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4 Tips for Saving Green while Celebrating Green
this Valentine's Day
Renton, Washington-February 10, 2009-Despite economic woes, no one needs to give up on lovin' their love or their Mother (Earth) this year.
In their book Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, mother-daughter team, Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson, offer dozens of tips for creating a more earth-friendly, no-cost, day of love on February 14th.
Here are four. For many more, check out, www.CelebrateGreen.net or www.CelebrateGreen.net/blog.
�        Cards. Make cards filled with meaning that cost nothing by repurposing items from around the house. Paper added to the lenses on an old pair of glasses can carry the message, "It's clear I love you." Or how about tagging a pair of scissors with the line, "Nothing will ever tear us apart." Fill a basket with these kinds of objects and the object of your love will remember it forever.
�        Flowers. Anyone can go out and buy flowers, but a hand-gathered bouquet from nature? This truly shows your beloved the depth of your feelings. Unless you live where fresh flowers bloom even in February, on first glance, the pickings probably appear slim. But nature is beautiful even in winter. Step outside and take a good look. Do you see branches laden with bright berries? Red twig dogwood's handsome stems? Are there a few buds showing signs of spring? Gather what appeals to you (be sure it's legal to do so). Then take a page from Japanese flower arranging, ikebana, and choose a few items to arrange artfully in a vase or beautiful glass you already own. Pen a few sweet words and you've created a gift far more valuable than any you could purchase.
�        Jewelry. Handmade jewelry doesn't have to be difficult to make or cost even a penny. Craft hip bracelets and necklaces from the pages of her favorite magazines. Get goopy together and create charms from papier mache. A family heirloom like a baby spoon can be bent to fit around a chain she already has. Check the internet for instructions on these simple, no cost projects.
�        Candy and cookies. Candy or cookie making together generates good humor and a lot more heat than comes from the oven, if you get our drift. Give it a try using organic, fair trade ingredients. Baking not your thing? Here's the secret to a really inexpensive, but wildly sweet, Valentine's Day. Buy the best organic, fair trade chocolate you can afford, but not a huge box. Instead, select just one heart and present it beautifully. For instance, place it on a glass plate or in a small silvery bowl. Then split the gift between you and your love, savor it slowly with eyes closed and create a tasteful memory that will last.
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