Going green can be particularly difficult on highly commercialized holidays like Halloween. Plastic containers, treats, decorations and costumes are plentiful and hardly eco. But by following a few key tips, you can go green this Halloween, reduce your carbon footprint save yourself some cash, too.

Following these 13 tips for a green Halloween should let you celebrate frugally and with minimal environmental impact while having a spooktacular time.

Single-use plastic, like plastic grocery bags, is a scourge on our environment. It pollutes our oceans, it's often not recyclable, and when it does make it to the landfill, it takes hundreds of years to break down. Obviously, avoiding this stuff in the first place is the best option, but when single-use plastic does make it into our lives, the best thing we can do is find ways to divert it from the landfill.  One great way you can upcycle plastic is to make fabric from old plastic grocery bags!

We’re not nuts! You really can swap out this type of nut (it’s actually more closely related to a berry) for your usual laundry detergent.

Several varieties of plant berries, also known as soap nuts, soapberries or soap pods, release saponins, plant glucosides that form soapy lathers, when mixed with water. Like regular soap, these berries work as a natural surfactant, removing grime, oil and stains from clothes. Crazy cool, huh?

There is a drawer in my bathroom that is stuffed full of different nstural deodorants. Some have worked reasonably well, others, not so much. My quest for an effective eco-friendly deodorant has been a long, expensive one. Until recently! I started playing around with making my own deodorant to save a little money, and I've finally settled on a simple recipe for homemade deodorant that works.

Do you need your morning, noon and night java? We Americans have a serious love affair with our coffee. Unfortunately, we’ve also developed an all-too-close relationship with coffee at a convenience. If you grab your coffee on the go, you create a lot of waste for that coffee-loving habit. Even if you try to go the green route and recycle your cups, those disposable coffee cups aren’t as recyclable as you might think. Come on, java-lover! If you haven’t started using your own reusable tumbler for your daily coffee, why not? These reasons should convince you.

Confession: I love incense! There's something about the smell of Nag Champa that's just relaxing and rejuvenating, but burning incense is bad for your indoor air quality and for your health. Luckily, you can still have a great-smelling home without all of that smoke!

Just like cigarette smoke, incense releases the carcinogen benzene into the air when you burn it. Exposure to benzene can cause symptoms like headaches and nausea, and in some cases even contributes to leukemia. No, thank you! Next time you're tempted to reach for those incense sticks, try one of these methods instead.

Does your blood run green? Do you walk to work five days a week, have a compost heap in your backyard and sew up holes in your clothes? Or do you secretly fear that your magazine addiction is clogging up landfills, your dinner is driving up the greenhouse effect and that your dirty paper towels are responsible for global warming? Is your conscience clean, and is it green?

Determine just how sustainable your lifestyle really is with these five handy calculators, and discover what size footprint you are leaving behind. You may be surprised at the sustainability of your housing, transportation and diet – or you might find a wake-up call that prompts you to improve your life.

What better way to celebrate autumn than with mason jars, those fall canning favorites? Besides perfectly storing preserves, mason jars also give off a vintage feel when used around the home. These decorating darlings don’t require much effort. Just fill them up with pretty pieces that remind you of fall. Here are a few ideas.

Autumn is a stellar time of year for people who like to decorate. And the season is especially great for people who want to take advantage of nature’s natural decorations. Fall foliage is bright and beautiful, and easy to collect, arrange and re-purpose indoors. Head outside (or to your local farmers market) and collect some of autumn’s natural bounty, such as autumn leaves and gourds, for a fun-filled fall decorating project.

As one of those in-between months, September can often pass by in a blur. At times it doesn’t quite feel like fall, but it's not summer either. The leaves are just starting to turn their bright fall hues, with green still mixed in. Depending on your area of the country, some September days might still have that summer heat, while others hint at the crisp coolness to come. September is a month to say goodbye to summer and look forward to autumn. Don’t forget to enjoy it before it’s gone! Here are nine reasons to remind you to love September.