Sustainable Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Are you waiting around for someone to take you out to do something special this Valentine’s day? Well, don’t! Who says you have to have a romantic partner to experience Valentine’s Day with. Come on, it’s 2020! Treat yourself or celebrate Valentine’s day with a bunch of your friends.

I hope these 10 ideas spruce up your Valentine’s Day and make it a little more special. You don’t need a day to remind you to tell your loved ones how much you care and appreciate them. You should let them know on a daily basis. Don’t forget to call your family and let your friends know how much they mean to you. Remember, love is love and everyone deserves to be happy and to know that they are loved by someone. 

Here are sustainable Valentine’s Day options that’ll make your day a little brighter.

 

1. Book a Couple’s Massage

Book a massage at a local spa and sit back, unwind and relax. There’s nothing better than gifting self-care to the person you love, and also yourself while you’re at it!

 

2. Bake Some Sweet Treats

Don’t buy overpriced packaged treats. Instead, make a night out of baking your own goodies at home! Chocolate covered strawberries are super easy to make with minimal ingredients. Another favorite is fudge brownies. Throw in some cute Valentine’s sprinkles while you’re at it. The best part? Taste-testing! 

 

3. Take a Class Together

I don’t mean educational, I mean recreational! Everyone should have that one dish that they can make to impress guests. Take a cooking class and have a pro teach you how to make a great dish. Then next time, you’ve got a delicious meal in your arsenal. If you don’t want to do a cooking class, another great alternative is pottery or glass blowing class. 

 

4. A Home Cooked Meal

Pick something up at the local farmer’s market and make a meal for your partner, or make something together! You’ll connect and learn how to work as a team. In the end, you’ll have a delicious home-cooked meal!

 

5. Gift Plants

Instead of getting a bouquet of flowers that have been marked up for the occasion, give your partner a potted plant instead. With proper care, it can live longer than a bouquet of flowers and will look beautiful in your home. 

 

6. DIY Cards

Take some time out of your busy day to make your own card that shows your partner how you feel and what they mean to you. Hand-written notes are an underrated gesture. It’s perfect for your Valentine, Galentine, or Palentine! 

 

7. Upcycle Things 

Make a scrapbook with the things you have collected throughout your relationship. Give new life to little things like receipts and concert wristbands. Those movie tickets from your first year of dating? Add that into the scrapbook! 

 

8. Adopt an Animal

You can adopt a wild koala from the Koala Hospital of Port Macquarie, Australia. Now, you won’t be able to care for it as you would a puppy, but you can be confident that your contribution is giving the koala a better life. Funds go towards the rescue and treatment of sick and injured koalas who are rehabilitated until they are able to be released back into their home. 

 

9. Mix Tape (CD)

Step aside Spotify. Let’s go old school! For those of us who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, we remember putting our favorite songs on cassette tapes (both sides A and B), or CDs. I used to make tons of CDs for all of my different moods and then write the titles on the front with a marker. The gift is original, retro, and personal.

 

10. Fair Trade Chocolates

You didn’t think I was going to leave chocolates off the list, did you? For those of us who are obsessed with chocolate, this one is for you. Get fair trade chocolates. Chocolates that aren’t violating child labor laws, pay farmers a fair price and aren’t full of chemicals and GMOs.