Earth Day is behind us, but let’s not forget about Mother Earth when we shop for Mother’s Day gifts!

Want a really unique eco friendly gift for Mom?  Check out these incredible notebooks from Vintage Vinyl Journals.  Made out of recycled vinyl records and high quality acid-free environmentally friendly recycled paper, these journals are perfect for music fans and writers alike. Each handmade notebook features a front cover made from the actual album with label, while the back cover is made from part of the original album artwork.  With a wide range of artists from Barbra Streisand to Madonna to The Who, you are sure to find one that will pleasantly surprise your mother!

Another gorgeous and original gift idea is a handbag from Eco Art Productions.  Eco Art bags are screened from original art paintings onto Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) organic certified cotton. Each bag goes through an elaborate process of silk screening, between 15-28 screens per image. GOTS is recognized as the leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibers worldwide. The eco friendly bags use water based dyes for all the screen prints to ensure there are no chemicals.  The “La Paz” design large tote by Artist Raul del Rio is my new everyday bag.  It is roomy, sturdy, strikingly beautiful and colorful, and the inside pockets are not only very handy but also screened with more art!  No doubt Mom will be happy to sport one of these!

Yes, I have plugged this jewelry line before, but I can’t get over how many comments I get every time I wear handmade jewelry from Bottled Up Designs.  These stunning earrings and necklaces are made out of pieces of broken glass and dinnerware found in the woods!  Now that’s eco friendly!  There are so many styles to choose from, you are sure to find one that satisfies Mother’s style.

For the hip, young moms out there, this new fashion line from Repair the World^® eco friendly clothing is perfect.  The people who brought us comfy Sloungewear™ made of recycled cotton from pre-consumer colored fabric scraps and recycled polyester from post consumer plastic bottles have come out with a super cute line of women’s clothing.  From jumpers to tank tops to jeggings to tunics, these items look great, are very comfortable, and divert trash from the landfill – how’s that for winning combination?

Now, for a completely different type of gift:  I am so excited to announce we just added Fair Trade Coffee and Chocolate to the EcoPlum online boutique– just in time for Mother’s day!!!  These Fair Trade and Organic (and Kosher!) coffees from Equal Exchange are crafted by their talented team of roasters to develop the beans to their full flavor potential. With a range of roasts: Medium, Full City, Vienna, and French Roast coffees, in blends and single origins, these coffees are nutty, floral, citrusy and just really good.  Also from Equal Exchange come a delicious variety of Fair Trade and Organic chocolate bars that support small-scale farmers and their families. The bars combine famous Swiss standards in chocolate making with cocoa from the farmer co-operatives CONACADO, in the Dominican Republic, COCABO, in Panama, CACVRA, in Peru, and Fortaleza del Valle co-operative in Ecuador; fairly traded organic sugar from co-operatives in Paraguay; and fairly traded vanilla from Madagascar. They come in a range of delectable flavors and from 38 percent to 80 percent cacao content.  Truly delicious!! Currently we only offer these items in bulk, so this gift is for the true chocolate and coffee loving mothers!

Finally, if you want to go with a more traditional choice for mom, try one of these pampering natural makeup and skincare gift baskets from Zosimos Botanicals.  They handcraft their own line of mineral makeup and natural skincare in a 100% wind-powered studio. Everything is skillfully created in small batches using only the purest essential oils, waxes, herbs, fruit extracts and floral waters. Each product is custom made fresh for you upon order and all products are cruelty-free and made without synthetic chemicals such as parabens, nanoparticles, sulfates or other toxins.  What a great way to show Mom that you think both she and Mother Earth deserve some tender loving care this Mother’s Day!