Celebrate Green Blog

by Lynn We’ve lived in Seattle long enough now to try to escape taking every single new-to-town visitor to Pike Place Market, the biggest tourist magnet in the city. (At least it’s a market!) It’s not that we don’t like it, we do. It’s just that most visitors arrive in the summer and the market [...]

by Lynn and Corey This year, instead of offering a gift guide as you’ll find on so many sites—green and otherwise—we’re offering ideas for freebies—gifts you can make or give that cost absolutely nothing. We started with 25 Free Activity Gifts for Kids and today, we’re moving on to adults. No gift is perfect for [...]

by Lynn When our kids were young, I made much of their clothing (to their utter horror when they review the pictures). I even started a children’s clothing business with my sister-in-law called Henny Penny Toys & Togs. (She was the one with the sewing skills. I was the one with the enthusiasm.) After a [...]

by Lynn I watch our grandgirls carefully raking leaves to form a small, colorful hill in the middle of our bright green (chemical free) lawn. They race toward the mound, streaming hair aglow in the sunlight—all long legs and pumping arms and breath escaping in steamy puffs. The older one gets there first, churning her [...]

by Lynn When our younger son, (who less than a week ago became a dad), was going into first grade, we decided to send him to a magnet school. (If you’re not familiar with the term, this is a public school with specialized curriculum created to draw students from outside of normal school boundaries. Magnet [...]

by Lynn and Corey Are you a party animal? If you’re a mom, you might well be, but like us, instead of donning 3″ heels and a sexy dress, you may prefer to party in your PJs—feet up with a glass of wine or cup ‘o tea close by. So you’ll be happy to learn [...]

by Lynn Most of my family is diehard summer fans, but having lived in Tucson for 23 years, where autumn means boiling temperatures slide to just plain hot and where, in order to see leaves changing you have to drive at least an hour, I fell in love with fall all over again when we [...]

by Lynn According to an economist from the Environmental Defense Fund in a recent NY Times editorial, personal choices and individual actions don’t make a difference when it comes to the environment. The author may have a point, but we must respectfully, but wholeheartedly, disagree. You can’t have the collective action he calls for without [...]

by Lynn Back when I had three young children, I made their Halloween costumes. When they got older, they made their own, so I never worried about the expense. But I know things have changed and costumes, even for babies, can be expensive, some costing up to $50! Aside from the cost, many purchased costumes [...]

by Lynn It’s been six years since we moved into this house and to be absolutely honest, I’ve never done a thorough clean out of my crafts studio. Unlike many crafters, I’m not stuck on one type of artistic endeavor, so I don’t have a huge stash of say fabric. What I’ve got is more [...]

by Lynn I’ve always loved photography, but once digital cameras came on the scene, my passion did back flips! While I appreciate the fascinating process of watching an image develop in chemical filled-trays, instant gratification is more my style. (And besides, those chemicals can’t be good for anyone!) Add in the cost savings, the avoidance [...]

by Lynn and Corey For the fourth year, we at Green Halloween® are partnering with ChicoBag®, maker of fab reusable bags, in a contest where kids produce an image for a special edition Green Halloween bag that is sold in stores around the U.S. Here’s what your child can win: 1st Place: $250 cash to [...]

by Lynn As a child, “Necessity is the mother of invention,” was one of the earliest quotes I memorized. Ever since, I’ve prided myself on being solution oriented whenever confronted with a problem like when, the other day when on a camping trip, my husband said, “Darn! I forgot to bring my tea ball!” For [...]

by Lynn One day a few weeks ago, I heard a shout from outside my studio, “Abba, come here. You’ve got to see this!” My two granddaughters were crouched in the driveway watching something. “Look Abba,” one said, awe tinging her voice, “an ant is carrying a bee!” I kneeled beside them and we sat [...]