Operation Rosebud Birthday Bash

It is hard to believe that in the matter of weeks my little Rosie will be turning one-year-old. Oh goodness, the day we brought her home seems so fresh in my mind and yet here we are planning her birthday! I have been thinking about what I wanted to do for the special day for, to my embarrassment, months now.

I admit first birthday parties are mostly for the parents. And with this in mind I decided to keep things simple. The decorations will be homemade and I'll be making most of the food and drinks myself as well. The theme is going to loosely be based on The Lorax. I bought a used copy of my childhood favorite and have been skimming for ideas. At the heart of it all, I just want the Rosebud to have lots of fun without us going overboard with stuff that will end up in the trash at the end of the day.  Here are some ideas I have brainstormed to share with others who might be trying to throw an environmentally-friendly party:

1.) In lieu of cards ask adults to bring their favorite children's books instead. It will be even better if they write a special note on the front page. Amazon has a great selection of used books in perfect condition.

2.) Make decorations that can be reusable. I was planning on stringing pennant flags together that would look nice in Rosie's room too. Or maybe some cute framed artwork?

3.) Support local florists and decorate using flowers in your party's color theme. For us it will be shades of yellow, orange and pink. This might be tricky depending on where you live and the time of year though.

4.) If you have to by disposable plates and utensils, spend the little extra money on recyclable ones. Whenever possible avoid styrofoam! Also using a cloth table cover in a simple pattern is great because it can be reused for future events as well.

5.) Instead of sending out mass invitations, go digital and use Facebook's e-vite feature. That way people are more likely to RSVP quickly and you save money (and trees) on expensive invitations and stamps. Also, it's less hassle then spending time tracking down people's addresses.


These are just a few ideas I have come up with along the way. Please feel free to share some of your own suggestions as well.