By Taylor Romanowski

Published 12.8.10

The holidays bring cheer, joy and celebration to family, friends and loved ones. With holiday parties popping up on all of our calendars, we thought it would be a great idea to share how YOU can celebrate this season by entertaining GREEN. Get ready to save money, save your health and save the planet’s resources. Our holiday gifts to you, Santa came early this year…

RSVP…

With your holiday bash approaching, your friends and family will of course need to be notified of your little shindig. Instead of going through the hassle and energy of sending out invitations, you can save loads of paper by going wireless. Check out websites like evite, pingg or punchbowl, which specialize in electronic invitations. No stamp or mailbox needed! If you have a Facebook account, take advantage of the events application by sending your party invite to all your Facebook friends!

Not tech savvy? No problem! Utilize recycled paper, gift tags, ribbons and bows by making your own invitations or invest in cards made from 100% post-industrial paper, soy-based inks, and organic pigments. These products save trees and give back to the environment, which makes Mother Nature one happy camper.

Set The Mood…

For the perfect mood lighting ditch that standard light bulb and candle and switch to eco-friendly options. Were you aware that most household candles contain paraffin wax - the final byproduct in the petroleum refining chain? You thought that candle you have burning in your house was supposed to be soothing and calming didn’t you? Wrong! Breathing in paraffin wax candles has the same damaging effect as inhaling second-hand tobacco smoke, or even the exhaust fumes of a small diesel engine! That just nauseates me, {Mr. Grinch} with a nauseous super “naus.”

Be creative and have a little fun with your party; pretend you and your guests are stuck in a snowstorm and celebrate among candlelight. Eco-Friendly and biodegradable, soy and beeswax candles are the healthy alternative for your holiday mood lighting

Whip Up That Grub…

 
We all know the holidays are a big time to eat and we mean eat a lot! When throwing a party, we assume you’ll be cooking up a storm of appetizers, snacks and delicious cocktails so when you’re planning your festive menu try to support local farmers by buying your ingredients at the farmers market. To make your entertaining extragreen make sure to avoid serving your food on paper and plastic dinnerware, cook your meals with eco-friendly utensils and donate any leftover food to a homeless shelter. According to the Clean Air Counsel, “Every day 43,000 tons of food are thrown out in the United States, and each year Americans toss out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons to circle the equator 300 times.” 43,000 Tons ...THREE HUNDRED TIMES!

If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs then you know how we feel about that age-old question of “paper or plastic?”… Paper and plastic are OUT and natural is in. Think about this: would you rather eat and drink off of something that is made from natural materials or man-made materials? We hope you answered natural… did you know that most paper cups are lined with plastic made from oil? Yea, disgusting. Oil should be saved for things with engines – cars, boats and airplanes… NOT our mouths and bodies.

Made from petroleum and natural gases, paper plates and cups have harsh chemicals and bleaches right on the surfaces that you eat and drink from. That’s why we suggest you and your guests eat your next meal off of bamboo and corn - natural and renewable resources that grow back year, after year, after year. Switching to something more natural is better for you and better for the environment... it’s the healthy choice! 

All That Flair…

And now for the icing on the cake… bring some festive flair into your home by reusing ornaments and tree trimmings to transform your home and create a cozy and cheerful atmosphere.  For all those delectable cocktails and appetizers you’ve whipped up, house them in stylish pieces made from recycled glass.