How to Throw a Green Party
I recently hosted a “Green Party” at my house in the Hamptons, where twenty women were invited to become Green Goddesses. In the candlelit garden, guests offered information or products that could help us help the environment. We talked about what we were doing and could be doing more of to improve our personal impact on the earth. After an amazing evening of organic and locally grown food and organic cocktails, everyone left with a goodie bag of eco-friendly cleaning products. Every single guest told me later that she made at least one change because of something she learned about at the party.
Try a Green Party with your friends- talk with them about something new and meaningful, learn something about what they’re doing to help out, and have a really great time doing it.
First off, what’s the point of a green party that wastes lots of paper? Send an evite instead- you can personalize it like an invitation and it’s so much nicer to look at than a boring old email.
Invite someone who cares. A friend with a gas-guzzling SUV who never recycles can certainly stand to learn something, but may not have a lot to contribute. Make sure to invite some people who will be enthusiastic and have knowledge to share.
Ask each guest to bring something- a product or food or even information- that’s organic, locally grown, or good for the environment. My guests brought all kinds of things, from cheese made at a local farm to some facts about the impact of detergents.
Serve organic and local food and drinks. All kinds of foods are available organic these days. Take the time to find organic beer and wine. I even found organic vodka* and concocted my own Green Goddess cocktail with pomegranate juice, simple syrup and fresh lime.
Try lighting without electricity. Create a mood and preserve electricity at the same time- light the whole party with candles. Tea lights are great for this- they’re inexpensive, atmospheric and don’t need to be put in holders.
Give reusable goodie bags. I filled reusable grocery bags by Opt2act with Caldrea cleaning products and information on how much extra trash we create by not reusing bags.
