Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your beloved, your kids or find ways to appreciate yourself (instead of being bitter that you may not be currently coupled), here are a few ideas to help create a healthy, green, thoughtful and low-stress Valentine’s Day. I’ve never been a big Valentine’s Day person, partly because my birthday is only 7 days later, so it has always been a kind of combo thing for me. My hubby and I have had fun getting creative over the years and found some fun things that don’t cost much, but can be quite meaningful.

1. Roses are Red, Chocolate is Yummy . . .
Are those roses fair trade? How far did they travel? Are they fair made, grown organically, sustainably responsibly? Is that chocolate organic and fair trade? If you don’t have a honey to send you flowers (or are unlikely to get them from your own honey), get your own favorite flowers!

• Learn more about Fair Made, Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate and Flowers from the Organic Consumers Association website.
• Florverde.org – find out where to buy responsibly grown flowers (and where they were actually grown!)
• California Organic Flowers – fresh, fair trade, certified organic flowers
• Organic Bouquet – fair trade certified organic flowers
• Listen to the Green Divas Sleeping Naked is Green 5-min podcast on Fair Trade 101

2. Skip the Card . . .
Can we get creative electronically? Or write love poems on our bodies or something? Lots of ways to send themessage without killing trees. If you don’t have anyone to send a love message to, take some time to imagine you are your own lover and send yourself a wonderful love note and appreciate who you are!

• Send FREE eCards from Care2 and learn about how you can get more involved in your favorite causes!

3. Keep it Local . . .
Really. Stay Home. Send the Kids out and stay home and make a romantic candle-lit dinner (soy candles, of course) at home. Visit your local markets and buy some sexy food (whatever that means to you) – for me it hopefully involves peanut butter pie or chocolate mousse. If you are normally home alone, don’t wallow in self-pity, indulge in super self-pampering behavior or take yourself out to the movies or to the bookstore.

• If you are home alone with your beloved, consider giving each other a nice massage. Make your own massage oil with marvelous organic essential oils, or try one of our favorites – Waleda Wild Rose Body Oil

4. Keep it Clean . . .
Instead of the daily solo power-shower, take a luxurious bath together (or shower if you don’t have a tub). When was the last time you did that? This of course, can be done solo and enjoyed almost as much (don’t forget nice candles)!

5. Including the Kids . . .
If you have wee ones that are just getting into the game, have fun making cards or little love tokens with them.

• Don’t forget to tell them (and remind yourself) that love and appreciation for each other shouldn’t be just one day a year!

6. Keep Your Memory Green . . .
Spend a little time with your loved one(s) and dialog about what you love and appreciate about each other, just focusing on all the things that brought you together in the first place. If you don’t currently have a mate, write in a journal and list all the things you love about yourself.

7. Get Outside and Play . . .
Nothing like a long walk in nature or in your neighborhood to stimulate healthy conversation and hopefully other stuff. Don’t forget to hold hands!

8. Get Creative . . .
One Mother’s Day, my daughters and I decided it would be fun to make vision boards together. A vision board is a collage of images, words, artwork, drawings that help to illustrate what you want to manifest. Why not try this with your honey, your family or for yourself this valentine’s day? The image on the left is the vision board I made that great Mother’s Day!

9. Get Sexy & Keep it Green . . . 
It may be a ‘Hallmark’ holiday, but it has become an opportunity to get saucy and spicy in a relationship as our daily lives can get a little bland. It can be good clean, green fun with a partner or all by yourself!

• GoodCleanLove.com – healthy body oils, personal lubricants, body candles +
• Ecouterre’s Green Guide 14 Eco-Friendly Lingerie Gifts 
• EdenFantasy.com – Green & Sexy Toys

photo credit: dccraftaholic128 via photopin