Now really, what's more important than making sure Mom has something heartfelt and lovely for Mother's Day? Did she not give up regular, comfortable sleep, let you sit on her bladder and stick your foot under her ribs for nine months (really ten, but who's counting)? Did she not sacrifice linear conversation and uninterrupted thoughts -- wait, what was I saying?

Mother's Day is right around the corner!

First, a card. Something handmade with a true, honest sentiment from you. Go ahead, use my words. Thanks, Mom, even though I go "Eew" every time you sing along to my music in the car, I love you and I appreciate that you got me this far. Jot down a little memory, nothing extraordinary, it doesn't have to rhyme.

A little goes a long way. A handmade gift is nice, too, and there are some amazing ideas for recycling throwaways into really fun gifts using the Trashmatcher [1] at The Imagination Factory. [2]

What else says, "I Love You" on Mother's Day? Well, I think a three-hour massage and two days to read would be nice, but I like flowers, too. I got the most delightful, lush and fragrant organic [2] bouquet from California Organic Flowers, an ever changing, bountiful wonderland of passionately grown and presented, fresh flowers, extremely reasonably priced. But you can't just get flowers and a card and plop them down with a perfunctory peck on the cheek, she needs that personal element. That promise of relaxation, the whiff of luxury, the lost scent of time to herself.

All this and more can be found in Terressentials products. Using only USDA food-certified organic ingredients, Terressentials has extremely luxurious, absolutely pure fragranced oils, lotions, shampoos and lip balms. It's a small company with a big mission, and a website that will clue you in to the tricks of the often dubious "organic" personal care product industry. A nice array of beautiful smelling products will make Mom feel relaxed and pampered. I have all lavender "flavors," and they are beyond what you expect from lavender: of course bright, full and relaxing, but many other essential oils create much more complex and imaginative scents. The other scents sound amazing too, and you can order a sampler to smell for yourself.

Terressentials Body Wash is made from pure castile soap, minerals, and essential oils in a light and lovely blend that felt clean but not at all astringent. My skin was so soft and lightly scented after using it I almost felt like I didn't need a lotion. But I'm glad I tried the next layer, the Anointing Body Oil, which is a sensuous "liquid balm" containing beads of pure cocoa butter in an intensely fragranced oil. When you pour it into your hand the cocoa butter melts into the oils and you have a gorgeous concoction to use as a titillating massage oil or a powerful moisturizing oil. I used it after the shower and was pleased that my skin drank it up and it didn't leave an oily residue, but did leave me feeling cheerful.

In my kitchen, I use Terressentials Real Soap for Hands, which, with tea tree oil, is effective and smells good. It offers a reminder that there are more lovely things waiting in my next shower.

Very Important Note: Please, if you give Mom items of bath luxury, do be sure to give her the gift of time to use them. If the kids are little, take them someplace for a couple of hours so she can relax. If the kids are big, send them someplace for a couple of hours so she can relax. When you come back, surprise her with her favorite take-out (preferably the one that uses reusable containers).

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Terressentials

Cost: Body Wash 8 oz. $11.75, Anointing Body Oils 6 fl. oz. $15.95, Real Soap for Hands 8 oz. $7.25

Where to Buy: Online at Terressentials.com, and a smattering of independent, local retailers nationwide