MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK

With Mother's Day just around the corner, share the love by shopping local!

The only thing better than a heartfelt gift is one that makes a positive impact by giving back!

Over the past year, people all over the world have been showing their appreciation for the women who make a positive impact on their lives. From mothers to grandmothers, to nurses, teachers, friends, and everyone in between. This Mother's Day, think outside the box—not just in the gifts you plan to give, but who you plan to give them to! Whether they like to indulge in self-care, express themselves through classic accessories, or enjoy a classic take on flowers and chocolates, we've got the perfect gift idea.

For the self-care lover:

CARDEA AUSET

Cardea AuSet is a Canadian woman-owned beauty brand that uses the power of plantbased products to promote relaxation and reinvigoration, sharing the transformational power of feel-good rituals in everyday life.

If you’re looking for a morning boost and a nightly wind-down that also lifts up the community, the Sister Mists set has you covered. Using aromatherapy, Activate combines a mix of patchouli, lemongrass and rosemary to give you an extra burst of energy in the morning or before a workout, while Calm blends frankincense and lavender to create stillness and quiet your mind when feeling stressed or winding down to sleep.

Keeping their sisters in mind, Cardea AuSet donates $5 to YWCA Niagara for every sale of the duo to help support leadership and skills development for women and girls. For over 90 years, the YW has provided emergency shelter and affordable housing to women and families in need.

Shop Sister Mists and more on cardeaauset.com

LUSH

Known for their colourful bath bombs and vast array of delicious-smelling skin, body, and hair care products, Lush does a whole lot of good—and not just for people! Lush uses the freshest ingredients to create sustainably made products that are never tested on animals. For an indulgent gift that gives back, treat mom to Lush’s Charity Pot lotion.

With a delicately floral perfume of ylangylang and rosewood oils in a hydrating cocoa butter base, Charity Pot will leave your skin subtly perfumed and touchably soft. This rich and generous cream contains up to seven ingredients sourced from the Sustainable Lush Fund projects that support regenerative agriculture around the world.

With every purchase of Charity Pot, Lush donates 100% of the price (minus the taxes) to small groups working in the areas of human rights, animal protection, and environmental justice. Since launching Charity Pot in 2007, Lush has sold 3.5 million Charity Pot Body Lotions, raising $50 million to support 1,850 projects in North America, and 950 around the globe...and counting. With Charity Pot, you end up with velvety, beautifully-scented skin AND you’re doing a world of good with every pot purchased.

Shop Charity Pot in-store or online at Lush.ca

For the accessorizer:

PIXIE MOOD

Designing the most versatile bags, at Pixie Mood, we believe that style doesn’t need compromise. Styles can be trendy, functional, socially responsible—all at the same time! We obsess over making great bags that put our customers’ needs first and foremost.

Founded in 2010, Pixie Mood strives to find the most socially and environmentally responsible ways to look good while feeling great. Our entire product line has been vegan-friendly since day one, and now all of our bag linings are made entirely from recycled water bottles, we also use biodegradable packaging to package our products.

In addition, we are proud to have offset all carbon emissions that we have produced since day one, a decade ago, on our e-commerce shipping. We are proud of the steps we have taken to date, but we’re not going to stop there!

Pixie Mood is proudly Canadian and proud to support local and female-led businesses.

You can shop our website: pixiemood.ca

ECKSAND

Add some sparkle to your Mother’s Day gift! Ecksand is a Canadian sustainable fine jewelry brand: better for the planet with inclusive pricing.

With timeless designs, Ecksand jewels are made to last a lifetime and be passed down for generations to come. Handcrafted in a low emissions atelier in Montreal, Ecksand jewels are made with 100% recycled gold and ethical diamonds and gemstones. Add in eco-packaging that is completely recyclable and reusable, and you can feel good about an Ecksand purchase.

Ecksand’s mission and values have resonated with many around the world, most notably Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, who wore Ecksand jewels on her and Prince Harry’s tour of Australia in 2018.

In November 2020, Ecksand launched its Save Big, Big Back initiative, with a portion of every sale between November 26th, 2020 and March 1st, 2021 providing 3 meals for families and children in need. From yearly initiatives that the team holds close to their heart, Ecksand’s growth is connected to what they give out.

No matter who you’re shopping for, Ecksand has something that will make them sparkle. Shop Ecksand’s ethical and sustainable handmade jewels at ecksand.com

For the classic giftee:

WILD NORTH FLOWERS

Nothing says Mother’s Day more than a gorgeous bouquet of flowers!

Toronto-based flower studio Wild North Flowers creates seasonally inspired arrangements with 100% locally-grown Ontario flowers, focusing on fostering relationships with awesome local charities with a focus on sustainability, building a strong sense of community.

Wild North supports charities working to protect our natural environment, human and ecological health. Wild North forms direct partnerships with 12 charities a year and provide an in-kind donation of $500+ retail value each month, so whatever time of year, your gifts are sure to give back.

Wild North also hosts a weekly giveaway program in the GTA where you can nominate someone you believe deserves some floral cheer. This is your chance to tell your local GP, passionate activist pal, alwaysfriendly barista, loyal childcare worker or favourite nurse that they are seen and that they deserve some floral magic.

Check out wildnorthflowers.com to learn more about Free Flower Fridays.

For the sweet tooth:

PEACE BY CHOCOLATE

When classic meets sweet, it’s sure to be a treat! Since Peace By Chocolate was founded at the beginning of 2016, the Hadhad family have been fortunate to share their passion for chocolate with friends in their home of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, across Canada, and now, around the world.

They offer a range of services and products for anyone looking for delicious, fine chocolate. From classic chocolate boxes to chocolate bars offering messages of peace and forgiveness, specialty holiday items, to tasty snacks to share with friends, there’s something for everyone!

In keeping with the message of peace and togetherness, Peace by Chocolate has founded the Peace on Earth Society, donating a portion of all profits to peacebuilding projects around the world. The society work started unofficially after the Fort McMurray Wildfires when Peace by Chocolate launched a donation campaign to support all the evacuees and their families through relief organizations.

Come check out the tastiest way to spread peace at peacebychocolate.ca After all, One Peace Won’t Hurt.

COURAGE COOKIES

Give Mom the gift of Courage Cookies! What started as a midnight snack in March of 2020 is now the must-have cookie of the GTA! With flavours like Nutella S’more, Stuffed Red Velvet, and Brown Butter Rice Krispie, these cookies are sure to be a sweet surprise.

To make this gift even sweeter, Courage Cookies has vowed that so as long as they are in the business of selling cookies, they will always be donating a portion of their revenue to support those in need. Their first give-back goal was a modest

$10,000, and they surpassed it by far, donating approximately $35,000 since! Courage Cookies donates 5% of their overall revenue, and once a month, they hold a 24hr Cookie Drive, donating 100% of their sales!

Try the Baker’s Choice Box for a delightful mix of flavours!

Find Courage Cookies at Stackt Market (28 Bathurst Street) and in cafes across Toronto. Canada-wide orders can also be made online at couragecookies.ca/order-online