The Green Birthday Party Project Launches
Your family is probably a lot like mine: you work hard to make a difference for the environment every day. Then holidays come around, and I don’t know about your family, but we kind of mix up our priorities. We get so caught up in everything. We grab a bunch of paper plates and fancy wrapping paper. We buy less organic food because it costs so much to feed more people, and the next thing you know, all of our hard efforts to reduce and reuse every other day of our lives metaphorically end up in the garbage along with 50 plates and piles of streamers and balloons.
This year is going to be different. We’ve slowly been making changes. Now we’re totally jumping ship. We’re striving for an entire year of green celebrations. And what better year-long thing is there than our birthdays scattered in every month and season? I think a Green Birthday Guide is timely and fun (especially if we can save a few bucks in the process).
Martin’s convinced this series is all about him (and his looming birthday), but it’s not. It’s a crash course for all of us. We’ll make it one big party. (Sorry guy.) Please shout out any ideas you have for a greener celebration. Let us know about any links you have in your archives, too. I love to know about the greener things you all do.
In the meantime, I am pulling out paint for a few wrapping paper ideas and digging through our pantry (our pantry being a tiny series of drawers).
Just like we did in our Greener Christmas Guide, click on the project logo any time you see it. It’ll redirected to this page where I’ll keep an updated directory of everything we cover.
Ready to boogy?
Birthday Project Directory
Make a recycled newspaper pennant banner
Get greener dishes and napkins
From candles to frosting, find eco-friendly cake solutions
(Birthday Image by Katie for Making This Home)
March 5th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Don’t bake twice…if you don’t eat all the cake, save it in the freezer for next year. Just kidding! Looking forward to this guide!
March 5th, 2009 at 7:54 pm
I recently posted about how I’m not buying wrapping paper anymore. We have tons of re-usable gift bags, which we received presents in ourselves. We get tissue paper in gift bags or sometimes used as wrapping from the store or in things we order. We keep it all in a big bin, so when we have a gift to wrap we head to the bin instead of the store.
My link:
http://www.strocel.com/its-the-thought-that-counts/
March 5th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Great tip, Amber. I bet with kids, you have some wonderful wrapping papers coming into the house.
As for your tip, Christy… um. Don’t you remember eating wedding cake on your one year anniversary? oh gag! haha
Katie
March 6th, 2009 at 2:11 am
Does it count if you recycle the paper and plastic? We had a Mardi Gras party 2 weeks ago and used paper plates and plastic utensils, BUT we separated the garbage and recycled it all. Our commissary (military grocery store) carries biodegradable utensils and plates that can go in the compost bin and I’m going to get those from now on, BUT I’m afraid our garbage inspector will think we’re throwing stuff in the wrong bin if we put it in the compost. What to do?
I look forward to seeing the guide.
March 6th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I was going to say re-use gift bags, because we never throw them away. They get used and re-used in our family until they are falling apart! I’m looking forward to seeing your guide so I can learn some more things. Have a great weekend~
September 16th, 2009 at 4:35 am
I am trying to purchase German birthday wrapping paper for a German friend of mine. I live in the United States. I have had no luck in finding birthday wrapping paper, only Christmas. Do you know any sources. Dein ergbener, Peter Guck