Mother’s Day is just around the corner and it’s time to start brainstorming some unique handmade Mother’s Day gifts. This holiday offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate people who share motherly love with us. Whether she’s a friend, aunt, grandma, sister, or the woman who gave you life, these recipes will surely express your loving gratitude. What better way to celebrate “Mom” than with the gift of pure relaxation? These calming gifts will leave her feeling nourished, grounded, peaceful, and ready for the daily challenges and triumphs of motherhood.
Mom’s Relaxing Room Mist
This easy to make aromatherapeutic blend of pure essential oils will refresh any space with calming fragrance. Spray liberally in the air, on mattresses, pillows or on bed linens before retiring for the night. The gentle perfume will help inspire relaxation and peaceful sleep after a busy day being mom.
• 1 (16-ounce) spray bottle
• 3 ounces unflavored vodka
• 4 drops each of organic lavender, orange and sandalwood essential oil
• 12 ounces organic lavender or rose hydrosol
1. Pour all ingredients into a 16-ounce spray bottle.
2. Shake well to distribute the oils.
3. To use, spray as needed.
Mom’s Bliss Tea Recipe
This tea is perfect for frazzled nerves or any mom in need of a mood boost. The skullcap and oat tops are classic nervine tonics that help support the nervous system during times of stress. Raspberry leaf is considered an important tonic herb for women’s health that is rich in nutrients like iron, manganese and niacin. The tasty addition of roses, vanilla and cinnamon offer floral spiciness and inspire feelings of well-being. This tea can be sipped daily to maximize the pleasant effects.
• 2 parts organic skullcap leaf
• 2 parts organic oat tops
• 1 part organic raspberry leaf
• 1 part organic rose buds
• 1/2 part organic chopped vanilla beans
• 1/4 part organic cinnamon chips
1. Mix all ingredients together until the herbs are evenly distributed and place in a lidded glass container.
2. Store in a cabinet away from heat, moisture and light.
3. To make a cup of Mom’s Bliss Tea, pour 1 cup of just boiling water over 1 tablespoon of the herb mixture. Allow to steep for 5 to 10 minutes, strain and enjoy.
Mom’s “Me Time” Bath Salts
Who wouldn’t love to finish the day with a warm herbal bath? This luxury is the only opportunity most moms have for alone time. Even if she soaks for just a few minutes, these bath salts will leave her feeling relaxed and rejuvenated—both body and spirit.
• 1 cup salt (Epsom, sea salt, Dead Sea salt, or a mixture)
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 10 drops organic lavender essential oil
• 5 drops organic geranium essential oil
• 5 drops organic sweet orange essential oil
• 1/2 cup organic calendula, rose or lavender flowers
1. Mix salt and baking soda together in a large bowl. Add essential oils and flowers, then blend well.
2. Package in a lidded jar along with a cotton muslin bag.
3. To use, simply add 1/4 cup to a 1/2 cup bath salts to the muslin bag, drape over the faucet, and allow hot water to run through the bag as the tub fills. Toss the bag in the tub once filled with water and soak your stress away.
Mom’s Adapto-Bon Bons Recipe
This recipe is based on Rosemary Gladstar’s famous Magic Zoom Balls and has been modified to offer adaptogenic magic, rather than zooooom magic. Although, these surely provide a burst of energy, too, the eleuthero, ashwaganda and rhodiola will help improve mom’s ability to cope with stressful situations by reducing stress-related anxiety and fatigue caused by overwork. She can enjoy one or two of these delicious bon bons a day between meals.
• 3 cups organic tahini (drain excess oil from the top)
• 1 cup organic cashew or almond butter
• 2 cups local honey, to taste
• 2 ounce organic rose powder
• 2 ounce organic eleuthero powder
• 1 ounce organic ashwaganda powder
• 1 ounce organic rhodiola powder
• 1 tablespoon organic cardamom powder
• 1/2 ounce organic cinnamon powder
• 1 ounce bee pollen
• 1 package organic carob or bitter chocolate chips
• 8 ounces unsweetened organic shredded coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 cup finely chopped organic almonds
• Unsweetened organic cocoa powder
• 2 pounds organic bittersweet dipping chocolate
1. Mix tahini, nut butter and honey until smooth. Combine the herbal powders and bee pollen, and add to nut butter mix.
2. Add chips, toasted coconut and almonds to the mixture and mix well using your hands.
3. Mix in enough cocoa powder to bring the dough to the desired thickness.
4. Roll the dough into small balls about a tablespoon in size. If you want to coat the balls with chocolate, chill them in the refrigerator for easier dipping. You can also spread the mixture onto a baking sheet—allow mixture to cool and cut into squares.
5. Melt the dipping chocolate gently in a double boiler. Drop the balls one at a time into the melted chocolate, remove, and place on waxed paper to cool.
6. Store the bon bons in baking tins in a cool place. They will last for weeks if properly stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Photos by Erin McIntosh
Mom’s Last Nerve Tonic Tincture
This nervine tonic tincture formula will help Mom keep her cool during stressful situations. Oat tops in this recipe provide mild nourishment to strengthen the nerves. Both oats and skullcap—which tends to have a more immediate, yet gentle calming effect—are indicated for nervousness, exhaustion, some types of headaches and restless sleep. Skullcap is also antispasmodic and helps relax tense muscles. Holy basil is an important adaptogenic herb in India that allows the mind to adapt and react to incoming stress with calm, perhaps thanks to its antioxidant content including flavonoids, phenolics and carotenoids.
• 1/2 organic milky oat tops tincture
• 1/4 organic skullcap tincture
• 1/4 organic holy basil tincture
1. You can make your own individual herb tinctures and mix them according to the ratio above, or blend our premade tinctures in a glass dropper bottle.
2. To use, take 3 droppers up to three times a day to help prepare your nervous system for unexpected stressors as you balance family, friends, work, love, hobbies, finances, and more each day.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Erin is the Communications Manager at Mountain Rose Herbs and a graduate of the Columbines School of Botanical Studies. She spends her days photographing flowers, creating herbal treats and wildcrafting medicinal plants in the magnificent Oregon Cascades.
