Love the Earth – and Your Sweetie – This Valentines Day

0
2051
Rating :
(0 Votes )

This February 14th, you may be tempted to spend some serious dough on your darlings. According to a National Retail Federation survey, the average shopper is expected to spend $116 this Valentines Day – an 11-percent increase from last year!

This February 14th, you may be tempted to spend some serious dough on
your darlings. According to a National Retail Federation survey, the
average shopper is expected to spend $116 this Valentine’s Day — an
11-percent increase from last year!

You can go easier on your savings and the environment by
using a little ingenuity and elbow grease. Who wants another piece of
jewelry, anyway? (OK, we all do!) But we definitely don’t want
another greeting card that’s going to end up in the trash or buried
under a pile of papers. Try these easy ideas to make your V-Day a little
bit greener.

Valentine’s Crafts for Kids
Let your little ones
express their inner artists with a homemade Valentine’s vase. Find a
reusable jar, bottle or other vase-like container — for younger kids,
pick something shatterproof like a Pringles container. Choose a colorful
cotton sock that’s past its prime and cover your container. Tuck the
top of the sock in or let it scrunch up for a different effect; if your
vase has trouble standing up, cut the bottom of the sock off and glue it
to the container. For more sock-related gift ideas, check out The Lonely Sock Club: One Sock, Tons of Cool Projects by Laurie Goldrich Wolf. (Hint: This is a great way to use those heart-speckled socks you bought a few Valentine’s ago!)

Eco-friendly Flowers
A
plant is the gift that keeps on giving. Choosing a pretty potted plant
over the usual cut flowers is a better environmental decision. Pick one
up from your local farmers market rather than ordering it online —
you’ll cut down on your carbon footprint and you’ll be able to see your
gift in person before giving it to your sweetie. Make it every bit as
pretty as a dozen roses by wrapping it in eco-friendly paper and bows.

E-cards With a Plus
An
e-card is already better for our earth than the paper version. But you
can enhance the give-back nature of your greeting even more with
electronic cards from organizations like The Hunger Site . Choose a “Fund a Free Meal” e-card, and your cute and caring gesture will also provide a meal for a hungry person in need.

Handmade Valentine’s Cards
If
e-cards aren’t your thing, a handmade Valentine’s Day card can be a
loving gesture — even if you’re way past your arts-and-crafts prime.
Not sure where to start? First, source the right — and recycled, of
course — materials, then supplement them with supplies from your local
craft store.

Green crafting expert Sandy Sandler likes to use leftover cardboard.
“For the outer base layer of your card, expose the center of corrugated
cardboard — this creates an edgy and chic look,” she says. “Then layer
torn handmade paper on the front and inside of the card. When handmade
paper is torn, fibers are revealed and it creates a soft feeling perfect
for Valentine’s Day.” Next, decorate your card with bright buttons or
extra fabric you have lying around (bridesmaid swatches, anyone?). For
more green V-Day crafting ideas, visit Sandler’s blog.

Modernized Mix Tapes
Bring your old-school
musical mix technique into the modern world — your crush loved it in
the 7th grade, and your honey will still love it today! Grab his iPod
and download the newest album from his favorite artist, treat him to a
funny or interesting Podcast, or create a playlist of romantic songs.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

SHARE
Previous article8 Steps to Boost Your Childs Immunity
Next articleI always have trouble sleeping when I travel. Any tips?
Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”