sustainable is romantic

Am I the only one who feels like Valentine's Day is an afterthought to Mardi Gras this year? I'm way more excited for parades! But nevertheless, Valentine's Day is coming up quickly, and whether you've got a snuggle buddy or you're flying free, you can celebrate in eco-friendly style!

Gifts

Look to sustainable companies and products (check out this starter list on my Resources page), or go local and choose something unique. A gift with local flair is sure to be a hit.

This Acadian flag necklace from Lafayette and New Orleans shop Red Arrow Workshop or Acadian flag shirt from Parish Ink are both great gift ideas.

Get creative or peruse Pinterest and upcycle some household materials into a unique handmade gift, such as decorative wine bottle vases. Go for something less material with a Spotify mix of special-to-you songs. And it doesn't have to be cheeseball love songs! Do y'all like to dance around the bedroom on the weekends to Rihanna? Clean the house to a soundtrack of Metallica? I won't judge! Everyone's got their secret weird couple quirks. Put those songs in the mix!

Make "coupons" for each other promising you'll do nice things for the other person, such as washing their car, handling the laundry for them, or taking the children for a few hours while they get to pamper themselves. (I'll keep it G-rated around here!)

Chocolate, flowers and wine

Go for organic and fair trade dark chocolate over the 99 cent mystery mix in a heart-shaped box. Dagoba is one brand, but there are lots of different brands, and the chocolate comes in many different flavors. Organic chocolate is produced without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. How romantic!! Fair-trade chocolate ensures that the field workers and producers earn a fair wage for their work. The Fair Trade Federation judges whether products are fair trade or not. You can find organic and fair-trade chocolate at many specialty grocery stores, World Market and Whole Foods.

Organic dark chocolate and vegan-friendly wine from Whole Foods

Choose a wine from a sustainable vineyard, like my favorite Fetzer wines, or an organic or vegan-friendly wine (you can find them at Whole Foods, along with specialty wine shops). Some wine also comes in Eco-Glass bottles, which are made with 25% less glass than standard bottles. These bottles have numerous benefits: There is less glass used to hold the wine in general, and the lighter bottles create lighter shipments, saving the transport and delivery trucks on fuel. But they are still strong enough to handle the job of holding wine!

Whole Foods eco-friendly wine section

 
If you're going the flower route, choose a local florist, or pick your own flowers if possible. Root Floral Design is a great Lafayette florist known for gorgeous wedding arrangements. They are also doing Valentine's arrangements this year, and you still have time to get your order in! Flowers range from $40 to $135 and you can get more information and place your order by emailing Mia, the owner. But don't wait too long!

Courtesy: Root Floral Design Instagram

If you pick your own, I am obligated to discourage you from going into your neighbor's garden! Unless you're friendly with them and they give you permission. Then it's cool. You can also look into buying flower bulbs, or even herb seedlings, that can be planted for months of beauty.

Plans

Take your special person out to dinner at a locally owned restaurant that uses fresh, local ingredients. Or better yet, create your own dinner! Visit the farmer's market together on Saturday morning and pick out ingredients to make your own special dish. A quiet dinner also means your car can stay parked in the driveway, saving you a long wait time at a restaurant, and the gas to get there.

If you're celebrating Galentine's or...Brolentine's Day (er, whatever the guy version of Galentine's is —wait—GUYLENTINE'S! A-HA! ...I'll stop now.), you can still pick a local restaurant or bar and meet up with friends and shit-talk all the shmoopy couples.

So, however you spend your Valentine's Day, make it greener! Rule of thumb? Choose minimal waste, choose reusable and choose local!