How to Have a Green Valentine’s Day Party

This Valentine's Day, why not have a green party? Valentine's Day can be such a wasteful holiday, with all the mass-produced paper cards, cheap teddy bears, unhealthy chocolates, cut flowers, and all kinds of trinkets. Counteract the mass-produced junk with your own "green" Valentine's Day. Here are some ideas.

Image via Wikipedia1. Instead of cut flowers, make paper roses and flowers. Use scrap paper. Used tissue paper, colorful magazine and catalogue pictures (why not flower pictures?), and other scrap paper can be made into flowers. You can give these homemade flowers as favors and use them as centerpieces and decorations. (Check back Friday for a how-to video!)

2. If you do want fresh flowers at your party, consider getting cut flowers from a local florist. Or use live flowers in pots. These also would make good favors in addition to decorations.

3. Send electronic Valentine cards and invitations to your party, or make your own from recycled paper.

4. Chocolate is traditional Valentine's fare, but instead of getting mass-produced "chocolate flavored" candies at the store, think of "greener" chocolates. Make your own chocolate fudge using fair trade cocoa and sugar, for instance. Or buy organic chocolates. Another option is to find a local chocolate maker and buy from them.

5. Make your party glow with natural, red soy candles.

6. If you must have confetti or glitters for the tables, use a hole-punch (you can get heart-shaped ones, too) to cut out colorful scrap paper into decorative shapes. Used wrapping paper, old Christmas cards, and magazines are good choices.

7. Serve organic, locally-grown foods and hand-make as much of the food as possible. You can make many dishes ahead and freeze them to make it easier. The point is avoiding pre-packaged, mass-produced foods.

8. Use washable tableware on a washable tablecloth.

9. Rather than serving beverages in individual cans and bottles, serve from a punch bowl or other large container. Use washable cups.

Valentine's day countdown (Photo credit: Julie K in Taiwan)10. Cloth napkins are another green touch for your party. You can easily make your own or buy them for very little - and they should last a long time - saving you another type of "green" as well!

11. Encourage your guests to carpool to your party to save fuel.

12. Have recycling bins handy for recyclable items. Guests should be able to easily tell what the bins are for and be able to get to them without difficulty.

By following these simple tips, you can have an eco-friendly Valentine's Day party that will be fun for all, and that you and your guests can feel good about too!  (And of course you can apply many of these tips to other holiday parties as well.)

Healthy & Holistic Valentine’s Day Ideas

The term "holistic" (or "wholistic") refers to the integrated interaction between the functioning parts of a whole. Valentine's Day is a wonderful time to embrace this concept - heart, mind, and body. Here are some ideas for a holistic Valentine's Day - one that's healthy for you AND the planet!

1. Go to a natural holistic spa for a treatment, or buy such a treatment for your significant other. You could also go to a holistic spa together. At a holistic spa, you will receive a massage of some sort - some spas offer Swedish massages or other specialties. Some spas offer beauty treatments and other pampering, romantic treatments.

Image via Wikipedia2. Organic chocolate is holistic and appropriate for this romantic holiday. Consider raw chocolate "nibs" or prepared organic chocolates.

3. Prepare a romantic meal for two with local, organic food. A holistic philosophy embraces humanity's connection to nature, and organic food, with its respect for natural methods and the environment, supports that idea.

4. Candles help set the mood on Valentine's Day, whether it's for a special meal or just time together. In keeping with the holistic theme, use soy candles that are more environmentally responsible and non-toxic.

5. Natural essential oils can help set the mood with pure scents that don't bring toxins into your home. Use these instead of artificially-scented candles or other synthetic smells.

6. Roses may be traditional gifts, but cut roses are rather wasteful. Give a live rose bush instead - the miniature, potted roses look very pretty and can be kept in a container or planted in the garden in the spring. Edible bouquets made of healthy fruit are another holistic option. And many people would like to receive a live plant as a gift - consider an indoor plant that will enhance air quality, or a tree seedling that can be planted in the spring.

7. Peaceful, romantic music is part of a holistic Valentine's celebration. Look for music that really sets the mood and encourages a natural, peaceful atmosphere.

8. Give your significant other some homemade beauty aids, like a salt scrub or flax seed hair gel (mix 1 tablespoon flax seeds with 1 cup water, microwave for 2 minutes, steep for at least an hour, then strain).

Image via Wikipedia9. Speaking of homemade, make your own Valentine's treats that are healthy and holistic. Dip strawberries in organic chocolate, make homemade fudge with organic cocoa and natural sugar, or bake a special cake or cookies with whole, organic ingredients. Make your own pink icing with natural ingredients (cream cheese, egg whites, whipped cream, pureed strawberries, etc.) to make it more festive AND healthy.

10. Purchase Valentine's cards made from recycled paper, or make your own. Get creative and use scrap paper, or make your own paper from old newspapers that have been shredded, soaked, and blended into pulp.

11. Have an eco-friendly Valentine's Day party - check back Wednesday for some great ideas on this!