Fun Eco-Friendly Theme Party Ideas

Eco-friendly parties can be a lot of fun. You really don't have to spend a lot of money or waste a lot of materials (plastic, paper, etc.) to throw a fun party. Here are some suggestions for green party themes, and several of them are great for this lovely summer weather. Take advantage of the opportunity to get outside with your friends and family and celebrate the summer season together!

Star Gazing

On a warm night, invite friends over for a star gazing party. This theme works for a variety of ages. Participants can bring a blanket or lawn chair and any sky-viewing equipment they may have. As the host or hostess, you can provide treats or snacks in a celestial (and green) theme. If you have a telescope or binoculars, provide those to your guests. Have a chart of constellations handy too. No wasteful decorations - let the sky do the decorating for you.

Potluck (Photo credit: UU-Jackson)

Potluck

Potluck parties are not just for church dinners. Let your guests know that the theme is eco-friendly, and encourage guests to bring dishes made from organic and/or local foods. This helps the host or hostess out - you don't have to spend a lot of money and time preparing a multitude of organic dishes.

Serve your guests using reusable and washable flatware and a washable tablecloth. Decorate using recycled paper to make paper chains or paper lanterns. Lighting can be festive with strings of low-energy LED lights. Or, on a warm summer evening, bring your potluck out of doors and picnic under the stars!

Slumber Party

Remember slumber parties? They really don't involve a lot of waste, and make a great eco-friendly party theme for the kids. Activities depend on the age of the participants. Older children may enjoy a pillow-case decorating activity using fabric paints, playing board games, or even "naughtier" games like truth or dare. Young children might like a game of "telephone." Teens often like scary movies and even making gooey treats together. And all of these ideas can be eco-friendly.

Sleepover (Photo credit: secondtree)

Come-As-You-Are Party

This kind of costume party eliminates the needs for mass-produced, throw-away costumes. And the invitations are paperless - you make phone calls to guests, and whatever that person is doing or however they are dressed when you call is what they wear to the party. Guests may show up with pajamas on, wrapped in bathrobes, and with one shoe on and one shoe off. It's a really fun and eco-friendly party theme.

Camp/Cookout

A great summer variation on the slumber party, a camp out or cookout can be a lot of fun for party-goers of all ages. Pitch a tent or two in your yard, roast marshmallows, tell stories, and provide drinks in large containers with washable cups (not individual cans or bottles). If you are cooking dinner out, make the food local and/or organic.

Crafts from Recyclables

If you're crafty and have kids, another green party theme may be making crafts from recycled materials. Have a candle-making party and melt down old crayons to make candles; make bird houses from plastic bottles for a wild bird theme party; make hair clips with cardboard tubes; use scrap paper to make beautiful Christmas ornaments. Guests can bring their own recyclables from home.

How to Design an Eco-Friendly and Stress-Free Home

Our priorities are changing.  More and more, people are looking for simpler and conscientious solutions, while at the same time wanting to live in a home that is a sanctuary.  If you’re looking for eco-friendly design ideas to improve your home and reduce your carbon emissions, you’ve come to the right place.  This week we will cover a few of the available options for environmentally friendly (and often quite affordable) modifications to your home. This article looks at 5 quick, easy and economical eco-friendly design options.

Passive solar heating illustration. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

#1  Use passive solar.  The sun has tremendous capabilities to warm our homes.  Take advantage of the sun’s solar rays in the winter and open curtains and drapes.  Ideally, you’ll have an abundance of natural light on the side of your home facing the south.  If not, consider adding windows, and in the meantime take advantage of the eastern and western-facing windows. 

#2  Install thermal shades.  Keep the cool air in your home in the summertime and the warm air in during the winter with thermal cell window blinds and/or curtains with thermal backing.

#3  Add plants to your home to purify the air you and your family breathe.  Spider plants are ideal for cleaning your air, but any plant serves as a great filter - plus they look pretty, and help reduce stress.

#4  When repainting your home, choose low VOC or VOC free paints. These are paints that have little or no toxic emissions.  Lowering your exposure to these chemicals will not only help your health, it’ll also help the environment.

#5  Replace your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat and lower your utility bills, while at the same time making your life a bit easier.  Programmable thermostats enable you to set it and forget about it.

#6  Attach low-flow faucets or aerators into your kitchen and bathroom to reduce the amount of water you consume.  You’ll lower your water bills and conserve water, and some of the new low-flow showerheads offer superior pressure (mine uses half the water my old conventional showerhead did, but it feels way better and the flow feels awesome).

#7  Utilize restored or reclaimed wood or purchase used furniture.  There’s just something beautiful about old wood.  It has an earthy yet lovely appeal.  And you can buy reclaimed or restored pieces for much less than you can buy the same quality pieces for new.  A little extra money in your pocket, beautiful furniture and sustainable practices - that's a win-win-win.

#8  Embrace soy and beeswax candles to create a stress-free zone.  Paraffin candles emit toxic fumes and lead - however, soy and beeswax candles are natural, emission free, and a great way to de-stress. 

#9  Invest in organic bedding.  100% organic cotton is a luxury, no doubt about it, but it’s environmentally friendly and a great way to add those small luxurious touches that make a big difference. Newer bamboo memory foam mattresses can also be low in emissions and extremely comfortable.

Bamboo Flooring Continued (Photo credit: super-structure)

#10  Replace carpet with sustainable flooring like bamboo or cork. These are both environmentally sound flooring choices that are totally gorgeous at the same time.  They’re also economical and easy to maintain. (Be sure to check Wednesday's post for more about bamboo flooring options.)

Environmentally friendly design does more than help the planet, though that is certainly a great perk.  It can also enhance your lifestyle and make your home the sanctuary you desire - often at a financial savings as well.

Home Energy Conservation Tips

Every year, interest rates are increasing and the cost of electricity is definitely going up. And whether we admit it or not, we sometimes find ourselves running out of money. However, if you compare an average house to an energy-efficient residence, you’ll find out that it is very possible to lessen your annual energy consumption to almost 40 percent. There are lots of ways to conserve home energy which consequently lower your energy bills. And most of the changes that you can do for your home are also helpful to the environment.

Here are some ways to conserve energy in your home:

Image via WikipediaHeating and Air Conditioning

1.  If you’re going to be out of an air conditioned room for a long time, be sure to turn off the A/C unit - similarly if  leaving on vacation, set your A/C to a lower setting, or even turn it off altogether if there aren't plants or pets or other things inside that may suffer due to heat while you're gone.
2.  Rooms that are not used often should have sealed (or at least closed) vents.
3.  You can also install ceiling fans that are remote controlled than have a built-in heater.
4.  When the room is occupied, put the thermostat at a comfortable setting.
5.  When the fireplace isn’t used, close the damper in the fireplace

Laundry Appliances:

1.  Avoid using your washing machine in partial loads. It is better if you meet the capacity of the machine.
2.  Very dirty clothes may be pre-soaked before washing. This will prevent you from running your machine twice.
3.  For the garments that aren’t very dirty, use a smaller quantity of detergent and put your machine to a lighter wash setting.
4.  Electric driers consume the most energy in your laundry tasks, so if you do have a clothesline, use it! The sunlight can also help kill bacteria, and your clothes will smell fresh too.
5.  Ironing clothes should be done all at one time and during off-peak hours. 

Refrigerators and Freezers:

1.  Refrigerators and freezers should be defrosted regularly.  Frost build-up can increase the load of the compressor motor. (Many newer Energy Star appliances have a self-defrosting feature, so you won't have to worry about this. But do keep the vents unblocked to allow proper air circulation to keep your food cold.)
2.  Inspect your refrigerator door and keep an eye out for a leaking gasket. If you can feel cold air leaking around the seal, it's definitely time for a new fridge.
3.  Avoid constant opening and closing of the refrigerator’s door because it can contribute to ice or frost build-up, and also causes the appliance to run more. When taking a number of things from the fridge, take them all out at once.

Kitchen Appliances:

1.  Don’t boil water in an open pan. A pan that’s covered will boil the water faster, and also keep more water in the pan for your use.
2.  Keep stove burners, range top and reflectors clean. It can help generate more heat and consume less energy.
3.  When the food you’re cooking starts to boil, turn the electric stove to low mode.
4.  Put smaller pans or pots on small burners or heating elements. If the burner is larger than the bottom of the pan, you are wasting a lot of energy, and the heating won't be as efficient. Always match burner and pan size whenever possible.

Image via WikipediaLighting:

1.  Switch off unused lights as well as other appliances that use electricity when not in use.
2.  Utilize low wattage yet efficient lamps.
3.  Replace your incandescent bulbs with fluorescent. These are available everywhere nowadays, at much lower prices than they used to be, and they can last 10 times longer (or even more) than traditional incandescent bulbs.

Those are just handful of tips to lower your energy bills.  There are many other factors which can also guide you in conserving your home energy. Check back Friday for some tips on choosing efficient appliances, and assessing your home energy usage.