Green Baby Shower and Gift Ideas

by Cat Lincoln
My sister and my sister-in-law are both having babies this spring, so the baby shower activity is in high gear around here. Naturally, I want to keep it all as green as possible, without pushing too many of my eco-beliefs on the girls.

Who am I kidding? I totally preach the green gospel, but that's what big sisters are for!

From the shower to the gifts, there are lots of ways to help a new baby -- and a mom-to-be -- get off to a healthy, happy and earth-friendly start.
Make it a Green Shower:

• Start with the invitations: use recycled or seed impregnated paper, or go modern and paperless with Evites
• You can also get really sweet seed kits to give out as favors -- what could be more baby friendly than planting seeds to conserve the planet for his or her future?
• Does the mom-to-be have a reputation for being green? She will after you ask people to use eco-friendly wrapping techniques, like reusable bags, brown paper shopping bags, or pieces of fabric -- this is a great way to give her a big swaddling cloth!
• Instead of cut flowers, have bowls of colorful fruit, like green apples and tangerines, on display. Encourage people to enjoy them during the shower -- the smell of tangerine will create a powerful memory for everyone.
• Use real dishes and utensils, not paper plates and plastic forks. With all of those BFFs, sisters and aunties around, you should be able borrow anything you don't already have on hand.
• Order a diaper cake of cloth diapers -- even if she plans to use disposable diapers, having cloth ones around might inspire her!

Go for Green Gifts:

• Organic cotton or muslin swaddling blankets, like the beautiful collection from Aden + Anais
• Soft organic cotton basics from the Under the Nile UTN Year Round collection
• A 100% recyclable nursery, made from cardboard
• All natural and organic cleaning and care products, like Naturity Organic Baby Powder -- it's talc-free, the main ingredient is arrowroot -- or California Baby's diaper care collection.
• Make some organic baby wash for her, using this recipe from the awesome Rookie Moms. Give her their book, "The Rookie Moms Handbook", while you're at it!
• Skip the material goods and offer the new parents a service they can use, like a night of babysitting, doing a photo session of the new family, or a week of dinners!