As February 14th approaches, retail stores are shouting reminders from pink and red window displays to not forget to pick up something special for your special someone. The sentiment to spoil your loved ones is something to consider all throughout the year, not just one day! This means thinking about how your actions or gift might go further than just one night and have a lasting impact. Try gifting from the heart this year, thinking about experiences and sentiment more so than material items.
Candy, cards and trinkets are all nice to haves, but did you know Americans spent $15.2 billion on unwanted holiday-themed gifts like that in 2019 and 4% of them ended up in landfills? From a sustainability perspective, it makes sense to skip the Valentines this year and pivot to something useful – there’s nothing less romantic than knowing your gift is going to sit in a landfill for centuries! Not to mention the hit it takes on your wallet when you start stress buying from retail stores where you actually might be able to get better quality and bang for your buck shopping second-hand.
This year, my fiancé and I are excited to spend a safe, romantic Valentine’s night in – creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy each other’s company and take the time to do some things we typically wouldn’t get to on any regular night. Since we’re saving for our wedding, we thought it would be a fun experiment to see what kind of night we could pull together from things we found at our local Goodwill store. And as usual, Goodwill didn’t disappoint!
Instead of going out to eat – we’re planning on making our own ravioli for the first time, using this great new in box (but bought second hand) ravioli making machine. With just a few simple ingredients, a bottle of wine, and a tablescape set with a tablecloth (looks like I’ll need another trip to Goodwill for that) and long candlesticks (also found at Goodwill), we’re excited to take the time to experience something fun and new together and hopefully make a meaningful meal out of it too!
On a typical night in our apartment, we’re usually tired from work, doing chores, reading or watching something on TV. It’s rare to have a night where we’re cognizant of turning off screens and simply being present together. Something we’re excited for to keep our after-dinner Valentine’s Day fun going this year is breaking out the domino set we were able to get at Goodwill and playing a staple game in my fiancé’s family called “chickenfoot.” It’s a game that can last hours and bring a lot of laughs. It’ll be the perfect way to end the night together celebrating our first Valentine’s Day engaged!
Staying in for Valentine’s Day this year with some cool second-hand hacks? Be sure to tag @goodwillintl in an Instagram post for a chance to be featured in a future blog.
