Once the wedding & baby floodgates open, you'll hardly go a few months without attending some kind of shower for your gal pals. If you're the lady of honor at one of those soirees, it's always a good gesture to give the hostesses a little "thank you" gift to recognize their efforts on your special day.

Today, I helped host a tea for my best friend from college, my then-roommate Lee (photo at right - in the middle). We celebrated the upcoming birth of her baby boy.

It was -- by far -- the easiest shower I've ever co-hosted. We held it at a local tea room called La Tea Da's and one of the other hostesses set the menu. I just showed up, smiled and took photos!

After a wonderfully intimate (and delicious) lunch, the festivities ended. Our beautiful guest of honor gave us a humorous hostess gift that's also environmentally friendly: note paper made from elephant dung! I'm not poo-ing you, I'm serious! You can find it and other poo products at the online "poo-tique" of the Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company.

Besides saving the dung from the (ahem) dump, the company says its "wide range of fun products also contribute modestly to the welfare and conservation efforts for endangered elephants."

This is not only a thoughtful present (everybody can use some extra note paper!) but it's conversation starter. It's also a gift that's responsibly green.... or, um, poo brown.