I’m working to downsize our home and our lives, of possessions, things, ‘stuff’ and ultimately clutter. But just because we want to move away from owning tangible things, doesn’t necessarily mean we want to stop celebrating certain holidays that typically involve a gift exchange, like Valentine’s Day (which incidentally, is the second most celebrated holiday around the world, chasing just on the heels of New Years Day: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day).

So this year, when it’s time to celebrate our cuddly cherub friend Cupid with love, instead of gifting boxes of chocolate wrapped in cellophane and overly-perfect red long stemmed roses, we are giving the gift of ‘green’. After all, haven’t you heard, that ‘green is the new red’…?!?

Here are some green gift ideas that are fun to give, without creating more things to dust or deal with.

Services:
Massages are great green gift ideas. Find a spa service in your area that uses environmentally safe and responsible lotions, laundry detergent and other products, and order up a 30, 60 or 90 minute session.

Classes:
Find a class or program that your honey might not splurge on themselves. This could be an extension of a hobby that he/she already does, or a certificate to try something new: two hour photography class, horse-backriding lessons, rock climbing gym membership. Be creative and find something unique and fun.

Consumables:
I definetly don’t mean those mediocre, pre-packaged gift baskets. Look for high-quality, locally crafted consumables. Maybe it’s a special seasonal cheese from local dairy, or a bottle of something special from your local small brewery. Or for the extra romantics out there, you could buy an entire – or part of – a locally raised cow for your loved one. Good article with tips here at www.KitchenStewardShip.com.

Grow-ables:
Find a plant that is either edible at the time of giving – herbs are great for this. Or, find a plant or tree that will eventually produce something edible. Depending on where you live, fruit trees can make lovely gifts. If you want to be a little ‘red’ with your green gift, find a native tree or plant that has a red edible product: pomegranates, grapes, strawberries.

Donation:
Donating money to an organization on behalf of your loved one is another way to show love. The Daily Green has pulled together a list of ideas for charitable green sites and ideas.

Be creative this Valentine’s Day, and see what kind of fun ‘non-gifts’ you can give your loved one!