This Holiday Season, Entertain to Sustain

Below are 5 quick tips to help entertain to sustain for the holidays

Source Your Food Locally and Select Organic Options When Possible

It is always best to pay a little bit more for organic options for food and beverages since they contain less of those evil "ide": pesticides, insecticides and herbicides. Your body will thank you for ingesting less toxins which will contribute to better health in the long run.

Local options are also better because the average distance our food travels from source to table is 1,600 miles. In contrast, the average distance from local farms to the farmers market is less than 50 miles. Going local is a much better option because you not only reduce the carbon footprint since the food travels a smaller distance, but you also support your local economy. For every $100 spent on a locally owned business, $45 goes back into the community. Finally, the food is fresher and therefore, tastes better and don't you want to serve tasty food to your family and friends? To find a farmer’s market near you, go to Local Harvest. Many are open year-round.

Opt for Dishware Over Disposables

When serving food, I urge my clients to use glassware, silverware and dishware over disposables. It is best to select an option that you can reuse over and over again. Be sure to use an earth friendly detergent such as Seventh Generation and don't let the water run while washing your dishes! Use the dishwasher and make sure it is full before you run it.

If you must use disposables, stay away from that evil plastic stuff that takes decades to biodegrade. I use bambu Veneerware

Made of certified organic bamboo, it is compostable and breaks down in 4 to 6 months. Many grocery stores are carrying compostable disposable plates made of bamboo, fallen palm leaves, sugarcane pulp and other natural products. You can also get cups that look plastic, but are made of corn. They may cost a bit more, but your grandchildren will thank you for taking care of the planet instead of throwing more plastic in the landfill.

Use Soy or Beeswax Candles

Traditional candles are made with paraffin, a petroleum byproduct, which burns dirty and pollutes the air. Soy and beeswax candles are the earth friendly option. Years ago, the only beeswax candles I could find were taper candles, but Beeswax Candle Company sells tea lights, votives and even pillar beeswax candles. They'll ship to you in earth friendly packaging and while it may look like they've used those evil polystyrene packing shells, they actually dissolve in water.

Floral, Greens and Other Decor

The name of the game is to stay local and seasonal and/or pick floral that can be dried and reused. Ask your florist where they source their flowers from. You don't want flowers coming from another continent – that causes a huge carbon footprint. If you put up a Christmas tree, aim to get one that is balled in burlap so that it can be replanted. Also, when decorating around your home, use any tree branches trimmed from your tree or leftover from the tree farm. I've lucked out and snagged FREE greens from a tree farm that I later used for a client's holiday party. I decorated the tables with these, bubble vases filled with water, cranberries and floating beeswax candles. It was inexpensive and festive.

Carpool with Your Family

When I think of the song, "Over the River and Through the Woods" it makes me think of a family traveling together in one sleigh to their final destination. Too many times in our modern society, we pick convenience over the earth friendly option, but it can have a huge carbon footprint. So when the 30 members of your family are gathered at grandma's house before going out to dinner, instead of taking 10 vehicles with 3 people each, aim for 5 vehicles with 6 people and mix it up a bit. You'll form a stronger bond with your relatives and may have some funny stories to tell later.