Does this Valentines Day Gift Spark Joy?

We’ve all seen the pictures across social media platforms. As a community confined to the indoors while we make it through the polar vortex, the bags and boxes of personal belongings are piling up, ready to be donated to local organizations in hopes of minimizing our consumerism, tidying up our lives, and only holding onto those items which spark joy.

For Valentine’s Day, we at Blue Uprising would like to encourage our community to consider useful gifts that spark joy.  These are eco-friendly, out of the ordinary items that can help your loved ones protect our planet.

Diya - TubShroom

This TubShroom is truly the answer to your clogged drain problems. While I’m not a homeowner yet, I’m an avid cook and vegetable gardener and one day dream of having a grey water garden. While replacing most of my cleaners with homemade garden-friendly substitutes has been easy for the most part, drain guards have always been a problem. The mesh ones let nothing through and clog with soap, while others let just enough hair in such that even with a plumbers snake, I have found myself resorting to harsh chemicals way too often. This seemingly ridiculous contraption catches everything and allows for water to pass through easily. Its flexible body makes it easy to remove collected hairs easily so it’s super easy to clean.

Christen - Beeswax Wraps

We get it, saran wrap is a plastic we love to hate and yet it's hard to give up. Have you heard of beeswax paper? Not only is it beautiful, it’s also reusable and easy to clean. While saran wrap seems to be sticking to nothing or constantly only sticking to itself, beeswax paper is easy to work with and will mold to the shape of your bowl, or partially eaten avocado. Who am I kidding, who only eats half an avocado? Rest easy, your half onions are safe and ready to make you tear up again when kept in this beautiful saran wrap substitute. These substitutes are popping up in grocery stores and can easily be found on Etsy, farmers markets, and various eco friendly local stores.

Billy - To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensil Set

Bamboo utensils are an easy substitute to plastic and can easily be kept in the car for when you’re on the go. For those of you with a hectic schedule, for whom the Whole Foods buffet is your idea of “meal prep” when you only have 20 minutes to eat. As many of these places only provide plastic silverware, keeping bamboo utensils in the car is a crucial fix to a common problem. Billy found his courtesy of the Changing Tides Foundation. You can grab a set here.

Pro tip* They clean faster than your normal metal silverware.

Abby - Lab Diamonds  

Yes, I am a girl who dreams big.  If you are considering jewelry for your loved one or ones this year, please considering asking your jeweler for lab-created diamonds which are eco-friendly and humane.  Bonus, they are also about 10-15% cheaper than their mined counterparts (but no less sparkly!), so you can stretch your buck! Lab diamonds (or other lab stones) are truly the only way to ensure that your diamonds have been sourced ethically.  Most reputable jewelers can source these for you, and if not, you can look for raw stones online at retailers like brilliantearth.com, which also recycles precious metal.  If diamonds are out of your price range, consider lab sapphires or moissanites which retail for a fraction of the price of diamonds but will still be a huge hit with any recipient!

Maude - Air Purifying Plant

Flowers wilt after a week, so why not give the gift of clean air with an air purifying house plant?  As a dog, I am always sniffing around, so you can imagine how much I hate it when the air in my house is stale. My personal favorites are a snake plant or a rubber fig. Still set on giving flowers to that special someone? Try an orchid or other potted flower, they will bloom again and are much easier to take care of than you’d expect. Check out Brad’s Greenhouse YouTube channel for tips and tricks. My mom shows me his videos sometimes, so I can confirm that they are great.