Thursday, October 23, 2008

Happy Hallowgreen!

October 31st
As you gear up for Halloween…why not try to be more "green"? No, we’re not asking you to be Frankenstein or a witch, just to try to make an eco-friendly switch. Halloween is a great event to incorporate a more eco-friendly and healthy lifestyle. Rather than witches, goblins, and ghouls… reusable costumes, creative eco-decorating and healthy treats seem to be the theme for this year’s Halloween. Here are some Hallow-green ideas to try with your family:

Costumes

• Create your own costume from things around the house.
• Try one of the local resale shops around town for hardly-worn children’s costumes. It’s cheap, getting “re-used”, and supports the local shops and mom-consigners.

Decorations

• Decorate the house and yard with handmade or reusable items. Scarecrows, pumpkins gourds, and hay stacks make great yard decorations and they’re not scary.

Treats

• Collect treats in a reusable bag. Try felt bags or buckets they can decorate and reuse year to year or a heavy duty pillow case.
• Cut back on candy by giving out "treasures," such as polished rocks, stickers, soy or beeswax crayons, glass beads, seeds or Play-Doh (you could make your own).
• Pick healthier treats from responsible companies (companies that make healthy food are often thoughtful about their packaging). Both Planet Organic and Community Natural Foods have healthy Salba snack crisps and organic lollipops.
• Conventional candy is non-organic and poorly packaged. For a list of alternative treats, click here: greenhalloween.org/treats,also try, www.ecojoes.com.
• Give kids a full, healthy meal before they go out trick-or-treating so they are not hungry.

What to do with all that candy? Here are some tips If your child does collect candy:

• Invite the Halloween Fairy/The Great Pumpkin to come to your home. Tell you child a story, or use our book to talk about how the Halloween fairy turns candy into magic fairy dust and so she needs as much candy as she can get her hands on. Explain that if a child leaves his bag of candy outside on the porch, the fairy will gladly come to take the candy, and because she will be so grateful for the help with her fairy-dust-making, she’ll leave in the candy’s place a very special gift!
• Have a candy trade. let your kids trade their candy towards other little gifts or give them a “pumpkin point” for each piece of candy they collect. Use pumpkin points to “buy” a toy or do a special activity with your child.

So for this season, green is the new orange and black! For more great ideas on going green this Halloween, visit www.greenhalloween.org

Upcoming Events:

Mommy Mixer Halloween Party

Saturday, October 25th, 11am-2:00pm
Come out and play with MommyMixer at the premier Pinwheel Play-date, Halloween style, at Whole Foods Market downtown, on the rooftop plaza and playground. Beaubaby will be there to photograph your little cuties in costume. A light lunch will be provided by Whole Foods catering and snacks provided by Kashi and Stretch Island Fruit Co. Children's activities provided by Gymboree, organic ice cream sampling by PJ Madison, character appearances, crafts and a mommy treat bag will surely delight you and your darlings! Each family is asked to make a $10 donation at the door. All proceeds go to Posada Esperanza. RSVP to playdate@mommymixer.com as soon as possible as space is limited. (Just add a quick note on how many in your family will be attending and please include ages of kids).

Crowe's Nest Farm Fall Fest

Saturday, October 25th 11am-6pm
Crowe’s Next Farm is hosting their annual Fall Fest where they are open to the general public. During the year, Crowe's Nest Farm Animal Life Center is a private, non-profit educational organization dedicated to fostering public appreciation, knowledge, and wise stewardship of both the agricultural and wildlife resources of Texas. They are located in Manor, just a short country drive east of Austin. The fall fest is an opportunity to visit the farm and take part in all various activities and attractions like sheep shearing, corn shucking, apple cider making, and live music. Kids love the farm animals, snake show, and butterfly house. Admission is $6. For more info, go to, www.crowesnestfarm.org.

Treat-or-Treat Mommy/Baby Meet-n-Greet

REMINDER Tuesday, October 28th 11:00
Bring your lil’ pumpkins to Baby Scoop Austin’s first Trick-or-Treat “Meet-N-Greet” at Austin Kula Yoga, Tuesday, October 28th at 11:00 am. Come visit in an intimate, casual setting with other new moms while enjoying a light snack and healthy drinks. Wear your leisure wear and dress baby in a Halloween costume for the costume contest. Mom and baby are invited to stay for a complimentary post-natal yoga class at 11:30. There will be a drawing for a basket of baby skincare products and each guest will receive a pass for one free postnatal yoga class. We are looking forward to meeting you and your boo-tiful babies! Austin Kula Yoga is located in central Austin in Tarrytown at 2415 Exposition Blvd., Suites A & B. For questions and to RSVP a spot in the postnatal class e-mail scoop@babyscoopaustin.com.

Moms, are you considering re-entering the workforce or changing careers? You are invited to a seminar led by nationally-recognized career and work-life balance coach, Renee Trudeau:
WHAT:Finding Your Career Mojo Workshop—a small, interactive, resource-packed seminar for professionals at all life stages.
WHO:For people in career transition; this seminar package is ideal for anyone looking at a career change, re-entering the workforce; preparing to launch a job search, wanting to explore new opportunities, wondering how to find work that is in alignment with their values or trying to decide if they want to start their own business.
LED BY:Renee Trudeau, president, Career Strategists
WHEN:Friday, October 31st, 9-11:30 a.m.
COST:$175 for the "workshop package" (includes $650 in Career Strategists support services) For more info and to register online, visit, www.careerstrategists.net

Check out our winners of last week’s poll: Favorite Place to have a Natural Birth? at www.babyscoopaustin.com



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