Mothers Day Green Gift Guide

With Mother’s Day coming up, how are you going to show your mom/grandmother/favorite aunt/etc. that you love her?  Why not do something that shows you care about her and the environment? 

DIY Mother's Day Gifts

1. If cleaning house isn't your mom's favorite activity, try doing it for her with some eco-friendly cleaning products!
2. You could also make her a great set of homemade cleaners.  Check out these recipes!
3. Make her homemade soap from natural ingredients or fill her home spa kit up with homemade face masks, lotion, and face scrubs.
4. Making jewelry from recycled materials can be tough. Try making paper beads and jewelry from junk mail!
5. Make her some potporri or sachets from natural ingredients.  Great dried flowers for potporri include roses, carnations, hibiscus, violets, and lavender.  To give your potporri a bit more of a fragrance, mix in some eucalyptus leaves or even some drops of your favorite essential oil.
6. If you're crafty, knit her something.  It might take a little longer, but she'll love it.
7. Flowers are of course a great option to brighten up a room.  If you've got some in your backyard, you can always dry them so the bouquet will last longer.  Otherwise, opt for organic flowers.  Make sure those tulips (or roses or daffodils or what have you) are grown without pesticides in a sustainable way.  Check out the Organic Bouquet or Local Harvest for ordering options.
8. If flowers aren't her thing, you could always plant a tree in her honor!  Pick a tree that's native to your area and find a good spot, whether it be in your backyard or in a local park (just make sure to talk to your local officials to get permission for that one).  You can also call around to your local environmental organizations to inquire about their local tree planting.  If you can't do the planting yourself, there's always an organization like the Arbor Day Foundation that will plant a tree in a national forest and send you a nice card to give along with it.

Experiential Mother's Day Gifts

1. For the moms who don't want more "stuff," there's always a homemade coupon for a hike or maybe you could get her tickets to a cool green concert.
2. Is your mom into cooking up delicious treats?  Let her be surprised once a month (or week) with a great box of veggies and fruit from a community supported agriculture (CSA) group.  Check out the CSA directory from Local Harvest.
3. Go to a cooking class together.  Not only will you get some good quality time in together, you both will learn something fun.  Check out local listings for cooking classes.  You can also visit your local Whole Foods for sustainable foods cooking classes.
4. Make her dinner with local and organic ingredients.  Or you could even go on an eco-friendly picnic together.  Check out these great tips and recipes for having an organic picnic.  And of course, you could always let her sleep in and bring her breakfast in bed.
5. Tell her you love her and give her a hug!  (Even if you give her something else, this one is always good too.)

Off The Eco-Shelf Gifts

1. Every mom could use some rest and relaxation.  Give your mom the gift of a home spa kit.  Find a nice (reusable) basket or something and throw in some organic soaps, maybe some lotion, maybe some shampoo.
2. If you’re looking to give jewelry, try something recycled, worker-friendly, or sustainably made.  There are lots of great green options for eco friendly necklaces, earrings, and even bracelets.
3. For a unique gift idea for Mom, consider a personalized Scented Candle.You can choose the color, intention, fragrance and leave a personal message on Mother's Day. Build your own customized scented Mother's Day gift.
4. If your ma is a little more into the practical gifts, check out cool reusable bags that have nice long straps so you can carry stuff over your shoulder.  
5. Does she like soft, luxurious things?  Organic cotton clothing and other eco friendly materials are a great option to spruce up her wardrobe.
6. Your mom will always have your heart.  Give her another one made from beautiful recycled glass from Fire and Light!  (They also have beautiful dinnerware and vases and what not.)
7. If you've got a techie mom, try a cool solar gadget like the Solio Classic Hybrid Charger or a handbag from Noon.
8. So last year you got your mom the "Will Work For Chocolate" t-shirt.  This year, get her the good stuff  (organic, fair trade chocolate) from Art Bars, Endangered Species Chocolate, Dagoba Chocolate, Theo Chocolate, or Green & Black's.  Or maybe even pair the choco-treat with a carbon offset with TerraPass's Climate Change Chocolate.
9. Of course, you could also always ditch the chocolate part, and just go with a carbon offset or renewable energy credit.
10. For the "writer" moms, get her a journal!  Better yet, get her a tree-free paper journal!
11. If cosmetics are her thing, check out the Cargo Cosmetics PlantLove Botanical Lipstick. The lipstick is made without mineral oils or petroleums, and the tube is made entirely out of corn! The outer cardboard packaging comes embedded with flower seeds, so Mom can moisten the box, plant it, and have a bouquet of wildflowers to enjoy.

For other green gift ideas, check out the non-mom specific Give Green Gifts wiki!