Some consider February 14 a Hallmark occasion, avoiding it like the Plague.  Others love Valentine’s Day, and shower their heartthrob with all manner of affection.  Hope you have a meaningful day, and remember the heartbeat of our unique, life-sustaining planet.

fun and funky ways to celebrate

• Double Shot of Love – take a few sips and snaps, 2 shot glasses and 1 camera ($45) @ wishwrap.com

• Get Eco Sexy – feel good vibrations all year ($59) @ babeland (photo, above L)
• for ultimate decadence and gluttony, the 3c’s champagne, chocolates, cupcakes — lovely biodynamic, vegan champagne Brut, Fleur de l’Europe (pick up locally, approx. $50); handmade, vegan, fair trade and organic chocolates @ lifebychocolates; and luscious, vegan cupcakes from babycakes, nyc (photo, above R)

(photos above:  L to R)

• Cuff ‘em – eco meets geek links, discarded circuit boards refashioned by hand in sets of red, green or blue ($28) @ ecoemporia.com
• tried and true – flowers, wine or chocolate — Fair Trade Certified, naturally
• close-knit betty – a pair of handmade, recycled knitting needle bracelets ($16.93) @ ecoemporia.com

(photos above, L to R)

• your intimate reader – go kate winslet and pickup a book of poetry, or Toni Morrison’s Beloved, (local bookstore, library or receive 30% discount @ barnes&noble.com)
• KISS – Keep It Simple Stu – send a Valentine Tree, a personalized, beautifully animated ecard from jacquielawson.com ($10/year for unlimited ecards)
• for mother (Earth) – offset your V-Day activities by planting 3 trees in the Mendocino National Forest ($9.95) @ begreennow.com

express your love-ly sentiments free-ly

• write a heartfelt line or two and add a little element of surprise to their day
• treat them to a sensual massage or foot rub
• meander through the park, hand in hand, and keep the conversation bubbly
• go local — fix tasty bites of finger food at home, light candles, shuffle the ipod, turn off the cell phones and enjoy!

• Gov. Palin supports paying a $150 bounty for a severed foreleg…Ashley Judd Blasts Sarah Palin on Aerial Wolf Killing – ecorazzi
• Fur Flies as English and Scottish Animal Groups Clash Over Cash – bbc
• Oopsie…Acid Dumped in City’s Water Supply – msnbc
• New Discovery May Lead to New Class of Allergy Drugs – sciencedaily
• An obviously unhappy constituent…Groundhog Bites Bloomberg at Ceremony – newsday
• 7 Items You Won’t Believe Are Actually Legal – cracked.com

Plastic, paper, and surfboards?  Attention surfers: your old, beat-up surfboard can now help pave the very road you drive on, or better yet, be given a second life as a recycled surfboard.  ReSurf Recycling and Green Foam Blanks, two Southern California based organizations, have developed new methods in recycling what was long believed to be an unrecyclable material, “polyurethane.”

Of the 750,000 surfboards produced annually, an overwhelming majority is comprised of “polyurethane” foam – a not so eco-friendly material.  During its production process, toxic chemicals, carbon dioxide, and volatile organic compounds are released into the atmosphere.  And, 20% of the foam is rendered waste after custom shaping.  Until recently, the foam was presumed to be unrecyclable, (more…)