Valentine’s Day Tips for the Eco-Minded

 

Looking for eco-minded Valentine’s Day tips? Well, you’ve come to the right place.

Now, I’m sure most of you realize Valentine’s Day has become highly commercialized, especially by greeting card companies, jewelers, flower companies, chocolate/candy companies and others. Fortunately, as a consumer, you don’t have to agree spend your money on an over-priced bouquet of flowers, a brand new necklace or a box of chocolates filled with heavy metals.

If you have an urge to give a “traditional” Valentine’s gift, try opting for a potted plant or herb your loved one can replant and enjoy for months to come. Check out your local thrift store or vintage bouquet for a unique piece of jewelry or a classic timepiece. If you’re set on gifting chocolates, at the very least give organic, non-GMO, fair trade chocolates.

Please note, this page contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links. 

DIY A SPECIAL EVENING

Another option, if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly activity is to DIY a special evening for you and the one you love. The nice thing is, you can do any of these with friends or family, too. Valentine’s Day should be about spending time with those you love, whether it be a spouse, a family member or a friend.

Create an At-home spa

Looking for a low-key, romantic activity to do with the one you love this Valentine’s Day. How about creating an at-home spa? You can make an all-natural scrub with your loved one’s favorite scent (using sugar, organic coconut oil and your essential oil of choice), make an eco-friendly face mask with non-toxic ingredients or draw a bath with natural magnesium bath flakes.

Prepare a dinner from scratch

Another nice, DIY Valentine’s Day evening can be preparing a dinner from scratch. You are probably well aware of what your loved one likes to eat and what they don’t. So, instead of going out to a restaurant, where you’ll likely end up dealing with lots of crowds and spending a lot of money, make something at home you’ll both love.

The nice thing about preparing a dinner from scratch is you know exactly what ingredients go into your dishes and can keep out those ingredients you don’t want. You can make an all-organic meal, a vegan meal, a vegetarian meal or whatever suits your taste.

Go for a nature walk

Valentine’s Day activities don’t have to take up the entire day or evening. In fact, going for a nature walk is a simple, eco-minded activity to do with friends, family or a loved one at any time of day. While on your walk, take some time to catch up, talk and reconnect. It’s okay to take pictures of yourselves and the beautiful sights you see, but focus on this being a bonding time. Make it something special between you two.

Spend some time under the stars

The same holds true if you want to plan a night under the stars. Make it a time where you and your loved one(s) can relax, reconnect and simply enjoy each other’s company. Whether you want to sit out on your back porch, put a blanket down in the yard where you can have dessert and drinks or camp out under the stars, let the stars be your decorations and the evening be focused on the two of you.

HOST a game night

Although a game night may not be a “traditional” Valentine’s Day activity, it can be a lot of fun. You can invite other couples to join you, ask a group of friends over or spend the evening with family. Guests can either bring a game of their own choosing or you can plan a full-blown game night using your games. You can have board games, trivia games, card games or whatever suits your taste. The whole idea is to spend time enjoying each other’s company.

Gift experiences

In addition to the above eco-minded ideas, another idea this Valentine’s Day is to gift an experience to the one you love. The nice thing about an experience it’s all about the memories being made. It isn’t as much about a physical gift as it is about spending time with your friend or loved one and making a new memory together. You can do this in many ways…

Attend a Cooking Class

A cooking class is an activity almost anyone will enjoy. The nice thing about a cooking class is not only do you get to spend time with your loved one, but you get to make and eat some tasty food. You’ll also be able to take what you learn and use it at home from then on out.

There are cooking classes geared towards French cuisine, Italian cuisine, Asian cuisine, vegetarian cuisine, pastries, bread-making, baking and so much more.

If you go to a class about making pasta from scratch, then you’ll be able to make pasta from scratch at home. This can be extremely beneficial as it can save you money and help you eat healthier. The more you can prepare meals at home, the less you’ll have to eat out. You can also tailor your meals to your exact likings and to include the fresh, organic ingredients you want to include.

Go on a bike tour around the city

Another experience you can book is a bike tour around the city. Los Angeles, for example, has a number of bike tours available to visitors and residents alike. You can book an e-bike tour, a rail bike guided tour, a full city tour and more. Even if you don’t own a bike, you can pick a tour where the bike is included in your costs.

Find a city tour your loved one would like and then, enjoy spending the day with them riding around the city and soaking in a little history at the same time.

Participate in an eco-art workshop

An eco-art workshop or event is a truly unique, eco-minded experience you can do with a loved one. Many cities have these types of events. Most are geared towards getting people to tap into their creativity and bring out their artistic side, but in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner. Some eco-art workshops or events may include a:

• Recycle Art Workshop – where you take old, unwanted or discarded items and transform them into art.
• Eco-Painting Class – instead of using “traditional” paints and canvas, you create your painting using non-toxic, eco-friendly paints and sustainable canvas alternatives.
• Natural Dyeing Workshop – you can learn how to dye materials and fabrics using all-natural ingredients.
• Upcycling Class – have you ever been interested in upcycling, but didn’t know how to get started? A class like this can help you learn how to repurpose and reuse items you have in your home through upcycling.
• Green Pottery Making Event – This type of event is perfect for anyone interested in pottery, but not interested in using toxic, harmful materials. You’ll be able to make a piece of green pottery using recycled clay and environmentally-friendly glazes.

eco-minded holidays

While we live in a digital age now, it’s important to be aware of the planet and our impact on it, but it’s also important to stay connected to the people we love. Planning eco-minded holidays is a perfect way to do both.