Mother's Gift Day Survey Winner

Michelle Schneider is the winner of the Mother's Day Gift Survey Goodie Basket! Thank you to all of you who responded to our survey and told us what you'd love to get for Mother's Day. Michelle's basket included lip balm, balm of gilead, and hand made soaps from Australian Scent, Gloom Away body bar and souflee from Origins, a lavender eye pillow from Barefoot Yoga, permission slip and babysitter info pads from Mom Agenda, dissolving flower petal soaps from Pajamagram, and candles from Grace Candles. Everything she needs to relax!

Picks For Mother’s Day

Picks For Mother’s Day

We conducted an informal survey to find out what beauty and fashion items real women really wanted for Mother's Day. The top pick, by an overwhelming margin, was a day at the spa or pampering time to unwind and relax. Second place - things that connect moms with their children. And third - pretty and practical items. Here are some of our favorites.

Australian Scent makes a beautiful line of all natural skincare products. The company was born in Houston and has become so successful that they are now moving to NYC. These products are packed with essential oils and anti-oxidants. No toxins, no parabens, no cruelty, no worries. Even the packaging is earth-friendly. Here are some of our favorites:
– salt tea detoxifying bath soak – soak in tub and feel the stress flow out of you. ($28)
- foot scrub – loaded with essential oils, almond oil, and sea salt. It disinfects and smooths out the rough patches ($28)
- balm of gilead - anti-aging moisturizer for face and body. It smells so good, I use it instead of perfume (2 scents) ($68)
- lemongrass tea spray – a light fragrance – subtle and lasts all day ($22)
- lip balm – doubles as cuticle repair. dab some on your lips and them used the residual on your cuticles. ($8)
- soaps – hand made, smell like heaven ($8)
- bugger off – natural mosquito repellant for you and your pets that really works ($12)
FIND them in Houston at baylor college of medicine plastic surgery center, kuhl-linscom, brown eyes blue, or online at http://www.australianscent.com/

Dr. Alan Weil has teamed up with Origins to create “the way of the bath” Macha Green Tea Sea Salt Scrub – the scent of green tea is so relaxing. And the tea itself has is one of the strongest anti-oxidants there are. It also contains essential oils that moisturize, and the sea salt to relax muscles. The full line of “the way of the bath is coming in June”. But the scrub is available now. ($45)
Origins GloomAway bath set (soap -$13, bath gel -$21, scrub - $20, and body souflee - $27.50) is back by popular demand. it has a joyful grapefruit scent.
FIND them in department stores or http://www.origins.com/

Fragrance flower petals – these flower petals are actually soap petals. Fill up the tub and sprinkle these beautiful petals on the water just before you get in. The petals will dissolve into bubblebath. ($7.50)
FIND them at http://www.pajamagram.com/

Create a relaxing atmosphere with Grace candles, created in Houston. Our favorites – vanilla sugar, ambrosia, coconut lime, and apple peel. ($16 for tumbler, $6 for the travel tin)
FIND them at http://www.gracecandles.com/

Lavender Eye Pillows are filled with relaxing lavender and flax seeds. Lay them over your eyes and let the scent take you away. ($16.50) FIND the prettiest ones at http://www.barefootyoga.com/.

Redenvelope.com has pretty locket necklaces and bracelets that hold pictures of the children (or pets for the doggy mamas), pea in a pod pearl necklaces, and birthstone necklaces engraved with names of your children along with their birthstones. These gifts also come beautifully wrappes with moving stories about how the gifts were made or inspired.
FIND them at http://www.redenvelope.com/ .

Make Mom’s life easier and more organized with Mom’s Agenda. Organizers and Folios to keep track of the family’s information, events, and calendar.
- Mom’s Agenda – organized by the school year, one page per day with space for Mom’s calendar and the family’s appointments ($45)
- Kitchen Folio – one stop for all the family’s important information – medical, contacts, birthdays, school schedules, sports schedules, and plenty of blank sections to customize for your family. Plus pads for menu planning, babysitter info, permission slips, and daily todos ($32.95)FIND them at http://www.momagenda.com/.

Lounge wear and pajamas that are pretty, comfortable, flattering, and family friendly
- Leopard Lounge Pajamas – ($49.95)
- Lacy Pointel Lounge Set - jersey and lace pajamas ($49.95)
- Spring Morning Pajamas - pink cotton pajamas ($49.95)
FIND them at http://www.pajamagram.com/

Would you like a full-coverage panty that doesn’t create panty lines? Soma Intimates has just the thing. Their vanishing edge high-cut briefs really work. They don’t ride up, cut in, or show through your clothes. They come in a bunch of pretty colors. ($12)
FIND Soma Intimates store in Houston at Highland Villiage next to Chico's or online at http://www.soma.com/store/browse/shelf.jsp?subCatId=cat20021&catId=cat40090

Pop-out pendants are a piece of art you can wear. The artist Melissa Borrell is in Houston. The pendants are flat so they are easy to put them in a card and pop them in the mail ($36)
FIND them at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts Gift Shop or online at http://www.melissaborrell.com/.

Cole Haan Tote Bag – Mom doesn’t need to bring home all those paper and plastic shopping bags when she has a beautiful tote bag like this. Chic and earth-conscious. This “Slim Tote” bag comes in orange, green, and black ($425).
FIND them at http://www.colehaan.com/

All these items were on Great Day Houston on May 6, 2008. Here's the link to watch the segment http://www.khou.com/greatday/video/?nvid=242470 .