Lia Suzuki Massage & Bodywork Gift Certificates

“…why not give a gift certificate for a service, like a massage…? Then your gift is doing two things: it makes your sweetie happy and supports a local business.”

Here’s a great article from TheGreenestDollar.com about “green” gift suggestions for Valentine’s Day. After the initial complaints about the whole idea of Valentine’s Day simply being the commercial brainchild of Hallmark, the author gives us practical solutions so that if we do give in to the “institution”, we can at least feel good about not contributing to further offenses to our environment.

I’ve never been a fan of Valentine’s Day. My opinion is that you should tell your loved ones how much they mean to you all year round instead of waiting for Hallmark to declare that “today’s the day”.

First though, we are given some statistics to drive the point home about just how wasteful Valentine’s Day is:

But, since I’ve become more eco-conscious I’ve realized that Valentine’s Day is even more wasteful than I used to think. To prove my point, here are some fast facts from the U.S. Census Bureau:

• Each year, 180 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged in the U.S. And, this number excludes cards exchanged in classrooms between children.
• 65% of American households typically participate in Valentine’s Day by exchanging cards, going out on a date, or buying a gift such as chocolates, a plush toy, flowers, or jewelry.
• Over 36 million boxes of chocolate are sold each year.

So what are these ideas?  I can personally vouch for one of them, of course.  That’s the suggestion of giving your loved one a massage gift certificate.  As a massage therapist, I’ve worked on lots of gift certificate recipients.  I can tell you that they do not go unappreciated.  And it’s not just women and metro-sexual guys that like them.  You can get your “guy’s guy” a gift certificate for a sports massage or deep tissue massage that he can use to get limbered up before his next sports event.  Or he can use it after a work-out, like Lance Armstrong and Michael Phellps.  The suggestions are below.

• Instead of buying a paper card this year, send an e-card. Or better yet, tell your special someone in person that you care. After all, why let a greeting card speak for your heart?
• If you’re aiming to buy flowers this year, then start trying to find a local producer right now. Most flowers, especially roses, are shipped to the U.S. from South America, thousands of miles away. This wastes tons of gas and puts boatloads of Co2 into the air. Buying locally-grown flowers means that’s one less bouquet that has to be shipped that far.
• Want to take your date to dinner? Then think about supporting an organic or vegan restaurant that uses locally-grown produce. Or, think about whipping up an intimate meal at home.
• What would Valentine’s Day be without a box of chocolate? Well, if you want to have a green Valentine’s Day then go with organic chocolate. Most health food and organic markets carry organic chocolates. And if you can, go with a brand that’s organic and supports Fair Trade, like Sweet Earth Organic Chocolate. Or you can do even more good by purchasing Endangered Species Chocolate. 10% of each sale goes towards protecting animals and their habitat.
• If you would like to buy a gift but don’t want to show up with a meaningless teddy bear, then why not give a gift certificate for a service, like a massage or holistic facial? Then your gift is doing two things: it makes your sweetie happy and supports a local business.
• If you’re really splurging this year and want to get jewelry, then go with a jeweler who uses conflict-free diamonds, like Brilliant Earth. They use Canadian diamonds and recycled gold, which means the money from each sale never supports slavery, child labor, or terrorism.
• Want to buy a book or movie as a gift? Well, look for it used on Half.com or Ebay.com. Buying used is a great way to give life to old things. And, used things don’t consume new resources. I buy all my books and movies through Half.com, and I can say I’ve never had a problem with any of their sellers; they’re awesome.
• Skip the perfume or cologne this year. Most commercially produced fragrances are really bad for you; they’re full of chemicals that we’d probably all be better off not breathing in. Instead, go with a natural essential oil.
• If you want to get a really unique gift, then search for something that will do double-duty. Places like Ten Thousand Villages or World of Good are not only socially responsible businesses, but they’re also eco-friendly.

So there it is! No excuses! Start planning your eco-friendly Valentine’s Day now.

Read the original article here.

Technorati Tags: massage gift certificates

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.