In Mom’s Day part one, I shared all I learned all about the history of Mother’s Day, which dates back to ancient Greece. I got inspired by their original gift offerings of yummy treats for mother goddesses – which is what we want all of our mom’s to feel like, and to have them know that we see them as so special, of course!
Today I want to start off by recognizing and paying tribute to the two American women most responsible for the idea of official celebration of Mothers day in the USA.
Mother’s Day was first suggested by Julia Ward Howe in 1872. An activist, writer and poet Julia shot to fame with her famous Civil War song, “Battle Hymn of the Republic”. She fought aggressively for the woman’s right to vote and struggled to liberate women from the traditional confines of the home. It was Julia who originally suggested that June 2 be annually celebrated as Mothers Day. She wrote a passionate appeal to women and urged them to rise against war in a famous Mother’s Day Proclamation, written and published in Boston in 1870. Julia tirelessly championed the cause of the official celebration of Mother’s Day and to have that date an official holiday. Interestingly enough, the person who actually got the holiday made official was not Julia but a woman named Anna Jarvis.
Anna Jarvis got the inspiration of celebrating Mother’s Day from her own mother! Mrs. Jarvis used to express her desire that someday someone, ‘must honor all mothers, living and dead, and pay tribute to the contributions made by them’. Anna never forgot her mother’s words. When her mother died in 1905, Anna along with her supporters wrote letters to people in positions of power lobbying for the official declaration of Mothers Day holiday. By 1911, Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state in the Union and on May 8, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a Joint Resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
These two were incredible forces of nature, as are all women, which brings us to the actual question of (be it wife, sister, mom, or mom-in-law that you are celebrating): What kind of gift should I get her? What is a good mother’s day gift? How do I show her what she means, how much she means to me and everyone else whose lives she has touched?
You can click here for a great big list of Good Gifts Naturally’s fabulous Mother’s Day Gift Picks, but here is my favorite idea that is the key to finding a good gift for Mom’s Day:
Figure out what means the most to her. What’s her favorite thing or the one issue she complains about most? Get her a good, natural solution or an all organic, handmade with love thing to compliment or remind her of what she loves most!
Is her thing me-time? Does she ever get any? Most of my mom friends have NO TIME for an indulgent spa day, so the best gift for them is a gift packed full of organic, all natural, escape to relaxation island that they can use in their own home!
Lusciously Lavender Organic Spa Set
GGN’s Lusciously Lavender Organic Spa Kit has bath salts, a loofa, indulgent lotions and more. But another gift for a peace-loving (or seeking) mom could be jewelry, like our handmade, fair trade labradorite earrings. Labrodite is not just pretty, it is believed to be a power stone, allowing you to see through illusions to determine the actual form your dreams and goals can take. It is thought to be excellent for strengthening intuitions and creating a strong sense of internal peace & serenity.
handmade fair trade peaceful labradorite earrings
If Mom’s got green thumbs and loves her garden, send a little ray of sunshine with the For the Love of Nature Gift Tote! This handy nylon gardening tote overflowing with the essentials they’ll need to get their garden started! It begins with a wonderful selection of stainless steel gardening tools, cotton gardening gloves, a variety of flower seed packets, spray water bottle, and for when their work is done, a revitalizing gardeners hand scrub and lotion.
Mother's Day Gift Basket
If you want to tell her how much she’s influenced you, or give her a reminder of the immense power of motherhood, a gift she can look at every day that represents that would be perfect, like our gorgeous soapstone entwined family sculptures. African Soapstone is among the most beautiful in the world. Mined by hand from surface mines large stones are pulled by a team of workers, cleaved into smaller pieces and worked into stunning art and functional objects so not only are they beautiful, they are handmade, and fairly traded.
handmade fair trade natural soapstone family sculpture
With that gift idea still in mind, instead of art as a statue, you could go for something she will wear every day. Our best selling, most popular jewelry gift is our Strands of Love set of necklace & bracelet, because of what if represents, how gorgeous it looks, and how many women artisans it helps! Twenty threads of stunning hand-strung glass and coral beads create Strands of Love—an exquisite piece that helps advance opportunity for women and funds scholarships. Versatile pearl beads add shimmer and elegance to any outfit – comes in pearl or lavender – I love both!
Whatever you decide to give, giving with her in mind, and giving from your heart will make it a good gift- naturally!
Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at GGN!
