Category — decorating

March can be a drab month–waiting for winter to end and the first signs of spring to emerge. That’s why, whether you’re Irish or not, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is a cool idea–especially if you make it eco! Here are some simple, fun, affordable ideas for you and the family that will make those not included green with envy!

1. Gather your friends and neighbors for your own St. Patrick’s Day walking parade. Whether it’s around a cul de sac or down a street or two, you’re sure to have a great time if you dress in green and wish everyone the luck ‘o the Irish as you pass by! Encourage participants to make hats out of whatever they have around the house or before the parade, ask guests to bring an old white/beige t-shirt and meet at your house. Cut shamrock shapes into potatoes and stamp on the shirts with eco-friendly fabric paints.

2. Decorate at least one room in the house with the spirit ‘o the green. Gather everything green you have lying around from books to clothing to flower pots etc., even green sheets. Set the timer for ten minutes and let the kids decorate the room. Then have a party there! Put on some Irish music, learn a jig and celebrate.

3. Skip the corned beef. It’s not really Irish anyway! (According to the History Chanel, no one in Ireland ate this except for a few royals. But when the Irish immigrated to New York’s lower East side, they were looking for a cheaper alternative to bacon and probably learned about corned beef from their Jewish neighbors.) Since one of the most Earth-friendly habits you can get into is eating less (or no) beef, focus on the veggies. Cabbage is great if people like it, but if they don’t, potatoes are usually a favorite.  How about setting up a potato bar and color the taters green with pureed veggies like kale, spinach, arugula, or pea pods. Add spice with green salsa or more interesting taste with sage.

4. End a party or St. Pat’s family dinner with homemade organic oatmeal cookies and pistachio, lime or mint ice cream/sherbert/sorbet.

5. For evening entertainment, borrow or rent A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The story centers on an Irish immigrant family in Brooklyn in the 1900’s and their young daughter’s struggle to stay positive in the midst of poverty. Better yet, choose to start reading the book of the same name on St. Patrick’s Day.

6. If you want to enjoy the occasion with a touch of beer, always a St. Paddy’s Day favorite, check out the many organic alternatives.

Thanks to Corey and Lynn for sharing these amazing ideas on ways to Green our St.Patty’s Day celebrations. Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and co-authors ofCelebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, available at www.CelebrateGreen.net

Did you know that an extra 25 MILLION tons of garbage will be generated this holiday season? That’s a 25% increase in a mere six-week period.  You can do your part in reducing the waste by wrapping your gifts in decorated newspapers, craft paper, or paper bags.  Other great alternatives include using reusable bags, boxes, and containers. If you still really want to use gift wrap, try to find ones made of recycled materials with no foil or glitter embellishments.

We have sorted through 100′s of web sites and blogs to find the best information on living an eco-friendly lifestyle.  Here are our picks for ways to have an eco-friendly Thanksgiving.

Go Green: Thanksgiving Day – If you are looking for a good and simple starting point for ways to green your Thanksgiving, this guide by  Treehugger, a online magazine by the Discovery company, will be handy.

5 “100 Mile Thanksgiving” Menus for 5 U.S. Regions – The Daily Green has put together these menus to help you prepare a Thanksgiving dinner using foods from within 100 miles of where you live. Unsure of your 100 mile circle, visit 100 Mile where you can punch in your zip code to map out your local 100-mile circle.

Don’t eat turkey, try some of these scrumptious meatless Thanksgiving menus: Food Network, Gourmet Magazine (R.I.P.), Food & Style -A vegetarian Thanksgiving feast: 5-course seasonal menu with wine pairing and game plan!

Decorate an eco-friendly Thanksgiving dinner table – This Thanksgiving, The Green Your Guide shows us how to ditch the petroleum-based plastic and synthetic decorations and adorn your table with natural and homemade festive decor.

Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving flowers and treats – We suggest trying your local farmer’s market for flowers and other decorations.  If you do’t have accessibility to local markets, this article highlights some amazing organic flowers that can be delivered to your house.

I try hard to live a life that is eco-friendly. While there is room for improvement, I make a daily effort and ask myself if there are ways I can make any activity better for the environment. I bring my own bags to the grocery, walk to errands when possible, and save my food scraps for the food and yard waste. That being said, I also like beautiful things and sometimes being eco-friendly and wanting things that are beautiful can be a touch combo. Does buying eco-friendly always mean hemp and patchouli? If I am decorating my house, does this mean everything will be used and battered in order to be eco-friendly? I don’t think it does and so started my quest for eco-chic products, real estate, home design, and more.

What is eco-chic? Simply put – it is the combination of environment and modern beauty. It is things that serve a practical need and consider the environment when being produced while allowing one to show their personal style. I have seen it defined more along the lines of trendiness and environment but I beg to differ. I don’t think it is shallow or self-indulgent to want to things to be well-made and beautiful. I don’t want eco-chic things because it affects my social status or because I am looking for personal validation or acceptance. I just believe that I shouldn’t have to sacrifice my personal style or the look of my surroundings in order to be more eco-friendly. I hope you will join me on my quest for all things eco-chic. Please send me you suggestions and comments!

Warmest Regards,
Tracy