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Now that Valentine’s Day has passed, clearance sections everywhere will be filled with pink and red heart-shaped items that, once picked over, will likely end up in the trash (or maybe the thrift store…followed by the trash). As a pink and heart-shaped things enthusiast, I’ve found ways to enjoy the holiday in all its lovey-dovey splendor without giving in to the consumerism that has largely taken over.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with decorating for a season or holiday – I think it’s cute that we find things to celebrate and adorn our surroundings to match. A big part of the issue is the push to buy within a super-specific aesthetic during a certain period because of what is being advertised to you. You can buy heart-shaped and pink/red things year-round. Heart-shaped things are often plentiful at the thrift store! I have a large, glass heart-shaped trinket dish that I thrifted, and I feel like this is something I come across pretty often.
Also, Valentine’s Day season is a great time to get crafty with your decorations. My sister and I cut hearts out of construction paper we had lying around years ago, taped them up with some string, and hung them on the ceiling. Now we put them up every February! Bonus: they’re made of paper, so they don’t take up a lot of space in the off-season. You could also make some needle-felted hearts or transform clothing you already have with heart-shaped patches!
Buying Valentine’s Day themed items is also a good time to shop small. I counted how many pairs of heart-shaped earrings I have and had way more than I realized (I did say I love hearts!), but I’m happy to say that the majority are from a small business with great values, and the one other pair were purchased from a fiber arts vendor outside of a market in France. Also, my collection definitely grew gradually over time!
In terms of gift-giving, I think that a thoughtful, personalized gift, whether purchased or handmade, is far better than a mass-produced, low quality product. This isn’t exclusive to Valentine’s Day, but there can often be pressure to give gifts for the sake of it rather than taking the time to find or make something that the receiver will really appreciate (or even not giving gifts at all, depending on your loved ones’ preferences). And gifts don’t just have to be items – you can also show someone you appreciate them by offering them a service, like making them a few meals, giving them baked goods, or helping them clean or repair something.
I feel like many people don’t like Valentine’s Day as a whole because they feel it has been intensely turned into a marketing scheme rather than a day of love, which it has, but I do think we have the choice whether or not to buy into that. We can spend time with our loved ones and ignore all the rest!