Low-waste Valentine’s Day Guide
This year's Valentine's Day is going to look a little different with some provinces in lock down. Still, it is possible to show yourself or your partner some love. It doesn’t have to cost you or the environment much, either! Florence runs down some fun activities to try on the 14th .
Valentine's day is...polarizing, to say the least. Some people love it, some hate it. Whether you love it or hate it is often perceived to be tied to your relationship status. I really love it, and have started loving it when I was single. It's not because I'm a hopeless romantic - I think it's a really cool thing to have a day dedicated to love. Perhaps my only gripe would be that the day centers on romantic love, whereas the love of family and friendships is devalued and seen as something not worth celebrating. I will be taking some time out of this year's Valentine's day to thank my nearest and dearest for getting me through lock down and beyond. You can, too, whether that means getting together (if restrictions permit it) or simply sending an e-Valentine's day card.
I have a few suggestions for how to make this year's Valentine's day extra-special, extra low-cost and extra low-waste. Here they are:
With yourself: Why not take a well-earned break from the screen and read a book? You’ve earned it! Here’s my environmental reading list from last year, though you might be more interested in reading a romance on Valentine’s day! Right now I’m reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and I like it! It’s an easy read, quite steamy sometimes and LGBTQ+ friendly! If you’re looking to read an anti-romance (hey, we've all been there!) I can recommend Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler. The title is self-explanatory.
With a partner:
Take the love languages quiz! There are five different love languages according to Gary Chapman. Even if you don’t totally believe in them, it can’t hurt to find out how your partner shows their love. Knowing their love language makes it easier to show your love in a way that they can understand! Plus, it’s a great way to *hint* to your partner that you want more gifts, cuddles, words of affirmation, whatever!
Whether you're with yourself or with a partner, take these extraordinary circumstances as a chance to dress comfortably! What maximum comfort means to you is such a personal thing, but now would be a great time to bust out your comfiest PJ's or that tie dye sweatsuit that so many of us bought in March 2020...
With yourself:
Pampering time! Luckily, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on packaged self-care products - look through our DIY self-care recipe book and try a recipe that you can make with ingredients you probably already have! Pamper yourself further with some tunes (or a great podcast) and some of your favorite snacks.
With a partner:
Do you know how to give a proper massage? With COVID-19, many of us can’t go for a romantic couple’s massage. Even in my home province, where COVID regulations allow for spa visits, couple’s massages are booked MONTHS in advance. Not to mention they cost some dosh. All that to say, why not take turns giving massages at home this year? Get some lotion or oils and try your hand at being a masseuse. (If you are receiving a massage, it’s probably good to at least offer to reciprocate!) Worst case scenario, you’re not great at it and you can both laugh about it. Whenever I ask my boyfriend for a massage (still waiting on that one!) we reference this sketch up there.
Something we can all do this year is indulge in a wonderful meal.
Here is my three course Valentine’s day menu:
Appetizer: Kale salad (Serves two)
Ingredients:
-1 bunch of kale
-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-Nutritional yeast (as needed!)
-Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and dry your kale. Tear into bite sized pieces.
Whisk together 2 tbsp of olive oil with 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
Add olive oil and lemon juice to a bowl with the kale. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Massage (!) your kale. Please, for Pete's sake massage your kale for at least five minutes.
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Massage for a few minutes more.
Wolf it down because it's so tasty.
Main: Stuffed squash
Dessert: Baked pears (and lots of chocolates please!)
How are you spending your Valentine's day? Tag us in your pictures if you happen to take one on Valentine's day - I'd love to see your hacks!
Florence is on her Co-op work term working from home. She's recently adopted an elderly cat, Lucy, and is taking time to get to know her new roommate. When Florence isn't giving Lucy lots of head pats, you can find her trying lots of new workout classes in Halifax. Follow her journey on @nightingale.gal!