How To: Plan a kid safe, very green baby shower

Julie Auclair introduces authors of a book called "Celebrate Green." This book shows you how to throw a baby shower the "green" way. Guests do not realize that some of the gifts they give can be harmful, toxic, or not recyclable. You start with the three "R's", reduce, reuse and recycle. You use these to determine if a gift falls into one of these categories. They have added the three "G's", which are "good for people," "good for the planet," and "good for the community." They begin with the table layout. They make suggestions such as not using paper plates or cups for refreshments, but rather reusing, renting or borrowing plates and cups. They suggest organic cookies as a refreshment and using cloth napkins and an organic baby rattle to bundle the silverware with the napkins. They include an organic diaper cake as the centerpiece of the table. To top of the diaper cake is a natural latex toy. They suggest lining the table with beeswax candles, and once the baby has been born, they can all light the candles in celebration. Do not wrap your gifts as wrapping paper is a big no no. Wrap your gifts in receiving blankets instead and use a hair clip to secure them closed. They even suggest recycled greeting cards made of elephant dung! The poop theme for babies can be popular. The next suggestion is to run a handmade clothes line across the room and hang up baby clothes on the clothes line, where you do not have to wrap up the gifts. They offer gift suggestions such as a wool doll, wooden cars, organic lotions and soaps, diaper bag from recleaned fabrics that is stuffed with organic items. A final gift suggestion is to ask all guests to bring a bead, describe with the bead means to them personally, then string it into a necklace for the mother to wear to the hospital when it's time to have the baby.