As the holidays begin to quickly approach, and we prepare to host this season, I like to be very mindful when it comes to what type of celebrations I put together. And while I don’t live a fully sustainable life, as a mother of two I try to do my very best at being gentle to Mother Earth. With that said, we recently celebrated baby Ronnie’s first birthday with the sweetest Halloween themed party. The cute monster mash was a plastic and balloon-free celebration, filled with consciously curated snacks & candy, and delicious vegetarian menu. Here, 5 conscious celebration tips to get you through the holidays.
1. A balloon can travel thousands of miles and then end up polluting the ecosystem where it lands, being speciallyharmful to birds and marine life, such as fish and turtles, who mistake the balloon debris for food and get entangled in ribbons. Swap the balloon decoration for colorful paper lanterns, cardboard character cut outs, & paper banners. When you put all these together, décor looks just as full and in my opinion, more chic.
2. According to scientists, plastic forks, knives, and spoons need around 200 years to decompose Choose paper plates and cutlery over plastic. Meri Meri offers the most beautiful paper options in the market. If you’re looking for a more sturdy option, bamboo plates and cutlery are a great alternative.
3. When it comes to sweets and snacks, I like to find cleaner alternatives to the real thing whether it is for myself or for my kids. Some of my go-to brands are Yum Earth for lollipops, Unreal Snacks for almond & peanut butter cups, Raaka for plant-based chocolates, Dr. John’s healthy sweets for candies, and Made Good for cookies and bars. For more candy and snack swaps read here.
4. I believe any celebration reflects your vibe, and I personally like to send my guests home with a piece of me. When it comes to selecting a menu, I choose to stay within my personal dietary preferences and as non-meat eater I naturally went for a plant-based menu with sprinkles of animal products. For Baby Ronnie’s party, we went with a Mexican menu because everyone loves a good quesadilla, and it was such a hit! We offered vegetable fajitas, quesadillas, fish tacos, and a full salad bar. For the kids, we had sweet potato fries, impossible meat sliders, and margherita pizza.
5. Try to reuse and recycle to minimize waste. I like to offer reusable cups that way guests use the same cup throughout the party and they even get to take it home as a party favor. For Ronnie’s party, we had the cutest monster themed sippy cups that each kid got to use and take home as a souvenir. I also used the monster cut outs from the party as my Halloween décor at home!
Let’s get the party started! XO, Gigi
