A Green Love Affair

There are 365 days to show our loves that we love them and we have some great green ways to celebrate our relationships and to say "I love you" sans the red confetti for ANY occasion whatsoever.

1. (Fair) trade the chocolates.
When buying or asking for what we think is the world's most delicious source of iron, go for the Fair trade bars. Or boxes. By supporting only fair trade chocolates, we say "NO WAY" to forced and abusive child labour and exploited cocoa farming families who only earn pennies to the dollar from the cocoa that they produce. Instead, we say "YES!" to socially just cocoa production and environmentally sustainable chocolate production methods. There are over 250,000 child labourers working in cocoa farms under unsafe, unhealthy and abusive conditions in Third World Countries, many of whom have never even had a taste of the chocolates that we enjoy in First World countries ("The Chocolate Industry." Global Exchange. www.globalexchange.org). Some great Fair trade chocolate brands are:

2. Go for green flowers.
Fair trade flowers and organic flowers, that is. Giving and receiving these flowers will feel doubly good, and you can inhale their fragrance without inhaling pesticides! A couple of local organic and fair trade florists:

3. Or DON'T send flowers at all.
Send FREE virtual flowers through canadaflowers.com and use the money you saved to buy a goat for a farming family in need for only $33 or you can help plant 100 trees for a community in need for only $25 through Ten Thousand Villages. If you're splurging, you can fill a family's farmyard with a cow, a goat, a pig, a sheep and 18 rabbits for $330.

4. Bush is in!
No, not George... live bushes that can be re-potted or planted in the spring, for a real gift that will keep on growing and giving.

6. HHWW
Hold Hands While Walking to your favourite restaurant (serving local food, of course!). Or HHWTTC - Hold Hands While Taking the TTC. Either way, you get to gaze into each other's eyes once in a while without getting into rear-enders or using gas.

7. Make or give poo-poo cards
Not Winnie the Pooh but elephant poo-poo (yes, it IS what you think it is!) paper for a card that really makes a statement. You can also use any FSC paper or recycled paper, of course, or go paperless with digital cards. Where to go for elephant poo-poo paper: The Elephant Poo Poo Paper Co. (Markham-based)

However way you choose to celebrate your love, remember that nothing says "I love you" more than good ol' hugs, kisses and time spent together!

GREENMOM 2008

ABOUT GREENMOM

Greenmom is a movement and a company that is dedicated to changing the world by changing the way moms and families make consumer choices. They advocate for and promote choices that benefit our families’ and our planet’s health, our local community and economy, and the people who produce these goods and services. Founding mom Monique Fabregas is an aspiring martial artist, excommunicated architect, environmentalist, breastfeeding and natural parenting advocate, outdoor enthusiast and bookworm, whose passion for ethical practices and better health for her child, her family and the environment led her to the creation of Greenmom. Together with Debra Scott (Administrator & Web Developer), Danielle Arnold (Community Coordinator), and Kelly Drennan (Communications & PR) the Greenmom team prides themselves with their high ethical standards, their dedicated efforts to move towards a safer, healthier and more sustainable tomorrow for our children.

For more information or to arrange for interviews, please contact:

Green Mom
Monique Fabregas
Phone 416-485 – 9167
Email monique@greenmom.ca
Web www.greenmom.ca