Wedding Wednesday- Unique and Eco-Friendly Wedding Invites and Other Paper Goods

from Alison Kate Design in Missouri

I have strayed away from this topic before, because it seems like one of the more obvious choices for greening your wedding- if you care about the environment, you have probably thought about this. On the other hand, I know I thought that recycled invitations all have a very specific look. Like a mason jar wrapped in burlap, but in paper form. Like maybe some granola will fall out of the envelope.

What is surprising is that you can get recycled paper invitations in ANY style. No matter what kind of scene you want to set, you can do it on recycled paper.

Once you know recycled paper invites (and other wedding paper goods- save the dates, thank you cards, etc.) can come in as mainstream, traditional, quirky, indie, or whatever else style you want, it opens up the opportunity to do something good on the sly. You can find anything you need without one tree falling down, and in that way, your wedding is doing some real good.

Here are some of the best options I found for Eco-Friendly wedding invitations that can be as unique or mainstream as you want them to be. Even if this isn't something you ever considered, be sure to take a look, because your wedding is a step into your future, and we all want a future with clear air.

Let's do this!

 Forever Fiances

This ridiculously cool save the date and wedding invitation company gives you two eco-friendly options for your invites.First, you can buy plantable invitations! These are made of recycled paper with plants inbedded inside of them, so your guests can go plant them after the fact. If that feels a little too heavy-handed for your style, they have recycled paper options as well (they call them "new tree free- I love that!). I actually like the plantable designs better than the recycled ones, but there are so many options and you can probably find something that works for your plans.

This is so unique and cool, and I think it sets the stage for a great wedding, whether you want to foreground your eco-friendly choices or let the day be about something else. Their prices are almost identical to shops like Wedding Paper Divas, so you won't be breaking the bank, AND you will be saving trees and even starting new ones! Either way, incredibly exciting. Why don't all companies work this way?

Jealous you can't get married again to use this company? Me too! They also sell personalized business cards, invitations, and other stationary, so check them out.

Your Local Invitation Maker (this includes you)

Lots of communities and cities have local options for calligraphers. It may be easier to get something online, but be sure to look around and see what is available near you, because dealing with an actual person can be more satisfying. You are supporting a local business, cutting down your weddings carbon footprint, and you can get exactly what you want.

If you are particularly talented in this area (and you have a good chunk of time), you could totally make your invites yourself! It would be a special and memorable way to go about it, you could pick recycled paper and soy inks, and you will probably save oodles of money to spend elsewhere. You can find eco-friendly papers at lots of these stores, like Green Field Paper Co.

 If doing the invites sounds like a lot, you can also consider how to use those skills or that beautiful penmanship elsewhere in the events; make the menu (maybe do one standing card per table or a large sign to cut down on paper), make seating charts or placecards or your programs. Paper comes in so many places, and anywhere you can consolidate or do it yourself, you can save money and save trees.

If you are going local, which is awesome, be sure to ask them about recycled paper and soy-based inks. Part of the perk of dealing with a smaller company is that you can talk to them face to face and hopefully work out something that is perfect! This is a cool way to support your community and to help the environment.

Minted

We bought our save the dates from this company, and they looked beautiful and used recycled paper and envelopes. One of the best things about this company is that they have a wide variety of designs coming from many different American designers, so you know your cards will have a style that matches you perfectly. This company always stays just a little bit ahead of trends, and their cards seem cool without trying too hard. They have almost a thousand options, and you can order most with recycled paper for 15-35 dollars extra (pretty affordable). I love them, and I think they are a great option.

Bloomin

Bloomin also sells plantable wedding invites, save the dates, thank you's, seating cards. Basically the whole shebang. I love how broad their paper supplies are, And their designs are mostly simple and timeless (especially considering the whole thing will be buried in the dirt in no time). Waste free and really special, this might still be a great option for one of your other wedding paper needs outside of the invites themselves.

In fact, my favorite might be "Growfetti" which would be a perfect substitute for bubbles (that come in little plastic containers), confetti, or rice. Just make sure it is alright at the place where you are getting married! A church lawn might not be the place, but a country wedding in a big field, it might be just fine.

Green Field Paper

This store sells recycled paper, seeded/ plantable paper, and even paper made of hemp. Before you stick your nose up, be sure to check it out, because they have so many options you might actually find the perfect thing. They don't have a ton of options, and I am not in love with all of them, but some are great and might be just your style. Plus, you can choose which paper your design comes on, so you get to prioritize what matters most to you.

As a side note, this company also sells Christmas cards, including ones made out of 100% junk mail. God bless this company, because that is genius.

Zazzle 

Recycled wedding invitations are becoming common enough now that lots of more mainstream companies like zazzle offer a recycled paper option. Another great option to look through if you aren't finding what you are imagining!

Twisted Limb

This company is on the opposite end of the Zazzle spectrum. They make handmade recycled paper that is stitched into invitations. As someone who has handmade paper before, I can tell you a heck of a lot of time and love went into these beauties. You couldn't get something more precious and special unless you made it yourself. To be totally honest, I am not sure invitations need to be such precious objects; we have kept some wedding invites but they aren't particularly treasured. But if you are having a very small wedding, it might make a really cool splurge.

Wedding Websites

Ok, I am not suggesting you only use an e-invitation unless that suits you (or you are having a pretty informal or tech-savvy wedding), but skipping the rsvp and having people rsvp online is a super efficient and cost effective (see also- free!) way to help the environment. If you send 100 invitations, just skipping the RSVP saves 100 pieces of paper and 100 envelopes. If you skip the whole invite, that is even more. If you are going that route, you can always do something simple like The Knot or wedding Jojo, or if you have the skills, pick something more open-ended, you techie you.

Arbor Day Foundation

Maybe you can't get your invites in these cards, but you could get your thank you cards there! It would be a simple way to have your wedding do some good- every card you buy will pay for a tree. So if you send 50 thank you cards, you also plant 50 trees. That's pretty amazing when you consider how many trees come down a year for wedding invitations.

Etsy

 We all knew I was going to end on this note, but do you know how many gorgeous invitation options you can find there? You can find one made in America (shorter trip, less fossil fuels, lower carbon footprint) and on recycled paper. We bought our invites on Etsy from someone in our state. We loved them so much, and because we were dealing with a real person,  I could just write her and we worked out tablenumbers too!You can also get printables and pick your own recycled cardstock. Here are a few to lust over, but your best bet is to write in "recycled wedding invitations and get to browsing. These are my favorites:

from Cricket Printing

from AMG Design Co

from Casey Snyder Design

from vohandmade

from Eco Weddigs by Cc

This is the tip of the iceberg- be sure to explore the links. I know when I was shopping, I looked for the perfect style that perfectly matched our colors and style and theme, etc etc. I did it, but I still wish I had prioritized differently. You can find that thing that is exactly what you want aesthetically, but we are asking you to This blog is suggesting that if you narrow the field to be "new tree free," you will end up something that may not be "perfect," but you will love it just as much, and you can feel really good about it.

Want more unique and Earth-friendly wedding inspiration?  Check out my Giant List of Shopping Lists!

If you like this post, please share it! This blog is all about making small changes. The more people who make these small shifts, the better the Earth will be!

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Throwback Thursday- Saving Tree Shopping- Recycled and Alternative Paper Products from Home to Office

To celebrate Earth Day this week, I thought I would give you information to make some of the easiest and most cost-effective switches to minimize your impact and make positive changes for the planet! It's great to volunteer. It's great to make large gestures.

But these little choices we make all the time, the choices that look like habits, have some of the greatest impact.

Think of how many paper towels you use in a lifetime! Even if you switch over to recycled now, you could save so many trees from coming down with just your own family's purchases. Even better, every time you purchase post-consumer recycled paper, you send the message to companies that this matters and that it is worth their time and energy to make their products more Earth-friendly. It's a positive feedback loop, and those little good decisions echo outward.

We need trees. They are one of our best and only defenses against the obscene CO2 emissions that are effecting our climate. They work as the lungs for our planet, keeping it cleaner, cooler, and more beautiful. We can forget that every paper towel we use costs us trees, because we are alienated from the source of our product, but if you had to see one of God's creations fall every time you bought paper towels, wouldn't you buy less?

I get that sometimes you need whatever wrapping paper you can find or that you don't have space to buy paper towels in bulk. The point is that no one can do everything, but everyone can do something, so really consider making the switch over for at least some products, especially the ones you buy in bulk (because you know way ahead of time when you will refill that anyway).

A few other things to consider before we go through the list-

1. The closer the paper will be to your body, the more you need to consider what is in it. A lot of the eco-friendly wisdom right now is to not use recycled paper for toilet paper, because some paper that is recycled (namely magazines) has plastic in it. These plastics (not unlike the plastics your food comes packaged in and regular toilet paper is wrapped in) has chemicals that can seriously hurt your endocrine system. So you might consider Tree Free or other options when looking at that kind of paper.

2. Try it once, then Buy in Bulk- Almost all of these are very comparable in price if you just buy in larger quantities (it cuts down on packaging too). I get that you need to try it before you commit to months of it- so definitely do that! Think of it as a long term investment in the Earth.

3. You can read about more options on other posts on this blog. Greening the Basics Part One and Two are my absolute favorites, and they have tons of information you might need. I also wrote a blog on wrapping paper earlier this month, so check out lots of information on that! It's kind of a cool one to change!

Most of the links are to Amazon, where you can do subscribe and save to make eco-friendly choices even more affordable. On the other hand, you can find some of these products at local grocery stores (especially more organic ones) or at big box stores like Costco.

Paper Towels

So basic, such a perfect place to start. Have you ever made a mess so precious that a tree needed to die to clean it? Me either.

To Compare- Bounty Dura Towels- 9.79 (1.63 a roll)

Our Pick-Seventh Generation Unbleached Paper Towels- 4 packs of 6 rolls= 24 rolls- 41.76 (1.74 a roll)- We love them, and I can use one, rinsed multiple times, to clean the whole kitchen. We also like this company because the majority of their products are also made in the US. Never going back.

Three More Options-Seventh Generation White Recycled Paper Towels- 24 rolls- 37.96 (1.58 per roll)

Marcal Small Steps Recycled Paper- Pack of 12 rolls- 28.99 (2.41 a roll)

Boardwalk Recycled Paper Towels (these are the kind you get at restaurants and come on ginormous 800 ft rolls)- 6 rolls- is 35.20 or 5.86 for every 800 foot roll.

Skip the Paper Completely- You can greatly cut down the number of paper towels you use by simple starting with a washcloth. You are going to do laundry anyway, so just throw a kitchen towel in every few days. You might also try bamboo paper towels or Unpaper towels. Both are machine washable and reusable, so they cut way down on waste!

Side note- Do NOT replace paper towels with wipes. Yes, they are easy, but they have plastics that make them impossible to recycle, and they won't break down nearly as well. I get anti-bacterial wipes may come in handy for some jobs, but they aren't an eco-friendly paper replacement.

Tissues

Now, I don't know about you, but I don't find boogers all that precious. Again, this is a perfect place to replace brand new paper products with something recycled.

To Compare- Kleenex come in a wide variety of packs and prices dependent mostly on the fanciness of their packaging. Get something a little fancy and it costs 4 boxes of 50 tissues for 11.49 (about 5 cents a tissue! Pretty steep).

Our Pick- Tree Free Facial Tissue- 30 boxes of 90 tissues (less than 1 cent a tissue)- We tried this bamboo and sugar-cane biodegradable paper substitute as an experiment, and I think we like it pretty darn well. I think the long term plan is to switch to tree-free for toilet paper and get recycled face tissues, but we have so many tissues, it will be a long time before we get there.

Three More Options- Green Forest Facial Tissues- 24 boxes of 175 (about 1 cent a tissue). Not only is this way cheaper, they also have great reviews (my favorite  "I am not a major hippy, but if I could do something good for the environment, why not?") Preach it

Marcal Fluff Out Facial Tissue- 30 100 count boxes-24.99 (not great reviews, but really cost effective if you have a less sensitive nose.

Seventh Generation- Just to compare, their single box of 175 tissues is 2.84. In case you don't have the room to buy in bulk, there are still eco-friendly options for you!

Skip the Paper Completely- Get a hanky? Old-fashioned classy, and a little bit gross.

Napkins

To Compare-Vanity Fair Napkins are about 5 dollars for a 300 count pack (and straight to the Koch Brothers no less). Bounty is about 8 dollars for 400. So about 2 cents a piece on either.

Our Pick- Seventh Generation 2 Pack of 500 unbleached napkins- 90% post-consumer waste- 15.57 (or about 3 cents a napkin). Probably enough napkins to be set for life.

Three More Options- Seventh Generation White Napkins- 250 white napkins- 5.39

Natural Value Napkins (100% recycled/ 80% post-consumer)- 200 Count napkins- 6.37 (3 cents a napkin.

Marcal 100% Recycled Napkins- 400 for 10.69 (about 3 cents a napkin). They are also made in the US and have great reviews.

from Oh Little Rabbit

Skip the Paper Completely- For everyday use (especially for adults), there's really no reason not to just use cloth napkins, which do the job just as well and can be reused oodles of times. You can find cloth napkins at most secondhand stores, or more beautiful  and stylish options on Etsy stores like Oh Little Rabbit, JAQStudio, and Clear Sky Home. The upfront cost might be higher, but you can use them much longer in the end.

Toilet Paper

As I mentioned, this is the most complex of the recycled paper products, and these are just the kinds of issues our children will face ALL the time if we don't get it together as a planet. Plastic is going to choke out good options.

To Compare- The Charmin Bears are an embarrassment to America, to toilet paper, and to bears. Charmin Ultra Strong comes in a pack of 9 for 16.95 (1.88 a roll). Stop buying Charmin and stop the bears.

Our Pick-Seventh Generation- Unbleached with at least 50% post-consumer content- 60 rolls for about 68 dollars (about 1.14 a roll). It serves its purpose and we generally like it. It also comes in all recyclable packaging.

Three More Options- Green 2 Tree Free- If you decide the BPA risk is too much for you, this is your best option. It is made out of bamboo and sugar cane bi-products, both of which are quick-growing and sustainable, and you don't have to worry about BPA at all. If you buy in bulk (96 rolls at 114 dollars, so basically all you need forever, right?), you can get it for 1.16 a roll, which is even cheaper than the other options. This is what we will do from here on out, I think.

Marcal Small Steps- 40 rolls, 1000 sheets each, is 50.66, so about 1.20 a roll.

Skip the Paper Completely- There is a thing called a family cloth. If you are that hardcore, you can look into that. I will never get there.

Paper Plates

We have all been to the picnic with tons of paper plates filling the garbage bag tied to the table. What a waste of trees that these plates are used once and tossed. Can we at least change our approach so that trees aren't wasted?

To Compare-Dixie plates may be made in the US, but they don't use recycled paper and they coat the plates in plastic materials that make it hard to recycle. They are also super cheap- 220 plates cost 17.99 (or about 7 cents a plate)

Our Pick- Chinet's eco option is Made in the USA, made out of recycled materials, and is fully compostable. So like 1000 times better for the Earth than those Dixie or Vanity Fair plates. A Value Pack of 32 costs about 5 dollars, so it is about 15 cents a plate.

Three More Options-Earth's Natural- Compostable plates made out of sugar cane instead of trees (but they are made in China). 9.24 for 50, so about 18 cents a plate.

Stalkmarket- If you are looking for a lot of paper plates, Stalkmarket has a similar product- 420 plates for about 11 cents a plate. Totally compostable, able to handle hot, cold, and the microwave. It looks like you can even get it open box!

Susty Party Supplies- 100% Compostable and Tree-Free, comes in tons of pretty designs- 50 for 12.99

Skip the Paper Completely- Maybe not for your big picnics, but for your little ones, Preserve plates are made of 100% post-consumer plastic and are 100% recyclable. And if you decide you are done with them, you can mail them back to the company, and they will recycle them for you. The plates are 8 for 8.76, so about a dollar a plate, but you would only have to use them a couple of times a summer before  you recouped the cost.

Baking Cups

I love making cupcakes, and I never thought of my liner hoard as problematic (just preparation for future parties!) but I am not sure I am ok with trees coming down for something that is basically a luxury. I mean, are you turning down cake if it doesn't have a cutesy paper on it.

To Compare-Reynold's Baking Cups, the ones I know I have picked up at the store many a time is 36 liners for 1.28 (about 4 cents a liner)

Our Pick- Paper Chef- 2 pack of 60 for 8.25. (about 7 cents a liner). They also have mini and large liners. You can find these in lots of pretty common stores as well.

One More Option- If You Care- FSC Certified- 24 boxes of 60 for 36.25 (or about 3 cents a liner. Cheaper and better for the environment- plus you will basically be set for life). They also come in large and mini.

Skip the Paper Completely- Silicon liners! I can't find any made in America, but they can be used and reused so many times that you could probably save a thousand paper liners in the course of a baking lifetime. Anytime the cupcakes aren't going to leave the house, these make way more sense. We have these fortune ones which happily enable you to eat more cupcakes- best cupcake liners ever (they are 16.07, but they can have infinite use).You can get lots of different bright colored silicone sets- this one or this one.

Printer/Copier Paper

Ok seriously, why is any copier paper not made of recycled paper? This seems like a perfect use for post-consumer waste to just get reused again. Can you imagine if businesses switched over even 10% of their paper to recycled product? It would make such a huge difference!

To Compare- Ok, there is a lot of variety here, but I chose this HP bestseller- Bright White and wrapped in plastic (really, HP?). 20.36 for 500 sheets.

Our Pick- Hammermill Great White- 100% Post-consumer paper (seriously, 100%- why is anyone buying non-recycled printer paper?)- 62.99 for 5000 sheet case.

Three More Options- Printworks 100% postconsumer paper (made in the USA of recycled food packaging)- 400 sheets for 18.56

Staples Copy Paper 100 percent recycled/ FSC certified- 500 sheets for 16.99

Aspen 100- 100% post-consumer recycled- supports projects to build parks in urban areas- 500 for 10.49.

Skip the Paper Completely- Brown Bear Tree Free Paper- Made from bagasse (sugar cane extract)- 5 Ream case for 49.64

Notebooks

We buy so many of these in a lifetime- I loved a fresh new notebook for school shopping as a kid, and I love a new notebook now! I love it even more that you can find so many Earth-friendly options for this!

To Compare- Moleskine notebooks- Used by Ernest Hemmingway or something, but now they are made of all fresh paper and imported. The kind of thing hipsters and academics love because they aren't really paying attention. If the materials are not good, and the labor is not treated fairly, why is the price so high? Time to question what we are paying for. No more Moleskines! One book for 16.85.

Our Pick- Decomposition Books- I love these notebooks so much. Michael Rogers makes them with cool designs and 100% post-consumer recycled paper. They are also made in America. One of my favorite finds from 2015. One Notebook for 10.00. Look through at all the great designs before you pick.

Three More Options- New Leaf Basic- 100% Post-consumer paper/ college-ruled- One composition book for 3.99. Yes, you read that right.

Tops Second Nature Spiral Notebooks- 100% recycled/ 40% post-consumer- One notebook is 3.99.

Mead Notebooks- Classics. 100% recycled. 30% post-consumer- One Notebook 6.89.

Skip the Paper Completely- Onyx makes notebooks out of bamboo paper. Other than that, this is a hard one to do tree-free, but a great area to use recycled materials.

Greeting Cards/ Stationary

To Compare- Hallmark makes some beautiful cards mostly in the US, but they are mostly made of virgin tree paper, and they often come at a pretty high price. One card is often 7 dollars, like this one. Not the worst choice in the world, but we can do better.

Our Pick- I am currently in love with the Arbor Day foundation cards; they cost 6 dollars for one, but they are printed on all-recycled paper and the proceeds go to planting more trees (the price goes down as you order more)! Every card plants a tree. You can do so much good for the Earth and the person you are sending the card to just by buying these cards. So awesome.

Our other pick would be Darice Kraft paper cards; we bought a bulk pack of these blank cards and have used them for invitations and thank you cards so far. It is kind of fun to do the decoration ourselves, and we are using recycled paper! 50 cards for 9 dollars.

Three More Options- Minted sells photo cards much like Shutterfly, but unlike Shutterfly, you can get those printed on recycled paper. It's definitely a little more steep, but we used them for our save the dates and birth announcements, and both turned out beautiful. I don't know if people could even guess the paper was recycled.

Etsy is a PERFECT place to shop for cards made with recycled paper. When you write in "recycled greeting card" on search, you get almost 13,000 results, so there is plenty to choose from. And you will find so many creative options. You could also shop super cheap printables and print them on your own recycled paper! My favorite right now is Everyday's a Holiday.

RECYCLE YOUR CARDS- Ever wondered what to do with the giant pile of greeting cards you have in your house? Donate them to St. Jude's! Kids in one of their spaces (The Ranch) removes the fronts from their old cards and attach them to new backs so they can be reused again! You can buy their cards in packs to support kids with cancer and their families too. Come on, that's really cool. Check out the information here. I am totally doing this from now on!

Gift Bags

The most eco-friendly wrapping style, because as my Mother in Law taught me, you can use a gift bag a million times. A million. Wrapping paper? Once. Let's all become gift bag converts.

To Compare- This Cindus Foil gift bag is very festive and about 2 dollars. You can get them for up to probably 15 dollars depending on how many Disney princesses and Star Wars characters are on it.

Our Pick-Jillson Roberts sells gift bags that are recycled, but come in lots of colors and finishes so they feel bright and festive. You can also get them in bulk, and never buy another gift bag again. Yeah, the finish is plain, but you could buy stickers or get out your markers and decorate it yourself!

Three More Options- Creative Hobbies- 24 pack of 100% recycled kraft paper gift bags- 14.99

Bag Source- 50 Pack of white recycled gift bags- 23.00

Cosco- Kraft paper bags (a little larger) Pack of 50- 14.97

from Amazon

Skip the Paper Completely- Want to gift in a bag that will get LOTS of use? What about a reusable shopping bag? They can use them for all sorts of storage and shopping of their own, and you can even get ones made of recycled plastic.

Wrapping Paper

The bright side of wrapping paper is that you can usually find it Made in America and much of it is recyclable (so good- but look out for foil! You can't do anything with that nonsense, so get your sparkle another way). It is instant garbage, literally waste as soon as you use it, so buying it out of recycled materials just makes sense.

To Compare-American Greetings sells a set of three wrapping paper rolls for about 14 dollars, but this is another one of those things that just runs the gamut.

Our Pick- I may or may not have just bought us a roll of Pratt kraft paper, and much like my previous mountain of tissue paper blunder, I may have actually purchased two lifetimes worth of wrapping paper. Maybe three. But it was only 23 dollars and the color is warm and nice, so I only regret it when The Boy is giving me a dirty look about it.

Three More Options- Jillson Roberts All Occasion Recycled Paper- Bright! 6 rolls for 26.95.

Wrap and Revel- Fancypants and 100% recycled/ 30% post-consumer paper. Too fancy for me, but really pretty. Perfect for a special gift? 4 dollars for 2 19x26 sheets.

Anna Sees Supplies- Recycled kraft paper again. Pretty giftwrapping. 5.50

Skip the Paper Completely- Gift bags my friend! Or wrap your gifts in coloring book pages you already finished. or check pinterest for other cool gift wrap ideas- the options are endless!

So many ways to do well by trees by just switching to more eco-friendly products. You can do this! Want to continue to improve your shopping? Check out that Mega-List of Shopping Lists and brainstorm other purchases you make regularly that you can do in a more eco-friendly way!

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Don't Buy American Greetings, Instead Try...

This blog series "Don't Buy... Instead Try..." intends to point out some of the most egregiously unethical, wasteful, and environmentally ridiculous companies out there. Instead of dwelling on their considerable awfulness, the series will focus on the other options you have for purchasing.

Every purchase we make is a vote for the kind of world we want. 
Every single purchase is political.
 Every single purchase has ethical ramifications, and 
every single purchase should be approached with a spirit of stewardship. 

We can change the world by refusing to fund extreme greed, the mistreatment of other human beings, and the trashing of the environment. We need to stay aware of the many choices available to us. Will we get it right every time? No. But if we all make little changes, we can send companies a new message, that consumers will show up if they do the right thing. 

from Wikipedia

Card shopping. In general, I find it heartwarming that people have a tool to articulate things they wouldn't have words for themselves. Plus, it sometimes means you get mail, which is basically my favorite thing ever. My mom and my aunt are both extremely thoughtful card shoppers, and my mom will browse the whole section before she picks the card she wants. It's pretty cute.

In terms of environmental-friendliness or All-American shopping, they can be a trickier deal. When you look through cards at a store, you may not be likely to look on the back to see where it is made or to see if the paper is recycled, but trust me, it's worth it. The cards most jacked up to get your attention, with noise or pop ups or extra doodads, are probably made in China. Bummer. Also, did you know button batteries in cards are baby death machines? They are the things nightmares are made of, but I digress.

If you don't want to switch everything you buy, practice some bougie environmentalism or light consumer patriotism when you buy your greeting cards. It's easy because,

1. You are already reading the card. Just turn it over and read the back.
2. You can find good options in most card sections.
3. It's easy to spot the cruddier companies. Look for a red rose.

American Greetings is one of the major card companies in the United States, second only to Hallmark in sales. And they claim to be the largest in the world. It makes sense. You can find them everywhere.The offices are based in Ohio, but the rest of the story isn't as simple.

Ironically, despite their name, the company is not made in America at all. They must mean American Greetings from China. This company, that also makes gift bags and wrapping paper, has moved all of it's manufacturing to keep prices cheap.

So many questions. Cheap, but at what cost? How many trees really need to come down for you to send your cousin a birthday card? How far is too far for shipments of greeting cards to travel? Why call your company American Greetings if you aren't American at all?

On their website, the company describes their "mission" as to make the world a more civil place. Nice, who can disagree with that? Except, they don't mention one word on how the people who make their cards are treated. Or how they treat the environment. When looking at all of those little actions that make up who they are, it becomes clear that they aren't following their own mission, it's just a bunch of empty feelgoodery nonsense. This exact machinery of capitalism, where we say we want people to be kinder to each other while knowingly stomping on others, is a huge part of why incivility and competition has taken over our culture, and I am ready to see a change.

So boo, no more American Greetings, and when you can, you can find good independent options all over the place. But even if all you do is read the backs of the cards in Target and only buy ones Made in America, you are still doing more good than someone who doesn't care at all. Let's all stop buying imported cards- it makes no sense, and it isn't worth it. Plus....

SO MANY GOOD OPTIONS EXIST! HUZZAH!!!

1. St Jude Fundraiser Cards- St Jude's Ranch is a place for children and their families to recover. To raise money for this very important space, they recycle donated cards (gluing old card fronts on new cardstock) and sell them to make money. Can you think of a better way to buy cards? Even better, you can donate all the cards you have kept to them! Check out their website here.

2. Arbor Day Give a Tree Cards- I absolutely love this idea. You can buy greeting cards (I think made on all-recycled paper? I read that before but can't find it now), and for every card you buy, they plant a tree. So you could buy your Christmas cards in bulk and celebrate the season by helping plant trees! It is such a cool idea, because these cards can cut down on waste and help make the Earth that much cleaner and healthier.

3. Make the Card Yourself- We bought a bulk pack of recycled kraft paper cards, and I have used them for everything from little notes, thank you cards, even our son's first birthday invitations. We bought a pack of alphabet stamps, and we will use the same stuff over and over again. No trees are coming down for our cards, and hopefully we are making a lot less waste. Plus, it is pretty fun to come up with ideas and work on them together.

from Alisa Bobzien

4. Etsy Cards- Etsy has so many cards, funnier and sillier and sometimes more touching than anything you can find in stores. You can search for a card perfectly personalized to the receiver. They have 400,000 choices of cards on that site, so there isn't a chance I can cover them all here. I bought my hubby this gem for Father's Day and this one just because. Five more great sources for Made in America and recycled greeting cards on Etsy- Le Sentiments, Alluring Prints, Bubby and Bean, Creature Comforts NYC, and Live Beautifully Paper.

5. Maggie's Quill- These Maggie's Quill cards are not just hilarious, but they are made in the US and out of recycled paper! You have so many good choices for cards, there is really no reason to buy something Made in Elsewhere or with fresh paper. Recycled paper is best!

More Options- Green Field Paper Company, Crane and Co, Night Owl Paper Goods, Pumpernickel...

And if all else fails, most (but not all! Nothing with batteries or extra doodads) Hallmark cards are still made in the US. This company did move some manufacturing away, so please check the back. Every card will tell you where it was made somewhere on there. If you are going to rush shop a card in a pinch, I think you are better off starting with Hallmark cards than many of the other cheap brands at places like Walmart or Walgreens.

Want more shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Shopping Lists.

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Wedding Wednesday- 31 More Good Ideas for ONE Month Out!

from followpics.net/christmas-cinnamon-roll-wreath/‎

Alright people! We are exactly one month out today! So rather than just do one great idea, I figured I would do 31. I probably won't have another chance to trot out the fun ideas I come across on my blog hopping (which is almost over too! I mean, I am watching them slowly wane from my interest- once you have made your decisions, it just isn't as fun). I especially love that Offbeat Bride, and there a couple on here that I have left at the side for quite a while. So anyway, drink this in people, because it is almost over!

Ok!  Off we go!

1. This isn't technically only for weddings (It would be awesome for like holidays too) but for a brunch wedding it would be really cool. I can easily explain why we did our wedding the way we did (we want to dance), but if you aren't dancey, I think a brunch wedding would be so cool.

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/washington-garden-food-wedding

2. Comic book postcards as your guest book. Very cool. I especially love the way they are displaying them. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/unity-sandwich

3. A Unity Sandwich! As opposed to sand or candles or that business. The Boy HATES those, but we would do this if we could. Just amazing. Lifetime commitments do look like sandwiches. 

from kotaku.com/5930485/

 4. A Tetris Invite- This is Genius!! Would be very cool for a gamer wedding.

from indulgy.com/post/u4sqPheVT1/must-take-wedding-photos

5. This picture of guys getting ready. I just think this is pretty sweet. 

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/nerdy-wedding-invitations

6. Dinosaur bone motif- I just think this is adorable- very tongue and cheek without being overly cutesy. 

from www.examiner.com/slideshow/wedding-activities-for-kids

7. Kids packs- I like this wayyy better than the coloring books that A) they don't use and B) are usually perpetuating a bunch of heteronormative silliness. I mean, if you are at a wedding for a heterosexual couple, some of this business is hard to avoid, but I think there is no reason to treat it like the only option. Or even something they should aspire to? If you just give them notepads, they can use it however they want!

from whengeekswed.com/blog/2012/04/16/hidden-spiderman/

8. This. I am pretty sure this was described as "something for the groom" but I think this could be awesome for anyone! Think of all the weirdness you could have crawling out of your wedding cake! This idea truly has a ton of potential.

from www.mazelmoments.com

9. This is probably the last time I will post a picture of this wedding, the dream one, on the blog. Yet another picture of it has been circulating around the internet, and it seriously has to be the prettiest yet. This is the reception that launched a thousand paper lanterns. Still, come on people! This is amazing!

from www.uncommonplaceblog.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

10. Having a wedding at the cheesy astro turf oasis in the middle of Joshua Tree. Just so creative and bizarre. I love the kind of intentional cheesiness of it all, but Joshua Tree is also so beautiful, so you get a very strange combination. 

from www.pinterest.com/cocobeancoco/updos-low/‎

11. Bride with each bridesmaid pictures- I really love these, because they turn out so much sweeter than the big group pictures. Melissa did these for her wedding, and I really thought they were great. 

from tiedbowblog.wordpress.com/tag/wedding-chair-signs/

12. Pictures on the back of the bride and groom's chairs. I saw another one in a magazine wherre the pictures were of the bride and groom as kids. I thought that was such a sentimental idea without being saccharine or overly agressive in its cuteness.

from www.pinterest.com/demomorty0/

13. Engagement pictures that prominently feature pets (and maybe nothing else)- this engagement pic is so cool because it isn't trying to hard. But putting them in a studio-like space, the photographer avoids some overly domesticated , Beidermeier style intimacy- but it is still intimate!

from offbeatbride.com/2010/08/guestbook-alternatives

14. A Blue French Horn as your Guest Book- Perfect for the exceptionally avid How I Met Your Mother enthusiast (or french horn players, I guess). 

from www.pinterest.com/vanityscare/engagement-pix-to-copy/‎

15. Another great engagement picture- God Bless Neon shoe laces- also, couples which are not equally matched in their eccentricity- I totally get that!

from www.geekosystem.com/eye-of-sauron-cake-always-watching/

16. Eye of Sauron groom's cake- Wow I wish I had thought of this! THis cake is AMAZING. Now I just think we need to have a Lord of the Ring's themed party so I can make this cake. Just about the most evil cake ever, in a good way. Seriously, one of my girlfriends with babies needs to have a Lord of the Rings themed 1st birthday party so their kid can eat the eye of Sauron!

from offbeatbride.com/2012/07/jenga-guest-book‎

17. Jenga block guest book- Just, cute. I would prefer a settlers of Cattan Guest Book. Maybe Uno. Or Pirateer.

18. Cookie Bouquet! Another genius sweets-related Idea- It is so sweet and they look delicious!

from www.pettipond.com/image_bf4.htm

 19. Ok, I am not a hot pink person, but I will happily respect any person's commitment to color. The inside of this skirt is just so cute. A great way to spice up a boring white dress.

from weddinggawker.com/?s=harry+potter

20. Harry Potter Engagement Pictures. This is sooooo good. This is why you can't spend too much time on blogs after a decision is done and over with. How do you live with yourself when you realize that you didn't think of a Harry Potter themed engagement shoot? 

from www.pinterest.com/ugotj/baby-shower-ideas/‎

21. Fruit Monster-  I love this guy. Way better than your regular fruit display. The three eyes and strawberry ears are my favorite part.

from www.pinterest.com/coffeehit/wood/‎

22. These signs. I like the mix of fonts and colors on this particular one. 

from www.pinterest.com/smorey10/late-night-wedding-snacks/‎

23. I know I used these before, but they are so cute! You have to appreciate cinammon roll lollipops! (its funny that cinamon rolls came up twice in one post!)

from ruffledblog.com/handcrafted-saskatchewan-wedding/

24. A beautiful Prego bridesmaid! I mean, I have a couple pregos in the mix, and i love the look they did for this girl! I just want them to feel cute too!

from www.chicagoillinoisweddingphotography.com/

25. I go back and forth on loving this and thinking like it looks like a sea of hung up used tissues.My Dad's dog would love it! 

from indulgy.com/post/FKWaFJZFT1/up-fingerprint-guestbook

26. These guestbooks- Probably the Boy's favorite thing we got for the whole wedding. It's very cute!

from etsy.com

27. Brides with Bettie Page bangs. I miss my blunt bangs, but I hear having them for your wedding leads to all kinds of annoyances and such.  Still, this girl looks adorable.

from www.pinterest.com/nannasoozanna/the-groom-and-his-men/

28. Suspenders!  I love them, I love this picture, and I love the commitment of the two guys on the left.

from ruffledblog.com/coral-savannah-wedding/

29. Polka dot bridesmaid dresses- I love some pattern. In Pam and Carlo's wedding, we wore black and white patterned dresses and they were so cute. People shouldn't be afraid of patterns!

from www.pinterest.com/duvadesigns/‎

30. Quilting details. So pretty!

from www.etsy.com/blog/en/2012/featured-shop-sibo-designs/‎

 31. This veil. Just beautiful!

Alright people!! We only have 31 days to go!! It's almost the end of Wedding Wednesday!

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