There’s been a lot of recent hype about lipsticks and lead. According to, The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a non-profit advocacy group that works to monitor toxicity in the cosmetics industry, several top brand-name lipsticks were found to contain lead.

According to TheDailyGreen.com, a website devoted to environmental and consumer safety issues, “ Lead is a proven neurotoxin that can cause learning, language and behavioral problems such as lowered IQ, reduced school performance and increased aggression. Pregnant women and young children are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure. Lead easily crosses the placenta and enters the fetal brain where it can interfere with normal development.”

Although the Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association states that those products identified in the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (CSC) as containing lead, are safe and meet the standards established by the The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), some concerned consumers prefer to play it safe and purchase only “completely lead-free lipstick.”

Stay tuned for those lead-free lipsticks available on Pricegrabber.com.

I was just thinking, Mother’s Day organic breakfast in bed, doesn’t make sense unless mum is lounging in some luxurious organic bedding. Right?

If you’re indulging mom this Sunday, make sure she is reclining on pure and pesticide-free cotton.
My recommendations:

Janice’s Organic Bedding
I especially like the damask organic pillowcases and sheet sets. The stripe and check patterns are subtle and extremely soft and cozy. Plus they’re completely organic. To boot, they’re processed and preshrunk without the using any toxic bleaches or chemicals. Nice!

West Elm’s Organic Bedding
In addition to organic towels, West Elm also offers organic, dye free 230-thread-count organic cotton bedding. Their certified organic cotton is grown and processed without the use of herbicides or pesticides - making it better for you and better for the planet. They’re also made in USA.

If you really want to impress your mother this Mother’s Day, be sure to bring her an organic breakfast in bed. It’s easy–you don’t have to go all out. Just prepare something you are comfortable making and put it on a nice tray–remember presentation is everything. I recommend a super simple sampling of:

Coffee
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Cage free Organic Eggs
French Toast with Green Mountain Coffee’s Organic Maple Syrup

Local Fresh Fruit

Bring to her while she’s just waking up, complete with a card and some local organic flowers . . . no big-expensive gift necessary!

For a calorie free way to pamper mom make a one of a kind bathroom gift basket filled with the most indulgent eco-friendly spa and beauty products. Click here for the best in eco-friendly shampoos, conditioners and skincare.

Organic beauty co. Dessert Essence makes some fantastic options. Favorites include the Desert Essence Organics Bulgarian Lavender Hand and Body Lotion, a lovely blend of organic botanicals, most notably Bulgarian lavender to calm the skin and senses.

Dessert Essence’s Green Apple and Ginger Conditioner is a soothing treat for dull and dry hair.

And don’t forget the necessities . . . a natural basic is West Elm’s super soft and absorbent organic cotton bath towels. Generously sized in a wide range of colors from yellow fawn to espresso to copperplate to caramel.

For the mother who loves wine, opt for some local, biodynamic or organic selections. A  will ensure your wine is both delicious and carbon-light.

If you live in or near California, then you’ve got a great selection of local wines in your back yard. California is especially famous for fantastic vineyards such as the Landmark Vineyard in Sonoma. Landmark’s Syrah is an excellent complement to any romantic dinner. With, “dark plum, peach and black raspberry fruit, roasted coffee bean, chamois and vanilla,” the wine is sure to work well for a decadent desert too.

Other popular domestic wines come from such wineries as the Frey Vineyard of Mendocino County, the Bonterra Vineyard also of Mendocino County and Ravenswood, a popular vineyard in Sonoma Valley.

Another sweet treat comes from BloomsToday. These gourmet sugar cookies decorated as hearts and flowers come in a reusable silver tin. Choose from organic vanilla, chocolate or a lovely mix of vanilla and chocolate. And we all know that Mother’s Day isn’t complete without chocolate. But before we give the gift of the gods, lets not forget that chocolate is often bittersweet.

As a recent article in Fortune called out, many conventional chocolate companies have been found to source their cocoa from farms that lack sound labor laws and environmental policy. Chocolate that is both organic and Fair Trade Certified, however, is guaranteed to come from environmentally conscious farms that harvest in a sustainable manner while following strict humanitarian standards.

For the mother who prefers sweet treats to sweet smelling flowers opt. for 1-800-Flower’s Organic Gourmet Sampler Basket. The perfect combo of organic goodness, this sampler basket comes with non-processed pretzel sticks, chocolate cookies, ginger snaps, organic cheddar cheese crackers . . . what could be better? Adorably arranged in a traditional natural drop-handle basket, the assortment even comes with a chocolate coffee bar, chocolate-cinnamon crisps box and dark chocolate espresso-vivani. If your mother is a chocolate lover (like me) then she’ll love this. If you’re Valentine is a bit more health conscious the basket also comes with spicy herbal tea sachets, banana chips and organic spicy brown mustard. All in all, a sensational selection of snack foods she won’t feel guilty about.

Flowers are beautiful, but they only last a week. Even better than local organic flowers is a gift that grows over time. Why not give your mom something to grow and care for . . . just like she once cared for you.

Get creative. Put together a little planter pot filled with soil, some seedlings and organic plant food (complete list here). For soil and plant food in one, I recommend Scotts Organic Choice Potting Soil. A popular choice amongst indoor gardeners, Scotts is meant specifically for container plants and window boxes. The homemade gift will provide her with fresh scents, beauty and enjoyment for ages. Give her herbs and she’ll be able to use on them your favorite dish—truly the gift that keeps on giving.

The best part is that homegrown flowers and plants cut back on both hers and your carbon footprint. By going local—and what could be more local than her kitchen windowsill—she’ll avoid purchasing foreign flowers that come with hefty carbon emissions generated from transportation and shipping.

Wouldn’t your mother prefer a bouquet of chemical-free roses to a bunch of pesticides?

I know mine would.

A great way to show mom you care is with a beautiful and locally sourced arrangement of organic and/or fair-trade flowers. Search your area for a local and organic farm. You’ll cut down on carbon emissions without supporting those factory farms that douse their crop with insecticides, fungicides, growth regulators while fumigating with toxic methyl bromide.

Top off local organic flowers with a beautiful handmade glass vase. Eco-conscious co., Grandin Road offers hand-blown glass vases, that inspire infinite decorating options. Unlike the flowers, these vases will last forever.

Once the flowers have wilted, she can fill each vase with seashells, potpourri, pebbles, even bits of sea glass. By combining all three vases for an artistic arrangement or separate for a minimalist statement. Whatever she chooses, the sculptural glass will always hark back to your special Mother’s Day surprise.

Ok, ok, I’ll admit it. Mother’s Day was born from the corporate strategists at Hallmark, but who wants to be a grinch . . . especially when it comes to your mother, the woman who gave you life and . . . well . . . pretty much most of hers? I say, honor thy mother by honoring nature. And vice versa. This Mother’s Day pamper her without paining the planet. There are plenty of options. Stay tuned for the best in green gifts your mom will love.