Tag Archives: eco friendly gifts

Eco Friendly Gifts For New Moms

Eco Friendly Gifts For New Moms

Eco Friendly Gifts For New Moms

It’s funny how these things work. All of the sudden recently, I had a bunch of friends expecting babies. It had been a while since I’d known anyone who was expecting a baby, suddenly I know a bunch. And it got me thinking about what kinds of eco friendly gifts are appropriate for new moms.

Handmedowns

Since I have kids of my own, and a habit of handing things down with family, this one is obvious to me. While you have to keep it safe and check for defects, damage and recalls on old items, there are plenty of baby things you can hand down to new moms, especially baby clothes. You know how fast new babies go through clothes. The very first thing I check with the various moms is whether or not they already have a source of handmedowns. If they need something I have just sitting, no longer used, there’s an easy gift.

A Home Cooked Meal

New moms are often exhausted. A home cooked meal made by someone else can be very welcome indeed. Make it something that can be frozen and reheated easily, so it can be served when convenient.

Playtime For The Older Kids

When moms have older kids, it’s hard to deal with them and the baby. If you can give them time to play away from mom and the baby, everyone gets a much needed break. If your own kids are in the same age group, so much the better.

Cloth Diapers

If the new mom is interested in cloth diapering her new baby, help build her stash. You may need to find out which cloth diapers she prefers. Don’t forget the cloth wipes to go with them! A wet bag is another great addition.

Baby Food Maker

If the mom is on board with making her own food for baby, get her a good baby food maker. I used a manual one for my kids, and it did a great job. If you made food for your own babies, make sure you share your baby’s favorite recipes.

Sustainable Toys

So many baby toys are plastic. Switch things up by finding sustainable toys for the new baby, especially ones that should be loved for many years.

Eco Friendly Baby Clothes

While hand-me-downs are wonderful, it’s nice to have something new for baby too. If you know the new mom is getting gifts from a lot of people, consider getting clothes for a somewhat older baby. Moms often end up with too many clothes for a newborn in my experience.

Feeding Supplies

You may need to know something about the new mom’s plans before picking out any feeding supplies for her. Glass baby bottles are a great choice if she’s going to use bottles at all.

A good breast pump is a great gift if she’s planning on doing any pumping, but not so good if she already knows she’s not interested. Don’t give her a hard time if it’s not her thing – there may be reasons you don’t know.

Baby Wrap/Sling

A good wrap or sling is an effective way to carry babies; so much nicer than relying on a car seat, and less awkward than always having baby in your arms. There are many wonderful options available to keep baby close to mom or dad throughout the day.

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are 'affiliate links.' This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission.

25 Homemade Or Natural Stocking Stuffers

25 Homemade Or Natural Stocking Stuffers

My kids always look forward to their stockings on Christmas morning. They never know what little things will be in there for them. The challenge is always finding things that aren’t plastic junk. They get far too much of that from other sources. Homemade or natural stocking stuffers are a very interesting option.

  1. Rocks, minerals and gemstones – these are a favorite with my kids. I often find interesting ones on eBay. No coal – the kids aren’t that bad.
  2. Coupons – for time with parents, skip a chore, etc.
  3. Popcorn balls
  4. Homemade lip balm
  5. Homemade slime
  6. Homemade play dough
  7. Dried fruit
  8. Homemade crayons
  9. Hand warmers
  10. Bath bombs/salts
  11. Seeds
  12. Homemade caramels
  13. Homemade soaps
  14. Homemade snow globes
  15. Rice heating pads
  16. Treasure map to other gifts
  17. Headbands
  18. Scarf
  19. Earrings
  20. Hair pins
  21. Cord bracelet
  22. Crayon roll
  23. Sewing kit
  24. Sidewalk chalk
  25. Wooden puzzle

While they aren’t natural or homemade, I also like finding little science oriented kits or other things to indulge my kids’ natural curiosity. My husband has trouble keeping to a budget when he visits American Science & Surplus – and that’s not a paid or affiliate link. Seriously, he just loves that site. If it’s my affiliate link you want, they have an Amazon storefront, but I don’t know how it compares to the main site. I never know what he’s going to find there, but it’s always pretty interesting. It appeals well to our geeky side.

Eco Friendly Gift Ideas

It’s that time of year again to really get serious about eco friendly gifts. It’s not easy to keep gifts environmentally friendly, as the biggest rule of all is that you shouldn’t be buying unnecessary things. Still, you can find some really great gifts that shouldn’t be all that hard on the environment, and will be appreciated even by the folks on your list who aren’t interested in going green.

Organic Nuts

Nuts can be a very healthy snack, and it’s not that hard to find organic ones. Make sure you know there aren’t any allergy issues to consider, of course. They can even be part of a really nice looking gift basket.

Flannel Sheets

Flannel sheets are a great way to keep the nights warm. They’re a nice bit of practical luxury, especially for cold winter nights.

Fair Trade Handbags

Know someone who’s ready for a new purse? A fair trade handbag may be the perfect gift. Not only are they practical, they can make a great style statement.

Men’s Clothing

Green T-shirt MenYou don’t have to feel as though all the eco friendly clothes are for women. There are some great designs out there for the men in your life.

Grow Mushrooms Kit

For the person in your life who just loves to cook with mushrooms. It’s a very simple kit to start growing mushrooms inside your home. You can find a variety of kits, such as pearl oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushroom kit and others.

Yoga Gear

Some yoga gear manufacturers make the effort to keep their products kind to the environment. Yoga itself is a good form of exercise, and only requires a little gear. A yoga mat or other helpful gear is a nice present for someone thinking of taking it up.

Bamboo Toys


The great thing about bamboo is that it grows quickly. It can make some cute toys too. There can of course still be some question about how the bamboo is grown and processed, but there are some pretty great toys which can be made from cut up bamboo that has been dyed or painted.

Go Paperless in the Kitchen – Green Gift Ideas

Most families use a lot of paper unnecessarily in the kitchen. That’s what makes it such a great target for going paperless. There are simple cloth alternatives for most paper used in the kitchen.

It’s also a nice gift idea for any time of year. You can give attractive cloth alternatives and help someone you care about use less paper in their kitchen or even go completely paper free.

This works best as a gift for someone who wants to be more eco friendly. If they just don’t care, these supplies will probably be tossed in with the rest of the cloth supplies they don’t use much. Cloth napkins will be used only rarely. Cloth towels pretty much reserved for drying dishes or hands.

You can provide a few types of cloth for use in the kitchen:

Cloth Napkins

Give a large selection of plain cloth napkins for daily use. A few different colors can be nice. Organic cotton is always a good choice.

For those you know enjoy entertaining, some nicer cloth napkins are a good addition. Look for attractive designs, maybe as a part of a set with a tablecloth or that can easily be paired with one.

Towels for Cleaning

An essential part of the paperless kitchen are the towels used in cleaning. Most people will go through a few of these a day.

I suggest some microfiber towels for their absorbency and cleaning ability. I have a few, and they’re great. Go for quality, as cheaper ones don’t really last as well. They can clean up spills, wipe countertops, dry hands, dry dishes, and more.

Towel Rack or Hooks

The one challenge with using cloth so much more is that you need a place to dry your damp cloth napkins or towels before throwing them in the laundry. You don’t want them to get moldy.

To make this gift complete, include a small towel rack or hooks that damp towels can be hung on to dry. These can be hung under the sink, in the laundry room, or wherever the washing machine is.