DIY Valentines For All
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Haven't finalised your Vanlentine's plans yet? We like to think of Valentine's Day as an awesome opportunity to celebrate all kinds of love, not just romantic love. So we've put together a fun set of all-natural, super fast and simple DIY treats that can be used on Valentine's Day, or any day, and are fit for everyone from little ones, to best pals, to significant others, to you—because self love should to be celebrated, too! 💖
Our Pick for Little Ones: Potato Heart Stamps
This is an old favourite, and we love this craft because it’s so, so simple, and as long as you get eco-friendly paint it’s so completely biodegradable. All you need to do is cut a potato in half and press a heart-shaped cookie-cutter into the cut surface. Then you (the adult!) can use a sharp knife to cut the potato around the outside of the form away, and voila! Potato stamp. This is also an easy craft to do in a group, or with just one child, and can be a good way to get some extra milage out of paper in your recycling bin!
Our Pick for You and Your Pals: Dark Chocolate Fondue
The busier we get the more important it is to proactively set time aside to catch up with friends, and Valentine’s Day is actually a perfect opportunity to do that. Chocolate fountains are getting pretty ubiquitous at events these days, and they’re obviously great. But there’s room for improvement! Every once in a while, say on a special occasion like Valentine’s Day, it’s definitely worth it to splurge on some really good, really dark chocolate, and make your own decadent dipping sauce at home. We think a homemade fondue sauce with a big spread of fresh fruit this is the ideal thing to share with a few friends over a nice long, cozy, chatty evening. Think beyond strawberries to pears, starfruit, dragonfruit, mandarin orange slices… This is a treat that’s not only beautiful and delicious, but packed full of all kinds of nutrients so you can feel good about it on every level!
Chocolate Fondue Sauce
Ingredients
• 340g dark, fair-trade chocolate
• 3/4 cup milk (dairy, or your preferred substitute)
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Add all the ingredients to a slow cooker placed on high heat. Stir occasionally until the chocolate chips have completely melted and the mixture’s consistency is smooth. Serve in fondue pots or in the slow cooker itself alongside fresh fruit pieces.
Repeat as needed!
Our Pick for Your Significant Other: Massage Oil
Sometimes the classics are classics for a reason. It’s easy to forget just how healing and grounding a massage can be until your actually getting one, and the nice thing about getting/giving one at home is that you don’t have to get up and go anywhere after it’s done! The other benefit to this DIY treat is it’s just so easy to do—preparation time is about 2 minutes!
Ingredients
• 1 cup organic carrier oil. Coconut oil might be a good choice. It smells wonderful, and many of us already have it in our kitchens.
• 65 to 90 total drops of pure essential oil. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, rose might be a nice one to pick here but lavender is always a super soothing favourite, or you’re totally free to use your own personal essential oil go to.
• 1/2 tsp vitamin e oil. This is optional, but it’s really good for your skin.
Directions
Stir it all together! If you keep it refrigerated it should last as long as the coconut oil’s best before date, but we’d recommend just using it right away when it’s at its freshest. Remember to test a small amount on a small area of your skin before slathering.
Our Pick for You: A Relaxing Bath with a Skin Brightening Facial Mask
Valentine’s Day can also be a much needed reminder to pause and make time for some self care. So why not draw a nice hot bath, and give yourself a little facial? We went with this lovely cranberry mask because of its beautiful, rosy, Valentine-y colour, but you can actually swap out the berries. Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or even kiwis! Fruits have mildly acidic and nourishing antioxidant properties that are really nice for your skin, and they smell fantastic. Make sure you do a lot of massaging both when applying and removing the mask—it helps get the blood circulating, and it feels wonderful.
Cranberry and Clay Facial Mask
Ingredients
• ¼ cup fresh cranberries
• ¼ teaspoon Pink clay
• 1 teaspoon plain unsweetened Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¼ cup water (or as needed)
Directions
Start by blending the berries until they are pasty in texture-you can try just using a spoon to crush them, but a blender will of course give you the most even texture. In a bowl, combine the blended berries, clay, yogurt and honey. To make it thinner, mix in water slowly until it reaches your desired consistency. You’re going to want the mask to be easy to apply but not so watery that it will slide off the face. Leave on your face for 10-15 minutes and then rinse thoroughly with warm water to remove. This mask can last a day or two if refrigerated, but best to use it as soon as possible. Again, test a small amount on a small area of your skin to gauge your personal sensitivity before applying to your whole face.