Valentines Day is just around the corner, which may mean romantic dates to couples and a lonely day for singletons. To me though it means another day to get creative, making stuff with the kids to give away to people close to our hearts – primarily their dad and grandparents.
I have to admit that the past Valentines Days I have been less than eco-conscious. I’ve given away mushy store-bought cards, had my son color a simple card made from fresh white paper, and also completely forgotten the date. What I have neglected to do for ALL the Valentines days that have come and gone was consciously come up with gifts and cards that promote environmentalism. I’ve been very conscious about being more eco-friendly during Christmas and New Year, wrapping gifts using glossy old magazines, but I just never did something special for Valentines Day. This year, I vow to do something about that.
Here are some of my ideas on how I can be more eco-friendly this Valentines Day. Hopefully you can borrow some of these:
- Send e-cards – I know some of you think that e-cards are not that romantic, but if you send personalized e-cards, the kind that you yourself make using Photoshop or some other e-card creator instead of just entering your name in the blank fields, then it can be just as special. Plus you get to save on paper and ink. If you’ll be sending the cards via mail, you also get to cut back on your carbon footprint since you won’t be needing to transport anything.
- Re-use – If you don’t to give a boring e-card, get creative and reuse used stuff you can find at home for a unique Valentines Day card. This year, I’m planning on making a small family “doll set” from toilet paper rolls, leftover yarn, mismatched buttons, and colored pens. I won’t be using anything new. I’m hoping the set would look nice enough to make it to my husband’s office as perfect standees.
- Simplify – If you like to give flowers and chocolates during Valentines Day, reduce the amount of waste generated by going for simple bouquets that make use of less tissue and plastic. Opt for more simple, yet still tasteful bouquets that tie the flowers together with a single ribbon.
- Buy green – If you are going to buy some gifts, make sure you go for green products. This means products that use recycled materials, as well as organic products.
How about you? What are your plans to make this Valentines Day more earth friendly?
Image via Mothering