going green – Eco Home Ideas

Celebrate With Eco-Friendly Wedding Reception Ideas

Weddings can be so much fun. I say that as a guest. As the bride getting married, well, the wedding can be hectic. Oops, I meant to say delightful. My favorite part of the wedding is the wedding reception because we get to eat the cake. If you are having difficult times saving money because you want an elaborate reception, then do what I did. What did I do? I had an eco-friendly wedding reception. Everyone loved it. So did Mother Nature.

Here are some ways to celebrate with eco-friendly wedding reception ideas that will make your guests happy and your wallet as well.

Bamboo plates are a better choice than ceramic plates because they are biodegradable. Bamboo plates are cheaper than ceramic plates.
Forget about using fancy table cloths. Just showcase the natural wood on your event tables. You can also use wooden tree stumps as seats. You can also use hay bales and then let the horses eat them once you are done using them.
Instead of festive lights why not use candles to light up the beautiful reception. You can also use paper lanterns and hang them around the venue. Use those battery powered tea lights.
Use herbs as center pieces. Place little scissors next to them and let the guest cut their own fresh herbs. You can even ask them to take them home to plant them.
As place card holders you can use seed packets so the guest can continue the eco-friendly trend once they get home.
You will have less food waste with family-style meals. Opt for having a buffet type dinner setting. It will be cheaper and people are more likely to eat what they like and not play around with the food they are served. Who eats mashed peas anymore?

Do not spend money on a limo to arrive at the reception. Use a canoe if it is a riverside reception or use a horse. You can also find a venue that is walking distance from the ceremony.
Reuse the ceremony decorations at the reception.
You can use recycled glass jars to hold flowers or soy candles. Put a candle inside and you’ve just turned them into mini table lights.

Use planted orchids or topiaries for flowers to decorate with. The guest can take them home as a party favor or you can use them in your garden afterwards. Cut flowers are not eco-friendly.
Buy local food from farmer’s markets. Why? It is cheaper, fresh and easier to order more in case you run out. Make the serving size small since there will be lots of food to go around.
Have guests write their names on stones to use later in your garden. It is a nice wedding memory.
Your cake better be organic all around. That’s the way you turn a regular boring cake into a green one, without using food coloring.

Toss the bouquet and party! Now that your reception has gone green and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, it is time for you to smile. Why? You got married and also stayed eco-friendly on your special day. Keep these ideas in a scrapbook for your future children to use in their weddings.

The Eco-Friendly Beginner’s Guide To Living Green

So you want to be ET and live that green-thumb life. Do you even know where to begin? Starting an eco-friendly way of living can be easy if you follow the right steps and it can be hard if you do it the wrong way. This simple guide should get you going on the right path to living environmentally conscious.

Getting Started

Rule 1: Get yourself in the green mode. Ask yourself if you are ready for the change.

Rule 2: Do research by going to the library.

Rule 3: Ask yourself again if you are ready.

First Steps

Ask friends that are living the green life for some helpful advice.
Tackle the change one step at a time.
Ask a contactor to help guide you with the necessary changes your home needs to go green.
Know that it will take a while until you are living the green life to the fullest.

plants-gardening-eco-friendly-winter — http://ow.ly/Fu4xP

Take anything that is not eco-friendly out of the house. It will be tough getting rid of things but is a necessary step. Fine, you can keep two things.
Start from the inside out. No need to green the outside when the inside cannot benefit from it.
Remember: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Second Steps

Replace furniture with earth-friendly furniture. Pottery Barn, antique shops, and thrift stores are great places to purchase refurbished items and eco-friendly items.
Remember to recycle old items and turn them into new items.
Use eco-friendly paint to decorate the walls.
Remember LED is for thee.
Keep decorating minimal.

Final Steps

Plant locally because the vegetation has a better chance of surviving because it is used to the weather conditions.
Purchase used stuff instead of new things. Read e-books instead of books.
Stay away from plastic. I mean it! It will kill you…not really, but you get the point.
No more fast food, soda, or junk food. Purchase food from a farmer’s market.

Grow your own crops. Nothing is better than making fresh food with vegetables from your own garden. Just remember to take care of the garden the eco-friendly way.
Say bye to your gas guzzler. You should purchase a hybrid, ride a bike, or take mass-transit.
Keep up the routine.

Extra help:

Look for eco-friendly products while you shop.
Keep reminding yourself that you are helping Earth live longer.
Remind visitors that they are guests in a green home.
Do not be ashamed to be a tree hugger. Trees love being hugged.
At least once a month, you have to watch Fern Gully. (optional)

You’re done!

There you have it. Now you have no excuse on not going green. Better your environment and decrease your carbon footprint. By the time you make your home a fully green zone; you will be very pleased with the outcome. Who knows? You might even change other people’s minds.

I hope this simple guide helps you out in the long wrong. Unlike ET who went home, you get to stay put in your eco-friendly green home. Deal with it. Remember to turn off the lights. Good night.