From Our Friends: February 14, 2014

Welcome to this week’s Valentine’s Day installment of From Our Friends, a weekly roundup where we highlight some of our favorite posts, published by our friends and partners around the web.

This week’s edition includes a guide on how to support local produce through the long winter, what the cutest kids have to say about the subject of Valentine’s Day, the best juice recipes for every type of juice enthusiast, how to give back with your organic supplement purchases, a swoon-worthy romantic vegan fondue recipe, the gift guide that keeps you out of the stores but in your partner’s heart, ten last-minute Valentine crafts to make the perfect present for him, a classic natural remedy for winter ailments from achy muscles to sniffles, and the best ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day without overindulging on processed sugars and store-bought novelties. Enjoy!

1. The perks of eating local and in season are endless. Eating seasonally is nutritious, cheap, and kinder to the environment, but Groundhog Day wasn’t so kind to us in 2014 and the chilly days aren’t going away anytime soon. The Gloss Health shares how to get through this long winter with the right produce for your region.

2. Kids say the darnedest things. Watch as a precocious group of children provide some perspective about today’s romantic “holiday” and share their expert opinions on love & Valentine’s Day in this hilarious video from HooplaHa!

3. From those ready for Green Juice 101, to intermediate levels with a few pre-reqs on their juice transcripts, to those who’ve got their green juice PhDs: WellandGoodNYC.com has got the recipes to fit every level of juicing student.

4. Do something good for your body and the planet both, in one easy step. The Organic Whey wants to make a difference, and is proud to contribute 1% of its sales to 1% for the Planet. Look for their logo when you shop, and consider membership for your company too.  Shop with The Organic Whey (now available via Amazon.ca) and check off two of those New Year’s resolutions at once.

5.  Does anything say “I love you” quite like this rich and creamy vegan chocolate fondue recipe, from EcoSalon? Chocolate fondue is a fantastic way to introduce hands-on fun to Valentine’s Day dessert. Not only will you set the mood with a romantic gesture, but also get the love flowing with the consumption of chocolate, a known aphrodisiac.

6. Some of the very best presents can’t be wrapped, of course. Experience Life Magazine‘s gift guide goes over some of the sweetest ways you can show you care for Valentine’s Day without setting foot in a store: from subtle gestures to sentiments with immense emotional impact.

7.  It’s easy to get stumped on gift ideas for dudes. For men, you need to dig a little bit deeper, right? What does he like to do? Does he have a hobby or a problem you can fix with something handcrafted? Functional gifts seem to go over well with the fellas, try one of these easy Crafting a Green World DIY Valentine’s Day gifts for him, that are fun to make and functional.

8.  Wanna sweat out some toxins, soothe your  muscles, or clear those lingering winter sniffles? MightyNest says mustard, one of the oldest and most widely used spices, is your go-to zest. Mustard baths are a traditional remedy in England– used for the treatment of colds, stress, fatigued and achy muscles, fever and congestion.

9.  Want to have a sweet Valentine’s Day without wrecking your diet and fitness routine? Fit Bottomed Girls has the loveliest indulgences, from a fun Valentine’s Day playlist to luscious vegan treats to celebrate yourself without succumbing to processed-sugar snacks and consumerism.

Photo via iSpockLogic.

You can follow Spencer on Twitter @SpencerKent