If you haven’t landed on the perfect gift for Mother’s Day, this post will give you some sustainable ideas to consider before Sunday. Before we dive into the three unique gift ideas, some more traditional, earth friendly choices include fresh flowers, a homemade card, or a shared meal.
For those looking to take a different route this year, here are three ideas to get you started.
Butterfly Garden
Does your mom enjoy watching nature in her backyard? If so, you could purchase plants and books focused on starting a butterfly garden that she can enjoy year after year.
For the garden, you need host plants where butterflies lay eggs and caterpillars eat as well as nectar plants where the butterflies eat. Host plants include milkweed, dill, fennel, clover, and aster. Nectar plants include butterfly bush, purple cornflower, zinnia, and wild bergamot.
In addition to plants, you could purchase a book to learn more. One to consider Butterfly Gardening with Native Plants by Christopher Kline.
Aromatherapy
Is your mom attracted to different scents and candles? If so, aromatherapy could be a category to explore and provide her with a start. She can use the oils and direction to create reed diffusers, scents to add to dryer balls in the laundry, or maybe even her own signature perfume.
The “kit” you create might include a book or two and a foundational set of essential oils. Two books to put on the consideration list are At Home with Fragranceby Kristen Pumphrey & Thomas Neuberger and The Beginners Guide to Essential Oilsby Christina Anthis
When buying the oils, you want to make sure you purchase essential oils, not fragrance oils. The brand should list the plant the oil comes from and not have additional ingredients. Three good brands to consider are Plant Therapy, Mountain Rose, and Thrive Market.
At Home “Spa Day”
Does your mom just need a break with a bit of pampering? If so, some bath or facial products could be the perfect fit. You could fill a basket with bath and body products from an eco-friendly brand. From One Shade Greener at Home, three brands to consider are QET Botanicals, Sea Kind, and Juice Beauty.
For the mom who enjoys learning more and possibly wants to try a bit of DIY, check out Green Beauty Guide by Julie Gabriel – This book dives into detail on how to decipher labels on products and avoid toxic and damaging chemicals. In addition, she includes details and recipes for making your own beauty products to feed your skin and save your pocketbook.
Summary
I hope these ideas help put the final touches on your Mother’s Day. If your mom is looking to make greener choices at home, One Shade Greener at Home could be a nice compliment to any gift!