No, these are not images of beautiful rare gems from the Smithsonian.

These are natural soaps. Yup. SOAP!

Lovely shower (geddit?!) gifts are so hard to find – but these beauties are sure to delight your guests – (though there is a possibility that your guests may find them too beautiful to be used.)

Available in museum shops and at Urban Outfitters for the unprincely sum of $8.

(Now, if only they came on a rope….)

If you are having a lovely Fall shower, what could be more “Fall’ish”, than apples?  These darling apples are actually sticky notes – and will be the apple of your guests eyes as they try and take more than one home as a favour.

And if you are having twins? The “Perfect Pair” of course!

These will be the most practical and un-twee favours your gifts have ever stuffed into their bags.

(Except, of course, for bottles of Bolly – like I had.  Hiccup.)

Happy Autumn!

This past weekend, as I mentioned previously, my darling “baby” sister and my beautiful best friend, threw me an intimate baby tea at The Drake, here in Chicago (I have a profound love of old hotels. You can have your “W”s – give me a Waldorf any day). 

My tea was “green”, in that no paper or plastic decorations were used (streeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetchhhhhh) – and that the favors were champers (in glass – totally recyclable), and a Limoges elephant (porcelain – lasts forever), in a velvet bag (also re-usable).  So there.

In addition to old hotels, I have, since a young girl, always had a profound love of weddings (I have actually planned several, and hope to be a wedding planner in my next life).  In fact, I bought my first wedding magazine when I was in high school, have bought hundreds ever since and have, just this morning, waddled my 8 month pregos body up to the counter to get the latest InStyle Weddings.  (The look on the fellows face as I bought it was priceless.)

In this months Instyle Weddings, are several lovely ideas that would work for a baby tea or shower – so I thought that I’d share. (Needless to say, all images, except of my tea, are copyrighted by someone, somewhere.  But I doubt that you thought I was a professional photog.  All images are linked to thier owners site. Please feel free to slather my images all over your own blog.  I’d be flattered.)

As you can see, my baby bottles of champers (from my friends family wine & spirits store:  The House of Glunz), had a lovely blue bow on them.  However, if you want to further personalize your mini bottles (a great favour for all who are NOT in a family way), consider using Marry Monograms or my fave label maker that makes a label for every ol’ thing.

Another lovely favour?  Bulbs, seeds or plants in sweet little boxes.

Wrapped with personalized ribbon - they are too delightful.

And for those that actually prefer tea to champers?  These beautifully packaged sugars are a gorgeous favour.

(These are actually quite easy to make.  Use pretty glass containers, and spice your own sugar with a vanilla pod, spices and a cinnamon stick.  After a week of “marinating” – the sugar will be scented and special.)

And my fave favour idea that made buying yet another wedding magazine worth it? These adorable flowers in a can, that conveniently come in blue and pink cans.  Yup.  Flip, pull and water – and voila!  Flowers! 

If you love weddings, and are years past yours, you now have a new excuse to buy wedding magazines and turn every dreamy page…party planning.

(Remember to take your old mags to your doctors office, where I imagine you will be spending a lot of time. Your fellow moms will thank you as they are weary of worn “Highlights” and “More” magazines.)

Pass the cucumber sandwiches.

Soon my niece is having a very “green” very pink, ballet birthday party, complete with a real, live ballerina to give the girls lessons, eco corn made plates, cups and utensils, a vegan cake and an all organic menu. It’s a new day….

If you cringe as silly Made in China cartoon paper plates are dumped into the rubbish bin one, by wasteful one, as sugar filled children show you exactly how quickly a small persons  glycemic index can spike before the cranky crash as the whining hits a feverish crescendo worthy of Callas -

this is for you -

I must give credit where it is due: my sister actually found this green party supply store called, enigmatically, Green Party Supplies. It honestly has all the basics and extras that you will need for a child or adult fete.

Another great party supply place is Paper Mart.  I have been going to them for favour bags for at least a decade.  For my wedding I used their burlap bags for coffee beans (Cuban and Panamanian coffee, with a small bottle of Irish whiskey, was our favour). And just this past weekend, I used their velvet bags for another favour.  Though the velvet bags aren’t technically “green” – they are something that any girl would keep forever for jewelry. 

Lucky Crow also makes lovely, organic (more for girl’s, methinks), favor bags:

Though I don’t like to see children drink from straws – I know that there are few birthday parties that don’t have those toxic plastic garbage dump fillers by the hand full -

These straws, available from Plum Party, are 100% biodegradable and non-toxic, as they are made of corn. Yup. Corn.

And for my two British readers – how lucky are you to be able to order pre-filled eco-favour bags from Little Cherry?

Not a party without balloons? Get Jr. biodegradable ones, and explain how the other kinds can hurt wildlife.  (Seriously, I lived in Florida, and saw first hand how insidious a seemingly benign birthday balloon can be. Poor birds and turtles.)

And what sort of gifts to place in the “green” favor bags? I’m a massive fan of art supplies.  They are perfect for boy’s and girl’s, and they aren’t tossed aside, usually in pieces, like cheap, plastic Made in China things.  A great source for green art supplies is Stubby Pencil Studio.  I LOVE their soy crayon rocks, and can’t think of a theme they couldn’t be worked into.

Green birthday parties are the perfect opportunity to teach your child about the less toxic and more responsible life you have chosen to live as a family.  And honestly, aren’t you making all these changes so that his every birthday is in a world that is better for him, not worse? 

I almost forgot the most important thing! Candles!  Soy birthday candles can be had for a mere $2.95.

Make a wish!