We are not to throw away those things which can benefit our neighbor.

Goods are called good because they can be used for good:
they are instruments for good, in the hands of those who use them properly.

-Clement of Alexandria
aka Titus Flavius Clemens,
(c.150 – c. 215)

There’s a nip in the air when I walk the kids to the bus stop; I sleep with a blanket at night and I still wake up a bit chilly.

This weekend I’m taking the kids apple-picking.

Know what that means? My favorite holiday is right around the corner!

If you’re like me, you’ve got tons of costumes and accessories hanging around from Halloweens past. And if you’re REALLY like me, you’ve got some that you’d lovingly handmade and can’t bear to throw away because so much effort went into it. (Most notably, an adult-sized Marilyn Manson wig that I threaded EACH INDIVIDUAL HAIR onto. It could be reused for Raggedy Ann or something similar.)

Let someone else love those old costumes, and save cash money on your own spookfest this year! Attend or host a costume swap in your area.

National Costume Swap Day is Saturday, October 8th (fittingly, that is also my 35th birthday. SPOOKY!). According to the website,

Swapping half the costumes kids wear at Halloween would reduce annual landfill waste by 6,250 tons, equal to the the weight of 2,500 midsize cars!

I’m sorry. That’s insane.

Hosting a swap is easy, builds community, saves everybody cash money, and can be a lot of fun. You can find tips on hosting here if you like the idea but don’t know where to start 🙂

Register your swap on the official website (there’s no charge) so your community can find it— it also helps local and national media channels to find and potentially cover your event. Here’s an idea: hold a swap in conjunction with a neighborhood-wide yard sale! How’s that for a win-win?

If you’re not into hosting, you can check CostumeSwapDay.com to find local swaps to attend. Keep in mind that new swaps will be registering every day right up to Halloween.

The National Costume Swap is a partnership with Green Halloween, Swap.com and Kiwi Magazine.

Go give ’em some love for being so dang smart!

Tell me:
what’s the best costume you ever made/wore?