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be my Green Valentine

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Why is it so hard to be green and frugal on holidays?  I go to Target and see all these cute things–they say love, joy, happy–BUY ME!  The candy section is brimming with all my favorites–in pink and red–but wait, I still have candy from Halloween!  I need a eli-pen for buying cute!

I also need a plan for how to share my love for my family and friends!  This is where I am:

For the sweet treat lover:  a box of hot chocolate, chocolate raspberry yogurt, Chobani just came out with some new flavors, a family dessert–this year I’m going to make a heart shaped ice cream cake and let the kids add their own toppings of hot fudge and strawberries.

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For the frugal romantic:  giving the same card–corny but my husband and I enjoy reading and seeing how our loves has grown from “I love you so much, you are the most important thing to me” to “I love you so much, you are the most important thing to me because I know I can count on you–no matter what!”  It shows the evolution of a love affair. (yes this is my 1st Valentine’s Day card from my husband–before he was my husband.  In the words of my daughter, “I didn’t know paper could live that long.”

For the plant lover:  instead of cut flowers consider a plant.  A tiny rosemary tree for the dining room table, potted herbs–I love basil and tarragon for salad dressings in the winter.  Or check out this list. (insert link to your recent post)  A mint plant is wonderful for making tea (and they even have chocolate mint plants).  For the frugal friend you can grow celery or beet greens.  (But you’ll need to start today!)

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For the homemade gift lover:  A water bottle cozy made from a felted sweater.  This is super easy–just use the arms–no sewing just cutting–for a no frills cozy.   I added a felted flower but you could easily sew on beads, stitch a heart or add ribbon.  This cozy is my version of Holly.

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This year I plan on sending e-cards, saving on paper and postage.  I’m going to have my kids make a heart garland with words of gratitude to decorate our home through Easter.  I’m looking for natural/green ways to show that we care for each other and the earth . . . not just on February 14–but all year-long.

How do you show your “green love?”  I would love to hear your ideas.

Be Blessed.

 

 

Heart Food (Ultimate Recipe Swap)

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First thing out of my 5 yo on Valentine’s Day morning was–can we have heart shaped pancakes?

Then the next kid comes into my room and asks, “how are you going to make this Valentine’s Day special Mom?”

Then the other kids chime in with so many ideas that I couldn’t possibly do them all in one day . . . because I already had a plan!

  1. To serve chocolate croissants for breakfast.
  2. To make heart shaped pancakes for lunch.
  3. To make whoopie pies for dinner AND heart shaped mini cheesecakes!
  4. To have a salad with raspberry dressing (we ended up not eating the salad but had it today for lunch.)
  5. To make meatloaf in a heart shaped pan with mashed potatoes and gravy!
  6. To make heart shaped breadsticks.
  7. To shower everyone with encouraging words all through the day–
  8. To text my husband oxox a few times.

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IMG_2062It was a great day!  I think everyone felt love in their own special way.  I realized how bless I really am.  I found joy in the simple things.  I slowed down enough to see, feel, and process how I felt and rejoiced in knowing that they felt loved.

My heart sang!

Be Blessed as you discover how to find love and joy in your everyday!

Linking up with Life as Mom and Claire’s Best of the Weekend!

My Frugal Valentine (365 days of Green)

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Why is it so hard to be green and frugal on holidays?

I go to Target and see all these cute things – they say love, joy, happy – BUY ME! The candy section is brimming with all my favorites, in pink and red, but wait, I still have candy from Halloween! I need a epi-pen from buying cute!

read more here . . . I’m over at Live Renewed!

Linking up with Simple Lives Thursday, Thrifty Thursday, Fabulously Frugal, Transformation Thursday, Thoughtful Thursday, Thrive at Home, Life in the comments