Save your mom energy this May 9. No, really. In addition to encouraging her to kick back, help her save electricity and water! Here are some energy-efficient gift ideas and tips to make her day better.

For the lady who likes to accessorize or glam it up:

• What's more appropriate than turning an old motherboard into a bracelet?  Or for the less artistically inclined, Arteco makes eclectic earrings, watches, even candle holders out of recycled electronics. One Etsy seller creates cute earrings out of remote control circuit boards. And if your mom has an old cell phone lying around, take it off her hands and dispose of it properly for her.

For the lady who likes gardening and saving water:

• There's no place like loam. If your mom or wife likes to get dirty, a rain barrel will help her save water in the garden—it can even be hooked up to a low-pressure sprinkler, says Treehugger. Or get out there and garden with her—give her a gift certificate for an hour of your free grubby labor! Landscaping can help keep your house cool in the summer—deciduous trees can block summer heat, and shrubs can provide shade and block winds. Planting trees strategically outside your home can cut heating and cooling costs by a quarter, according to the DOE—point Mom to this helpful pamphlet to learn more.

For the lady who likes clean energy when cruising bike trails or the web:

• Consider solar gadgets. The techie mom, wearin' those black Tina Fey glasses and posting stuff to her Tumblr, might like to stay plugged in with clean energy. For sunny climes, check out a solar laptop charger or one for her cell phone, camera, and MP3 player. If she's outdoorsy, consider a solar lantern or solar oven for camping, or on the cheaper end, a solar bike light. Not so sunny where you live? Power strips will help her eliminate gadgets' phantom energy use.

For the lady who likes concocting tasty delights:

• She might enjoy an energy-saving kitchen appliance. Foods cook faster in a  pressure cooker, saving time and energy, and this pressure cooker that Treehugger found can be used to can food, too (saving trips to the store). As for other pots and pans, copper-bottom pans are quicker to heat up than others. And the ACEEE says using glass or ceramic pans instead of metal ones in the oven allows you to turn down the oven about 25 degrees, with foods cooking just as fast.

For the lady who is an avid reader, sewer, or DIYer:

• A bouquet of CFLs may not be the springtime bulbs she had in mind, but these puppies last longer than incandescents, so she (or the designated light-changer) won't have to switch them out as often. (Saving her energy in the future—impressive!) And if she's crafty or an avid reader, an LED lamp can shed some long-lasting light on the subject. This LED sewing light was designed to sit behind a sewing machine, or bendable LED sewing light sticks to the side of it. Toss in a few soy or beeswax candles for sustainable mood lighting.

Happy Mother’s Day!

--Holly

Image: Arteco