As another way of celebrating our first anniversary, Jennifer and I are compiling our fave posts of the past year. As many of you longtime readers know, I joined Tree Hugging Family in February. So, while I haven’t been here the entire year, I’ve at least been a Tree Hugging Family reader for that long.

It’s been a wonderful experience.  I have the dedicated community here to thank for that. And, of course, my fun green co-blogger Jennifer who got this blog off to such a great start and keeps it going that way.

Here are my 12 favorite posts of the last year. They don’t belong to a particular month. I jumped around the categories a bit. We write so much, it was difficult to choose. So, please chime in if I’ve left out your favorite post! :  )

Candied Flowers — I love both flowers and candy, so this idea is just awesome to me. Thanks to Jennifer for putting the directions together for us.

Hug This Tree: The Chocolate Tree — That’s right. I’ve been fascinated with cacao for years now. I just adore the sound of the word, and the taste of chocolate. Yum.

Moving on from the sweet theme . . .

Used for the New Year — This was my very first post for Tree Hugging Family. I was a guest blogger then. If you missed it, please ponder just what’s so wrong with “used.”

CleanWell’s Kid-Safe Hand Cleaning Products — This one may seem strange, but I loved receiving CleanWell to review. While I decided not to purchase the soap, I’m on my third installment of the natural hand sanitizing spray.

Hug This Animal: Bonobo — Of course, the bonobo is my favorite primate. I think. I really like them all, but if I had to pick in a pinch I’d say I admire the bonobo best. And we still have a lot of work left to do to protect them.

One Small Step: Please Don’t Feed the Animals — I want to say this to the “crazy duck lady” who empties out bags of bread each day, but I don’t have the heart.

Green Wedding Idea: Wedding Cake Toppers — I’m not a huge fan of weddings, but I found these cake toppers to be very redeeming! And cute. Too cute.

Meatless Meals: How to Cook Everything Vegetarian — Well, I still think this cookbook rocks, so by extension, I like this post as well. I need to make naked tamales again soon!

Green Book Review: Big Green Purse — My favorite green book of the year!

Cats and Climate Change: Greening Feral Cats Too — Don’t forget the feral kitties.

Biodegradable Resting Spots — Sounds morbid, but it’s important to think about.

Eco-Friendly Birthday Theme Cakes — Jennifer picks her favorites, beautiful! And interesting.

What are your favorite Tree Hugging Family posts?

Image via Weddingbee.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in September 2008

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Go organic.

There; two words. That’s not a post. When it comes to the cake, you’ll simply have to make it, or have it made, with organic ingredients. If you have it made, you’ll simply need to search out a local bakery that will go organic.

Since cakes are out, I thought hey, let’s look at cake toppers!

Your best bets for green cake toppers include:

• Seek out a company that makes eco toppers (rare).
• Buy something for a topper that you’ll love to look at forever, not simply store away.
• Make it yourself out of green or recycled materials.
• Use fresh flowers or herbs, leaves, etc., only – stuff that will compost.
• Use candy. Eat the topper.
• Have pie instead

Here are some ideas:

Robot Bride and Groom Wedding Cake Topper Wood Statues with Base – this is too cute and unique. You could keep this out and look at it all year. More choices available.

Adorable bird cake toppers – made with mostly vintage and antique fabrics and garments. Currently artist Ann Wood is out of these toppers, but if you sign up on her mailing list, you can learn when more are coming. Go see all of the different styles she’s made!

Max Kitano of Sugarworks, LLC was making amazing sugar art that would look fabulous on a cake. I wrote about his work at another blog of mine, and he actually sent me one of his sugar Origami Cranes and it was beautiful – it looked just like glass. Now to save breaking he’s using casting resin, for wedding cranes, which makes his cranes break proof, and thus not stress inducing if you’re getting married. These resin cranes last forever, and are perfect for a cake topper and available in all sorts of color choices. Actually, Sugarworks offers an entire page of wedding favors as well.

DIY Cake Topper – cutest topper ever! Made partially with scraps from the bride’s dress alteration. I LOVE these. Click the image to see the entire topper.

Do you have any other ideas?

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in June 2008

Post from: Tree Hugging Family