Organizing Outdoor Parties

Throwing an outdoor event can be a lot of fun, but it's important to organize it in an environmentally friendly way and honor the great outdoors, says Starre Vartan, author of Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green. "We can each do our part, and I think part of that is thinking about the products we use and trying to use ones that actually will biodegrade and have a shorter life in the environment," she says.

Starr says in addition to using biodegradable products, you should avoid plastic as much as possible and use LED lights to save energy when entertaining in the evening. Also, think about investing in some inexpensive flatware that you can reuse for future parties instead of buying new each time.