Happy HallowGRE'EN

by Guest Blogger Margot Stevens of A Party Shade of Green

I've been tossing around in my head what would be the greenest option for a costume for my son for this Hallowe'en. I have found an endless list of options for homemade costumes on the internet. I have found the best options for homemade costumes to be those that take advantage of clothes the child already owns, or can be purchased second-hand, and modified. Last year, I was able to put together a scarecrow costume with clothing he was already wearing, a plaid shirt and overalls, to which I sewed patches and yarn "straw", all of which could be removed without damaging the clothes. The great thing about making him a costume out of his own clothes was that he was very comfortable, and barely realized he was wearing a costume.

This year, however, I was just not finding any inspiration this year in the clothes he already wears. So I went to a children's second-hand store, Kaleidescope Kids, and was able to get him a fuzzy dolphin costume for around $13. While I may bemoan the lack of creativity that may go along with store-purchased costumes, I very much appreciate the fact that many of them take the late October weather into mind, and come as warm jackets or one-piece, fleecy outfits. And since it is second-hand, and will be passed along to another friend next year, I think this is as environmentally-friendly as you can get for a costume. I just hope he likes it.

One of my most vivid Hallowe'en memories from when I was a kid was the last minute scramble for working flashlights. We lived in a rural area, and they were a necessity on Hallowe'en, but we never remembered this until after we were already in our costumes, and kids were already knocking at the door. I somehow remember my family having something like a dozen flashlights of various sizes, half of them completely dead, a couple with a little bit of juice, and then another couple that would start out bright, and then wain along the way, and the four of us kids arguing over who should have which one. This year, I'm planning ahead, and I will be stopping by Canadian Tire to pick up a Noma LED Shake Flashlight. No batteries, less than $20, shock resistant, waterproof, lifetime warranty, and it looks like it has received good reviews. I also think my 2 1/2 year old son will enjoy it as well, since for once I will be saying, "this adult-sized thing with lights and buttons - ya, shake it and push the button!" which I'm sure will be followed quickly with "No, not in my eyes!!"

For the other 364 days of the year, it will go in our emergency kit. Who am I kidding, for the rest of the year it will be in my son's toy cupboard. Maybe I should get two.

So next comes the candy - oh, so much candy. I don't think there is a way to stop it, and I don't really want to be the mom handing out raisins and sunflower seeds. Yet. Maybe I'll hand out toothbrushes. One option I have been using in goody bags are Yummy Earth lollipops, which are organic, naturally coloured and flavoured, and free of gluten, tree nuts and peanuts, so they are safer for people with allergies. And as product research, I tasted them all, and yes, they are very yummy. Since I ordered them bulk over the internet, they were much less expensive than buying Hallowe'en candy retail. There is still all the wrappers to go in the garbage, but I'm not sure there is a way around this, until corn-based, biodegradable plastics make it into the wrapper business.

The last thing I plan to do to keep Hallowe'en as green as possible is to convert a reusable grocery bag into my son's candy carrier. I'll be using one of Loblaw's black bags, since it is a good size for a 2 1/2 year old to carry, but also comfortable for me to carry over my shoulder when he gets tired. I'm sure he will be coming home with a number of Hallowe'en themed crafts from day care. I plan to take one of them, mount it on a piece of cardboard and trim it to 7 inches square (just big enough to cover the grocery bag's logo design), attach a couple loops of string to the top of it, and tie the strings to the bag's handles, so the picture hangs down over the logo. Voila, mobile art, a sturdy candy carrier, and a bag that is being reused, and will be reusable again.

Margot is the founder of A Party Shade of Green, providing parents with environmentally-friendly alternatives for kid's parties.