Last Updated April 29, 2023

Mother’s Day is coming up and if you want to show your mom a little love without all the extra plastic, keep these tips in mind.

Best Gift of All

The best gift you can give your mom is the gift of time. Instead of elaborate and expensive gifts, if you can, go hang out with your mom! Spending quality time and making more memories with your mom is the best gift.

Here are some suggestions:

• Go to dinner
• Have a picnic at the park or beach
• Take a hike
• Ride your bikes
• Go for a surf
• Take her salsa dancing
• Take her rollerblading, roller skating, or ice skating
• Take a leisurely stroll around a lake or botanical garden

As a mom myself, I’m sure whatever activity you choose, your mom will be happy just spending some quality time with you.

Experiences

Feeding off the last tip, if you can’t travel to your mom, give her an experience. By giving her an experience you’ll help her create new memories and you won’t cluttering her house with more trinkets and gadgets. Here are some ideas for experience gifts:

• Tickets to a concert, play, or the symphony
• Tickets to a museum
• Dance class
• Cooking class
• Surf lessons
• Whale watching
• Kayak rentals

Experience gifts are a great way to show your mom you love her without buying more stuff to fill her house.

Homemade

Nothing says love like something that’s made with love! I know, cheesy, but it’s true. I made my mom a bunch of Origami tulips when I was younger for Mother’s Day and after 20-plus years, she still has them!

If baking is your jam, whip up something fabulous for your mom. If woodworking is your stress reliever, carve something beautiful for her. If your flower arrangements are the bomb, arrange away! Put your talents to use and show your mom some love.

Services

Moms are busy. Giving your mom a gift that helps relieve her busy schedule would be greatly appreciated. If your mom hates cleaning, gift her a cleaning service for Mother’s Day. You can help support a local small business and get your mom’s house cleaned!

If she hates dealing with her car maintenance, take her car to get the oil changed and tires rotated. Or take her car to be cleaned and washed.

Is there something that’s been on your mom’s “to-do” list for a while. Help her cross that item off her list!

Giving her some time to relax while things get done is a wonderful way to show you care.

Consumables

If none of the above tips fit just right, consider a consumable gift. By consumable I mean something that gets used or eaten up. Some of my favorite plastic-free consumable gifts are:

• Wine
• Flowers
• Macarons
• Baked Goods

Consumables are a great way to give a physical gift without the extra waste and clutter.

Gift Certificates

Last but not least, gift certificates are an easy plastic-free option…assuming the gift certificate itself is paper and not plastic. Even if it is, it is minimal plastic. Some gift certificate ideas include:

• Massage
• Nail Salon
• Hair Salon
• Restaurant
• Coffee Shop

Bonus: Call Your Mom More Often

No matter what you get her or if none of these options work, call your mom more often! If your mom is like mine, then she just wants to hear how her baby is doing and maybe wants to share what she’s been up to.  So, if you’re terrible at remembering, set a reminder on your phone to call her once a month, once a week, or even once a day.  If you can’t remember the last time you called her, then start with once a month.

By giving your mom any of these options for Mother’s Day you’ll avoid extra plastic waste and avoid cluttering your mom’s house with more stuff.

What do you think? Can you choose one of these options this Mother’s Day?

For related and random posts, check out:

• 6 Tips for Plastic-Free Makeup
• Beginner’s Guide to Minimalism