Mother's Day Gift Guide

Maybe you already know exactly what to get for your Mom or the woman who's been just like a mom to you this Mother's Day. Lucky you!

This guide is for the rest of us. We want to get something special, memorable and perfect -  in other words - we have no idea what to get.

Lots of guides focus on jewelry, or spa vacations or even things like monogrammed lawn chairs, which seem a trifle beyond the reach of us ordinary mortals.

And most Moms don't really need more little china figurines, or engraved playing cards or other beautiful, fragile little items. The best gifts are the ones that help make every day life a little easier and more pleasant.

Nothing is better than the gift of your time and companionship.  Maybe offer to help sort out a closet, paint the bathroom or plant flower pots together!  You'll never regret the time you spent doing something special with her.

But if you still want to wrap up a little something - make part of the gift spending time together, or giving her a little break.  We've got some great items and ways to make them even more special.

Whatever you choose, don't forget we always offer free gift messages, and lots of items are already gift-wrapped.  If not, gift wrap is only $5.

Here are 6 great gifts for Mother's Day:

#1.Mini Stone Massage Set
A lovely little gift to tuck in with a home-made massage gift certificate from you. Great as part of a "take care of you" gift basket.  Includes a travel size 95% Shea Butter Balm and little massage stone with instructions. ($11)

     

#2. Zen Weekend Retreat Robe Set
A bit of a splurge - but the set includes a soft waffle weave spa robe, relaxing music cd, a dozen tealight candles and a journal, all packed in a lovely Pandan box with lid. Offer to take over her responsibilities for a weekend and let her just relax and enjoy - either away or at home.($95)

#3. Velour Shower Wrap in Regular or Full-figured 
This amazingly soft wrap closes with snaps instead of velcro and is perfect to pop on after the shower, while putting on makeup, etc.  It's a great way to make her feel pampered and special, and best of all, it's machine wash and dry. $50 - $54



#4. Help a Girl Moisturizing Set
This set includes a tube of our Nourishing Hand Cream, and a tube of our Hand, Nail & Cuticle Salve, both scented with Kiran Forest - a fresh, green scent she'll love.  The set comes in a pretty pandan box, tied with a green ribbon and silk flower.  Best of all, 10% of the sale price is donated to the National TTT Society, which helps send girls to camp. ($25)


#5. Modern Design Waffle Weave Bath Towel 
Get her a couple of fresh new waffle weave towels to spiff up her bathroom.  In White, Cream, Espresso, Sage Green, Orange and Slate.  Many people use these towels for first time while traveling in Europe, so  tuck in a travel book about Italy, too! ($28)    

#6. Complete Healthy Feet Kit 
This is such a great set because it has little jars of our foot soak, foot scrub, foot cream and shea butter balm, scented with Kiran Forest and packed with our famous terra-cotta Foot Scrubber.  Include a gift certificate for a home pedicure!  She'll love it. ($25)

Green Acres in Reverse? Celebrate Earth Day by Becoming More Self-Sufficient!

Something amazing is happening. A sort "Green Acres in Reverse Movement" seems to be taking hold. Do you remember the sophisticated urbanites from the tv show - Oliver and Lisa, who brought the city to the farm? Well, the farm is coming to the city this time around.

From humble beginnings in backyard gardens, Urban Agriculture is spreading into every city and suburb in the country.  Not content just to grow vegetables, urban farmers are keeping bees and chickens - harvesting golden, local honey and fresh, delicious eggs. 

Another new trend taking off is fruit and vegetable gleaning.  In gleaning, folks offer excess fruits and vegetables growing on their property free to "gleaners".  Even home canning is experiencing a resurgence, especially among foodies and locavores.  Part of the appeal is knowing where the food came from, what’s really in the jar and that food can stay delicious without refrigeration. 

It all comes down to doing more with less, which explains a lot about the new popularity of drying clothes naturally. 

The old-fashioned clothesline is making a comeback, because it’s super eco-friendly and leaves clothes smelling as fresh and clean as the summer wind.

So celebrate Earth Day this year by setting up your own clothesline. It’s easy and can be done almost anywhere.

(My grandmother dried all her clothes on a clothesline.  As a kid, I loved running through the cool, damp sheets and clothes.  Even in the dead of winter, clothes would be hung out to dry and then finished in the basement.  My mom said the dry winter air pulled most of the moisture out of them, but on freezing days I'd sure be tempted by the clothes dryer!)

Most everything can be dried on a clothesline, but the thick terry towels we’ve grown accustomed to can take forever to dry.   

Waffle weave towels, which dry quickly indoors – even in damp bathrooms – dry amazingly quickly on a clothesline.  Their flat weave exposes much greater surface area to the wind and sun, hence the quick drying time.    

Make a fresh start this Earth Day and try a waffle weave bath towel.  We have two great styles:  Classic and Modern and eight colors.  Once you get used to them, you won’t want to use terry again.

There are so many great ways to do more with less - and if Oliver and Lisa could do it, so can you!

True Confessions: My 3 Sneaky Tips for Real-Life Foot Care!

Ssh!  Between you and me - I have a confession to make!  Although I am surrounded by racks and racks of fabulous foot care products, my feet aren't always perfect or anywhere close.  Shocking, I know...

Because I do sometimes fall off the foot care wagon, I have a few never-fail, sneaky tips for foot care and I've decided to share them with the world. 

Here are my three favorites:

 Sneaky Foot Care Tip #1:  

A dab of Shea Butter Balm rubbed into heels will make the white lines and dry spots "disappear", so you can wear sandals even if your feet are dry.  Lasts for a couple of hours.

Sneaky Foot Care Tip #2:

I may not remember to take care of my feet every day, but I always watch a little tv - even if it's just the news. I've started keeping a jar of Nourishing Foot Cream in a drawer by the sofa, so even if I'm couch potatoing - I can still moisturize!

Sneaky Foot Care Tip #3:

If you are a barefoot gardener (I am) you can save yourself a lot of scrubbing later on by slathering Shea Butter Balm into cuticles and under your nails before you start.  That way any dirt that gets into your nails comes out much more easily.  In fact, I keep an extra little container of Shea Butter in the garage with my gardening gloves and tools so I won't forget.


So, now you know some of my best-kept secrets.  Remember - knowledge is power, so if you have a great sneaky tip, be sure to share it!

Shea Butter Balm, a Nose and a Happy Dog

 
Everyone now and then we get an email that goes straight to our hearts and last week, we received this email:

"Singer"

"I have a 17 year old dog.       His nose was so swollen he couldn't breathe through it. Took him to the vet, she said that older dogs can get dry noses and to just put vaseline on it. 

I put your 95% shea butter on his nose instead and after a few days it started to look better. His nose is now back to normal and I now use it as a preventative measure. Thank you.  - Regina S."

I immediately emailed her back, thanking her for sharing this story with us, and asked her what her dog's name was.  His name is Singer - and as you can see from the photo she sent me - he's a beautiful little guy, who doesn't need the aggravation of a sore nose.  

 I love hearing that something so simple and gentle can help not only people, but their animals, too.  Glad your nose feels better Singer!  Thanks again Regina,  for taking the time to let us know about it.  

What's the Worst Thing You Ever Did To Your Feet?

People sometimes ask me how Gilden Tree started, and I always tell them it's simple - I've always had horrible feet.  So when something works on my feet I know it will work on anyone's feet.  But it got me thinking - how did my feet get so bad?  Partly its genetics, but certainly lifestyle has played a role.

For the first time a couple of days ago, the air smelled of Spring; warm, damp and earth - which made me want to fling off my shoes and reconnect barefoot with my old friends grass and dirt.  So I did and it was glorious!    Hello, Spring!

But going barefoot carries its own risks.  I’ve been a barefoot gardener for many years and I’ve stepped on my fair share of icky things.  Have you ever stepped on or in something awful?  I'd love to hear about it!

To get you started, I’ll tell you about the worst thing that ever happened to my feet.

When I was a child, I roamed barefoot (against the most competent medical and legal advice of my grandmother) all over her farm.  I never actually stepped on a rusty nail, thereby avoiding “lockjaw” which was her main fear, nor did I slip into the pigpen, and so thankfully  was not eaten by the pigs, either.

But she was right, there were unseen risks in going barefoot, and I’m not talking about the germ theory, although I’m dead sure I banged right up against it. 

I am going to assume that you know what a cowpie is.  If not, please google it.  I learned the hard way that a cowpie which looks entirely dry isn't always safe to step on.  I was minding my own business, dreamily crossing the pasture, probably looking up at the clouds, when I stepped on what appeared to be a “dry” cowpie.  Unfortunately, there was  gooey cowpie lurking right below the surface, which oozed up between my toes, and completely surrounded my tough little foot. 

By the time I got back to the house, I was so miserable my  Grandma didn't have to say a word. She just hosed my foot off and sterilized it with blackberry brandy or something like that. From that day on, things were different.  Sort of.  I didn't start wearing shoes, but I did watch for cowpies.

So what’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to your feet - either stepped on or in?    Tell us your story and you could win a prize!                       

The Picnic Basket

A couple of years ago, my mom was piling stuff up for Good Will, including her old picnic basket.

I've been seeing this picnic basket all my life and it always meant good things to me. As a child I loved the idea of picnics - eating outdoors, eating mostly without silverware and being together with my family.

On an impulse I asked my Mom if I could have the old picnic basket, and she said, "Of course, but do you really want that old basket?" Visions of lazy picnics and sunny days danced in my head. So I brought it home.

I took this photograph of it a couple of days ago. It's a good, old-fashioned picnic basket: simple, practical and well-made. No, it doesn't keep cold things cold, or hot things hot. It doesn't have a drain in the bottom, or wheels. It doesn't have flashing lights and wouldn't float worth a darn.

But... it holds everything you need, and it's solid as a rock even after 50 years. It holds all the food, even casseroles and odd shaped bowls, and dishes and cutlery. It holds a picnic blanket (I have a Sage Green Modern Design Blanket in there.) It holds books, and crayons and notebooks. And when the handles are folded down, it makes a fine low tabletop.

It is clearly something my mother would buy. My Mom never bought cheap stuff - she just didn't believe in it. If she wanted something, she saved up and bought the very best she could get. And then she took care of it.

You may wonder why on earth I'm writing about this picnic basket and my Mom.

I think it's because she's had such a profound impact on me, and by extension on Gilden Tree. What it means is that I don't want us to sell something that my Mom wouldn't have wanted to buy.
I want every product we sell to be well-made and to do what it's supposed to do. I want it to be the best quality we can make it. I want it to be amazingly good.

I know you can buy cheaper stuff, much cheaper in fact. But if Gilden Tree is going to offer you something, I hope it will be something you'll hang onto. Something you'll take care of and maybe - just maybe, something one of your own kids will rescue from the Good Will pile one day.

Summer Foot Care Tips for Diabetics

For people with Diabetes, summer can present a real challenge - but by using a little common sense, you can still enjoy the beach, the pool and the great outdoors.

Over time, the feet of a diabetic lose sensitivity and may not be able to "feel" as well as the feet of a person without Diabetes. They also take longer to heal from infections and injuries, so you need to protect them from the elements: sun, hot pavement, rough surfaces and sharp objects.

Little problems can become big ones if you don't take care of them. The California Podiatric Medical Association says "Most [serious foot health issues] begin as minor injuries that were left untreated."

So enjoy the summer and protect your feet by following these common-sense tips:

1. Wear real shoes and clean socks. Avoid sandals, flip-flops and going barefoot - it's just not worth the risk to your feet. Clean, unwrinkled socks and comfortable shoes will mean you can enjoy the outdoors safely. (The American Diabetes Association also recommends that you buy shoes at the end of the day, when feet are the largest.) Going swimming? Wear water shoes that hug your feet and be sure to check them frequently for debris.

2. Shake out your shoes before you wear them, in case there's any gravel or other objects in them. Check with your hands to be sure that nothing in your shoe will rub against your feet. (Good advice anytime!)

3. Wash feet daily with warm water and gentle soap, and moisturize with a good foot cream like Gilden Tree's Nourishing Foot Cream. Always dry feet gently first and don't moisturize between your toes.

4. Inspect your feet daily, using a hand mirror if necessary. Look for bruises, cuts rashes, blisters or anything which looks odd.

5. Schedule regular appointments with your podiatrist - especially if you plan a lot of outdoor activities. If you have any doubts or concerns about your feet, do check with your doctor. Better safe than sorry!

6. Control your blood sugar, and don't smoke. Goes without saying but especially important in the summer.

All the pleasures of summer are waiting for you, if you just use a little common sense and take good care of your feet!