Mother's day gifts for a 'green' mother?

Question

I'm trying to think of what I can get for my mother for mother's day. Our whole family thinks a lot about the environment and she and I are vegan. Here are past gifts I've bought her:

Grow your own mushroom kit

Quite a few charity gifts (sponser a dog etc)

Green living books

So does anyone have any ideas of what I can get her this year? Maybe something environmentally friendly for the house? Useful gifts are preffered (eg not bath salts, cosmetics or decorations etc) Thanks :o)

Answer 1

if copper doesn't turn her skin green you can make a ring or a pendent out of wire salvaged from old electrical devices or left over from construction sites if there are any nearby.  You can find instructions online for making wire rings.

you can add beads and things from broken necklaces you won't get around to fixing and make your own creations.

a woman with arthritis told me copper is supposed to be healing and that's why she wears copper rings.

we bought a great can opener by swing-a-way company that you actually attach to a wall or cabinet.  it is easy on the hands and lasts a long time.  i think i googled "swing-a-way wall can opener" or something like that.

plants that will attract birds of all sorts to the yard

a flashlight that you shake to light up instead of using batteries

if you live in a sunny climate and your mom enjoys cooking you might go in together with siblings or whoever to get a solar oven (pretty expensive)

Answer 2

Go out for a walk with her,or a cycle, spend the day with her, cook her a meal, watch a dvd with her whatever she likes doing - swimming etc.

The Hotel Chocolate do amazing chocolates!!

Pay for her to be pampered - hair, massage etc ( a salon in Glastonbury, somerset are a non toxic salon called Natural Roots) im sure there must be other non toxic salons.

Fruit bush or plant for her garden.

Speaking as a mum - the best thing i ever want is to spend a lovely day with my children - i dont like unethical presents and the unnecessary bought cards.  Its great when they make their own cards though.

Answer 3

Does she knit ?  Find a woollen or cotton hand made jumper in a charity shop, unravel it, wash the yarn to get the kinks out, rewind it into balls, and give it to her with some knitting needles

Answer 4

Make a pretend cheque book (recycled paper) with the part that usually says the amount written as chores to be cashed in at her leisure.

1)  Wash up

2)  Massage shoulders

3)  Feed the pet

4)  Put the washing out

She can them use them when she needs them most.

Answer 5

what about a tree for her garden? an ornamental cherry blossomis nice.

Answer 6

A card saying:

I've donated money in your name to

Me

Address - I'll provide that if I win.

Money will be used in environmental friendly fashion.

Answer 7

Whale blubber.

Answer 8

baskets, t-shirt, baseball cap, anything made from hemp. "the new cotton".

have-a-loving-day!

Answer 9

One of my favorite things to do for my Mom, and one that my Mom really enjoys when I'm able to do it for her, is to plant her container garden.  

She has a lot of gorgeous pots on her back porch.  We try to add a perminant plant every year, like lavender, but the rest I plant in anual bedding plants.  She then has gorgeous flowers to enjoy all spring, summer, and most of fall.

It might be fun for the both of you to take a class together.  If you're really into environment, or animal type sponserships, take a stain glass class together.  Create a lovely window, and donate it to charity of your choice.  Our local humane society has a thrift store.  Other groups have yearly auctions.  A stain glass would be a welcome item and would probably sell very well.  Best of all, you'd get to learn a cool new skill, and spend time with your Mom.

~Garnet

Oh yeah!  You can take a large leaf, like a rubarb leaf, and make a cement cast of it, which can be set out for the birds(on a pedistal) to have a birdbath, or you can put them directly on the ground and provide shelter for frogs, toads, garter snakes, and salamanders.



Link for you:

http://www.blossomswap.com/cast-concrete...

Another thing that just popped into my brain!  Does your Mom garden?  If she has trouble keeping birds away (like from a cherry tree) make a mobile from scratched, or advertisement CD's, that you have.  They are actually suprisingly attractive, making rainbow flashes.  Keep the birds away nicely.  Or if you have a picture window birds tend to fly into and kill themselves, hang it in front of the window and save the birds that way.

Answer 10

A green flower, that will add oxygen to the air. . .

Answer 11

a nice plant

Answer 12

A bunch of tote bags.... colorful and pretty ones that are cheery that she can use to do all her shopping in.

Answer 13

i know you want useful gifts but you could make her something- like a jewelry set made from bits and bobs that are quite useless on their own or odd bits of rubbish that would look nice as jewellery?

just an idea?

or how about a tree?

Answer 14

Look into this:

http://www.shaklee.net/maumann/getclean/...

Answer 15

I think a composting bin would be ace. There are all sorts to match peoples' gardens and spaces. And make sure you get her a covered bucket for the kitchen so she can recycle kitchen waste.

And it's so easy to make a composting bin circle with  a 4' high by 10 foot 1/2" chicken wire and a couple of 2" X 4s" stapled on each leading edge of the wire, then some sort of way to hitch the ends together and form the circle. It's a heck of a lot of fun to make <black gold> for your garden. Check out local garden center for their help here. Ah, a word on the serious side: no cat or dog p**p in any composting bin. Okay? Nowhere in the garden near food for humans for their f***s. Dig it? Chickens okay. In fact buying her a few chickens and a coop is another really neat way to say I love you, mom. No roosters if she's within city limits. Never quite sure what vegan mean these days. Some eat eggs. Enjoy!

Answer 16

Do you sew?  You could make her a big tote bag with your old clothes...they are sooo easy to make.

This site has some cool ideas

http://www.gifts.com/search/product/Tele...

But I like making gifts.  

You could always ger some nice organic t-shirts.  I love them.

Answer 17

that is a gd idea maybe stuff like :

plants:

tamato ,any other veg ones

or

chocolate or a badge with somthing 2 do with it

Answer 18

get one of these

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?V...

pictures of yourself and special moments

Answer 19

Fair trade jewellery, adopt an animal or donate money to a charity that you feel is close to you mums heart - you usually get a certificate with their name, info packs and other things with it, as part of my friends xmas i saved 1/2 an acre of rainforest from ever being chopped down - about £25 from worldland trust.  

Sorry i know they arent exactly the kinda ideas you asked for but i think they are lovely ideas that suit an occasion like mothers day well!

Answer 20

recycling bags.

Answer 21

>I know you said you prefer useful gifts but if you ever need some vegan soaps or bathsalts LUSH is a great place.

>In primark they sell a small range of organic clothes and some of them look really nice!

>You can buy a goat for someone and stuff like that online http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCC...

(there are english sites avaible if you live in the UK and wish to pay buy £)

>http://www.adoptwildlife.org

I love that site i am going to have a bat adopted for my birthday it is only £25 and you get a plush toy some cards e.c.t, go for an unsual animal which others will be less likely to adopt

Answer 22

Perhaps a vegan recipe or cook book!

Answer 23

You can buy loads of different 'green' cleaning items from most supermarkets now. (if you are in the uk) even BOOTS sell some nice washing up liquids etc that are free from chemicals. You could make up a small basket of goodies of cleaning products etc. FAIR TRADE items are also great because you will be helping other people by buying their items. They normally produce food related stuff though-like coffee, tea, chocolate, biscuits, fruit, veg etc. Again all these can be purchased from a supermarket. :O)

For a 'green' home plants also make great gifts plus they dont tend to die like flowers do.

x

Answer 24

you can also do something completely normal with her - take her out for a meal. She might be already fed up with all the enviro-things and wants just some attention. Maybe... I of course don't know her personally.