Hello!

I wanted to introduce you to a few of my friends.

Gaelle runs a fab online store called www.kinoa-shop.com which specialises in delicious organic goodies as well as eco friendly products for your house and daily living. Everyone is catered for so if you are looking for some yummy organic treats for a birthday party then look no further.  Fill your table with chocolate chip & hazelnut or apple cookies or some delicious butter biscuits.  If you want some organic lollipops for a goodie bag you will also find them here.

Not only is there a smorgasborg of food but the eco friendly products are also worth a browse.  Rechargeable batteries - you can never have too many with kids around!  A solar powered charger (no excuse for flat batteries in your phone or camera again!)  and some natural insect repellent is always a welcome companion for any outdoor party.

Delivery is to your door so just like Little Miss Green The Party Queen it is a very convenient way to prepare for a party!

Now for another supercool friend.  Annalisa from www.BezandOho.com is becoming very well known in HK for her iconic bags.  Her gorgeous everchanging range of unique hand made bags are well sought after.  All the bags are made from remnant fabric which can include anything from funky rice sacks, supple leather, fine silks to chic cottons, denim and prints.  

The bags are made by women who have suffered hardship in their lives. Bez & Oho have improved their lives greatly through employment, support and learning of new skills, so each purchase directly gives these women a Helping Hand. 

Not only does Bez & Oho make a great range of bags of all shapes and sizes and wallets but there is also a beautiful selection of hand made jewellery.  If you are looking for something a bit different for your child’s next party then why not think of inviting Annalisa along to help the birthday girl and guests make their own copper enamel jewellery, leather snap or glass bead bracelets.  It is easy and fun and no special skills are required.  (suggested age is 9 years up)  Contact Annalisa directly on annalisa@bezandoho.com

Pip Pap is a great new store that has just opened in Discovery Bay.  It stocks a range of supercool products for kids including the Stokke range of furniture, funky clothes, children’s wall canvas prints, as well as fair trade and funky gift ideas.  Oh and they also stock some of Little Miss Green The Party Queen products!  Their online shop is coming soon but here is their address … Room 529, 5th Floor, Door D
Discovery Bay Plaza  ph 2987 8705 (closed Sunday)

I hope you can say hi to them soon!

Tracey

We are very excited here at Little Miss Green The Party Queen.  We have finally launched our online party shop! Yay!  We hope you enjoy browsing and that you find some inspiring goodies for your children to enjoy. 

Our blog is still relatively new but we are having fun telling the world about our ever expanding range of super cool eco goodies and also the issues surrounding birthday parties. 

If there is anything you want to ask please email us at contact@missgreenpartyqueen.com  We’d love to hear from you! 

Please stay tuned for much, much more over the coming days …

Oh and to return to the shop please click on this link www.missgreenpartyqueen.com

Celebrating a child’s birthday is always full of fun and laughter especially if a party is involved.  Unfortunately a typical party usually results in a lot of waste being produced which is not much fun to clean.  One of the aims of Little Miss Green The Party Queen is to help reduce the impact of children’s parties.  So here is an incomplete list of easy suggestions to help decrease party waste without decreasing party fun!

Tableware 

Reusable!  The easiest way to reduce waste is to use what you already have.  Even investing in a reusable set of party ware that can be brought out over the years for each party will be least expensive in the long run and better for the planet.

Washable fabric tablecloths are a much nicer alternative to plastic and they are more hard wearing.  We are lucky in Hong Kong that we have the availability of lots of fabric markets around the city where you can pickup a few yards of remnant fabric in gorgeous prints and colours for only a few dollars.

Food & Drink

Buy in bulk and make food at home if possible, this may help in reducing all the packaging when buying smaller quantities and ready made food.  Lots of easy finger and unprocessed foods that don’t need to be eaten with plates and cutlery are a good way to go.  Avoid having single serve drinks like juice boxes and opt for recyclable containers like large plastic bottles or jugs.  Avoid offering straws, chances are they won’t even be missed! 

If there is any left over food, encourage guests or helpers to take it home.  It is better to be eaten than thrown away.

 Have a marker pen handy to label cups and plates so each guest knows which is theirs.

 Bring some reusable containers to make it easy to take home any left over food if you are partying outside.

 Invitations

E - invites save paper and can be made to suit any theme or style.  Invites via SMS & word of mouth use few resources.  If you are using a traditional paper invitation try and use recycled paper.  Or creatively make your own from your child’s art box.

Gifts

All too often from a large birthday party, children receive more presents than they actually need or sometimes want.    A good way of getting around this is to organise a joint present that all the guests collectively purchase.   Older children may want to receive presents that are suitable to donate to charity (for example Dog treats and blankets to take to the RSPCA or gently used toys for less fortunate children).  No gift parties are also rising in popularity. 

Wrappings for presents can also creatively cut down on wasted paper.  Using the cartoon section from newspapers or fun pages from magazines is a good way to recycle.  Especially for younger kids that may not appreciate a wrapped gift anyway.  Fabric can also be used to wrap your gifts, either a piece of fabric tied with a ribbon or in a reusable fabric bag.

Party Bags 

Often a very big source of waste are the little party bag trinkets that often don’t make it home from the party let alone last for days or weeks.  Finding inexpensive and quality party bag treats is difficult at times, but with a little planning there are alternatives.  Depending on the party, children could make their own party favours to take home.  It could be chocolates, cupcakes, masks, ‘build your own’ wooden toy sets or even a little potted seedling.   And party bags don’t have to be paper or plastic bags!  Quality, reusable fabric bags or a reusable/recyclable box containing a piece of cake, some candy or a yo-yo, or even a thank you note in a book (which could be party themed) are good alternatives to a flimsy bag.

Decorations

Reusable decorations are a great way to not only save waste but also money.  Fabric banners can be hung to add a festive touch to a party and can also be reused to decorate a room or play area.  Fabric decorations can also made even more special by featuring at each birthday party over the years and included as part of your family tradition.

Balloons may look great for the short time at the party but the remnants can be quite damaging especially for sea life surrounding the islands we live.  There are other alternatives for hanging decorations that can be reused.  Paper lanterns for example make an attractive and eye catching decoration in a room or swinging gaily from trees in a park.  Coloured ribbons floating in the breeze also add a touch of whimsy to a little girl’s birthday party.

Recycle

Another very easy way to cut down on waste going to landfill is to ensure you have separate bins, boxes or containers at the party to separate your waste into recyclables.  Having an extra few bags or boxes for paper, cans and foil and plastics will make a big difference to the rubbish created.   People will more likely separate their own waste if there is an incentive to do so - making it easy for everyone else to do will mean less work at the end of the party.

 Have a great celebration!