Celebrate Green Blog

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 [...]

by Lynn Most of our immediate family just returned from Coeur d’Alene, ID, where we spent a wonderful week together. These annual vacations wouldn’t be complete without a dual birthday celebration for our granddaughters who were born four days apart. The day before the big event, I was sitting in the shade of a huge [...]

by Lynn Last week at the Bellevue Art Festival, I came across this interactive installation by Suzanne Tidwell, and fell in love. The only problem was that it wasn’t created with recycled yarn. It would have been perfection if the wool came from unraveled sweaters. Still, this was simple, interactive fun for all ages. The [...]

by Lynn I spent much of yesterday ambling through downtown Bellevue WA’s huge annual arts and crafts event. Blocks and blocks unfolded before me in a jumble of color and talent. I’m always inspired by the quality and inventiveness of the work, ranging from homegrown to highbrow, on display at this summer mainstay. As always [...]

by Lynn and Corey Calling all green bloggers! We’d love to have you join our National Costume Swap Day blogfest on September 13. Here’s the scoop. As you may know, last year we launched National Costume Swap Day as a way to draw attention to swapping costumes to save money, keep millions of pounds of [...]

by Lynn So much of American families’ lives today are planned, every moment, of every day—even in summer—spoken for. To me, this is sad because I take such joy in the unplanned, the spur of the moment, the surprising delight that accompanies a moment we didn’t know was coming. I was reminded of this twice [...]

by Lynn I’d had in mind to stage a no-waste carnival with and for our grandkids this summer, but didn’t get motivated to do it until we were one day away from our son leaving on a three week adventure with his two children. By the time I’d decided to turn a family farewell dinner [...]