Halloween can be scary! And not just because of the ghosts and goblins! The holidays always lurking with toxins in sneaky places. We are here to help you have a spooktacular and less toxic Halloween this year! Comment on this post to enter for the giveaways below!

1. Ditch Traditional Candies. Traditional candies are LOADED with GMOs from high fructose corn syrup and other corn derivatives, as well as nearly half of sugar beets-listed as sugar- are GMO now. High fructose corn syrup has been found to be contaminated with mercury as well. Traditional candies also contain artificial colors which are made from petrochemicals and are linked to hyperactivity in children. Best bet? Two great organic candy brands are Yummy Earth and Go Naturally which are gluten free! We are giving away Yummy Earth Lollipops in time for Halloween! Also I heard a great idea for keeping your child from eating all the toxic candy they get when trick or treating. Have your child leave their loot for the candy fairy (or whatever creative name you can come up with) who comes at night to take the candy and replace it with a toy they have been wanting. We are going to start that this year!

2. Take The Lead Out- Part 1- Lights- Did you know that traditional halloween lights are LOADED with lead? Touching these cords can expose you (and even more scary …your children) to high levels of lead! And there is NO SAFE LEVEL of lead! It is a neurotoxin and should be avoided at all costs. The answer? RoHS compliant lights! We had to search high and low last year for these lights….they are hard to find. But our search lead us to the greatest company, Environmental Lights! They sell a wide selection of these lead safe lights!! Stock up for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas! They are safe and last forever so worth the investment for health! Environmental Lights has been kind enough to offer a lights giveaway in celebration of Halloween! Go get your non-toxic lights and decorate away! If you use traditional lights be sure your children DO NOT TOUCH and you wash your hands!

3. Kick The PVC Habit- Most halloween costumes are made from PVC which contains phthalates and sometimes with that you will find lead and other contaminants. Best bet? Make your own costumes and get creative! I make mine every year and nothing fancy. I also get some help on Etsy.com when I need a special hat or ears. Support your local Etsy.com mom by having one made and requesting safer materials! If you do the toxic kind, try swapping costumes with another mom to help out mother earth by reducing trash! Look for PVC free costumes. Also if you are using toxic type costumes, skip the masks or anything on the child’s face and definitely mouth! Wear clothes between the costume and the body, wash hands and take a good shower after too!

4. Take The Lead Out- Part 2-Paint Safely!- Face paint is notorious for being toxic! In a recent study of 10 face paints, ALL TEN were contaminated with lead! Chromium, lead and other heavy metals were also found! Best bet? Make your own. Learn how here

5. Keep It Outside And Wash Hands!- A great rule of thumb when avoiding toxins is to wash hands! This is true when it comes to Halloween Decorations as well. Most are toxic junk made in China. These kind of products are often being tested and found to have lead, cadmium, and other materials that are harmful to health. The best way to have safe decorations it to make your own using fabric and stuffing, wood and safe paint etc. If you can’t give up your toxic Halloween decorations altogether (like me), then don’t let your kids touch the decorations, keep them outside (only use safe ones inside) and WASH HANDS after handling!

WE ARE GIVING A SET OF ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHTS FOR HALLOWEEN AS WELL AS SOME ORGANIC HALLOWEEN CANDY! COMMENT ON THE POST TO ENTER TO WIN !

Halloween is my favorite holiday of the year! Here’s to a very happy and less toxic Halloween this year!!