Sustainable Baddie’s Guide to A Sustainable Valentine’s Day
The time between New Year’s Day and the spring equinox has a new name: real winter. It’s that time of year when it's cold and dreary outside, with no holiday cheer to lighten the wintry blues. But people often forget that there is one more winter holiday that can help warm us up: Valentine’s Day!
It’s ironic that Valentine’s Day, a holiday dedicated to love, has fallen victim to a lot of hatred. Unfortunately, capitalist society has made it so that Valentine’s Day is represented by heteronormative expectations, images of a dozen roses, unethically-sourced jewels, life-sized teddy bears that have no purpose aside from being excessively large, and copious amounts of chocolate. The Valentine’s Day that has been advertised to us is all kinds of unsustainable, and probably not even an accurate representation of the love you share with your community.
Real love is not epitomized by roses, chocolates, jewelry, or any material things (though they can be part of how we show it). Real love is listening to what your relationships are asking for and learning to speak the languages of the people you love. At Sustainable Baddie, we love love! We’re taking back Valentine’s Day as a day of loving and helping you to celebrate the relationships in your life sustainably.
In Spanish, Valentine’s Day is known as Dia del Amor y la Amistad, which translates to Day of Love and Friendship. We encourage you to celebrate Valentine’s Day with the knowledge that it is not just about romantic love, but about the many ways you experience and express love, platonic or romantic, for the special people in your life — even when that person is yourself! On a day dedicated to love, remember to also show your love for our Earth by celebrating sustainably. <3
1. Some V-Day Outfit Inspo
The key to having a susty Valentine’s Day is to dress to impress using pieces you already own. No matter who you’re spending your Valentine’s Day with, take the opportunity to turn yourself into the personification of love (even if that means wearing pink and red sweats while you solo-down a bottle of wine and watch Jennifer Coolidge lie to Hilary Duff about not getting into Princeton for the 100th time).
We encourage you to create inspo boards to make styling easier (and because virtual collaging is SO FUN). Create your own inspo board, or check out our Valentine’s Day Pinterest Mood Board, to help you find your look in shades of red, pink, and white! Whoever said cliches aren’t fashionable hasn’t known the joy of dressing up in holiday colors. To really embody the spirit of Valentine’s Day, opt for fabrics like lace and silk; stick to a pink, red, and white color palette; wear heart, cherry, or polka dot patterns; and don’t be afraid to step outside looking like Venus herself!
If you prefer to save your creative energy for special events, this is an opportunity for you to “shop” your closet and get creative with the pieces you already own. Mix and match patterns and fabrics for pairings you’ve never tried before to create the perfect Valentine’s Day ‘fit. If you have a go-to outfit that makes you feel both beautiful and comfortable, wear it again! We stan #rewearthat queens.
If you want to get really daring, ask your partner or pal if they would be willing to choose the other person’s outfit for the night. This can be a fun little challenge to see how well you know each other’s style. Just remember: there are no rules in fashion. Dress for you, love how you look; Valentine’s Day is also about showing love to yourself.
2. Decide the Locale and the Vibe
The next step in susty Valentine’s Day planning is deciding where your celebration will take place and how you will decorate your space (again, we encourage you to make your own decorative inspo board)! Celebrating a long-distance relationship? Schedule a video call where you share a candlelit dinner and watch a movie together afterward – we are spoiled by choices in the post-pandemic media landscape. Are you hosting a dinner party for you and your pals? Turn your home into a cozy love club using repurposed decorations. Are you lucky enough to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a warm climate? Plan a picnic date! If you are suffering through the cold weather like we are, but would still like to enjoy some outdoor scenery, consider a dining bubble with a space heater or turning the shed in your backyard into a romantic hideaway.
Decorating your space with cozy and charming decor will take your celebration to Pinterest-worthy levels. Stick to a red, white, and pink palette, or create your own palette to represent your unique love language. Candles are a must and will set the cozy and/or romantic mood you’re going for. We want our backdrop to look like the Phantom of the Opera’s lair! Check out some of our fave candle makers like Su’juk and Land of Daughters or support a local candlemaker that you love! Bring out your fancy ceramics and table settings to elevate the space. Instead of buying flowers or new decorations, decorate your space using natural elements like branches, leaves, and dried flowers to feel like a forest fairy while saving some money with biodegradable decor!
Crafty baddies may want to go the upcycling route and reuse items they already have, like using fabric from old clothing to make hearts or banners. You can also make homemade decorations, like paper hearts, from scrap or recycled paper. If you are looking to buy some decorations, support susty and small businesses and make sure you’re buying decorations that can be stored and reused for years to come. While decorating, be mindful of the waste your decorations might create and try to minimize it — this will make cleaning up far less stressful as well.
3. What’s On the Menu?
Show your love through food this Valentine’s Day and plan to share a meal with your loved one(s) this year. You can suggest a potluck dinner for your pal-entines celebration, decide on a collaborative cooking night between you and your partner, or leave the cooking to the pros and take yourself out for a solo dinner! To make sure everyone feels safe while eating, always check with your partner or friends when setting a menu to avoid any allergies or food anxieties.
If you decide to cook, the best way to design a susty dinner menu is to cook with foods that are in season. Seasonal fruits, vegetables, and legumes will vary according to your region, so do some digging and plan your recipes around these ingredients. If you’re in the northeastern United States, some foods that are often in season during the winter months are carrots, turnips, potatoes, winter squashes, Brussels sprouts, and various types of leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and chard. If you’re on the west coast, your shopping list might include foods like citrus fruits, avocados, kiwis, persimmons, beets, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and delicata. Oh, and don’t forget the wine!
Valentine’s Day is an echo back to the indulgence of the December holiday season, so make the tastiest, heartiest meal you can think of, and don’t forget to include a decadent dessert. To avoid unwanted waste at dinner, encourage guests to bring their own containers to take home leftovers, use reusable utensils and dinnerware at your gathering — you can even thrift a separate set of plates and bowls for entertaining if you’re worried about your regular ones breaking, and leave a compost bin out for after-dinner community composting!
4. Plan Some Susty Love-tivities!
Show your love this Valentine’s Day by planning a few susty V-Day activities that will show your person(s) just how much you love spending time with them. Of course, it’s always best to tailor the itinerary to reflect your unique relationship story, but if you need some ideas, here are a few activities you’re sure to enjoy with your partner, pals, or self:
Wine & Painting: You can never go wrong with the classic wine and painting night. Set up some easels, canvases, and paints for you and your partner/pals.
Collaborative Crochet: If you’re a team of crocheters, relax together by completing a collaborative crochet project like a large blanket for movie nights or matching sweaters to wear on your romantic strolls (see below)! The possibilities are endless.
Writing Poetry or Letters: sustainable baddies can be sentimental baddies too! Write letters or poetry to each other on your best stationery. Read them aloud to each other or seal them and open them at a later date.
Relationship Check-In / Q&A: Take some time to check in and see where you’re both at in your relationship / friendship. Create your own conversation cards to get a conversation going or use a template like this one by CentredSelfTherapy.
Presentation Night: Are you or your loved one prone to Internet deep dives or obsessed with hours-long video essays? Create a slide deck about something you love that the other one might not know much about and give an in-depth presentation on that topic! This is an opportunity to learn more about each other's interests and reinvent a procrastinator’s favorite pastime.
Romantic Stroll: After dinner, take a romantic stroll through the park or around your neighborhood. Listen to some music together or just chat as you walk.
Practice Kind Words: Literally, tell each other how much you love the other! If you’re in a relationship, voice the things you love about your partner to them. If you’re celebrating with your pals, tell them what makes them amazing friends. If you’re spending some time alone, look in the mirror and tell yourself how much you love you <3
Movie Night: Have a movie night together! If you can’t decide on a movie you both like, commit to watching two or more movies together. Everyone gets to pick their fave. If you’re divesting from streaming services for ethical or financial reasons, public libraries are fantastic options for both physical and digital movies and TV shows.
5. You Got Me Something?! You Shouldn’t Have <3
We know that Valentine’s Day can cause some serious gift-giving anxiety. It’s important to remember that the meaning and intent behind a gift are far more valuable than the amount of money you may have spent on it. We will always emphasize the importance of intentional gift-giving, as it is the sustiest way to give gifts, but you know Sustainable Baddie’s always got you covered with a susty gift guide! Make sure to check out our Susty Valentine’s Day Gift Guide if you’re in the market for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift.
If you’re looking for a few non-monetary ways to show your love, here are a few ideas:
IOU Coupons: Corny, we know, but genuinely sweet! IOU coupons are a great way to get crafty and creative. Think of some favors your pal/partner might need in the future and make yourself available to help them out. You can even include a few sweet treats in there like a night out for dinner, a movie date, or a choose-your-own-adventure coupon!
Curated Lists: Show your pal/partner how well you know them by curating a list for them. This can be a playlist of songs you think they’d like (or that remind you of them), a list of books you think they should read (check a stack out from the library!), or a list of movies you want to watch with them.
Memory Boxes: Take an old shoe box and decorate it with photos of you together and elements and aesthetics you know they love. Fill the box with memories of moments you’ve shared together. This can be a takeout menu from the first sleepover you spent together, a photo from years ago, or a sweater you kept and forgot to give back!
Mail Journal/Collage Book: This one is for long-distance besties or relationships. This is an opportunity to start your own Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants tradition and create a shared journal or scrapbook where you share your individual memories with each other. Mail it back and forth on a schedule so that you have something to look forward to!
Handmade Notebook: For those who love to write or journal, take all the scrap paper from unfinished notebooks or recycling in your home and bind them together to create a one-of-a-kind journal.
We can’t wait to spread some love this Valentine’s Day in our own unique and sustainable way! Remember that showing your love can come in a million different forms, big or small, and doesn’t have to be reflected through spending or unnecessary gifting. Happy Valentine’s Day! We love you Baddies <3
How will you be spending your Valentine’s Day?