Ryan's Spiderman Birthday!

My nephew, Ryan, turned 3 years old last week, and to celebrate our family had a big birthday blow-out with a bounce house, lots of energized toddlers and Spiderman cake! The younger kids were just a bit scared of the bounce house at first but they quickly got over that and were jumping everywhere (soooo much energy)! The funniest part was the opening of the presents. It was more like a wrapping paper frenzy with kids tearing apart presents left and right! Here are some of the photos I wanted to share with everyone, enjoy!

Tips / Tricks : Go Green! Part II

If you enjoyed my going green tips from last week then you're in luck because here are some more!

• Look for vintage items to add to your wedding decor. After all, things that are already made save raw materials and energy. Ask friends and family members for unique or treasured items, or peruse antique stores for some bargain finds.

From left to right: Aerin used a small table her mom had in her home as a stand for her programs at her outdoor wedding. Heather covered up with an heirloom fur wrap from her grandmother. Cris used vintage family cake toppers as table centerpieces at her reception.

Rachel found this chandelier at an antique shop and it made a cute addition to her wedding ceremony. Sarah's vintage purse was the perfect accessory. Miranda found little old-timey glass bottles to use as table decorations and favors.

• Give out eco-friendly favors like birdseed, organic fair-trade chocolate, packets of flower and herb seeds, soy candles, or natural soaps.

Bamboo coasters from www.beau-coup.com, birdseed favors from etsy.com, handmade soaps from etsy.com, mini potted herbs from www.favorcreative.com

• Incorporate recycled items into your wedding day. Use programs made from recycled paper, candle holders made from recycled glass, even your wedding rings can be recycled! Ask close family members and friends for gold or silver jewelry that they no longer wear and have them melted down and made into new rings!

More fabulous finds from etsy.com! Wine bottles transformed into glasses, custom ring made from recycled gold, and origami flowers folded from pages of romance novels

• Have an eco honeymoon! Ask your travel agent to help you find hotels and resorts that employ environmentally friendly practices like using clean energy and working with and supporting the local community. You can even devote a part of your honeymoon to a good cause by doing volunteer work. Check out organizations like WWOOF to spend your honeymoon learning about organic farming and a sustainable way of life.

So we hope we've inspired you take a little time to think of how you can make your wedding a little more environmentally friendly. You don't have to put being eco-friendly first on your list, just go with what you love and if it's the eco option then that's a bonus! Whether you do a little or a lot just keep those three little words in mind: reduce, reuse and recycle. And don't forget to continue your green ways after the wedding!

Tips / Tricks : Go Green!

Being environmentally friendly might not be your biggest concern for your wedding day, but with a little extra thought it's not only easy to green up your wedding, it might also save you some money! This is because the best ways to make your wedding more eco-friendly are to scale down as much waste as possible and to follow the main principles of environmentalism: reduce, reuse and recycle.

There are many resources on the internet to help you green up your wedding, and I found so many great ideas that I'm turning this into a 2 part post. So here is part 1 of some great ideas for your eco-friendly wedding:  

•  Consider using an evite or setting up a wedding website where guests can RSVP online instead of sending out traditional invitations.  Or if you do send out invitations, try to find ones made from recycled paper.  Invitations from Twisted Limb Paper can also include wildflower seeds embedded in the paper.  Your guests can plant your invite in their garden and have beautiful flowers!  

• Have your ceremony and reception at the same location so your guests can save gas.  (It also helps keep out of towners from getting lost!)

• Support locals!  The further away a product has to travel the bigger its carbon footprint will be so try to find as many elements for your wedding locally that you can.  Ask your caterer to use ingredients grown at local farms, fill your bouquet and centerpieces with seasonal local flowers, serve locally made wine and beer at your reception, and give out locally made specialties for your favors.  All things local can be found at farmers markets or check out my links at the end of the post for great online shopping.

Homemade pecan brittle, handmade soaps, and local wines will make wonderful additions to your wedding

• Think outside the traditional box.  There are lots of options for centerpieces instead of flowers, which typically get flown in from far away and really only serve to look pretty then don't get much use once the night is over.  Try something edible like a cupcake tower or bowls of fruit that look great and provide a snack for your guests.  Or maybe use favors that your guests can take home with them like candles, tins of organic tea, vintage glass bottles, or frames with photos of you and your new hubby.  If flowers are the way you want to go, maybe use potted flowers and plants, which you can then plant in your garden as a continuing reminder of your wedding day!

Jenn & Gary had yummy cakes and boxes of fortune cookies for centerpieces at their reception.

• You can even go green with your dress!  Can't find the perfect dress at a bridal boutique?  Consider buying a dress at a resale or vintage shop and having it altered to fit your personal style.  Not into having something previously owned?  Look for dresses made out of organic materials like cotton, silk and hemp instead of synthetic fabrics which can be petroleum based.  There are even some green options for what to do with your dress after the big day.  Donate your dress to the Making Memories organization to fight breast cancer and so a less fortunate bride can have a beautiful dress.  Have your dress redone, shortened and even dyed to become a cute cocktail dress you can wear again.  Or make it into something completely different by using the fabric to make a quilt that will become an heirloom treasure.  And don't forget about your bridesmaids.  Don't have them buy matching dresses that they will never wear again.  Give them a color and let them buy a dress that goes with their own style to ensure they will wear it often.

Like these tips?  Stay tuned next week for more and check out these links in the meantime:

- www.greatgreenwedding.com : more tips and links for green wedding ideas

- www.ewedding.com : free wedding websites you can custom design and upload photos to

- www.crosbycafe.com : vegetarian and organic catering and cakes from Crosby Catering & Cafe in Dallas

- www.texastreats.com : give your guests a little taste of Texas to take home with them

- www.wisemanhousechocolates.com - handmade chocolates from the Texas Hill Country  

- www.makingmemories.org - donate your dress for a good cause

From left to right: Recyled invitations from Twisted Limb, A cupcake tower from Cupcake Cottage, & a chocolate topiary from Chocolate Secrets.