Eco Mama's Green Gift Guide: Mother's Day 2011

Before becoming a mother I used to take baths all the time.  I'm not sure exactly what happened, but it's a luxury I left behind. Until a recent trip to Seattle and my stay at a hotel where they have Japanese bathtubs, I hadn't had a bath literally in years.  I took some of these Himala Rose Bath Salts with me and it was like being at a spa.  I want that ritual back and I have a feeling I am not alone.  Himala Rose Healing Rituals bath salts are good inspiration for taking that time to just exhale a little. 

Made with Himilayan sea salt, they contain minerals, trace elements and aromatherapy to help purify your body and soothe your spirit.  They come in Lavender and Rose, smell great (and not overwhelming like some bath products), and leave your skin soft and detoxified.  I love the story about how founder Melissa Kushi grew up taking outdoor baths in a tin washtub her great-grandmother threw rose petals into.  This product is certified organic, vegan, and cruelty free.  Find it HERE. 

The most important and wonderful gift you can give is your time.  Wouldn't it be beautiful to give (or receive) this WEWOOD WATCH along with a lovely weekend adventure or afternoon together?  I love the symbolism and the actual watch is fabulous.  Where have you ever seen a watch made from wood?  WEWOOD is an Italian company and the "avant garde approach to sophisticated sustainability."

They come in different colors and styles, but I am partial to this Date brown which has nice color variance.  The watch feels good to the touch and is completely natural and non toxic.  It comes big, with tools to fit the watch to size.  I had to take out several links, but it was simple and the watch now fits my wrist--which is not always easy since I have small wrists and things often slide right off, so it was nice to be able to customize it.  For every watch purchased, WEWOOD plants a tree.  Find them HERE. 

At the end of the day it is such a treat to climb into a soft cozy bed.  You would think all of my bedding would be organic because I am a stickler for these things.  You spend eight hours a day in bed, it should be a chemical free environment.  Most of my bedding is indeed organic, but until recently, not the sheets!  I have tried so many organic sheets and have yet to find any that are soft enough--until now.  Kassatex makes some wonderful sheets.

These are a bamboo organic cotton blend and are super soft.  I'm incredibly picky about sheets, and these pass my test.  They're light and breezy and perfect for Summer.  Every mom I know could use some quality sleep and these luxurious sheets would make a thoughtful gift.  Find them HERE.

For newer mamas I love this stroller compatible Armitage Satchel from Po Campo.  I recently got the Armitage and fell in love with it (read my review here).   This bag fits on your bike rack, carries your yoga bag, holds everything you need and looks fashionable.  I love it for anyone, but it would be a very special treat for Mother's Day.  Find it HERE.

Wraps are great for Spring and Summer and Yala Designs makes several Bamboo Dreams wraps that would be great for Mother's Day.  The Lucy Wrap is versatile, comes in different colors and is made from ultra soft sustainable bamboo rayon.  Find it HERE. 

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Where Teddy Bears Come From, a Quirky Holiday Children's Book

Where Teddy Bears Come From, by Burgess and Ayto is a refreshing holiday tale of a little gray wolf who can't sleep and his search for a teddy bear to help him with his insomnia. Mama wolf packs a lunch for his expedition where he seeks advice from Wise Owl who quickly sends him on his way. In a cheeky nod to the fairy tale classics, he encounters the Three Pigs (who aren't so little anymore) and Red Riding Hood who all at first mistake him as the Big Bad Wolf. No one seems to know where teddy bears come from and little wolf becomes discouraged.

He then meets up with a bearded old man in a red suit who wishes the little wolf was indeed the big bad wolf as he needs help inflating a flat tire. Little wolfe kindly obliges with some huffing and puffing and then asks the man if he knows where teddy bears come from. The man assures him he will soon find out--which he does by the end of the book.

The illustrations are modern and colorful, the prose is fun to read out loud and it's full of personality. It really stands out amongst Christmas books and I recommend it. Find it HERE.

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TSM STAINLESS STEEL FOOD DEHYDRATOR

The most exciting thing to enter my kitchen in a long time is this Stainless Steel Five Tray Dehydrator from TSM. Most of my raw cookbooks recommend the Excalibur 9 tray, so I got that first. It was too big and too loud for my small house (I have an open floor plan), and frankly, I found Excalibur's customer service to be lacking.

I looked and looked and couldn't find another option until I happened to notice someone talking about the Sausage Maker on a raw foods message board. Then the fabulous raw foods blogger, Susan, from Rawmazing, told me she used a Sausage Maker too. I did some homework and it turns out that TSM and Sausage Maker are one and the same. Sausage Maker originated as a dehydrator for hunters to preserve their game. But raw foodists caught on and started using their dehydrators because of their high quality. TSM realized they had another market demographic and wisely took the sausage logo off the machine.

The unit itself is very good looking. It's well built and has a sexy industrial appearance for the kitchen. It's quiet-very quiet which I didn't think would matter since I like white noise, but if you are going to have something on for 20 hours in a small space, it can be really annoying if it's too loud.

The trays are high quality stainless steel and it has a timer. A timer! This is so helpful when you have something going for many hours and is surprisingly absent from many dehydrators. Their customer service is friendly and helpful, I had to call about the temperature dial--it corresponds to the chart on the top left of the machine, raw foodists will want their knob to stay within that first space on the dial in case anyone else is wondering. Also, be sure to ask for one with a little hole in the door for a thermometer probe if you want to to monitor the temperature (and you probably will).

I'm still in the experimental stage food-wise but I will be posting more about my adventures in dehydrating (I'm pretty obsessed). For now I give you my utmost recommendation for this model. It's the nicest dehydrator I've ever seen and I've been looking like crazy. If you are embarking on your own raw foods journey or want to upgrade from your current dehydrator, or just need a fabulous gift for the raw foodie in your life, check it out HERE.

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Green Gift Guide Stocking Stuffer: Natural Cranberry Dental Floss

This month I will be offering a Green Gift Guide, a series of products I recommend for holiday gifts. Let's start with something everyone needs--dental floss! This is not your run of the mill dental floss however, it's cranberry dental floss from RADIUS. Not cranberry flavored, but coated with cranberry phytochemical essence which prevents plaque and gum disease. This would make a brilliant stocking stuffer. It's on sale right now for 25% off and you can find it HERE.

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