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Mother's Day Gift Guide '09

With Mother's Day just a few weeks away, time is running out to pick out the perfect gift to show your mother why she's special. Each gift idea is a creative way to celebrate mothers, grandmothers, sisters and aunts - all the important women in our families.

We've put together some unique gift ideas for mothers who like pretty things, moms who like to be pampered, and moms who love gadgets and eco-friendly products.

1. David Tishbi Silver Pearl Abstract Oxidized Necklace ~ $139.00
Any mom will love the avant garde design of David Tishbi's Silver Pearl Abstract Oxidized Necklace. Each piece from Tishbi is handcrafted in Israel, and this organic pendant is cast in sterling silver and then oxidized. A gorgeous white freshwater pearl sits at its center. The pendant hangs from a 16" rolo chain and would make a beautiful addition to any mother's wardrobe.

2. Zulugrass Multi-Strand Necklaces and Bracelets ~ $39.95 and $29.95
For a mom who likes versatility, durability and sustainability, Zulugrass jewelry is the perfect choice. Zulugrass is a line of unique jewelry brought to us by Katy and Philip Leakey of the Leakey Collection. After a devastating drought in Kenya in 2001, Maasai families were left without a sustainable way of supporting themselves. The Leakey Collection was born soon thereafter, and to this day, Maasai women handcraft the jewelry and are paid fairly for their work. 5% of the profits go back to supporting infrastructure in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Zulugrass Multi-Strand Necklaces and Bracelets are available in any color Mom likes, plus they're super-lightweight and stretchy, making them ideal for when the weather starts to heat up.

3. Mom's Swinging Locket Necklace from Michele Baratta ~ $64.00
Mom can wear a treasured photo close to her heart with Michele Baratta's Mom's Swinging Locket Necklace. This lovely sterling locket necklace lets her place her favorite photo inside, and a single white pearl (which represents the purity of a mother's love) adorns the pendant. The locket dangles from a delicate linked chain that measures 17.5" - 18.5" with a lobster clasp. Two more tiny pearls hang at the back.

4. Bauble Ball Purse from T.E.N. ~ $30.00
Here's another great gift for a Mom who loves her personal style to reflect her devotion to a cause. The Bauble Ball Purse is just one item produced from The Emancipation Network, an organization that imports beautiful handicrafts from 15 partner organizations in Nepal, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Tanzania, Uganda, the Philippines, Ukraine and the U.S. These handmade goods are crafted by survivors of trafficking, domestic labor abuse and exploitation. T.E.N.'s partner groups also help high-risk teens reintegrate into society. These women are able to redefine themselves, not as victims, but as entrepreneurs and business women. The Bauble Ball Purse is a fun and quirky bag made from felt balls. The bag is lined with black cotton and measures about 9" x 5" with a 22" strap.

5. Modify Clothing - 1 Dress + 4 Wraps ~ $79.00
With Modify Clothing, Mom can try out 10 different looks with just a little black dress and four fabric wrap accessories. The basic Modify package includes a flattering black dress, plus four wraps that can be used to accent the dress. The wraps come in a choice of colors, prints and fabrics including batik, floral, animal print, stripe, lace and sequin and can be used to create a bandeau, one shoulder, halter, belted and shawl styles. The package comes with instructions for Mom to create whatever look she likes best, and extra wraps are sold separately. Best yet, the dress and wraps are made with easy-care fabrics so she doesn't need to go to the dry cleaners.

6. Teal Iridescent Leather Wrap with Labradorite from Rachel Abroms Studio ~ $150.00
If Mom follows celebrity fashion, she may have seen Rachel Abroms jewelry before. This Teal Iridescent Leather Wrap with Labradorite is a new addition to Rachel Abroms Studio and a fantastic choice for mothers with a hip and trendy sense of style. A lovely teal Italian leather wrap is accented by natural pieces of labradorite, amethyst and fluorite. Each wrap is about 41" and can be worn as a bracelet, choker or anklet - the ultimate versatile accessory!

7. San Fran Metro Bag from B's Purses ~ $100.00
Want to get Mom a handbag but not quite sure what she'll like? B's Purses has just what she needs - a completely customizable purse. She can select every detail: the exterior and interior fabric, the hardware, the handles and even monogramming, if she so chooses. The San Fran Metro Bag is just one style that can be customized to a woman's personal taste. The San Fran Metro Bag is a cute and stylish purse that can go with dressy or casual outfits and starts at $100 with the option of upgrading certain features.

8. Marina's Bloomers from Certain Style ~ $87.00
Mom may look stylish all day long, but perhaps her nightwear needs a serious upgrade in quality and flair. Certain Style is the perfect spot to find lingerie and sleepwear that will fit a woman perfectly. Every single piece is designed with the finest materials in mind, then handmade and beautifully packaged. It's likely your mother has never had sleepwear that fit so perfectly and made her feel so special - that's why Certain Style is different from the rest. Marina's Bloomers are fun and youthful cropped "bloomer" pajamas, pictured here in aqua eyelet lace with a ribbon trim. They can be made to order in pink, pansy, mint, peach or white, as well. Mom will love the look and feel of her custom-fit pj's or lingerie from Certain Style.

9. Dewey Active Pack from ELSPETH new york ~ $159.00
Mom will love wearing this luxurious lambskin handbag from ELSPETH new york for any occasion. The Dewey Active Pack is a high-quality handbag available in vibrant colors for the fashionable mom on the go. Designer Elizabeth Phillips seeks to create the perfect accessory to transition from morning to night. The Dewey Active Pack is accented with brass hardware and contrast stitching - measuring about 9" high x 6.5" wide x 2.5" deep.

1. Ms. & Mrs. Shemergency Survival Kit ~ $20.00
With the Shemergency Survival Kit, Mom will always have the solution to whatever beauty crisis might arise. This clever little kit will keep busy moms organized and easily fits into a purse. It contains all the tools she needs to battle beauty blunders and fashion faux pas: a folding hair brush with mirror, hair spray, clear elastics, earring backs, hand lotion, nail clippers, an emery board, clear nail polish, nail polish remover, a mending kit, a safety pin, double-sided tape, lint remover, shoe shine wipes, stain remover, static remover, breath freshener, lip balm, dental floss, pain reliever, deodorant wipes, adhesive bandages, tampons and facial tissues. She'll never be unprepared again!

2. ARCONA Toner Tea Bar and Desert Mist ~ $38.00 and $32.00
ARCONA has great high-quality, all-natural skin care products to make Mom feel nourished, refreshed and fabulous. The Toner Tea Bar can be used daily as the antioxidant facial cleanser tones and minimizes pores. This cleanser neutralizes free radicals and protects the skin with green and black teas, while other natural ingredients maintain skin's natural pH balance. The Desert Mist provides a unique protective barrier for skin while hydrating and repairing. Mom's skin will be in top condition with these two nourishing products from ARCONA.

3. Tub Therapy in Lavender from That's Caring ~ $55.99
Soothing lavender bath products are a surefire way to get Mom to take it easy and relax, and the Tub Therapy in Lavender gift basket from That's Caring goes one step further because mothers everywhere can feel great about using these items that are lovingly produced by the women of The Enterprising Kitchen. The Enterprising Kitchen is a fair trade, nonprofit enterprise that provides workforce development and support services for women working to achieve economic independence. That's Caring packs and ships this gift basket in an environmentally responsible way, and the women of The Enterprising Kitchen benefit from each purchase. Nestled inside this eco-friendly basket is lavender-scented body butter, natural bar soap, liquid hand soap, bath salts, shower gel and a soy candle. Not only do they smell wonderful, but each item is hand signed by the person who packaged it. Talk about a personal touch!

4. California Fragrance Co. Muscle Soak Bubble Bath ~ $12.50
Busy moms need a way to relax and unwind, and California Fragrance Co.'s bubble baths are the key to a restorative, steaming hot aromatic bath. The Muscle Soak Bubble Bath is a great way for Mom to relax those tense muscles. The soak has a relaxing herbal scent and is free of parabens, amides, SLES and SLS.

5. Pregnancy Program by Mustela ~ $20.00
Mustela offers a wide range of innovative skin care products for mothers and babies, so if you have a mom-to-be on the list, the Pregnancy Program is just what she needs. It contains four formulas that are designed to comfort and protect a mom's skin throughout pregnancy. The Stretch Mark Double Action helps prevent stretch marks; the Specific Support Bust is a toning cream to prevent elasticity loss while moisturizing the skin; the Instant Comfort Legs relaxes and refreshes cramped muscles in her legs; and the Ultimate Hydration is an irritation-free nourishing moisturizer.

6. Fragrance Vivabox ~ $55.00
You don't have to know Mom's favorite perfume to get her the gift of fragrance for Mother's Day. The Fragrance Vivabox gives Mom the option to choose what she likes best by cleverly packaging 10 designer fragrance samples for women and men along with a gift certificate to redeem for one full-sized bottle of perfume or cologne at Sephora. The fragrance samples she'll receive include: Lolita Lempick Fleur de Corail, Dior J'Adore, Juicy Couture, Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline, Kenzo Flower, Yves Saint Laurent L'Homme, Dior Homme Sport, Dirty English Juicy Couture, Kenzo Power and Bvlgari Aqva Marine Pour Homme.

7. Oval Atomizer Set from d'essense ~ $45.00
D'essense produces perfect replicas of designer perfumes, except they last longer and have a stronger fragrance because they contain 28% essential oils. The Oval Atomizer Set is a wonderful gift for Mom because it contains 1/2 ounce of her favorite perfume "essense" and a refillable 1/6 ounce oval atomizer available in blue, green, lavender, pink, red and silver. This little atomizer is the perfect size to fit in her purse - so she'll always have her favorite scent to refresh throughout the day. D'essense offers more than 50 designer fragrance essences, including everything from Chanel to Calvin Klein.

8. Glimpse Intuitive Skin Care from XanGo ~ $200.00
With Glimpse Intuitive Skin Care, moms can enjoy products free of harsh chemicals - those produced using green chemistry standards. This means they use quality botanicals that are cold-processed, thereby preserving the most important phytonutrients and minimizing the carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. XanGo even signed the Compact for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition dedicated to require health and beauty industries to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems. Glimpse has two basic systems that include a Cleanser, Toner, Serum and Moisturizer (one system is dedicated to normal to dry skin, and the other is designed for normal to combination skin). Both help restore a mom's natural defenses while promoting a clear, luminous and healthy complexion. You can purchase samples of Glimpse for mom to try out and make sure it's the right system for her before buying the entire system.

1. Blue Avocado Cool Kit ~ $49.99
Mom can avoid using plastic bags every time she goes grocery shopping with the Gro-Pak Cool Kit from Blue Avocado. Gro-Pak reusable bags are made from recycled materials and are, hands down, some of the most versatile and stylish bags on the market. The Cool Kit is just one of Blue Avocado's grocery kits, and it contains 1 pak, 2 veg, 1 gro and 1 chil bag. The pak is a large carry-all bag that can hold about 20 pounds of groceries and replaces 3 plastic bags. All the other bags fold up and fit inside the pak. The gro is a multi-use bag with an adjustable strap; the chil is an insulated bag that keeps food hot or cold for 3 hours with a messenger-style strap, and the veg is a mesh drawstring bag for produce. The Cool Kit is available in her choice of blueberry, raspberry or lime - all of which are offset by a lovely chocolate brown.

2. Daisy Limited Edition Mat from Yogamatic ~ $85.00
If your mom never misses a yoga class, she'll love a custom-made, eco-friendly mat from Yogamatic, a Santa Monica-based company that donates a percentage of every purchase to Global Green USA. Yogamatic mats are completely degradable and about 50% lighter than PVC mats. Artist Jennifer Cawley designed the Daisy Limited Edition mat, and the beautiful floral design would be a perfect choice for any woman.

3. Thymes Essentials Clean Slate Experience Kit ~ $48.00
Thymes Essentials is a complete line of eco-friendly skin care products. The Clean Slate Experience Kit is the perfect gift for moms who might be too busy to always give their skin the very best. The kit contains Thymes' Face Polish and Body Scrub - two treatments that are safe to use, dermatologist tested and formulated from natural botanicals. Mom will love the pure, natural feel because Thymes Essentials doesn't contain parabens, SLS/SLES, propylene glycol, synthetic colors, petrolatum or animal-derived ingredients. She can feel great about herself and the products she's using.

4. Recycling Peace Love Recycle Organic Women's Fitted T-Shirt ~ $28.99
Let Mom show her love for the planet with a 100% organic combed ring-spun cotton t-shirt printed in the USA from Cafe Press. "Peace Love Recycle" is a stylish and cute tee from Chrissy H. Studios. T-shirts at Cafe Press are "printed on demand" and are fitted for a fashionable look.

5. Green Choice Power Shower: Chrome Wall Unit ~ $24.95
The U.S. Department of Energy recently calculated that an average family of four spends more than $400 per year on showers alone - based on a 10-minute shower. The Green Choice Power Shower from Showertek lets Mom (and her whole family) adjust the water flow to her liking, so she can choose her own impact on water consumption and utility bills. With Green Choice, there are five different spray selections, but if she chooses to set the water flow to 1 gallon per minute, Mom can save about $250 per year on water, not to mention the positive impact on the environment.

6. 20 oz. EarthLust Stainless Bottles ~ Poppies ~ $18.00
We all know that plastic water bottles are a problem for the environment, so why not give Mom a stainless bottle from EarthLust? They're made from high-quality, food-grade stainless steel and decorated with non-toxic paints and BPA-free safe polypropylene #5 caps. Each bottle comes with a carabiner so Mom can hook it onto her bag. EarthLust bottles are healthy to use and far better for the environment.

1. ScanCafe Gift Box ~ $149.99
Give Mom a way to digitally preserve her most cherished memories with the ScanCafe Gift Box. When you purchase the gift box, ScanCafe sends a box to the recipient with instructions on how to pack up photos, color slides and color negatives. Then, all she has to do is drop off the box at the nearest UPS store. Within a few weeks, ScanCafe returns all her originals plus a DVD filled with all the digital files of her photos. ScanCafe performs manual scratch removal, color correction, cropping, re-orientation and red-eye removal on up to 400 color or black and white photos (up to 8x10), 140 color slides (35mm) and 120+ color negatives (35mm). The ScanCafe Gift Box is an incredibly thoughtful Mother's Day gift because every mom has boxes full of family memories she'd love to protect and preserve.

2. Fountain Jet Soda Starter Kit from Soda Stream ~ $99.99
Here's a neat little gizmo that doesn't use batteries or electricity yet allows Mom to make her own soda and seltzer water. SodaStream's soda machines, like the Fountain Jet Soda Starter Kit, are simple, eco-friendly solutions to buying disposable cans and bottles. The machine carbonates in a reusable, BPA-free plastic 1-liter bottle, and SodaStream offers more than 20 regular, diet and caffeine-free flavors. Each bottle of sodamix makes about 12 liters of soda. The Starter Kit has everything mom needs to make her own beverages: the Fountain Jet Home Soda Maker (in black, red or white), one 110 liter Carbonator, 2 Carbonating Bottles and 3 SodaMix flavors.

3. PinkTooth from chicBuds ~ $49.95
Add a little bling to Mom's Bluetooth with chicBuds' PinkTooth! Studded with pink or clear Swarovski crystals, the wireless headset comes packaged in a couture "candy" tin - perfect for gift giving. The PinkTooth offers up to 6 hours of talk time and 200 hours in standby. Dainty and glam, this is the perfect cell accessory for Mom.

4. Pink Leather iPod Case ~ $15.44
Get Mom a genuine leather iPod case for 30/60/80GB player. She'll love the pink leather, and her iPod will be protected from scratches and scrapes. The case has a magnetic closure yet still allows full access to the iPod's controls.

5. Innergie mCube90 ~ $119.99
If your mother is always on the go, the Innergie mCube90 might be just what she needs. Never mind forgetting cell phone chargers or laptop power cords - the mCube90 is a lightweight and stylish way to power up a 17-inch laptop, a cell phone and two 18-21 volt USB portable devices. The unit plugs into the wall, is Energy Star compliant and is compatible with most laptop computers. With the mCube90, Mom can be charged up and ready to tackle her hectic, on-the-go life.

6. Custom NervePipes from iFrogz ~ $34.99
What mom wouldn't love a pair of headphones that've been completely customized for her personal style? Custom NervePipes from iFrogz are the perfect solution. These on-ear headphones are part of their EarPollution line of high-quality listening solutions. Choose her favorite colors on six component pieces, and you can select unique artwork for the outside. NervePipes have a standard 3.5mm plug (more technical specs available at iFrogz).