Host the Perfect Eco-Green Party

Going green is the perfect tool for helping Mother Earth and making your lifestyle more eco- friendly. Going green includes reducing your carbon footprint and finding ways to use less throughout day to day living, explains Ecologyfund.com. Spreading the word can be challenging, especially if some of your friends don't know the first thing about leading a green lifestyle. Hosting an eco-green party can help introduce them to green living in a casual, natural setting.

Invites- The invitation to your eco- green party should be the gathering interest to get guests to come to your party. Friends know you always throw a killer party but what will intrigue them to come to an eco-green party? Will they know what an eco-party is? Your invitation needs to be brief, but straight to the point. Tell guests this party is all about Mother Earth and sharing ways to help the environment. Purchase green invitations made from recycled paper or tree-free paper. You may want to try using seeded paper for your invitations. Simply fill out the invitation and then the recipient can actually plant the invitation at a later date. Flowers will grow from the seeds embedded in the paper-this is the invitation that keeps on giving.

Party Setup- Keep your party theme eco-friendly and green by implementing all- natural items in place of plastics or other items that you would normally throw away. Use items that can be reused or recycled. Cover the party tables with a muslin tablecloth or just allow the natural wood of the table to show through. Set out potted plants and seedlings as decorative centerpieces. Shine some light on the party by taking clear votive holders and filling half way with colorful dried beans and lentils. Proceed to drop all-natural beeswax votive candles in the holders and then light. Set each candle near a guest's place setting. Recycle large glass jars as silverware and napkin holders. Use smaller glass jars to serve guests cold drinks. Utilize regular table china rather than plastic as an environmentally friendly alternative. Use linen napkins that can be washed rather than discarded.

Food- Stay organic and all-natural when it comes to serving food at your eco-green party. Purchase or make homemade fruit salsas to serve with organic tortilla chips. Create a veggie platter with cut-up vegetables and an organic onion dip. Serve light finger sandwiches using flax seed bread or whole wheat. Spread a thick organic salad dressing over the bread, top with cucumbers and other veggies, cut into triangles and serve. Make a colorful garden salad the main dish of the party. Serve lemonade or purified water with mint sprigs and lime wedges. Serve organic coffee as an alternative to cold drinks. Stay away from bottled water and canned sodas. Set out bowls of organic nuts and sunflower seeds so guests can munch while they mingle.

Green Party Favors- Take a medium sized terra cotta pot or a decorative cardboard box and fill with small garden tools, homemade bird seed cakes , vegetable or flower seeds and garden gloves. Encourage guests to take a plant or seedling home with them to plant in their own yard. Another option would be, as a group, to plant the trees in your neighborhood or a bare spot in a public park.

Teaching others to be environmentally and socially responsible when it comes to the environment is educational. Make it fun and entertaining as you encourage your friends and family to go green!

"Eco-friendly tips," Ecologyfund.com
"Plantable Invitations," Eco Friendly Invitations
Julie Boehlke, "How to Make a Bird Food Cake, " eHow Home