It’s a tough dating world out there, as the most recent Valentine’s Day may have reminded you. There are challenges of dating online or in person, if you are single. Whether you’re lucky enough to meet someone through a chance encounter, through free dating sites, adult dating sites, or even through some good old fashioned matchmaking – meeting someone is only half the battle for those of us looking for our better half in the Middle East.
The rest? Making it work and keeping the romance alive. This can be tough sometimes when your love interest has strong environmental ideals, but those who are in it for the long haul will find ways to adapt their courting strategies to their beloved’s green ideologies.
So how do you woo an environmentalist? Here are 5 romantic gift ideas that are also good to the planet:
1) Potted flowers (or plants) over bouquets. Cut flowers are pretty, but they only last a few days and are kind of an eco-waste. Why not give your sweetheart a potted flower, plant, or set of herbs that will have him/her thinking about you for longer than just a few days? In the Middle East, cyclamens are now in season and come in beautiful colors. If flowers are not your love interest’s thing, you can give them a potted mint plant so that they think of you every time they put fresh mint in their tea.
2) Anything handmade. Handmade cards, handmade jam, handmade frames… you name – you will get much more credit for something that is handmade (since it is both sweet and requires fewer carbon emissions). Get in touch with your creative side.
3) Anything handmade… made by a local artisan. If you’ve tried and tried and still can’t make anything handmade yourself, it’s okay to rely on a local artisan’s handcrafting skills. The internet has made locating these handcrafters easier than ever, and one good place to start is the popular website, Etsy.
4) Organic chocolate. If Valentine’s Day teaches us anything, it is that chocolate has become one of the main symbols of love. Containing phenylethylamine (aka the “love chemical”), the consumption of chocolate is said to be linked to the release of certain love hormones. You can’t really go wrong with chocolate. But to score extra green points, make sure that it is organic, fair trade, and as local as possible.
5) Time. Time is one of our most finite resources, and anyone who is concerned with conserving limited natural resources should appreciate the gift of time. Make time to have special experiences together, or just hang out and strengthen your bond. Sometimes the best gifts are free.
This post is by Karen Chernick from Green Prophet