Orange and black might be the traditional colors of Halloween but why can’t a little green fall into the mix? Here are a few simple tips to help make this weekend’s Halloween festivities a shade greener:

- When it comes time to make a jack-o-lantern, find a locally grown and organic pumpkin to carve.

- Make costumes from what you find around the house. Recycle clothes from years past or head to the nearest second hand store and rummage around. Try to convince the kids to trade costumes from last year with …

Tags: costumes , green , Halloween , holiday , kids and green living , lifestyle

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You’re already familiar with plenty of iPhone apps that help you stay green, but these days you’re concerned about saving some green, too. Here’s a handy guide to 20 essential money-saving apps – and most are free!

Mint
Free
This free app makes tracking your finances a cinch with user-friendly graphs and charts that help you manage your budget and examine your spending habits. Plus, it will also alert you of low balances to avoid overdraft fees. So, go ahead and cut your financial …

Tags: apps , iphone , lifestyle , save money , technology

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Misconceptions about tofu, the taste of vegan anything and a serving of Quorn nuggets are just a few of the reasons a lot of people aren’t eager to go veg. I’ll admit, I had my doubts the first time a vegan friend offered me a spoonful of her tofu soup. But, all it took was one bite to discover that a delicious meal is all in the recipe. Here are some simple dishes to ease even the toughest skeptics into more eco-friendly eating habits. They’re so …

Tags: lifestyle , meals , recipes , vegan , vegetarian

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You know what it’s like to live green. You eat organic food, carry a reusable bag to the grocery store and haven’t touched a plastic bottle to your lips since before Obama had a White House address. But living green in a brown world is tough.

For example, maybe you can’t find a favorite organic wine at the farmer’s market, so you visit a huge supermarket chain. Can you still find the greenest wine, and if so, who has the most organic, dry-farm and sustainable grapes? Has your head exploded yet?

Not …

Tags: carbon footprint , environment , green living , guide , lifestyle

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In this era of voice mail, email and messages limited to 140 characters telling friends and family how and what you’re doing, a genuine hand written message is a true gift.

Of course, there’s no wrong way to tell someone you care. As long as you’re speaking from the heart, the sentiment will surely be appreciated. But a handwritten note expressing encouragement to a friend or relative who may be going through a difficult time is more personal. A real letter dropped in the snail mail will …

Tags: letters , lifestyle , paper , recycled , trees

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If you’ve already downloaded the Top 10 Green iPhone Apps and are itching for more ways to stay sustainably entertained, here’s a list of 10 more to keep you busy:

MyMPG
$2.99
Similar to greenMeter, MyMPG helps drivers maximize their fuel efficiency. It evaluates braking forces and acceleration, and even tracks statistics and improvements to your gas mileage over time. Best of all, it’s half the cost of greenMeter.

Green Lemur
Free
Green Lemur is just like Get Green, both offering eco-friendly advice on how to lead your lifestyle sustainably. Check out the tip of …

Tags: apps , green , iphone , lifestyle , sustainable

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Sure, you could spray your front yard with a generous bath of toxic chemicals. Tasty! Or, you could simply enhance your collection of greenery with plants that serve that exact purpose, naturally. In fact, some even lure beneficial insects to make a meal out of the pests that feed on your foliage. All you need is your green thumb, and Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Catnip

Keep flea beetles, aphids, weevils and ants at bay with catnip. …

Tags: garden , lifestyle , natural , pesticides , plants

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Getting back to nature – same thing as roughing it? If you find yourself loathe to ditch your oh-so-self-indulgent rituals like “warmth”, “being clean” or “eating actual food” you’ll be delighted to pitch in with a hot new approach to the great outdoors – glamping. Luxury without ostentation, eco-tourism without eco-terrorism – and everything catered for so you can enjoy your surroundings without worrying if you’ll survive the night in them.

…

Tags: glamping , lifestyle , luxury , nature , sustainable

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Reduce, reuse, recycle… and re-invent! Going green is often a creative process, and we green gals are always brainstorming new functions for an assortment of old items, from wine bottles to sarongs and everything in between. Well, how would you like to win a $500 gift certificate for your eco-friendly ingenuity? Just e-mail your ideas and accompanying photos to ideas@vivaterra.com by this coming Tuesday, September 1 to enter in the drawing for sponsor VivaTerra’s fabulous fall re-invention contest. Can’t choose just one? No problem! Though only one …

Tags: contest , creative reuse , green , lifestyle , Viva Terra

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