19 Gifts That'll Make Mom (and Mother Nature) Smile

Sierra's 2021 Mother's Day Gift Guide

By Katie O'Reilly

May 2, 2021

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Photo by Arand/iStock

It’s been a whammy of a year for all of us—but especially mothers and mother figures. Moms aren’t exactly known for having an abundance of leisure time even in normal times, so we selected these items with a mind toward encouraging the mamas in your world to get out (with caution!), truly relax, have some fun, and nourish some passions. In honor of Mother Earth, these gifts are environmentally responsible too. Whether your mamas like to garden, read, cook, adventure, or literally siphon power from the sun, you’ve come to the right place.

Made from recycled water bottles and plant-based materials including cotton seeds and hemp, Opolis is a new brand of vintage eyewear. Check out the UVA/UVB Polarized “Bio” shades collection ($188/pair)—these sunglasses are biodegradable, scratch-resistant, durable and adventure-friendly, and fabulous. Oh, and purchases benefit 1% for the Planet and other environmental NGOs. 

The upcycled sail-cloth artisans behind Sea Bags have you covered for Mother’s Day—created in collaboration with the seaweed-based skincare mavens behind Planet Botanicals, Sea Bags' Beachcomber Bucket ($130) is a mesh-bottomed bucket filled with a bundle of soothing treats. Mom will get treated to luxurious “dream cream,” hand-made soap, and ultra-hydrating hand cream, all made from sustainably harvested Maine seaweed, which is rich in natural minerals and vitamins. She can take this spa-in-a-bucket to the beach, to the bath, on vacation, and beyond.

Has your nature-loving mama been jigsawing her way through the pandemic? Good news—photographer Ian Shive has created a glorious 1,000-piece puzzle capturing one of the most powerful images in his iconic photo series starring the National Wildlife Refuge System. This stunning rendition of his most beloved shot of Alaska's Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge comes with interlocking pieces that will transport Mom to one of the most remote and awe-inspiring habitats on Earth. 

Fact: A good-looking purse is pretty much always a slam-dunk mom present. And fruit meets high fashion in Able Made’s Fruit-Based and Bold Collection, which features fresh vegan bags made from upcycled food waste material. Its Nabrey Crossbody purse ($275) sports a black exterior made from apple skin and is finished with a red, eco-suede lining. Talk about a minimalist, highly functional, and naturally conversation-starting gift!

How about a hug for Mom’s tired feet? Whether she’s working from home and/or taking every opportunity to kick back in a tent or travel trailer, she'll dig the ultra-squishy Baffin CUSH ($60) footwear, featuring a stuffed and quilted nylon upper and a drawstring to keep in warmth. What's more, a "Polar-Proven" insole follows every curve of the wearer’s foot. 

Got a glam mama who deserves a real treat this year? Look no further than lab-grown diamonds. Created by scientists in a lab (zero mining of the earth required!), they’re often described as even more pure and radiant than traditional diamonds. We’re partial to this lab created, emerald and white sapphire, three-piece set from Helzberg Diamonds. You can get all three pieces for $100. Talk about a beautifully affordable way to make Mom sparkle.

Here’s some eye-catching jewelry of a different flavor altogether—made from “vegan leather” sourced from cactus, Keva Style’s Fanfare Earrings ($48) contain multitudes: timeless style, innovative spirit, and that elusive breath of fresh, desert air.

Did the pandemic inspire any special ladies in your life to get into the garden? Help Mom grow her best vegetables with help from these fetching handy home vegetable garden reference cards ($25) from Grow Sow Happy. They're dirt-proof and water-resistant and contain all the info a home gardener needs to know, from sowing to harvesting stages. At 4x6, they’re the perfect size to tuck into a gardener’s pocket—in fact, they're designed to keep smartphones and gardening reference books free from dirt! 

Now that Mom’s got her vegetable garden underway, The New Heirloom Garden ($25) may be her ideal book gift. Authored by gardening veteran and gourmand Ellen Ecker Ogden, it offers a blueprint for planning, planting, and cooking from one's own garden, thus creating the freshest garden-to-table experience. The book includes 50 tantalizing recipes (think rose hip marmalade, braised cosmic carrots, and heirloom tomato salad) and countless gardening secrets.

Get your mom psyched to get back out into the world with the gift of travel toiletries that come with zero leakage and no plastic packaging. Green Room packages its plant- and mineral-based soap/shampoo and conditioner/shave bars in a fun and retro Travel Tin ($12.50). Designed to provide weeks’ worth of washes, they’re adventure-friendly and zero-waste. 

The gift of self-care goes a long way for the homebound too. Help Mom create a plastic-free bathroom set-up with a Zero Waste Kit ($72). This exciting gift basket includes natural deodorant (in scents like orange and patchouli), a bamboo toothbrush, bamboo floss, and a shampoo bar (available in scents including lavender and tea tree).

Designed to be worn as a fanny pack, the very fashionable vegan leather Kibou ($89) is short for the phrase “Keep It By You” and was created with busy parents in mind. Its stain-resistant nylon lining can be easily wiped down and disinfected, and the piece boasts a built-in detachable changing pad and waterproof pocket (perfect for wipes), as well as interior slots for credit cards, keys, and pacifiers. Plus, the Kibou comes packaged in a reusable bag, and proceeds from its sale benefit Hour Children, which serves mothers and children impacted by incarceration. 

We know that, due to nuances of sizing and taste, dresses can make for a tricky gift. But, you probably haven’t yet met the most versatile blank canvas of a machine-washable, reversible little black dress. Crafted from merino wool, Tencel (a fiber made from tree farms’ leftover tree pulp), and recyclable solvents, époque évolution’s Everyway Tie Dress ($179) is astonishingly stylish and cozy. And thanks to a design that fits loose but skims the hips and comes with a tie belt, it looks excellent on every body. Mom can wear it front to back (either v-neck or boatneck) and even the two hip pockets flip both ways. Oh, and this wool inhibits odor and resists wrinkles, meaning she can wear it over and over again, in various ways.

Owned by a mother and retired florist, Etsy’s Bella Sandro Artistry store sells hand-painted wine glasses, tea cups, vases, candles, and more ($22 to $35)—and all wares are made from upcycled glass and ceramic. They'll make for a thoughtful gift Mom will truly put to use. 

The original wearable sleeping bag was invented high in the mountains of Chile and designed to provide campers and home loungers with maximum mobility, versatility, and coziness. Selk'bag's new 100 percent recycled Rainforest model ($129) was inspired by the flora and fauna of Chile's Parque Oncol nature preserve, including the Monito del Monte marsupial opossum and chucao bird. Each bag is made from 54 discarded plastic bottles. It's the ideal gift for moms who dig stargazing, early-morning dog walks, camping, backyard movie nights, and lounging in its most decadent (yet sustainable) form.

Here’s a two-fer gift for Mother Earth and your mother. The Granrosi Store’s stylish Farmhouse Kitchen Compost Bin ($30) is handy and odor-free, and makes composting nice and easy for Mom.

Help Mom put her best face forward as she steps back out into the world—Aisling Organics’ Mother's Day Bundle contains plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free, organic, vegan, affordable makeup items, shipped out in a reusable bag (Aisling is on track to be plastic-neutral by 2022). 

What’s even better than a candle? A zero-waste candle ($25 to $30) that reincarnates as a cocktail shaker in its next life. After Mom enjoys 70 to 80 hours of peace and serenity by coconut-wax candlelight, she can clean out this candle’s mason jar and use Shanti Creations’ array of handy attachment lids ($11 to $16) to turn it into her best vehicle for salt and pepper, infused tea, martinis, and more.

Photo courtesy of Fluff Media

We all know the joys wrought by flowers and candy are short-lived, so why not buy a solar panel in the name of Mom or Grandma, and make her a permanent fixture in the quest to phase out fossil fuels? For $153, Clearloop will let you “buy” and stick Mom’s lovely name on her very own solar farm-bound panel.