How
to Green Your Valentine’s Day
By
Kerrie McLoughlin
596
words
Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!
Please contact me at mommykerrie@yahoo.com if you'd like to see this piece in full to consider purchasing it for your parenting magazine, either online or in print!
Growing
up, I loved making valentines for my pals at school and decorating a box to
collect my own cards, candy and trinkets in. I could also always count on
something chocolate and some other small gift from my parents, as well as cards
from extended family, waiting for me at home. Sounds like a lot of February
holiday waste, doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. I recently
started feeling some environmental guilt when I realized how much Valentine’s
Day stuff my own five kids would go through over the years and came up with some
green ways to celebrate. Give them a try!
1.
Whether
your child is too little to attend school, is currently going to school or is
homeschooled, making a fancy holder for Valentine’s Day goodies is important
for keeping fun stuff in from the day. A cardboard shoebox or a large plastic
ice cream bucket work great … and they are recyclable when all is said and
done! All your little sweetie has to do is cut a hole in the lid large enough
to handle treats and notes, then she can decorate it with stickers, crepe
paper, glitter glue, construction paper and more.
2.
You
can easily make your child feel special by making a heart-shaped breakfast to
start the day on a fun note. Grab a heart-shaped metal cookie cutter to shape
things like eggs, toast (don’t forget the strawberry jam!) and pancakes.
