An Elevated Valentine's Day Guide

Happy Black History Month!

Hello higher-minded humans,

At the risk of sounding cheesy - the world could use more love right now. And what better reminder than Valentine’s Day? Some people might be surprised to find that it’s my favorite holiday, because not much warms my cold heart.

When I think of the holiday, I think of my grandmother, who was a romantic and a joyous flirt. She married her third husband (Grampie) on February 14th, in a red pantsuit at a courthouse. One thing she passed on to me was showing her love through food; she was always cooking.

While I only began expanding my culinary talents to baking in the last few years, it has become my favorite way to put love into something and gift people to show appreciation. I didn’t think it was possible to donate home-baked goods to nonprofits (because of food allergies and liability), but I recently became aware that it is. I’m still looking for a local place to donate baked goods, but in the meantime, here is one source if you live in one of the partnering states: Community Loaves.

In addition to teaching me to pour love into food, my grandmother taught me the importance of treating yourself. Without spending a lot, she would center her own joy - even when it was just treating herself to a strawberry soda and a movie. And what better time than V Day for a reminder to love on yourself a bit, whatever that means for you?

Photo by Jenna Day on Unsplash

Buy From A Black Woman Directory

The week of Valentine’s Day also falls during Black History Month. I just learned that it originated on the second week of February because it was supposed to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. It was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1976.

But Black businesses should be supported every month of the year, regardless of the calendar day. So, while you’re shopping for yourself or a loved one, take the time to browse through the Buy From A Black Woman Directory. Better yet, gift a membership to a Black woman who could use the visibility boost for business.

Tea For Two, Two for Tea

My love for tea continues to deepen as I learn about all the cool offerings available. The blue lotus tea bags and dried flowers (which can also be brewed as a tea) from MN Ethnobotanicals are a lovely addition to my day. We’ll be doing a deep dive about Blue Lotus on Getting Personal with Plant Medicine very soon with Christian (but check out his amanita episode in the meantime).

Kratom tea, AKA “the magic tea that changed my life”, is a mainstay in my household. But it’s difficult to find a trustworthy source, especially right now. Christopher’s Organic Botanicals goes the extra mile to ensure safe consumption, and these tea bags are a great example: the potency is perfect without being overpowering, and you can get two uses out of each bag. Stay tuned for an upcoming episode of GPPM with Christopher, who talks about his personal journey with kratom and his commitment to quality products.

This Love Potion Tea arrived at the perfect moment! Ever since we did the episode about how chocolate and roses can be beneficial to your health; I’ve been trying to figure out more ways to incorporate them into my routine. Moonmaid Botanicals created a wonderful blend of libido-boosting plants like cinnamon, cacao nibs, and sarsaparilla in this mix. They also sell a wide variety of teas and wild yam creams.

What is tea without honey? While the sweet powerhouse offers a ton of wellness benefits, adding elderberry to the mix can only elevate the experience. All Things Elderberry makes these delicious honey straws that pair perfectly with any tea - and they sell elderberry tea as well! We’ll be doing an elderberry-focused episode of GPPM very soon, and I can’t wait, because I love including it in anything I can!

When I said I love tea, I meant in all forms. If you follow our show with any regularity, you know about my love (and rollercoaster ride brewing) for kombucha. What I really love is making a spritzer with Sprig (a delicious THC-infused soda in a variety of flavors) and home-brewed kombucha. In the picture above, I mixed watermelon booch with Yuzu Sprig, and it was the perfect drink for a date night (or for some alone time).

If you listened to our terpene episode, you know how important olfactory senses when trying to set a mood or elevate an experience. Personally, I can’t access amorous feelings when I don’t smell nice, so these rollers are perfect to have around the house (and in my bag). Demeter has an extensive selection of roll-on perfumes - you name it, they probably have it - especially for plant people. I use their cannabis scent daily, and now I layer other scents like Wet Garden when I need a boost.

Did you know that Americans spend over 1 billion dollars on their dogs for Valentine’s Day? CBD has been a major game changer for all of our fur babies, and I love the idea of giving them a delicious treat for V-Day that actually benefits them. Unfortunately, my dog is super picky about peanut butter, so I wound up gifting these Sunset Lake CBD dog snacks to a friend’s dog, and they helped relieve his hip pain.

Don’t forget to order yourself something delicious! I’m not a huge chocolate fudge fan, but I was pleasantly surprised with Sunset Lake CBD’s offering. These taste more like chocolate truffles, and they melt in your mouth.

And last, but certainly not least, get yourself (or someone you love) something beautiful to look at year-round. Alex, the founder of Fleurdinand, creates gorgeous botanical prints that are one of a kind. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see cannabis displayed in such a beautiful way on my office wall!

Even if you think this time of year is Hallmark propaganda, I hope this list inspired you to do something nice for yourself or someone else. Because what the world needs now, is love, sweet love. :)