Why Don't You..Schedule a Yearly Tune-Up for your Lawnmower?

Keeping your lawnmower in good working order will cut emissions by up to 50 percent and reduce fuel consumption by 30%. Most local hardware or home improvement stores offer lawnmower tune-up services.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

7 Unique Green Mother's Day Gifts


source: The Daily Green


Whether you're looking for a traditional gift, or something more special, you'll find ideas here to please both Mom and Mother Earth.

Also see these 14 unique and green Father's Day gift ideas.By Gloria Dawson

Organic Flowers

Surprise mom with a bouquet of beautiful flowers at home or send them to her office for an early Mother's Day gift she can show off to her co-workers. Either way, send organic blooms, like this bouquet of pink oriental lilies ($60 at organicbouquet.com). You can also find a few certified Fair Trade options starting at $35 at 1800flowers.com (order by May 8, and you can save 15% when you use promotion code MDAY15 at checkout.)


Natural Perfumes

Perfumes are a perfect Mother's Day gift, but they're often filled with unregulated chemicals-not a great gift for Mom or Mother Earth. Try more natural options like those from Pacifica ($20 at amazon.com) or Burt's Bees, which makes solid perfumes perfect for moms on the go ($10 at burtsbees.com or part of a Head-to-Toe gift pack ($15 at amazon.com).

Breakfast in Bed

 
Waking up to the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of a sizzling skillet—lovely. A delicious breakfast served in bed—even better. Knowing she doesn’t have to clean up the kitchen—perfect!
Pour some shade-grown organic coffee, like Audubon's rainforest blend ($30 for three 12-ounce bags at amazon.com) and surprise mom with one of our favorite breakfast recipes:

Green Kitchen Gear

If you can't get mom out of the kitchen to cook for her, try outfitting her with some updated and unique culinary equipment. If she's still using that non-stick pan, upgrade her to an Earth Pan skillet—a durable eco-friendly alternative, ($45 at amazon.com). We also love these floral and functional One Mango Tree aprons made by women in war-torn Uganda ($10 atworldofgood.ebay.com) and these Red Onion Woodworks cutting and serving boards made from salvaged bigleaf maple ($59 and up at etsy.com).

Sustainable Jewelry

This jewelry is created by Kenyan men and women paid fair wages for their creations, and the result is not only beautiful but durable enough even for moms with small children. The pieces in the Leakey Collection, like this Zulugrass bracelet, are made from environmentally sustainable materials such as grass and fallen wood ($46 at worldofgood.ebay.com).

Organic Home Spa Treatments

Entice mom to take a day off with a collection of essential body oils from Heart of Green Award-winner Weleda ($12 at amazon.com). For another gift that will encourage mom to take some time off try the Care About You Package from natural makeup artist Jessa Blades and a few of her crafty friends. The package includes massage oil, bath tea and and an illustrated print. ($48 at etsy.com.)
If she's more of a manicure mom, try Kaia House non-toxic nail polishes ($8 at kaiahouse.com) and Pai organic hand therapy cream ($25 at usa.paiskincare.com).

The Gift of Gardening

Sure, what you'll hand to your mom will be the seedlings you picked up from your local farmers' market or nursery, but the real gift is the time you'll spend together planting. Need gardening advice? Try our 9 Easy Steps for Organic Gardening, or get mom started with a gourmet salad garden kit ($15 at bambeco.com).
Got an city mom? Pick up a copy of Heart of Green Award-winner Amy Pennington's new book Apartment Gardening: Plants, Projects, and Recipes for Growing Food in Your Urban Home ($13 at amazon.com).

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