7 Ideas for a Sexy, Sustainable Valentine’s Day
There are far more memorable ways to express your love than with paper Valentines and candy hearts.
Couples and kids around the globe are starting a new love tradition for Valentine’s Day, by expressing their love for Mother Earth as part of the celebration. It’s pretty easy, with the upside that when we form strong soul bonds with our beloved and our community, we enjoy greater, and truer, love.
That is exactly what happened to the Tam family after a family trip to the Sacred Valley in Peru a few years ago (#7 on the list). As a result of that adventure, Jada, her soul-mate Alvin and their son Satori have made a bold move from one of the least sustainable cities in the United States (Las Vegas) to a remote region of British Columbia where they are “walking the talk and learning how to live with less of the external and more of the internal.” According to Jada Tam, “This Valentine’s Day, we gift each other a sacred slice of the forest. Earth and soul partnerships pave the way for our child and the spirit seekers who wish to commune with Earth Mother in all her divinity.”
If that sounds a little too bold (or airy-fairy) for you at this time in your life, never fear! Even the most ardent urban-dweller can have a romantic, fun, green V-day celebration, particularly if the standard scissors, paper, glue, flowers and chocolate seem a bit rote. Meaningful, soul-centered connections forge the strongest bonds and add an epic tint to your holiday that pulsates even more vibrantly in memory. Thinking outside the box (of paper hearts) could make this February 14, 2017 the one that you’ll remember forever!
7 Ideas for a Sexy, Sustainable Valentine’s Day
1. Picnic Adventure
Picnic in the park. Swim in the ocean. Hike in nature. Ski. Get outdoors with the added awareness that the very outdoors that we enjoy is a magical mystery tour created by Mother Nature. Added upside: A picnic is a lot more personal (and affordable) than being packed into a restaurant and overpaying for the fare. If you ride a bike to get there, you might even have some serendipitous moments that you overlook when you’re insulated in a car.
2. Candlelit, Organic Dinner
If you are headed to a romantic dinner, take it one step further. Choose an organic restaurant that you can walk, take the train, or ride a bike to. Dine by candlelight (or LED candles). Why? Lighting (and all electricity) is still 67% powered by fossil fuels (source: EIA.gov). Most cars are fueled by gasoline. Agriculture is responsible for roughly 10% of annual carbon emissions. “Organic farming practices are based on nutrient-recycling and do not rely upon synthetic chemical pesticides,” Professor Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University reminds us. Doing away with gas-powered transportation, fossil-fuel fired electricity and conventionally grown agriculture eliminates up to 90% of the toxins in our water, air, soil and food (source: EIA.gov).
3. Lover’s Lane
Test drive a Tesla. Teslas are not just the sexiest electric vehicle on the planet — they are the sexiest cars on the planet. Teslas are faster than Porsches and achieved the highest Consumer Reports ratings ever. You’ll be amazed at just how fun these cars are, how large the tax credit is and how much you can save each year on gasoline (typically thousands), particularly when you power your EV with your own solar. The S sedan might be out of reach, however, Tesla is taking advance reservations on their more affordable Model 3. There are a host of other EVs that, while not as spectacular as the Teslas, offer zero emissions and thousands of dollars of savings each year that you don’t spend filling up the tank with gas.
4. Seeds of Love
Instead of wearing your wrist out writing Valentines for every child in school, why not take the kids out of the classroom and get their hands dirty. Organize with other parents to put in a classroom garden box somewhere on the schoolyard. Perhaps every child could plant her own favorite seeds or seedlings for Valentine’s Day. The grins will last for weeks, as they watch their seeds grow into fruits and vegetables! Help the kids personalize and share their own Valentine’s mini fruit tartlets, which are much more delicious and nutritious than sugar candy. Get ideas from garden experts Ron Finley and Green Our Planet.
5. Sustainable Romantic Getaway
A few weeks ago, I featured North America’s first carbon-neutral resort — Two Bunch Palms. Why not “sort” for hotels and resorts that are taking the lead in sustainability, by powering with solar, recycling, using LED lighting, offering bikes and car service, etc.? From the Ambrose Hotel in Santa Monica, California, to the Ritz-Carlton in Denver, Colorado, to Mandalay Bay and Harvest (Bellagio) on the Las Vegas Strip, there are many great, green romantic getaways.
6. Single’s Love Your Neighbor Party
Are you alone this Valentine’s Day? Why not turn it into a Love Your Neighbor event for a school or community in need? You might be surprised at who turns up to support you (your next sacred beloved?)! Whether it is personal hygiene bags for the homeless, garden plots at a local high school, picture books for a preschool or a Habitat for Humanity home, surrounding yourself in service, is a great way to feel the love.
7. Soul’s Journey
Jada and Alvin Tam were inspired to make the move from Vegas to the BC wilderness after an extended visit to Peru. Yes, flying is not a sustainable activity, as planes are gas guzzlers. However, if taking a soul’s journey into a remote region of the world that you’ve always wanted to visit inspires quotidian changes that result in a carbon-neutral lifestyle forever, then it could be worth it. Planning an amazing bucket-list adventure would be a great Valentine’s gift! Consider joining Jada and Alvin at their July 1–8, 2017 Wilderness Yoga Retreat in British Columbia. Go to Workshops at BarefootSanctuary.com to learn more.
Getting creative for Valentine’s Day could make this year one you’ll treasure forever.
Get more ideas for sustainable lifestyle shifts in the free, picturesque Earth Gratitude mini ebooks at EarthGratitude.org. Be sure to share your Sexy, Sustainable Valentine’s Celebration using the hash tag #EarthGratitude, so that we can all be inspired by you!
And here are a few more pictures shared by Jada and Alvin Tam to inspired you!
