Sustainable Gifts for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is right around the corner.

That means it is time to start thinking about how to best show appreciation for all the amazing maternal figures in our lives. You may want to celebrate your mom, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, or another person who has offered you guidance, strength, empathy, love, and support. Hopefully there have been many days throughout the year where you have had the opportunity to express your gratitude, but a special day of celebration that is dedicated to honoring moms worldwide allows us all to really share our LOVE!

Traditionally Mother’s Day is a day of gifts, but it is also important to remember Mother Earth. The usual gifts and gift wrappings are not sustainable. So, instead of splurging on products that are wrapped in plastic and put inside a gift bag, maybe we can all focus on great, thoughtful, and memorable gifts that have less of an impact – or maybe even a positive impact – on the planet!

How to choose the best gift for mom!

There are some important ideas to consider:

1. Think of what your mom likes. Does she love going to the gym or the spa, or maybe her favorite thing is staying home curled up on the couch watching a movie? Does she like to read books, listen to music, sit outside, or work in the garden? Is she always lighting candles, or maybe she prefers the smell of wildflowers? Making your gift specific to the things that your mom loves shows that you have really thought about her. And she will love the gift even more because of it!
2. The next thing to consider is how sustainable your gift is. An easy rule of thumb is considering the lifespan of the product you buy, how the item is packaged, as well as the materials from which it is made. Single-use items, packaged in plastic waste, and made from harmful materials are all things to avoid in finding good eco-friendly gifts. Gifting an experience will tend to always be an excellent choice – especially if you find something that your mom, and maybe even the whole family will love doing together.

Do you need some ideas?

• Plant an indoor herb garden. If your mom loves to cook, she may enjoy having fresh herbs within reach, and an indoor garden allows her to enjoy herbs all year long. If you are DIY (doing it yourself), you will have to select a pot with drainage, pick up some good soil and seeds, and plant the herbs with plenty of space for them to grow. Follow this link if you need some help getting started with your DIY project https://www.gardenary.com/blog/how-to-start-an-herb-garden-indoors Or, head over to your local garden shop and they can help you put together your herb garden gift. I grow my herbs with Click&Grow. Here is a link if you want to check them out:  https://www.clickandgrow.com/pages/friend?referred=0f97254852 One last thing to consider is which herbs your mom loves most or uses most. I love cilantro, basil, mint, and parsley.
• Plan a Mother’s Day Tea Party. Maybe your mom would like most to sit around, sharing stories, and listening to the laughter of her loved ones. Today we spend so much time being busy, busy, busy, and when we do slow down, we switch right into screen time. If you think your mom would most like to spend time (no screens) together then maybe she would fancy a tea party. For a tea party you can create a menu, a theme, invite guests, and decorate the table. Usually, tea parties have things like quiche, finger sandwiches, scones, cookies and of course tea. To keep it sustainable, make sure that you know how many guests are coming and cook the appropriate amount of food so that you do not have food-waste. Also, stay away from single use items on your table and for your decorations.
• Gift Mom a Class. There are so many wonderful community classes available. Has your mom mentioned recently that she would like to learn something new? If she has, maybe you can find a local class that she can attend. In my community, there are ceramics classes, cooking classes, sewing classes, beekeeping classes and even classes where your mom can learn to play the guitar or speak another language. Experiences are some of the best gifts, and most sustainable too!
• Here are some more Experience Ideas:
  • Plan a family hike.
  • Go to an outdoor concert (indoor works too).
  • Spend a day shopping at a vintage market.
  • Go to a painting studio.
  • You can even do Acts of Service together by volunteering at a local charity.

Whether it is breakfast in bed, presenting mom with a poem, or building her a bird feeder, if you are thinking of your mom and the planet, you cannot go wrong!

Feel free to download and print the coupons below! You can give your mom a coupon book offering your services to help make her life a bit easier and remind her again how great her life is because you are in it!