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Photo by Traci Claussen

Valentine’s Day can place tremendous stress and pressure on men, which seems odd because in theory, isn’t it a day to celebrate your love with someone special? After being bombarded with multiple jewelry store diamond ads suggesting that “every kiss begins with K” and “he went to Jarod,” thoughts began drifting outside the cozy living room, then up toward the stars: our most perfect diamonds of all.

With recent news reports indicating couples are now arguing about green elements even more than their finances, wouldn’t it be great to show your Valentine how much you love to live green? We’ve composed a gift list to help you care for each other and the planet, then share the love.

Seven ways to Give, Live & Love Green:

1. 100% Bamboo Sheets $89/Queen set at Bed, Bath & Beyond ~ it was top on our list last year, and remains strong because what better way to show how “sustainable” your love is than giving soft, silky Bamboo Sheets? 100% bamboo sheets give back every day with their antibiotic, anti-allergen, and anti-dustmite properties. And you both may find it difficult to get out of bed in the morning, especially on February 14th. Which is cool, because Drew Brees doesn’t lead Bacchus until after 6p.

2. Cork Yoga Mat $79 and Cork Yoga blocks $29 ~ Cork has the same healthy properties as bamboo, and contains no latex, PVC, toxins or rubber. Eliminate your odds of exposure to the collective germ pool at the gym by bringing your own Cork to class. Once you try cork….

3. Buy local brands like REpurposingNOLA Piece by PeaceTM to show you really care with a truly unique piece of New Orleans.  All products are designed and produced in New Orleans from locally repurposed materials into fashionable bags, clothing, and home goods. For more local ideas, check out Stay Local.

4. Support the local groups who show their love every day like Parkway Partners (planting trees in the neutral grounds), New Orleans Food & Farm Network (bringing fresh local organic food to market), Pet Adoption Services (rescuing abused and abandoned pets), and Rebuilding Together (deconstructing homes with care and repurposing the materials).

5. Plan an organic gourmet meal with the help of local business Martin Wine Cellar and excite your Valentine with a beautiful six pack: Cedric’s selection of the month! Four locations to serve you: New Orleans, Metairie, Mandeville, and Baton Rouge.

6. Send a message you care about the planet and give your Valentine an organic herb garden. It doesn’t get more green than growing an herb garden in environmentally friendly containers made from renewable grain husks (primarily rice hulls) and organic pigments. Great for indoor or outdoor use, these durable pots with saucers are freeze and thaw resistant, have built in drain holes, keep their shape and texture for about five years, and are 100% biodegradable. Comes with soil, seeds and growing instructions. Enjoy lemon basil, garlic chives or parsley.

7. Flowers are synonymous with Valentine’s Day. While every sweetheart loves to get flowers, not all florists are created equal. Things to consider before you place that order include the green business practices of the shop. Are the flowers grown organically or with pesticides? Does the shop have a vase recycle program in place? Harkins, the Florist on Magazine promotes their recycling and offers you discounts for bringing the vases back! Order early this year due to the parade traffic.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 10:10 pm and is filed under Green Growth, Green Street, Live Green Picks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.