A Happier Halloween!

Halloween holds a special place in my heart—my birthday is close to the holiday, so growing up, my mother often had very creative ideas for my Halloween-themed birthday parties . . . I remember one birthday party where we made individual caramel apples, using licorice, of course, for those 70s moustaches.  Years later, in my mid-20s, I put dry ice in fruit punch for a cool “witches brew” effect.  When I lived in Korea, my friend Janet threw a party to remember, featuring bobbing for apples, and we wore army uniforms that I had salvaged from a pile of unwanted clothes at the lobby of my apartment building. Keeping with the tone of this site, Halloween can be about making the best choices for you with your budget in mind.  I applaud you if you are using only soy-based candles and handing out fair trade chocolates made by the high village tribes in Guatemala—but let’s be realistic here!  Plus, having grown up in the post-Zodiac killer 1970s, during which PTA moms came to our classrooms and advised us not to accept apples for fear the local Charles Manson follower laced them with razor blades, I’m a little biased about handing out fresh fruit this time around.  So let’s get started: -          Costumes:  my pet peeve here.  Costumes at the dollar store are gross, and those at seasonal Halloween stores aren’t much better.  This is the perfect opportunity to go to your local Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul store.  Last year I was Joe the Plumber:  I bought an oversized sweatshirt and 42 inch Levi’s . . . which I promptly re-donated after the 31^st.  Seriously, this is a great way to have some creative fun with your friends and family.  -          Decorations:  Try to go with something that comes out of a ground instead of a manufacturing plant.  Local stores are full of decorative squash and corn, which at the very least you can compost if you don’t consume. 

• Most candles are petroleum based, which can run you afoul with the green police.  But there are Halloween lights available on the market, and you can mix these with other lights for that certain December holiday nipping at our heels.  
• Pumpkins:  yes, carving those Jack-o-Lanterns are fun, but such a waste.  At least save the seeds and roast at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Please compost the remainder instead of it letting it devolve into a moldy mess.  Roasting a pumpkin is easy, by the way . . .
• Motion sensors:  I actually had a great idea from Gregory Randall, LA’s wildlife specialist . . . if you buy one of those silly screaming ghosts that work using a motion sensor . . . you can salvage the sensor . . . and keep it in your garden, covered with a fake ceramic or rubber animal (think Goodwill!) . . . and scare off critters who are trolling in your garden.  I’m off to Target now, in fact . . .

-          Treats:  This is where you have to balance beliefs with budget.  Apparently, out of all the big companies, Mars is taking the most sustainable and humane approach to harvesting its chocolate.  Also, with obesity a concern, perhaps snack size energy bars, which are a less evil alternative, will work.  If you live in a neighborhood where it’s accepted that you can make and distribute homemade goodies—power to you. -          Fake blood:  okay, this is getting grisly here, but forget about buying the overpriced stuff:  corn syrup and red food coloring should do.  Oh okay, organic agave syrup if you have a little more budget. I’ve read several Halloween tips on the web, most bemoaning the waste and spewing guilt; indeed, there is a point.  I also feel a little decadence and fun a few times a year isn’t harmful.  To me, if you eliminate the harmful and wasteful plastic, you are taking a huge step; and in the end, saving money as well.