This year, Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 9. Some of us might view this day as a commercial holiday, but there is nothing commercial about the earth-friendly and original gifts and ideas we have selected for you. Learn more about why we celebrate Mother’s Day in the first place and find the perfect, USA-made, eco-responsible gift to honor your mother while respecting our Mother Earth.

 

Why Mother’s Day

The first attempts at establishing a mother’s day in the United States came from mothers themselves whose sons had either fought or died in the American Civil War. The First state to have an official mother’s day was West Virginia, as Anna Marie Jarvis held a memorial to her mother on the second Sunday of May, 1907 and later successfully campaigned to establish Mother’s Day as a recognized, national holiday. May 9, 1914 marks the first national Mother’s Day in the US. Although carnations, Jarvis’s mother’s favorite flower, quickly came to represent Mother’s Day, different types of flowers are now given to mothers on Mother’s Day, as well as many other kinds of gifts.

Flowers

Real, cut flowers sold in the United States usually have traveled thousands of miles, coming from South America, Africa and South East Asia, where they are grown in large greenhouses and spread heavily with harmful pesticides, fungicides and herbicides. The chemicals used are very harmful to the environment and the often underpaid workers, such as methyl-bromide, a chemical linked with the destruction of the ozone layer. Don’t be a part of this, boycott cut flowers coming from across the globe, and buy local, organically grown cut or potted flowers at your farmer’s market. Make sure to have a pretty vase such as this one made of recycled glass and recycled metal, handmade in the US.If art is missing from your mother’s walls, why not give her a colorful recycled tin flower art, for $40.00? Also consider giving your mother a plantable card embedded with seeds so she can grow her card into flowers. Perfect if you live far away, are on a budget and can’t visit your mother.

Jewelry

Made in Michigan from leftover scraps collected from apparel factories, a T-Shirt Necklace is a very original, eye-catching accessory. Not only a necklace, it can also be worn as a headband, a wristband, and can be washed. Perfect for the mother who carries her baby in her arms and won’t wear jewelry for fear the hard beads will hurt her baby. Inexpensive: $25.

Another very original jewelry is a Fruit and Vegetable Parchment Cuff bracelet. Handmade in California, each bracelet is unique and truly eco-friendly as it is made of fresh fruits and vegetables. Affordable at $40.  Also, for a different, sea-inspired jewel, check out Betty Belts eco-ethical necklaces; although some of their products are made in Bali, many jewels are started in Ventura, CA using beach glass collected on the Ventura beaches, such as the $78 Flower Sea Glass Pendant.

Bags and Purses

Women of all ages looove accessories, especially bags, purses and wallets. There have been recent cases of handbags and wallets contaminated with lead, so make sure your gift is earth- and health-friendly. RedHanded is an American company with strong eco ethical values that uses biodegradable faux leather and organic linings. On the expensive side, (prices range from $90 to $190), but truly unique. Engage Green, a Brooklyn-based company, makes more affordable, very stylish bags made of recycled PETE bottles, as well as paper, hemp, organic cotton and cork. Our current two favorites are this cute Tulip Shoulder Bag and this trendy Spanish Mosaic Blue Tote bag, for only $28 and $30 respectively.

 

We highly recommend hemp bags, as they are very resistant and nowadays come in various styles – not just hippie. Unfortunately, because growing hemp is still illegal in the USA, we can only recommend bags made from imported hemp, such as the Hemp Sisters’ Patchwork handbag, for $49.99.  

Spa and Body Care

You might want to treat your mother to a spa or massage. We cannot list all the spas in the nation, but we can give you this piece of advice: when selecting your spa, ask to look at the oils and other products they use. If they contain any ingredient listed among the hateful eight, just go somewhere else. Your gift to your mother should not be loaded with chemicals harmful to her health and the environment. Also check out Soaptopia, a Los Angeles-based organic soap company: they ship their handmade soaps, lotions, perfumes and other 100% junk-free body products across the US.

In the Kitchen

If your mother is a food lover and enjoys baking and cooking, consider planning a meal for her (for the surprise) and fixing it with her (for the bonding). Check out edenfoods, an American natural food company that conveniently provides thousands of recipes based on the course, the cuisine, the diet and the ingredients of your selection. Buy all the ingredients (don't forget to bring your reusable grocery bags) and show up in your mother’s kitchen with all you need to make and eat a meal with your mother.
Also, consider replacing your mother’s chipped or missing cookware and dinnerware with recycled glass from naturalspaces.

Hand-made by you

If you want to stay away from what you perceive as too much commercialism, consider making a gift yourself: try making these delicate paper flowers yourself, or use these amazing 9 blade scissors to make a flower in, say, 30 seconds? Click here for step-by-step instructions make your own jewelry, based on the colors your mother prefers, and choosing ceramic beads painted with eco-friendly dyes. You can write a poem, or select a few pictures of you and your mother and arrange them in a hand-made scrap book or photo album, using non-toxic, acid-free and VOC-free glue like MagiGlue. Make sure to get your paper from an environmentally focused handmade paper manufacturer, such as Green Field Paper Company.

However you choose to celebrate Mother’s Day, consider the environmental impact of your choices on Mother Nature, and be eco-responsible.