Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother's Day

As per Wikipedia:

“In 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association.

“She was specific about the location of the apostrophe; it was to be a singular possessive, for each family to honour their mother, not a plural possessive commemorating all mothers in the world.”

This is also the spelling used by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson in the law making official the holiday in the U.S., by the U.S. Congress on bills, and by other U.S. presidents on their declarations.”

Green your Mother's Day

As a mom, I can tell you that I would much rather have a nice note from my children, or a craft they made at school, than jewelry or flowers.   Don’t get me wrong – those things aren’t bad – they just aren’t heartfelt, in my opinion.

The founder of Mother’s Day in the U.S. actually started wishing she had never created the holiday because of the excessive consumerism that has developed in response.  I find that very sad.

There are many wonderful green ideas for Mother’s Day from which you can chose.  But remember, its not up to Mom to plan, organize or clean up!

1.  Go for a bike ride and include a picnic lunch in a backpack.  Find a nice sunny spot and look for formations in the clouds.  Don’t forget to bring a camera and a blanket!

2.  Pull out your favorite photographs and get some scrapbooking supplies.  Write notes next to your favorite images, including your family memories.  Be sure to include the date, so mom will have a wonderful keepsake.  Enjoy home videos?  How about creating a video montage for Mother’s Day?  Include clips from sports events, choir concerts, holidays and more.  Set it to music.

3.  For a twist on the second idea, make a recipes scrapbook.  My mom created one for my grandmother last year.  Using old photographs of my grandmother as a child, and some of my mom growing up (always make copies so you can preserve the originals), we arranged selected family recipes, along with notes and special memories of the occasions on which we enjoyed the homemade dishes.

4. Write a poem, a story or a song for your mother.  Express in your own words (not Hallmark’s) how much she means to you.

5.  Instead of buying cut flowers, plant a garden for mom.  Whether you choose a landscaped area, or just a few containers, you’ll be able to enjoy the beauty (or bounty if you plant edible offerings) for months ahead.  This is a great way to green your Mother’s Day, as you can select heritage seeds and raise your plants in an organic manner – without pesticides.

There are so many ways to green your Mother’s Day, without dipping into savings or engaging in other wasteful practices.  The simplest gestures are the best.  A hug.  A telephone call.  A smile.

We hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day!  Please share your memories below, if you wish.