She must confess, she feels a little hypocritical writing this post. Enviro Girl and her husband shun “Hallmark Holidays” like Valentine’s Day and Sweetest’s Day. They don’t even celebrate their anniversary with gifts–at best they enjoy a dinner out without their kids. But they’re the minority in their views on the holiday. According to Daily Finance, people will shell out $18.6 billion on tokens of their affection this Valentine’s Day.
How can you declare your love in a meaningful way and still keep it green? For starters, steer clear of those corner jewelry stores at your local mall. Diamonds may be forever, but you can find better quality gemstones at an antique store. You can purchase a unique piece of jewelry from a local artisan. Click here to learn more about reducing, reusing and recycling when giving the gift of jewelry.
Enviro Girl cannot advise enough how wonderful gifts of experience can be: certificates for a massage or other spa treatments, tickets to a play or sports event or concert, dinner at a fabulous restaurant. You can give your lover a great date with little cash and a lot of ingenuity by planning something entirely different: a candlelit snowshoe trek through the woods, a moonlit hike followed by a picnic dinner, a massage with organic oils and lotions, a serenade or hand written note of affection. You could serve up a home cooked meal of locally grown produce with a bottle of organic wine followed up with a classic romantic movie.
If you’re a traditionalist and feel uncomfortable giving anything other than flowers and chocolates, you can still be environmentally conscious about your choices. Organic Bouquet is an online retailer that sells flowers grown sustainably and organically while promoting fair and safe labor practices. Their prices look pretty comparable to conventional florists. Global Exchange advises where to buy fair trade chocolates. Otherwise, locally made chocolates boast great quality while supporting locally owned businesses. (Honey, if you’re reading this, Enviro Girl wouldn’t object to a box of chocolates from Wilmar Chocolates!)
Finally, you can find plenty of racier Valentine’s Day gifts that are gentle on the planet, such as your standard recycled leather whip or rechargeable personal massagers–click here while Enviro Girl composes her giggles. The Daily Green posted some excellent recommendations on sustainably produced lingerie–click here.
Whatever your mood, level of intimacy or budget, there are greener gift choices for Valentine’s Day. Tell us, reader, how do you want your lover to go green this year?
The pressure began after Christmas–the commercials urging men to buy their loved ones diamonds, jewelry, stuffed animals with cute sayings embroidered on red satin hearts. Enviro Girl appreciates the sentiment behind Valentine’s Day, but she’s hoping for a token of affection that she doesn’t have to dust. In short, love her, baby, but love her with less stuff. Here’s a short list of Valentine’s Day gifts that would make any red-blooded woman feel weak in the knees: Continue reading 
