Shopping for an Eco-Mama

From eye-catching bassinets to organic receiving blankets, the number of luxury baby products and eco mama-to-be gifts continue to expand as more companies embrace an environmentally conscious approach towards providing sustainable goods. For example, browse the eco-friendly items at The Land of Nod and you're sure to fall in love with brands, like Stokke, Pixel Organics, Cariboo, Svan, Ecotots, and Ergaorganics. A sample of eco-friendly gifts for expecting mothers include: Stokke Sleepi System 1 Crib Currently on sale for $799.00, the Stokke Sleepi System 1 Crib (above) is originally priced at $999.00, but the extra greenbacks are certainly worth it for a nursery outfitted with this strikingly clean design. Easily converting from a bassinet to a crib, parents will surely embrace this time saving unit. With beechwood construction, the eco-friendly Stokke Sleepi System 1 Crib also offers four adjustable mattress heights, lockable wheels, and portability – perfect for any room of the home. Choose from Stained Espresso or painted White finishes, offered only at The Land of Nod. Cariboo Earth Folding Bassinet It's only natural that a parent wants their child to sleep in safe and secure surroundings. Made by Scandinavian Child, this eco-friendly bassinet accommodates newborns up to 22 pounds. Handcrafted from sustainable Radiata pine, the stained finish is water-based and biodegradable. This gift also comes with an unbleached, all natural cotton bassinet bag, fitted sheet, and eco-dyed veil. The New Zealand wool mattress supplies natural fiber comfort and is also covered in unbleached cotton. Price: $449.95 Svan High Chair When it's time to entice a little one with strained peas and turkey noodle surprise, serve meals in style with this eco-friendly high chair, crafted from birch and made by Scandinavian Child. Dealing with a fussy eater? The Svan High Chair is easy to clean, offering a wipe-down wood finish and a dishwasher safe plastic tray cover that easily snaps off. Other features of the high chair include:

• Three-point safety harness system
• Simply twist a knob to expand safety guard
• Seat adjusts vertically and horizontally
• Adjustable footrest

The Land of Nod offers your choice of Cherry, Espresso, Mahogany or Natural stain. If you'd like to go for the gusto, select a coordinating cushion to accompany your gift: Blue, Brown or Green. Price: $259.95 UPPAbaby Vista Stroller This 2009 UPPAbaby Vista Stroller model retails at $669.99 and has been dubbed the ' SUV of the stroller world.' With a rugged design, the Vista Stroller provides an attractive, lightweight (thanks to the same aluminum alloy used in aircrafts) , and highly functional gift to the eco-mama ready to shed a little baby weight tackling the local park or neighborhood streets in style. UPPAbaby also added an eco-friendly bassinet lined with a blend of organic cotton and soybean fiber to sweeten the deal. What more can you ask for? Other features to consider include telescoping one-touch handle height adjustment, easy folding for storage, cell phone pocket, and removable, machine washable fabric. One last tempting detail…the included weather shield, mesh sunshade, bug cover and pop-out SPF 50 canopy extension that delivers 30% more sun coverage. This product is for newborns to children weighing 50 pounds. Available colors include: Black (Jake), Blue (Myles), Green (Carlin), Red (Denny) or Silver (Mica). Ecotots' Big Kahuna Bookcase What better place to store all of the bouncy balls, stuffed animals, and pop-up books in a child's room than with a 100% formaldehyde-free, FSC Certified birch plywood bookcase? Offering an extra deep and wide bottom shelf that makes gathering precious possessions easy for little hands, the Ecotots' Big Kahuna Bookcase assembles within minutes without the need for cumbersome tools. The bookcase is decorated with a non-toxic, water-based stain (Cocoa or White finish) and delivered in less than one week. Price: $335.00 Little Twig Baby Bath Gift Set If you're looking for a thoughtful gift for an upcoming baby shower, the Little Twig's baby basics gift pack is built to please the mother who plans to bath her child in eco-friendly luxury. Made with certified organic and natural bathing essentials, this gift includes a plush caterpillar washcloth, stimulating extra-mild baby powder, and organic lavender baby wash and bodymilk. Packaged in a reusable plastic bag, the gift set caters to newborns and older. With this particular gift, take note that a portion of proceeds will benefit Every Child Foundation. Price: $39.99 Photo Credit: The Land of Nod

5 Eco-Friendly Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Moms are amazing, wonderful beings and although it’s a wise idea to honor Mom all year long, Mother’s Day presents a special chance for you to tell her just how much she means to you. It seems only fitting that Mother Nature should play a special part in Mother’s Day – and you can make this happen by creating eco-friendly and beautiful gifts for your mom this year. Below, you’ll find 5 great ideas for eco-friendly Mother’s Day gifts. 1. Teacup Candles These are really creative and beautiful gifts for Mom. Simply scour your local flea market or second-hand shop to find a gorgeous teacup and saucer set. A lot of times, you can get lucky and find some antique china or something equally as beautiful. Purchase some colored candle wax and wick, which you can find at any craft store. Using a double boiler (carefully) melt the wax and when it’s completely liquid, pour it into the teacup. Reserve a small amount of the wax for ‘topping off’ the candle. Insert the wick so that it dries in the middle of the candle. When the candle is dry, you’ll notice a ‘dip’ in the top – which you can easily fix with the candle wax you reserved. Place the teacup on the saucer and wrap it in clear gift paper. Add a few ribbons and you’ve got a beautiful gift for mom. 2. Mosaic Picture Frame Another beautiful idea is creating a mosaic picture frame that Mom can use to proudly display her favorite family photo. Purchase or create a wooden frame template (these can be found at your local craft store as well) and collect some broken glassware or pottery. You’ll also need a hot glue gun. Create a design using your imagination and then glue pieces of the pottery or glassware on the frame template. Use Mom’s favorite colors or create a picture of something she really likes. You can even use the glass to spell out ‘Mom’ on the frame. Get full instructions for creating a mosaic frame here. Also, check out this great frame as well, which would make an equally lovely gift. 3. Lavender ‘Hand Print’ Sachets These are very unique and are wonderful gifts for a Mom with small children. Dads or other family members can help the little ones create these gifts for Mom, and they’re sure to be cherished for many years to come. The greatest thing is that you can use a bit of scrap fabric and ribbon to create this lovely gift. Full instructions here. 4. Handmade Brooch If there’s one thing for certain, it’s that most moms adore handmade gifts. I, for one, would much rather receive something created from the heart than something it took three seconds to purchase at the department store. Handmade brooches, like the one pictured here (found on Flickr) are absolutely beautiful eco-friendly Mother’s Day gifts. You can reuse beading that has been saved or collected through the years, and it’s an incredibly easy gift to make. Simply use a bit of fishing twine tied to the safety pin rather than the metal hooks used on the one pictured. 5. Recycled ‘Stuff’ Wind Chimes If you’ve got a craft box or have saved bits and pieces of this and that over the years, perhaps you can put those pieces together and create something beautiful. Create a handmade wind chime for Mom to hang in her favorite place. Use monofilament line to string shells, beads, pieces of broken pottery, earrings that have long ago lost their match, or anything else you want to use to create wind chimes. Keep it simple and artistic or create a complicated design if you feel comfortable doing so. Full instructions on how to create handmade wind chimes here. When you think about what kind of gift would be best to honor your mom on Mother’s Day, go the extra mile and honor Mother Nature with recycled and eco-friendly but beautiful gifts. Photo Credits: Teacup Candle by ecram1 on Flickr, Sachet photo by www.alphamom.com, Mosaic Frame by www.thriftyfun.com, Brooch by Pon "T" un Pin on Flickr, Wind Chimes by www.alternativeconsumer.com.