May 4, 2024

Celebrating Mother's Day with eco-friendly experiences and goodies is a wonderful way to show your appreciation while also promoting sustainability. 

FLOAT YOUR GOAT

Give Mom a totally new experience with Mother's Day Goat Yoga, Sunday, May 12, from 9 a.m. t o 10 a.m., hosted by the Westin Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas and Goat Yoga Dallas. 

Check out Goat Yoga on Mother's Day in Las Colinas. Courtesy of Goat Yoga Dallas.

You and your mom can get your Goga on while a tribe of pet goats graze and interact with partipipants.

Plan on lots of nudges and nibbles as the goats are as curious about you as you are about them. Bring your own yoga mat or a large towel. The Westin will provide bottled water, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. 

The goats and event will be outside so dress accordingly. $20 to $32 each. The Westin Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas, 400 West Las Colinas Boulevard Irving, TX 75039. Afterwards, enjoy the Mother's Day Brunch at the Westin separately. 

MARKET DAY

Whiski Designs at Dallas Farmers Market sells cool tees, cards, stickers and more. Courtesy of Whiski Designs.

You just can’t beat the Dallas Farmers Market for downhome fun on Mother’s Day. Your madre will love all of the adorable shops such as Kelley Produce, BBNCO Dog Boutique, Eden Hill Vineyard tasting room and so many more. 

Find a bevy of regional goods including t-shirts and tea towels, earrings and mood rings, popcorn and plumerias. 

A notebook for the creative traveler from Whiski Designs.

A local fav is Whiski Designs, owned by India Hearne, who designs most all of the delightful goods in her shop. India’s distinctive pen and ink style combines Texas twang and a humorous twist. 

Check out her original tees, greeting cards, stickers and pocket notebooks.

Afterwards dig into brunch, lunch or dinner in one of the four Market restaurants, with seating areas both inside and out so you and Mom can soak in the sunshine as you wave at passersby in the shadow of downtown. 

Most shops open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Dallas Farmers Market, 920 S Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201.

SPLASH OF COLOR

Founded in 2003, Global Mamas is a favorite fair trade online retailer of my editor Julie Thibodeaux, due to their support of women entrepreneurs as well as for their colorful sustainable apparel and accessories.

This Retro Blouse made of organic cotton will add a splash of color to your Mom’s summer wardrobe. $54 (includes shipping).

The Global Mamas community is comprised of thousands of people from around the world working together with the mission of creating prosperity for African women and their families.

The Global Mamas are mothers, wives, grandmothers, sisters, talented entrepreneurs and leaders in their communities. 

The Global Mamas shop features their handcrafted apparel, robes and accessories made from colorful, hand-batiked organic cotton and jewelry made recycled glass beads.

GlobalMamas.org

FARM FRESH

Profound Foods in Fairview is hosting a special Mother's Day Artisan Market on Saturday, May 11. Courtesy of Profound Foods.

Grab Mom and the whole family and head to Profound Food’s Artisan Market next Saturday, May 11, in Fairview, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Profound Foods offers a virtual Farmers Market online with locally grown produce. Owners Jeff and Lee Bednar also grow leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers in a hydroponic system at their 2.6 acre farm in Fairview. 

For the Mother’s Day event Profound is bringing together area artists, chefs and vendors. Enjoy lunch or dinner and find that special piece you've been looking for, just for Mom. Bring the kiddos because they’ll have some fun activities. 

A goodie bag will be given to the first 50 shopper families! Profound Foods, 163 Fountain Ct, Fairview. Artisan Market Details.

PEACEFUL PARADISE

The lovely Japanese Gardens in Fort Worth is a veritable garden paradise with many unique outdoor vistas to visit with Mom. 

The Fort Worth Japanese Garden was completed in 1973 with many of the plants and construction materials that were donated by Fort Worth's sister city Nagaoka, Japan. 

The Japanese Gardens is located within the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Entry is included in the FWBG admission. Photo by Julie Thibodeaux.

Mom will be mesmerized by this traditional garden with winding paths through breathtaking landscapes and waterfalls. With more than 7 acres filled with cherry trees, Japanese maples, magnolias, bamboo, bridges, pagodas and ponds filled with koi, you won’t run out of paths to stroll and vistas to appreciate. (Remember to buy koi food when you purchase admission!)

And be sure to drop by the Treasure Tree Gift Shop, stocked with Japanese-related keepsakes such as tea and sake sets, chopsticks, figurines and kimonos as well as bonsai trees, jewelry and purses made here in Texas. 

Plan on lots of walking. Note, it may be difficult for those who use a walker or wheelchair. However, a shuttle can take you to and from the main building to the Japanese Garden

The Japanese Garden is actually nestled within the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, a sprawling oasis of natural beauty and horticultural diversity. Spanning 110 acres and built in 1934, it is one of the oldest and largest botanic gardens in the state, offering visitors a needed escape from life’s hustle and bustle.

The Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Garden in the Fort Worth Botanic Garden features a restored native Texas habitat. Photo by Julie Thibodeaux.

The complex is composed of 23 specialty gardens, including the Rose Garden with its collection of over 2,500 rose bushes of more than 200 varieties; the Victor and Cleyone Tinsley Garden, featuring native Texas landscaping; and the Backyard Vegetable Garden with its sustainable gardening demos that inspires visitors both young and old to grow their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs at home. 

Pricing is reasonable enough to take the whole family. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65+) and $6 for children (ages 6-15). Children five and younger will be admitted for free. 

A lovely gift would be to treat Mom to a year of Botanic Garden membership. Now through Mother’s Day, enjoy $15 off an annual membership – only $45 with code MOM15!

Follow the outing with a lunch at Flower Child in the University Park Village, Righteous Foods on Seventh Street or the original Spiral Diner on Magnolia.

WATER WORKS

While in Cowtown, be sure to drop by the Fort Worth Water Gardens, a unique brutalist oasis near the Fort Worth Convention Center. Designed by famed American architect Philip Johnson, it was a gift from the Amon G. Carter Foundation to the city of Fort Worth. Explore this architectural and engineering marvel that has been delighting visitors since 1974. There are three distinct water features in the park. You can even walk the stone steps to the pool that was featured in the ending scene from the sci-fi classic Logan's Run. Bring a change of shoes though as you might just get wet! Admission is free.

Photo by Austin James | Fort Worth Convention and Visitors Bureau.

CANDLE CLASS

Adorable Davis St. Mercantile in Oak Cliff is a local treasure — and loaded with treasures themselves. Shop owner, Kristen McDonald, personally chooses each unique find in the collection. 

Treat Mom to a hands-on candle pouring workshop on most Saturdays at the Mercantile and make some new friends in the bargain. Each workshop includes all necessary instructions, materials, and equipment. Participants will each leave with more than one pound of container candles. 

While you’re there, be sure to show Mom the blend-your-own soaps, lotions and body butter wall loaded with pure essential oils, laundry detergent base, soap base, etc… She’ll want to grab a jar or dispenser of her choice and fill er-up. Everything is all natural and smells oh so good! Classes are $58 per person. Browsing is free. Schedule online at DavisStreetMercantile.com.

FIREFLY LULLABY

For moms or grandmas with small children, help them conjure up an experience that their progeny will remember forever with Firefly Lullaby by local artist and author Karen Weiss. 

Weiss has created one of the most beautiful books for young folks that we have ever seen. Each page is a scaled-down version of actual canvasses that Karen painted over a 11-year period. 

Karen Weiss transports us to a magical world that exists in the mind of every youngster — the moments between day and night when the fireflies play.

Dallas artist and author Karen Weiss.

Readers are immersed in the sights and sounds of the evening — the flutter of a Luna moth's wings, the croak of a frog, a songbird's sweet melody and the cricket's chirp.

Each page is filled with delightful illustrations, inspired by the Texas Hill Country, created by the author herself that lead to a heartwarming and sleepy ending, making it an ideal bedtime tale for children of all ages.

With its soothing rhythm and gentle imagery, Firefly Lullaby is sure to become a beloved classic to which families will turn again and again. Now available online at TricycleBooks.com and soon in area stores.

HIGH-END COMPOSTER

If staying home is enough excitement for your mom, consider this next gift as an investment in her happiness. You’ve read about the Lomi countertop composter in past articles. Check out this new floor-based indoor unit from Mill that takes home composting to a whole new level.

The Mill looks like an ordinary trash can but it hides a cool secret — it recycles your organic waste overnight and only has to be emptied once per month! 

As Mill’s founders say on their website, “Food is the single largest inhabitant of landfills. And most of that food comes from our kitchens. We end up wasting 40 percent of the food we grow. That’s like buying five bags of groceries and leaving two of them in the parking lot. And waste is expensive. The average household spends up to $1,900 on wasted food every year.”

After you come to grips with that loss, spending $1,000 on a Mill doesn’t seem like so much. You can also rent it for $29.99 per month and for an additional $10 per month, the Mill folks will even pick up your waste and turn it into chicken feed. Hmmm, there’s gotta’ be a pun in there somewhere. Mom will love it! Visit Mill.com to learn more.

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