Sustainable Second Birthday

As with any other event we have, we wanted to keep Flintstone’s Second Birthday party as sustainable as possible. And, as with everything else in our lives, this goal had to work around our own crazy busy schedules.

Now, I’m not the kind of mom who goes all out for a birthday my baby is not going to remember. No theme, no custom tee-shirts, no over-the-top decorations.  I don’t live my life for the pictures (though I still take tons of them), and neither do my kids.

I can still hardly believe that my baby is already 2 years old, though just looking at him, it’s obvious.  Especially with his new haircut (not pictured here), he looks more like a little boy than a toddler anymore.  He’s off the charts developmentally, both his doctor and his daycare tested him and found him to be closer to be closer to 3 than 2.  He’s sweet, loving, and funny.  He loves to talk, puts together sentences, wants to help with everything, and is always ready to give a hug.

Coming up to his birthday, we weren’t even sure we were going to have a party. My surgery was originally scheduled for 11 Sep, which was before F’s birthday, and we were just going to do something very small at home, but when my surgery date got pushed back (again), I took advantage of the newly opened weekend to schedule a little party for him.

So how was it sustainable (and how wasn’t it)?

Parties – at least kids’ birthday parties – are about food, decorations, and presents.  And it is in those three categories that I attempted to be a little more sustainable.

–  I made an amazing vegan carrot and zucchini cake which will get it’s own post (ideally on Monday).

–  We also had fruit and veggie trays (a mixture of local, organic, and grocery-grade), and air popped popcorn.  Obviously, that is only partly sustainable, but I also give us points for using real dishes and silverware instead of disposable, and anything that did get thrown away was actually recycled or composted.

– On that note, if we HAD decided to use paper plates and the like, we would have chosen some of the compostable options on the market right now.

– There will be more on party food sustainability (and nutrition) in the Birthday Cake post.

– To make the gifts we gave him more sustainable, we started at a locally owned thrift store that specializes in kids’ stuff. Sure, some of the gifts he got were still major brands that may have questionable practices, but NONE of our purchase dollars went to those companies, the went to local business. Buying things second hand, aside from being a good value, is an excellent way to perpetuate recycling.

– Even though I specifically asked our guests not to bring gifts, they did (because they are wonderful and generous friends). And I was thrilled to find out that all of them, knowing me, made an effort to bring local, sustainable, and recycled gifts. Books from the local small bookstore. Toys from thrift stores and made out of recycled plastics. This was the best part of the party for me – seeing that other people know, understand, and support my efforts to run a more sustainable household.

– I wrapped most of the gifts we gave Flintstone in sheets and pillowcases, and re-used one bag he had previously received a gift in. It wasn’t flashy and pretty, but it didn’t make a difference to him. It could have been prettier, though. Gifts wrapped in old newspapers can be very pretty. Kids can also color on the paper, adding another aspect of fun. Give reusable bags as part of the gift, and put the gift in it! In the past, I’ve wrapped gifts for Punky and MacGyver in shirts or towels I had gotten them as gifts. The bags and tissue paper from the gifts that were brought have been saved and will be recycled. This was a wrapping paper free birthday.

– Decorations were minimal. As I said, I didn’t see any reason for a theme or flashy decorations when Flintstone won’t even remember anyway. The only decoration I used – though admittedly not particularly sustainable – was a huge hit: We just blew up about 50 balloons in various shapes and sizes and threw the, all over. What can I say? F LOVES balloons. I’m not perfect when it comes to sustainability. The amount of laughter, squeals, and fun in our house since I blew up those balloons was worth it. The other kids loved them, too. I wonder if there is a such thing as environmentally friendly balloons?

The party was a blast. Flintstone is now 2. And he will tell me he’s 2, but only me. He’s still a mama’s boy, and I will continue to eat up every minute of it.

The last thing I want to note is just a new tradition I’ve started, that I’m pretty tickled by:

I bought this book at a local bookstore. It is a sweet story by a local author and is related to the history of the area where we currently live. At the party, I asked guests, instead of bringing cards, to write birthday wishes and memories for Flintstone in the book. I’m going to do one every year for his birthday with an age appropriate book somehow related to the year and the party guests. This may be our last year in the Lowcountry with all our wonderful friends here, who F has known since he was born. Which is why we chose this book.

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend, and if please forgive me if this post is at all disjointed or rife with typos. I’m still on a lot of drugs from my surgery.