Enjoy the outdoors – For Valentine’s Day, in lieu of buying a gift, plan a trip to a park or nature area to enjoy the great outdoors.
Make homemade goodies– Instead of buying a box of chocolates, why not make your own homemade sweets? If you want valentine packaging, find a reusable container, or decorate a shoebox.
Eat locally grown food– Try a restaurant that offers locally grown or organic food. Better yet, cook your own romantic dinner.
Consider a potted plant – Even better than cut flowers, why not give a plant that will last longer than a week? There are plenty of pretty house plants that have pink or purple foliage.
Cut down on waste when wrapping gifts – If you have purchased a gift, do your part by skipping the wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, sticky tape and more. As pretty as it looks, you know most of it ends up in the trash afterwards, so take the time to get creative instead. Opt for recyclable alternatives such as brown paper bags, pages of old books, old fabrics you may have lying around, natural jute twine, or even putting your money towards a reusable bag which will come in handy when they go grocery shopping. Remember, it’s the effort and thought that counts.