Motherhood is complicated. This Mothers’ Day, we’re celebrating everyone who embodies that motherly expression of love, care, and support.

We’re celebrating our Moms and those who want to become Moms. We’re celebrating Moms whose babies are furry companions. We’re shouting out that friend who acts like the friend group's Mom, an older sister, aunt, or any other maternal figure that made you feel all the warm and fuzzies.

We’ve pulled together this gift guide to make it just a little easier for you to give that special someone in your life a token of gratitude and appreciation for the specific role they’ve played in our lives. When this May 8th holiday rolls around, it’s time to show our Moms a little extra love… while keeping the planet in mind.

#1 Your Mom

• Whoever your Mom might be, you can never go wrong with flowers. Steer clear of roses and other “commodity flowers” though – they are extremely energy and emissions-intensive. Instead, opt for those from a local store that are native to your area. Native flowers have tons of positive impacts on biodiversity. When considering local, try to purchase flowers grown within 150 miles of where you are. If your Mom isn’t physically close to you (just close to your heart), look for flowers that have third-party certifications, such as Veriflora, Bloomcheck, Fair Trade, and the Rainforest Alliance.
• Moms can get, well, stressed. Help your Mom decompress with an acupressure mat from Shakti. Shakti mats are made from organically certified cotton & dyes. All workers are paid a living wage and 10% of profits are returned to worker communities through GiveWell, an organization that selects charitable organizations based on their impact.
• If lying on a spiky mat isn’t your Mom’s thing, check out Fat and the Moon’s bath soaks, which are free from ingredients like palm oil, sulfates, dyes, and synthetic fragrances.
• And, if your Mom is all about reading her worries away, give her a copy of The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. Eco-anxiety is real and, while our Mothers are superheroes, it doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with this, too.

#2 Moms-to-be

• For all of our pregnant mamas-to-be out there, we love the maternity clothing from Isabella Oliver. This Certified B Corp was recognized as a Carbon Neutral leader in the United Nations 2021 Global Climate Action awards and uses plastic-free packaging.
• For those thinking ahead to postpartum life, we love the OEKO-TEX certified and super-comfy Thinx Postpartum Set. The cool thing about them is that they’re super absorbent, so you can wear them for postpartum bleeding (which can happen for up to six weeks).
• These Bamboobies overnight nursing pads are also great for our postpartum mamas. They’re OEKO-TEX certified and made from bamboo (a renewable resource), which we love!
• New moms spend tons of time nursing. How about making the ritual easier (and cuter) with a nursing cami? This top by Beyond Yoga is Bluesign® Certified and shipped in a polybag made of recycled materials.

#3 Second Mom

• Sometimes we get extra lucky and get two Moms for the price of one! Or, maybe our second Mother is a best friend’s mom, older sister, aunt, or the friend in the friend group that just takes care of everyone. What do all these people have in common? Well, they might need some extra help focusing on themselves and their needs.
• Encourage them to give themselves a little extra care with a soft and luxurious bathrobe from Una Pluma. Their products are made from GOTS-certified organic cotton.
• For some serious relaxation time, get your second Mom a handmade beeswax candle from Flore, made from local Canadian beeswax and essential oils.
• If your second Mom is all about soft fabrics to lounge in, consider comfy and luxurious basics from Sister Kate. Their clothing is GOTS-certified and OEKO-TEX class I. Sister Kate also offers a resale program to keep clothing in circulation (and out of landfills!) when they’re just not your style anymore. So cool!
• If your Mom is the look-good, feel-good type, check out Fat and the Moon’s Adornment collection. The collection offer highlighters, lip stains, and blushes, all free from synthetic fragrances and palm oil.  

#4 Pet Moms

• Not all Moms have human babies. Heck, if motherhood is about unconditional love and care, Pet Moms get some serious points for taking care of their fur babies. Show these Moms some love with products that validate their pooch-human love.
• Check out Cycle Dog’s leashes and plush toys made from recycled plastic bottles, bicycle inner tubes, and plastic bottles, keeping these materials out of landfills.
• Picking up your pet’s poop is an unfortunate reality of being a pet parent. Make it a little easier on the planet with Wildone’s poop bags, made from a plant-based starch blend.
• And, for feeding our furry friends, consider Stella and Chewy’s food, which comes in recyclable packaging.
• If your pet has some difficulty chilling, consider PetReleaf’s CBD oil. Their products are made from USDA Certified Organic Hemp Oils and are herbicide and pesticide-free. Remember, not all sharing is caring – because of how most human CBD is derived, pets can likely not have human CBD, but humans can probably have pet CBD (if it’s human-grade) if things really get tough.

Mother’s Day doesn’t have to mean giving that special someone a tangible material gift. And, because we can all get a bit shop-happy when trying to make someone feel special, it’s important to be mindful of purchasing for the sake of purchasing. We encourage you to think about both what gifts you’re giving and what you want the impacts of those gifts to be.

Total Roundup:

• Local flowers or flowers certified by Veriflora, Bloomcheck, Fair Trade, and the Rainforest Alliance
• Shakti acupressure mat
• Fat and the Moon bath soak
• The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
• Isabella Oliver maternity clothing
• Thinx Postpartum Set
• Bamboobies overnight nursing pads
• Beyond Yoga Nursing Cami
• Una Pluma bathrobe
• Flore beeswax candle
• Sister Kate comfy and luxurious basics
• Fat and the Moon Adornment collection
• Stella and Chewy pet food
• Cycle Dog leashes and plush toys
• Wildone poop bags
• PetReleaf’s CBD oil

Disclaimer: We’ve assessed social and environmental considerations when making this gift guide. We also don’t get any cut of the sale if you decide to buy these products; we just really love them.

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