This week is, of course, Valentine’s day. And whether you love or hate it, it’s almost impossible here in Britain to avoid it. Whether you’re spending it with your sweetheart and getting into the spirit of things, or spending it at home with your beloved pet, we’ve come up with some alternatives ways of celebrating love!
1 – The news this week reports, rather depressingly, that insects could be extinct within a century. Hard to imagine and I’m not sure if humans will be around either if that’s the case. So for the price of a valentines card, adopt a bee. Bees are one of our most important pollinators and as you may already know they are becoming extinct. Click here to donate to a very needy and worthwhile cause.
2 – Flowers brighten up our lives. Instead of buying a bunch of flowers for your valentine, how about getting a packet of seeds to sow together in your garden or flower box. You could even choose to customise the packet you give them and see what comes up in a few months!
3 – We recently wrote an article called ‘The Trouble With Things’ which explains how buying items (things) may have a great initial impact, but this quickly fades. Instead, why not buy your valentine an experience, or if the budget extends, even a holiday. We have a few to offer here on The Life Adventure, or go online to check out a myriad of different outdoor experiences you could be trying out together this weekend.
4 – If you’re heading outside this weekend and need some wet-weather/outdoor gear, consider some of the more ethical brands that are out there. For example, Finisterre or Patagonia are wonderful examples of brands with purpose. They may not come dirt-cheap but they’ll last a lifetime and many are made using recycled product.
5 – And if you do feel you want to buy something for someone special, check out the brilliant Buy Me Once. They find the most sustainable and durable products on the planet so you don’t have to, and also campaign to improve product manufacturing and partner with movements such as iFixit and Fashion Revolution to change the way we shop forever.
However you choose to spend Valentines Day this week, we hope it brings you joy 😉