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Gifts to celebrate mom and Mother Earth

Why not honor two moms this May 10 with a luxe yet eco-conscious present? GreenDAY columnist and mother-of-one Marisa Belger offers ideas, from recycled fabric accessories to nontoxic nail polish.
/ Source: TODAY contributor

Sometimes the second feels like the first. Though I was technically a mama last Mother’s Day, I was too busy trying not to drop my then 3-month-old on his head to enjoy my first day of maternal acknowledgement. But now, 15 months deep into life with a kid, I’m more than ready to revel in every minute of the holiday ... my holiday.

In my perfect world, the day opens with my little guy tapping me on the shoulder and announcing, “Hi mama!” Though he’s mastered the greeting and can string two “ma’s” together, he has yet to look me in the eye and utter both. In fact, he’s been too busy calling the neighbor’s cat mama and the kitchen table mama and his stuffed bear mama to actually call his mama mama (oh, how I wait in sweet anticipation for my moniker to fall from his lips!). Once recognized by my offspring, I will dig into a homemade breakfast for one — two eggs over easy, toast lightly buttered, fruit salad, fresh-squeezed OJ, black tea with a splash of milk — just how I like it. And just before wandering off for a leisurely day in the park — where I will be relieved of all diaper-changing and dirt-extracting duties (from kid’s mouth, hands or ears) — I will open my presents, which will, of course, include any and all of the following:

Fahmina’s leather feather earrings These will clearly be my go-to accessory for summer 2009, so Mother’s Day is the perfect time to receive them. Made from factory scraps and reclaimed leather, they are as eco-friendly and sustainable as they are ridiculously cool. I hope to be sliding on the Carmel & Sand Faux Snake numbers, but I’d happily accept any of Fahmina’s handcrafted creations. Check out Fahmina.com for her full collection.

Tarte cosmeticsThere’s no better way to feed the obsession of an eco-conscious, natural-beauty junkie than with a gift that satisfies all areas. Tarte cosmetics’ Mother’s Day special is designed for mamas like me, with three natural SPF-enhanced lip sheers — free from parabens, phthalates, butylene glycol and the like — packaged in recycled containers and tucked into a cute reusable tote announcing “Be Good to Your Mother (Earth).”

Zoya polishesThe natural pampering will continue with a polish collection from Zoya. The toxin-free polishes were created by Zoya Reyzis, an aesthetician who was inspired by her pregnancy to find a safer polish alternative. The polishes are made without toluene, camphor, formaldehyde or DBP and are bright and long-lasting. I’d be one happy mama if gifted with one of Zoya’s polish collections like the La-Di-Da set of six summery cream shades.

Kim White bag
And of course, the cherry on top of my second/first Mother’s Day would be the right bag, the perfect purse in which I could tuck all of my goodies. I’ve had my eye on several of Kim White’s creations for over a year now and I can’t think of a better occasion than next Sunday to become the proud owner of one of her satchels. White constructs her bags out of vintage automotive fabrics, an eco-friendly process with exceptionally stunning results. I’m all about the hidden pocket leather bag in burgundy leather with an attached coin purse and adjustable strap.

But if it doesn’t happen this year, the bag will be at the top of my list for 2010. I’ll still be a mother next year.

Marisa Belger is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience covering health and wellness. She was a founding editor of Lime.com, a multiplatform media company specializing in health, wellness and sustainable living. Marisa also collaborated with Josh Dorfman on “The Lazy Environmentalist” (Stewart, Tabori, and Chang), a comprehensive guide to easy, stylish green living.

Please note: Neither Marisa Belger nor TODAYshow.com has been compensated by the manufacturers or their representatives for her comments or selection of products reviewed in this column.