SheWants.com

1. Pamper your mom on Mother’s Day with this lustrous freshwater pearl akoya bracelet that adds a touch of elegance to any ensemble. Bracelet is $80.00 at www.panterajewlry.com.

2. Who says something romantic has to break the bank? With a tea lit drawn bath, dimly lit by  luxurious glass candles of velvet red and tranquil white, you can instantly create a romantic setting at only 2.99 a candle from Ikea.com.

3. Nothing starts the day like a hot cup of gourmet coffee. With a classic French Press Coffee Maker from Ikea.com and a decorative mug from SheWants.com, you can enjoy freshly brewed coffee at home. Mug is only 9.99 and French Press Coffee Maker is 12.99

4. Mmm, the sweet scent of freshly baked homemade cookies can make anyone’s mouth water! Thoughtful and delicious, these tasty treats make the perfect affordable gift for Mother’s Day.  Simply bundle them in plastic wrap, decorate with a bright ribbon, and don’t forget the heartfelt note to finish it off!

5. Finally, something for the eco-chic! Find a decorative 3 ring notebook or scrapbook and collect take out menus from local restaurants and arrange by type of food.  You can put a sticker on the inside cover with the home address so babysitters and visitors know where to have the food delivered!

Is green the new black?  It seems everywhere we turn lately, there are trendy companies offering eco-friendly clothing, accessories and make-up.  How exciting is it to be able to go green and care for the environment in style?  There is a hotbed of eco-chic organic lifestyles online and now it’s easier than ever to be green AND fashionable.  Doing your part to save the environment can start with simple steps like:

1. carrying a reusable water bottle

2. walking to places instead of driving

3. keeping a cute canvas bag handy for purchases that would normally go in a plastic or paper bag

4. purchasing eco-friendly products

To launch a “green” journey into full speed ahead mode, plan on reading a few fashionable green books like Green Chic Book: Saving the Earth in Style by Christie Matheson, Eco-Babe’s Guide to Greening It by Stephanie Byng or The Green Book:  The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen.  The authors of The Green Book enlisted the help of some high profile friends, including Cameron Diaz, Robert Redford, Jennifer Aniston, Tyra Banks, Tiki Barber and more, to tell how they make a difference in regard to the environment.  The book focuses on how little things can make a big impact, for example not asking for ATM receipts:  if everyone in the U.S. refused their receipts, it would save a roll of paper more than two billion feet long-enough to circle the equator fifteen times!

Consider this:  if one out of every five Americans purchased a 100% organic t-shirt instead of one made from conventionally grown U. S. cotton, nearly fifty thousand tons of agrochemicals would be prevented from polluting American ecosystems.  Also, the process of dyeing fabric generates the largest proportion of wastewater produced by the textile industry.  So, even though 2010 is a big year for color in the fashion industry, fashionistas should be buying clothes with “natural” colors to complement them.  If most Americans bought just one pair of pants that weren’t dyed, it would save enough dye to cover the city of San Diego with an inch of colorful liquid.