5 Extra Special Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is a largely commercialized holiday. Each year we’re met with cards, flowers, and chocolates. While these are great presents to receive, there are plenty of inexpensive and thoughtful ways to show that we care, regardless of your relationship status.

If you’re looking for unique and thoughtful ways to spread love this Valentine’s Day, I’ve got five creative ideas to help you make this year extra special. Let’s extend this holiday to our friends, family, our planet, and to those in our community.

1) Handwrite a card to a senior citizen. We all love receiving handwritten notes, so why not extend that love to the seniors in your community? A quick Google search with keywords such as ‘cards for seniors’ along with your city will bring up local community centers that accept letters and cards along with instructions on what to include.  

If you’d like to share the love beyond your local community, a few organizations to check out include Sending Sunshine (across Canada), Letters Against Isolation (US, Canada, UK, Australia), and Love for Our Elders (US). 

Did you know that of Canada’s 6 million+ senior citizens, close to 500,000 live in care facilities, such as retirement and nursing homes? These individuals can face both physical and mental health challenges, which have been amplified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We created Sending Sunshine to try to improve the lives of our beloved and highly valued senior citizens.

sending sunshine.

2) Give back to the planet. Show our planet you care this Valentine’s Day by supporting your favorite organizations. Your donation or purchase, no matter how big or small, can make a profound impact. A few of my favorite organizations include One Tree Planted and 4Ocean.

One Tree Planted aids in environmental conservation and restoration in over 80 countries and 4Ocean helps removes plastics and waste from rivers, coastlines, and oceans. If you don’t have extra funds to support these causes, you can share the impact that they’re making by talking about it or sharing it on social media! 

RELATED POST: Join the Clean Ocean Movement with 4Ocean

3) Wig and hair donations for cancer patients. If you’ve got long hair and you’re thinking about cutting your hair anytime soon, consider donating your locks to cancer patients. A few organizations to look into in Canada include Chai Lifeline, ACVF, and 360 Hair.

Be sure to follow the guidelines that are specifically outlined on each website, as the hair preparations for each organization differ slightly. This may include the minimum inches required and if the hair’s been color treated etc. (You can also ask local salons to see if they can donate your hair on your behalf at the end of your appointment.)

With your hair donation, you give the gift of beauty, confidence, self-love and hope to someone experiencing hair loss due to illness. There are few things more debilitating than appearing different from those around them, to have something beyond their control affect them so immensely. Your hair will contribute toward a human hair wig – the most natural kind – and help restore their confidence and hope.

chai lifeline canada.

4) Give back to the community. There are so many creative ways you can give back to your community. This can include making donations to you local animal shelters, volunteering your time at the food banks, or even trying plogging on your favorite community trail.

My favorite way to give back is by donating gently used items and clothing to local shelters. Not only is it keeping textiles out of the landfill, but it gives these items a second chance and will go to someone in need. No matter how big or small the act, it all makes a profound impact at the end of the day.

5) Acts of service. Acts of service(s) applies to everyone, whether you’re in a relationship or not. We can all benefit from an act of kindness, and it can be as simple as smiling at someone. Let’s not wait for a holiday to remind us to show those around us how much we care.

A few examples of these services may include treating a friend to a cup of coffee, helping your grandparents with their groceries, making your friend or significant other a customized playlist, or checking in with your loved ones with a phone call.

Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca.

Let’s extend the love to all this Valentine’s Day, because we can all benefit from a little kindness! I’m excited to hear how you will be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year. What’s one thoughtful act of kindness that’s stuck with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

RELATED POST: 8 Self-Love Books to Read for Valentine’s Day