22 Mom-Led Brands to Gift, Learn From, and Love This Mother’s Day
It’s time to take pause from your regular shelter-in-place schedule - whatever that might look like for you - to celebrate moms everywhere! Moms come in all different forms and that needs to be recognized on Mother’s Day! Birth moms, adopted moms, moms we chose along the way, grandmas, and anyone else that stepped in in that motherly way, that only a special someone could.
These days, in a time of quarantine, moms are wearing EVEN MORE hats than they normally do. Activity director, cook, therapist, teacher, nurse, entertainer - the list goes on. It’s time to celebrate them and all that they have done for us!
My own mom, thousands of miles away on the other side of the country has managed to take on all of these roles for me - yes, even at 27, married, and pregnant with my first child. She has helped me navigate family recipes I decided to learn (she’s my cook), planned a virtual BINGO night for my family (my activity director), sent care packages (my cheerleader), helped me choose a car seat (my decision maker), and she calms me down when I am having a pregnant-during-corona moment (my therapist).
So, to celebrate moms and all that they do, we have a roundup of 20 Parsnip brands that are mom-led. These founders shared some inspiring messages and their products would make for a great addition to any Mother’s Day gift. Show them some love and enjoy their advice!
{save} skincare: This clean ingredient, dermatologist tested, skincare brand would make the perfect gift for any momma! If you are into tracking brands’ scores on EWG - they get a ‘one’ (for those of you that don’t- that's great!). I personally love that they are pregnancy safe, which means I don’t have to worry about any of the ingredients being harmful to me or my baby! They have a few products focused on anti-pollution, which is pretty awesome too! [Use code: PARSNIP20 for 20% off the entire order at https://saveskincare.com/.]
Unspun: This jean company is pretty amazing! They use 3D scanning to make jeans that are uniquely fit to your body. Talk about an amazing gift for mom! From founder, Beth: ”Me being a mom and an entrepreneur is an incredible combo: when I'm away from my human baby too long I miss her and when I'm away from my company baby too long I miss it. They're a good balance for each other and they simultaneously make me crazy and keep me sane. [Use code PARSNIPXUNSPUN for 20% off your purchase at unspun.io]
Onesto Foods: Gluten-free, vegan crackers and cookies are Onesto’s speciality and they nail it! They use all clean ingredients and have some pretty amazing promises they make to themselves and their customers - I love when brands are transparent on who they are and their values. Jane, the founder of Onesto Foods, has some great advice for moms and entrepreneurs:
- "As moms, we are always juggling 20 things at once, and we have a hard time saying "no". I have a simple phrase that I say to myself that helps me define if something is important enough to add to my "to-do" list: If it's not a hell yes, it's a no. Meaning, if I am not super excited or super motivated by something, I don't give it a second thought."
- "Always, I mean always, care for yourself the way you would for your dearest friend. As women, we have a tendency to use negative self talk, "I'm not pretty enough, I'm fat, I look old, I'm not good enough..." Why would we talk about ourselves that way if we would never say those things to our best friends? We deserve the same type of self-love and self-care that we so readily give to others. What better role model for our kids than to practice loving ourselves and appreciating who we are."
[Use code: LOVEMOM for 20% off for the month of May at https://www.onestofoods.com/]
Jane, founder of Onesto Foods, and her children on a hike.
Vixen Kitchen: At this point in shelter-in-place and my pregnancy, I am so excited to share and support this mom-made gelato company. The ultimate comfort food for me and a lot of moms! Vixen Kitchen is based in San Francisco and the founder, Sundara, has managed to make a delicious paleo and vegan gelato that is to die for. I love the tagline at the bottom of her site: “Vixen Kitchen Paleo Vegan Gelato is a labor of love inspired by my two girls Gigi and Lola.”
Green Mustache: These plant-based cheese crackers come in the cutest mustache shapes that kiddos are bound to love! Created by mom VanTrang because of a picky eater (something most moms can sympathize with) they rsneak some healthy greens and ingredents into her kids’ snacks. One thing I love about them? Green Mustache is dedicated to sustainability and upcycles unsellable cracker parts to local farms as animal feed! [Use code LOVEMOM20 for 20% off until 5/17/20 at https://www.getgreenmustache.com/].
El Guapo: This New-Orleans based, mom-led brand has everything you need to make some dang good cocktails during quarantine - I know moms everywhere could use one. Founder and new mom, Christa, makes bitters, cocktail mixes, and syrups in small batches and with the highest quality ingredients. Her entire line is non-GMO, high fructose corn syrup free, gluten free and vegetarian. Their bitters have no added sugars. They even have the perfect gift sets for mom including some items from partner brands (you know we love that at Parsnip)! [Use code: SPREADJOY for free shipping on orders over $50 + 15% off at https://www.elguapobitters.com/]
Becca's Petites: I love a good about page, and Becca's Petites is no exception. Their mission, "feed your hunger to live well," was inspired by founder Becca's journey to create delicious and nutrient dense food for her mother and close friend with cancer. Becca's career path was filled with twists and turns that eventually led her to creating her Bouchées for the masses. Her snack mixes come in four unique flavors and all sound equally mouth watering while maintaining certifications like gluten-free, dairy-free, non-gmo and vegan. The Louisana lady in me loves the homage to New Orleans and the flambeauxs that light the way during Mardi Gras parades in their spiciest flavor.
Purely Drinks: A favorite brand of mine from the days I lived in the Bay Area! Founder, Judy, recently became a mom but that has not stopped her from creating these delicious, award winning, probiotic syrups and tonics. Her drinks are made in small-batches in Oakland and have the most beautiful packaging! [Use code: LOVEYOUMOM for 25% off at https://purelydrinks.com/.]
Mesa De Vida: These cooking sauces look amazing and frankly, life saving for a busy mom! Founder, Chef Kirsten, has created a line of cooking sauces inspired by cultures around the world. Her story is pretty awesome and you can read more here. My personal favorite? Creole, thanks to my Louisiana roots. You can buy the sauces at Whole Foods and they make the perfect addition to a gift basket for any mom that likes to cook!
YES Bar: When founder Abigail’s son Arthur was struggling with inflammation and food allergy she was tired of having to tell him ‘no’ to all the foods he wanted. So, she went to the kitchen and made a delicious snack that he could actually say ‘yes’ to. Thus, the YES Bar was born. A cookie-like snack (a plus for kids) that is filled with nutritious ingredients, made in small batches, and both vegan and gluten-free? Yes please! "Life is a lot more fun when you say YES rather than no." [Head to https://www.theyesbar.com/discount/YESFAMILY for 33% off your order ($1.99/bar) + free shipping when you buy 4 or more six packs OR https://www.theyesbar.com/discount/SAYYES for 10% off any order size].
Abigail, founder of YES Bar, and her family!
Fresh Monster: I already touched on a skincare brand for mom, but what about for the kiddos? Fresh Monster makes bath-time products for kids that are toxin-free, cruelty free, vegan, plant-based, and so many other necessary certifications when it comes to the products going on your little one’s skin. You can find them and their adorable bottles on Amazon!
Meli's Monster Cookies: These amazing gluten-free cookies come either pre-made or as a baking mix and have amazing flavors to pick from. Co-founder Melissa had so much good insight as a mom-led brand I couldn’t even fit it all on one quote card: "’Maybe it won't work out. But maybe seeing if it does will be the best adventure ever.’ I love this quote and it reminds me of when I agreed to jump on the Meli's train with Melissa Blue, my best friend since I was 8. We had no idea how it would turn out, but I knew with no hesitation that we would have a blast figuring it out.” Find your local retailer here!
Zen Sweet: Especially right now during the shelter in place, I am all about baking but sometimes I just don’t have it in me to bake from scratch (I am 7 months pregnant!). Zen Sweet provides an amazing solution to this with their food-allergy considerate baking mixes. Their list of certifications is extensive, so you should absolutely check them out if you or anyone in your family has sensitivities: non-GMO, gluten free, grain free, no added sugar, low carb, vegan, paleo friendly, keto friendly, and diabetic friendly! Founder, Michelle, says "Honestly I find most of my inspiration for products from my kids (age 4 and 6 now). My kids are always in the kitchen with me and they have lot's of ideas and opinions:) They are the best taste testers. We know if our kids and their friends like our products, most of the world will too." [Use code: PARSNIP20 for 20% off any order at zensweet.com good through 6/1/20)]
Michelle, founder of ZenSweet, and one of her children!
Cult Crackers: The founders of Cult, Dianna and Birgitta, met at their kid’s school while volunteering and I think that is so cool! They make their addictive crackers from a recipe that Birgitta was using for her homemade Swedish crackers. The recipe and brand evolved to what it is now - a staple for any pantry or cheese board with beautiful packaging! [Use code: parsnip-partner for 20% off at https://www.cultcrackers.com/]
Oh-Mazing Granola: Created by mom Stephanie in her quest to have more flexibility in her work and bake healthier options for her family at home, Oh-Mazing Granola is nut free, wheat free, and made with organic ingredients. Fun flavors like Lemon Bar and Caribbean Delight are balanced by classics so there is a flavor for every family’s snacking and breakfast needs! I love their packaging AND that they are sold on Amazon! [Use code: TRYOHMAZING for 10% off at https://www.ohmazingfood.com/]
Bert's Bites: I love that this brand was created by a grandmother! Founder Roberta, aka Bert, creates delicious crunchy nut-based snacks that she has been perfecting for 30 years. She tries out all her recipes on her family and her delicious creation is now lovingly referred to as “Gigi’s Crunchy” by her youngest grandchild - adorable. They make for the cutest gift (hello, Mother’s Day) or treat for yourself! [Use CODE: Parsnip15%, to get 15% off an entire order on https://www.bertsbites.com/.]
Roberta, founder of Bert's Bites, and her family!
Perky Perky Coffee: Of course there was going to be one mom-led coffee brand on this list! Moms are in need of all the caffeine that they can get. Perky Perky has the most day-brightening coffee packaging you could dream of - it’s the little things, right? I am going to let founder and mom, Maruxa and the mission she lists on her site do the rest of the talking. It is so powerful: “Perky Coffee aims to invite women back into their power! Well roasted coffee© has special magical powers – and when we partner amazing coffee from all over the world with empowering conversations, we build a community of women in all walks of life that know they have gifts, talents, skills and areas of genius that make the world a freaking amazing place for themselves and others they love.”
A little quarantine-me-time advice from Maruxa?: “As a mom of 3 girls in quarantine right now, my biggest challenge is to find ME time in the midst of being their teacher, mom, cheerleader, executive chef, housekeeper, therapist, dog mama, wife to my guy and entrepreneur... so I have created a ritual at the beginning of the day to sit by myself on my patio with my coffee, journal and some meditative music to center me for the day. At night, however, I sit in my bathtub, with a glass of wine, chocolate (fully clothed) and in silence all by myself with my thoughts. I know that may sound hilarious but it's my only quiet place at night with my favorite chocolates and bevvy outside of coffee. I've told a few people about it and now I've invited our community in to join me on Wining Down Wednesdays, a little FB Live show we started so we can all be in our bathtubs, BYOB virtually, and connect with what we've got going on in our own lives.”
[Use code PARSNIP for 25% off your first order at https://www.perkyperky.com/]
Soiree Tea: This mom-led company’s mission is “to offer great-tasting, fun-flavored, high-quality tea with a modern approach” and with flavors like Mardi Grey and PJ Soiree, I think they do just that! I LOVE their packaging, their give back mission, and that they are a loose-leaf tea. [Use Code: PARSNIP20 for 20% off your entire order here https://soireetea.com/pages/our-story.]
Free Yumm: The product line at Free Yumm is pretty impressive; bars, cookies and crunchy chocolate bites in all sorts of delicious flavors! All of them are free from the top 9 allergens: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, gluten, soy, fish, shellfish AND sulfites and sesame. That’s why founder and mom, Sarah, calls it “inclusive snacking!”
Jessica’s Natural Foods: I love the variety of foods that Jessica offers - and all staples in any household with kids. Like most mom-led brands, Jessica took matters into her own hands when her husband was missing granola after going gluten-free and her daughter needing something enticing to make drinking milk more exciting! Gluten-free and non-GMO granola, gluten-free baking mixes, and my personal fave: organic strawberry syrup (for milk, ice cream, and pancakes!). [Use code PARSNIP20 for 20% off an entire order through May, limit one per customer at https://www.jessicasnaturalfoods.com/.]
Jessica, founder of Jessica's Natural Foods, and her children!
Zellee Organic: Pouches are all the rage for kiddos - and for good reason, they are quick, easy, and clean! What sets Zellee apart is that their fruit gels (similar to jello) have no added sugars, gels, carrageenan, or animal gelatin plus they are organic and non-gmo. Learn more about all that fun stuff here! Not to mention they come in tasty flavors like Blueberry Grape, Orange Peach, and Strawberry Pear and are immunity boosting for the little ones! [Use code: FRUIT25 for 25% off at www.zelleeorganic.com]
GoMacro: Created by a mother and daughter team on a mission to spread awareness of a balanced, plant-based lifestyle. They saw the power of what a diet can do when this lifestyle helped co-founder Amelia overcome her battle with breast cancer. Their bars come in so many delicious flavors - including the recently added Double Chocolate + Peanut Butter Chips, all contain amazing plant-based ingredients, and have too many certifications to list! [Use Code: NEW20 for 20% off any first time purchase on gomacro.com + free shipping at https://www.gomacro.com.]
Mother and daughter co-founders of Go Macro, Jola & Amelia!
This week’s product roundup is written by Emily Hines, a brand and digital marketing freelancer for Parsnip and CPG brands.
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