every so often. it is just a lot better for the environment, because I am keeping things out of the landfill.

Want more advice on eco-friendly and made in America decor? Here is an oldie but goodie on that.

7. Shine a New Light in Your Pumpkin

Those tea lights you get in the "carving sets" and elsewhere are usually petroleum based, meaning they burn off chemical-laden smoke and use fossil fuels. Pass.

Instead, try soy or beeswax tea lights instead. Better for the earth, and you can save them to use the next year.

This is such a simple change, EVERYONE should do it. The next time you are out of tealights, skip the petroleum candles and get something natural.

8. Then Compost It

What is the most environmentally sound way to get rid of the pumpkin once it start to look wrinkyly and sad? Earth911 has a great article on the most environmentally-conscientious ways to dispose of your pumpkin. Definitely worth the read, but I will break it down.

Don't trash it. Compost it.

 Why? A piece of food, like a banana will take hundreds of years to decompose (maybe longer) when thrown away in a garbage bag, the plastic bag and other trash protects it, but it just means there is that much more in landfills and our water. If you compost something, it will become more of something you need- soil! And it does so quickly. Keep those pumpkins out of the trash, so they can stay in the beautiful Circle of Life.

Don't have an outdoor composter? Get one. It's worth it. I promise.

9. Make some Green Crafts

I love a good Halloween craft. Something about the death and horror holiday really brings the creativity out in people.

There are already a TON of genius ideas out there for what to do with your kids (in class or at home). These crafts are genius ways to have fun and save the environment at the same time! Plus, you can save them and use them as decorations in future years. We are totally trying those tissue box monsters.

10. Ditch that Plastic Pumpkin (Or Really Use the One You Already Have)

I'll be honest, I kind of love those cheesy plastic Jack o Lantern tubs for carrying around Halloween candy. We have one, Legos live in it the rest of the year. But, obviously there are better, non-plastic choices for carrying candy:

-reusable shopping bags
-canvas totes
-pillowcase

If you already have one, USE it! Use the hell out of that little plastic pumpkin or Halloween bag or whatever you have. You do not need separate accessories every year. Use it until your kids aren't trick or treating anymore, and then gift it to someone else to use, because it will never break down in a landfill. That pumpkin will be around hundreds of years after you are gone, if you want something scary to think about.



What is your favorite Halloween tradition? What do you do to make your Halloween more eco-friendly or zero-waste? Share your tips- I would love to hear them!