Now you can take 'living green' one step further by hosting a green party! The ideas below are adapted from the Green Meeting Industry Council's recent report on green meetings.

• Invite guests via email or phone. If you must send an invitation, select recycled paper and use soy ink.
• Select local, seasonal food items. If possible, select organic products. The obvious choice is catering from Whole Foods Market but if you are preparing the food yourself consider fresh items from your local farmer's market.
• Use china, glasses, silverware, linens and napkins. If not, select biodegradable disposable products.
• Purchase 2-liter bottles of soda in lieu of individual cans. Likewise, serve pitchers of filtered tap water instead of single-serving bottles.
• Use live plants or silk arrangements as centerpieces. For something different, order Edible Arrangements (bouquets of fruit) or serve tiers of dessert.
• Use energy efficient light bulbs such as florescent or LED lights.

The down side to going green is the cost but for many people, the cost now is worth the investment for protecting our planet's future.