While I believe in taking special efforts to show love as often as possible, I love having a special day to celebrate love as well… it”s what holds everything together after all.

As we show our friends and family members our love for them with little tokens or gestures of affection, today would also be a great day to show the planet we call home a little love as well. Here are a few easy ways to wish our earth a Happy Valentine”s Day.

1. Plant a Tree

This could be directly, if you have the land to do it, or indirectly, through an organization like Plant with Purpose, where you can give the earth the gift of a tree (for just $1), while also loving on its people, too, through fighting poverty with reforestation.

2. Go Without Plastic

It”s not too late to join in with Healthy Child Healthy World“s February challenge to go plastic-free, or at least make some strides toward that goal. I know I plan to invest in some new glass food storage-ware this month to com offers over 80  free online games  for hours and hours of exhilarating gameplay!© 2014 Electronic Arts Inc. baby-step my family”s way to using less plastic.

3. Revisit Your Green Goals

It”s only been a month since we talked about our green goals for the year, so why not take a moment today to revisit yours and see if there are any steps you can make this month to get closer to your goals. Maybe today”s the day we make that call to join a CSA or whip out a few cloth squares to use as baby wipes.

Photo by s.h.u.t.t.e.r.b.u.g

4. Go Outside

This time of year, it”s easy to stay inside where it”s warm and cozy, but maybe today would be a nice day to venture out and enjoy a little bit of creation. Try to be extra observant today and see the beauty in the outdoors, wherever you are. Wander around in your own yard or patio and imagine the garden you”ll be planting later this spring, or collect a few items from nature to bring inside (for example, we keep a “nature bowl” in our living room where our daughter collects little bits here and there).

5. Be Mindful

It might sound obvious, but I”m sure many of us go about our days without thinking much about how our little daily habits impact the earth. Today let”s go about our routine a little more mindfully, and make little gestures of love like turning the lights off when we leave the room, turning off the water in between washing or brushing, turning down the thermostat a notch or two, or even just putting an item in the compost or recycle bin.

I hope you and your loved ones have a lovely Valentine”s Day and that you”re able to find a few little ways to love on the earth today as well. If you have any more simple ideas on how we can all be extra sweet to the earth today, be sure to leave them in the comments!