Earth Day is right around the corner (less than a week) and several retailers are offering discounts, or donating a portion of their sales to green charities.

Yesterday, I wrote about several cool free or cheap ways that you can celebrate Earth Day. Today, I’m going to tell you about some of the ways you can help be eco-friendly with your purchases.

If you are in the market for a new EnergyStar appliance, Earth Day just might be the day to buy one. I’ve written about the Cash for Appliances Rebates before. These are organized by states and several are starting their programs on April 22. Check out when your state’s program begins. You will need to act fast. Some of the programs that have already begun ran out of money within hours.

Send your friends a a cute, but not cutesy, e-cards. Try VerveCards. They will donate 10 percent of every purchase this month to American Forests, which plants trees where they are most needed. Check out their Earth Day e-cards – they are my favorites!

Wear a cool T-shirt for Earth Day. Check out the Go Green styles at KCTees. They are made of organic cotton, and 15 percent of the sales of these tees will go to Global Green USA. This organization is working to shift global priorities to a sustainable future.

Buy a GreenBagTag at CVS. The tag costs 99 cents, and can save you money each time you shop at the pharmacy. Five cents of each tag sold through March 31, 2011, goes to the World Wildlife Fund.

Update your underwear drawer. For every three pair of Hanes undies sold, the Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree. Don’t throw away the old undies! Save them to use as rags around your house. They make great dustrags.

Go to the movies. Disney’s Oceans movie opens on Earth Day. DisneyNature will make a donation to save the coral reefs for every ticket sold.

Any other good deals that I’ve missed?

Last year, I wrote a couple of posts about green Valentine’s Day gifts — one for kids and one for adults. Both are full of good tips on ways to celebrate the holiday in an eco-friendly way.

But I thought I’d try to find some more fun, green V-day ideas for this year.

Want to tell your sweetie how much you love him/her? Do it with an e-card. No paper, no resources used to deliver it, no ink printed on it. There are LOTS of cards available, from sweet to silly. There should be one that’s perfect for your loved one.

If an e-card isn’t enough, why not do a video tribute? There are also lots of examples of this — try youtube.

A home-cooked meal of your sweetheart’s favorites is also a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. You took the time to prepare a meal and remembered important foods.

This tip was in last year’s list, but bears repeating — if you want to buy flowers, make sure they are organic.

Or, buy a plant. It can be the gift that keeps on giving. Plants can help purify the air and – with moderate maintenance — won’t die in a week.

Some people give pets for Valentine’s Day. If you want to do that, please head to your local animal shelter or humane society instead of a pet store. These pets will make wonderful additions to any family.

Want to buy some jewelry? This was in last year’s post, but estate jewelry or vintage jewelry is a great option.

If you have kids, handmade Valentine’s are a great treat for family members. My son isn’t the biggest fan of coloring, but if he knows he’s making a card for a family member, he gets a little more prolific.

A sure-fire way to my son’s heart? Sweets. His birthday is right before Valentine’s Day, but I plan on making him some heart-shaped cookies to enjoy on Valentine’s Day. And since he’s been into smoothies lately, we’ll make him a red or pink smoothie (with as many hidden healthful ingredients as possible!)

What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Any tips you want to share?