Having an Eco-Friendly Mother's Day: Gifts for Mom and the Environment

Need something to serve organic juice in for mom's breakfast in bed? For $45, you can buy a beautiful set of 4 recycled drinking glasses from UncommonGoods.com, made from the bottom halves of green Bordeaux bottles. "Protect Our Earth" is etched in 4 languages along with a branch pattern design.

Make some earth-friendly at-home spa treatments for mom. Combine oatmeal and honey for a naturally gentle face scrub and mask. Slice chilled cucumber for an eye soother and de-puffer.

After you've served mom a cup of organic coffee use the grounds to make an invigorating body scrub. Mix 3 parts coffee to 1 part salt and attach directions: scrub over entire body in the shower. Clean the tub out for her afterwards too.

While you're at it, clean the whole house without chemicals. Baking soda can be used to scrub kitchens and baths and to freshen drains, trashcans, and refrigerators. Vinegar and water can be used for glass surfaces, floors, and ceramic tile.

Use some solar power and make mom a jar of sun tea. Put 2 tea bags into each quart glass jar. Fill with water and cap. Place outside where the sunlight can strike the container for about 3 to 5 hours.

Instead of cut flowers, buy mom a potted plant. Many indoor plants help produce oxygen and purify the air for a healthier home environment.

Green moms often have green thumbs. Help mom start or maintain a garden. Buy her favorite seedlings (whether it's fruits, veggies, herbs, or flowers) and help plant them.

Flowers like nasturtium do double duty as a beautiful and colorful garden decoration and can be added to salads and stir fry.

Make mom an "earth mix" CD with songs like Let the Sun Shine In by The 5th Dimension, Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, This Land is Your Land by Woody Guthrie, and Sowing the Seeds of Love by Tears for Fears.

How about a fun reusable shopping bag so mom can kick the plastic habit. Organic cotton tote bags can be found for around $5. To personalize it, you can have a picture of the kids or maybe a favorite vacation picture printed on it. You can even do this yourself with iron-on transfers and a printer.

Now that you have the package of iron-on transfers, why not personalize an organic cotton t-shirt for mom while you're at it?

Does mom like to keep a diary or need to jot down notes? Give her a pretty recycled paper journal. They can be found at most book stores and all over the internet. They range in price from around $5 to $35.

Is mom more of a printer user? Does she prefer typing over writing? No problem. Buy her a couple of reams of recycled printer/copier paper for $4 to $5 each.

There are many recycled paper greeting cards out there or you can send her an e-card (which produces no waste) with a thoughtful personal message and maybe a photo. You could also take a photo and "frame" it with reused cardboard which you can decorate with "Happy Mother's Day", flowers, etc.

Pack a picnic and bike (to avoid those nasty carbon emissions) over to the nearest park. Don't pack any paper or "disposable" plastic if you want to be really eco-friendly. Only bring reusable napkins and tableware.