There's no denying it. Back to school is old news for retailers. It's all about Halloween now if my grocery store is any indication. Giant cardboard bins out front are filled with pumpkins and gourds of all shapes, colors and sizes. Primo shelf space is packed with more tooth-rotting candy than you can shake a scarecrow at. And of course, the costumes. Racks and racks of imported, cheaply made costumes of witches, ghosts, goblins, firemen, Pokemons, Harry Potters, princesses, Hannah Montanas, and any thing else that is trendy and will sell this year.
I have a simple request: step away from the costume racks. Avoid all contact with Halloween super stores. We are better than that. Let's save some money this year and be kind to the environment. Even though I have a soft spot for Halloween and go into a frenzy each year making one-of-a-kind costumes for my kids, this year I'm taking on something new: the EnviroMom "Buy Nothing New" Halloween Costume Challenge.
So what does that mean? We'll be shopping in our own closets looking for things than can be used or reused in creative ways. We'll be hitting up friends or visiting thrift stores to find those perfect accessories to finish off their looks. We'll be dumpster diving into our big blue recycling rollcart to find recyclables that might find new life as part of the Halloween outfits. Our costumes this year:
- one Statue of Liberty for the 6.5 year old. I was thinking white sheet, some cardboard for a hat/crown and torch, dressed up with a bit of aluminum foil. My daughter had a different idea. Since the real Statue of Liberty has that patina effect, she says the sheet has to be green. Amazingly, I actually have a patina green twin flat sheet still hanging around from my college days. Score!!
- one little pink mouse for the 4 year old. We're starting with the blue and pink mouse mask she claimed as a prize during the summer reading program. If we can't find any pink t-shirts and leggings in our closets, I'll probably die of shock and amazement. With two girly-girls, we have a fair amount of pink. Add a tail and a chunk of cardboard cheese. Voila!
Other ideas so that we "buy nothing new" in the EnviroMom Halloween Costume Challenge 2008:
- Check out kids' clothing consignment stores. If they're worth their salt, they should have racks and racks of last year's costumes on display.
- Check out eBay and craigslist. Most of the costume ads claim they've only been worn once, and what kind of crying shame is that? Clothing should be worn forever! Gosh, if I didn't love Halloween and dress-up so much I might go on a rant about this -- but I won't. Make sure it's a used costume, otherwise that would be cheating.
- Arrange for a costume swap among your friends. Just like a clothing swap -- it's super easy and costs nothing!
- We're still a month away from Halloween. There's plenty of time to do this now, instead of waiting 'til the last minute.
Are you game for the EnviroMom "Buy Nothing New" Halloween Costume Challenge 2008? What are your strategies for saving money, being kind to the environment and making Halloween about reuse and precycling? And just for fun -- what are your kids going to dress up as this year?
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