Action Tips: Have a Green Slumber Party to Spread Your Eco-Friendly Savvy

Slumber parties are great for socializing, but they can be very unfriendly to Mama Earth. Take the steps to make your slumber party as green as possible!

Theming It Up

Why not theme your party to involve the environment? Raise awareness about environmental issues (like water or energy conservation, or even global warming) while spending quality time with your BFFs.

Get the Crew There

The greenest invites are online ones since they save paper. If you're set on a paper invitations, use post-consumer recycled invitations, or check out seed embedded paper.

Reduce pollution by suggesting that guests bike, walk or carpool to your party. Offer a special prize (green of course) to the guest who leaves the lightest carbon footprint on your doorstep.

Ambiance, Please

Decorations can dazzle your space, but be sure to use the recycled or environmentally-friendly kind. You can decorate with:

• things you already own, like holiday lights
• materials from nature - wildflowers, pine cones, and twigs
• a bowl of colorful fruit (from a farmer's market, of course). It doubles as a treat!
• soy candles instead of petroleum candles
• compact florescent bulbs that come in fun shapes, sizes and colors of light

The Eats

Serve fruits and veggies purchased at the farmers' market. Buying local is better for the environment because it cuts down on energy used to ship the food as well as the waste that comes from packaging. Plus, finger foods will reduce the need for plates or dishes.

Using a fire to make smores? Find homemade marshmallow recipes online and using natural chocolate and graham cracker alternatives.

Keep 'Em Busy!

Come up with eco-friendly activities -

• Make animal sculptures out of recycled items like cans, plastic bottles and other items
• Try natural tie dying or natural soy candle making.
• Host a scavenger hunt in the park. This is a fun and creative way to pick up trash and clean up your park.
• Bake some natural cupcakes or cookies together.
• Glamour girls in the house? Give one another natural makeovers using organic make-up and spa products.
• Screen an environmental themed movie or documentary.

When All is Said and Done

Be sure to recycle everything you can, and compost those leftovers. As for cleaning, use natural products and methods that remove the grime and leave your house smelling fresh without the toxic side effects.

Be sure to leave your friends with a list of environmental facts and at least one thing they can do to keep up the green lifestyle!