Continuing the thought from yesterday, here are some more ideas to make your Mother’s Day celebration and gift giving greener!
Green Your Mother's Day
By Brian Clark Howard
Every mother deserves the best, including Mother Earth. So here are some suggestions for Mother's Day gifts made from organic, sustainably grown, fair trade or recycled materials for pampering your mom:
Delight her with gorgeous organic flowers from Organic Bouquet. They have paired over 50 bouquets (price range $39.95-$64.95) with specific charitable organizations, from The Nature Conservancy and The Rainforest Foundation to Coop America and Oceana. Part of the proceeds from each sale will go directly to the charity you choose. Or go for the dramatic with a bouquet of five-foot-tall roses ($249.95). (Remember living plants grown locally are even better! –Gene)
Soothe her with a selection of organic, fair trade teas, from Green, Earl Grey and Irish Breakfast (25 tea bags, $4) to specialty loose teas such as Darjeeling First Blush (price range $10.49-$13.59) from Equal Exchange, the oldest and largest for-profit online company to sell fair trade products.
Treat her to a sampler of terrific chocolate from Dagoba Organic Chocolate, dedicated to the Art of Chocolate Alchemy. Their 12 bar Alchemist's Blend basket ($39.99) includes, among others, Dark and Bittersweet bars, their Lavender bar, which contains essence of lavender and blueberry, and their new Lemon Ginger, a blend of citrus, ginger and chocolate.
Let your mother celebrate with a great organic wine from one of the growing number of vineyards that subscribe to a natural winemaking philosophy. La Rocca Vineyards offers reds, whites and blushes (price range $8-$50) that are certified 100% organic and sulfite-free. The Benziger Family Winery has a selection of biodynamic wines (price range $29-$80) that take organic one step further and work with nature to bring about balance and healing in the soil. Bonterra Vineyards is another brand with a rich selection of organic wines (price range $20-$40). And the award-winning Grgich Hills offers gift boxes (price range $70-$125) of a selection of their 100% estate-grown biodynamic wines. (Since not every state allows out-of-state delivery of wine through the Internet, check each site for shipping information or visit your local wine shop.)
Shower her with body care from Aveda. Each product is made with sustainable, organic plant-based ingredients (and produced with 100% certified wind power). Aveda has special Mother's Day gift sets such as Feel Relief ($36), Island Retreat ($54) and Caribbean Retreat ($102), among others.
Let her luxuriate at home in one of Under the Canopy's delicious spa robes, made with sustainably grown fibers. Choose the 100% organic cotton interlock kimono style ($48) or the 100% organic velour terry cotton hooded style ($88). The mission of Under the Canopy, founded in 1996, is to make a positive impact on the future of the planet through their product line that uses the earth's resources in a sustainable way.
Brighten her home with wonderful handmade, recycled-glass-infused pottery from Paloma Pottery. Browse the online catalogue for coasters, bowls, candlesticks, clocks, garden and steppingstones, door pulls, jewelry and more (price range $5.50-$75). All pieces are made by owner/artist Nicole Whitney from materials that would normally be thrown away. Her mission is to reduce, reuse, recycle. The pottery comes in such colors as sky blue, amethyst crystal, tropical water, cappuccino ice and forest, and can also be found in stores around the country.
Transform her table with glasses, cups, platters, bowls, dinnerware and accessories made with recycled glass and natural, sustainable materials (price range $5-$350) from Natural Spaces.
And finally, enlighten her with one of the Mother's Day gift baskets specially assembled by Global Exchange ($29.95-$55.95), each wrapped in recycled gift packaging, with a card that tells the story behind each selection.
