On February 14th 2008, Valentines Day rolls along beckoning us Green Girls (and Guys) to wonder how we can celebrate a holiday meant to embody the spirit of LOVE without necessarily feeding into the consumerist frenzy.

So I thought I’d write my first piece for Green Girls Global about ways to Green our Valentines Day celebrations with the true intention of celebrating our LOVE not only for our sweethearts, but also for Mother Earth. As a Green-solutions based Consultant and Holistic Health & Wellness Counselor for Eco Umbrella, here are some wonderful tips I’ve come up with for your green and gorgeous selves:

1. What’s Valentine’s Day without FLOWERS, right? Well, how about planting some lovely potted flowers in your yard with your honey instead of buying a bouquet. Or better yet, plant a tree together in honor of your love for each other (and mother earth) and watch it grow each year, change with the seasons, and grow some roots. If you must buy flowers, however, I’ve got a list of lovely florists that grow the ORGANIC kind – a much better alternative for the earth and your loved one. Just email me at KSurla@EcoUmbrella.com and I’d be happy to suggest some. Go for the local and organic kind if you can!

2. CHOCOLATE – a dear friend once told me that chocolate might be one of the best things about Valentines. I don’t know if I necessarily agree, but it has been part of the “tradition” as far back as I can recall. So what can you do? Give some lovely hints about how Organic Chocolate is the way to go both for the taste and overall impact on the environment. Fair Trade and Organic Chocolate is even better! Some yummy brands I’ve sampled are Seeds of Change which gives 1% of net sales to “advance the cause of sustainable organic agriculture worldwide”; Divine, which is Fair Trade Certified using Fair Trade Cocoa from a cooperative of “smallholder farms in Ghana”; and Travel Chocolate which is both Organic and Fair Trade. I picked some of these up from the most recent Green Festival in San Francisco.

3. So now we head to the ROMANTIC Candle-lit Dinner. Instead of going to an overpriced fancy shmancy restaurant, I suggest staying in and cooking a lovely organic meal together. If you’re a Green Girl with a garden, use some of the lovely fruits, vegetable and herbs you’ve been growing. Pick them off together, wash them together, cut & dice and slice them together and prepare a lovely romantic, personal and (soy-based) candle-lit dinner in the wonderful privacy of your own home. Who can resist an organic, home cooked, prepared-with-love meal? Food is the key to many hearts, including mine – especially the aforementioned kind.

4. But if you can’t cook, then make a lovely date and go to a local farmers market to pick out some fresh produce, lovely fresh baked breads, and some gourmet dishes straight from the local farms that may make their own cheeses from happy and free roaming cows & sheep. Try out some new organic produce that you’ve never had a chance to taste and share. Create your own lovely picnic basket fresh from the farmers market.

5. After a stroll through the local farmers market, take a bike ride or walk to a local park, beach, or desert – whatever lovely nature spot tickles your fancy - and have a romantic picnic. Bring your own re-useable utensils from home and enjoy each other’s company in nature – a wonderful way to celebrate with Mother Earth herself.

6. So I’ve covered the flowers, chocolate, romantic dinner and food as well as some potential locations out in nature, so let’s get to the best tip of all, and my most favorite…. – for the non-conformist in all of us, why not make Valentines a celebration with friends, family and loved ones instead. Sometimes its not just about the two of you, but about the community around you – so incorporate some of the tips from above and make Valentines a festive gathering of your most beloved. Invite your friends to celebrate Valentines with you together out on the beach or go for a picnic. Share the LOVE and maybe even make it a Tree Planting Valentines gathering to give a little back to Mother Earth herself. Make love with each other. Be love. Give love.

I hope you have a fabulous Valentine’s day in 2008!