If you still haven’t found the perfect thing for Mom, check out Nikon’s new COOLPIX S52. Not only is it slim, stylish, and equipped with state of the art photo-snapping capabilities (we’re talking 9 megapixels, people!) and Nikon's patented lead- and arsenic-free optical glass, it also comes in a cool special edition green model, thanks to a partnership with Ritz-Camera. With every purchase, the retailer will offset 1.91 tons of carbon, or roughly the amount of the average American’s carbon footprint. The goal is to eliminate over 40,000 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. The offer is limited, though, so do Mom (and the environment) a favor and purchase, smile, and prepare to say “cheese.”

Posted on May 9, 2008 at 1:50 PM
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Whether you’re baking for birthdays, concocting your latest and greatest pie for this year’s family picnic, or cooking up some delectable cuisine for a certain special lady in your life (ahem!), sometimes it is just so unbelievably tempting to heat everything through in one of those tin foil containers. With a simple toss into the trashcan, your mess has miraculously disappeared, and you can even leave your leftovers behind without even batting an eyelash! Oh, the freedom!...and, well, the garbage. Now you can keep your food practically trash-free with Lorena Barrezueta’s Gourmet collection of porcelain trays and carryout dishes. They still have the nostalgia you feel when you look at those good ole’ foil containers, a family-party staple, but they’re made from durable porcelain with a food-safe glaze so you can eat to your heart’s eco-content. Plus, Barrezueta uses sustainable practices when crafting her gorgeous pieces, like re-using porcelain scraps and only heating up the kiln when it is completely full of her colorful creations. Our compliments to the chef. 

Posted by Alison Sherbach on May 8, 2008 at 12:55 PM
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Sons and daughters listen up: Every woman has a natural pout, when perplexed by an eco-conundrum, the sub-prime mortgage market, or at the very least another rainy day. To achieve this look cosmetically (and happily), most women, including your mother, have a signature lipstick in their arsenal. Too bad what eventually happens to that lipstick packaging gives us all something to pout about. Enter CARGO PlantLove, a brilliant line of lipsticks with seeds embedded in Polylactic Acid (aka corn) paper, that won’t create more greenhouse gases and biodegrades in 47 days, eventually transforming into wild flowers. With star power from celebrity moms like Kim Raver, Angie Harmon, and Denise Richards, who each designed shades of the collection, and proceeds benefiting St. Jude's, this line is set to create even more PlantLove.

Posted by Nicole Zerillo on May 7, 2008 at 1:51 PM
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Another year, another Mother’s Day frantically running around trying to find a last-minute gift for Mom only to end up dialing 1-800-Flowers (again!) and ordering whatever random bouquet they have left in stock. This year, instead of missing yet another opportunity to show Mom how much you care, pick up something that both you and she can actually feel good about—the Peace Lily. Known for its ability to filter airborne impurities like benzene and formaldehyde, and remove CO2 while producing oxygen, the indoor plant is useful and beautiful. (And since most people spend 90% of their time inside, where air typically contains two to five times more pollutants than the outdoors, indoor plants are extremely important for promoting health and well-being.) Plus, unlike cut blooms, the Peace Lily is a gift that actually lasts. Peace Lilies are available everywhere, but new mothers at New York's NYU and Bellevue hospitals today are especially in luck. You will receive a peace lily gift today courtesy of Costa Farms and Earth Day New York. (FYI: The duo is planning a city-wide peace lily giveaway to celebrate World Environment Day on June 6.)

Posted on May 6, 2008 at 1:48 PM
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This week, we’re offering up gifts for Mom that give back in other ways, too. And the Riverside Design Group’s Plates with Purpose are the perfect example. The series of custom glassware reflects the missions of six non-profit organizations. Each plate is made from post-industrial, post-consumer recycled glass, and is colored, finished, and bent by hand. With every purchase, Riverside donates 15% of the proceeds to the local chapter of the organization (in this case, the Pittsburgh chapter of Habitat for Humanity), helping them raise much-needed funds and support. What better way to show Mom you care? 

Posted by Jessica Tzerman on May 5, 2008 at 3:46 PM
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