10+ gift ideas for Mom on Mother's Day
With Mother's Day quickly approaching I find myself scrambling to find thoughtful and affordable gifts. Moms are usually the shoppers in the family, so what do you do when it's time to get something for her? Well don't wait until the last minute to grab something that she'll just set aside. Take the time to put in some effort and show her how much you care. Here are 10+ gift ideas for mom on Mother's Day:
Look for an online wish list.
Does she have an updated wish list on Amazon, Etsy, Pinterest, etc? Sometimes it's nice to get her exactly what she wants. Don't get something from her baby registry or something that is really meant for the kids, pick out something that is just for her. Treat her on this special day!
Have the kids/grandkids make her something homemade.
If she's really into her designer home decor, give her something she can stash away in a cupboard but still enjoy when she wants, like a painted coffee mug. If she loves having things from the kids out on display, consider a crafty picture frame or piece of art from them. For the gardening mom, paint a pot and plant flowers or a flowering bush in it. For the bookworm mom, make her some beautiful bookmarks. For the glam mom, make her some earrings or a bracelet (craft stores often have classes and it's easier and more affordable than you'd expect!) You get the gist.
Give her an experience instead of a gift.
Personally, we have enough stuff laying around the house, I don't need something else that will sit on a shelf and collect dust. I would love to get away with my mom or a girlfriend and go for a mani/pedi, or a facial, or a massage, or all of the above! Swoon. I would enjoy if the whole family took me out to brunch and we just had time together. I would love if someone else made me breakfast in bed and I didn't have to do the dishes. I'd like to go out with the whole family to a baseball game or go out on a date night with my husband. It can be as cheap as a movie or as expensive as a concert, but I bet she'll remember and cherish those tickets more than something you just grabbed in a wild guess at the mall!
Make reservations for a meal out.
Mother's Day is one of the busiest restaurant holidays of the year, understandably so. And while it's great to have someone else cook her a nice meal and then scrub all the dishes afterward, waiting 60-90 minutes or more for your table sometimes isn't worth it (especially if you're trying to wrangle fussy and hangry Littles that whole time). So if you want to take her out, pick one of her favorite places and make reservations ahead of time! Let the host know you are coming to celebrate Mother's Day, as sometimes they'll have the server make an extra fuss over her and/or she'll get something free like a mimosa which is always a neat treat. However make sure this is what she wants to do, as my friend Katie warns sometimes it's just really not that great: "The boys tried a Mother’s Day brunch for us our first year as moms. Bottomless mimosas was advertised. Not only were we both breastfeeding still, it took over 30min to get a refill. We even showed up on time, and were seated quickly (to a buffet *eye roll*). We sat at brunch whining about how this was really thoughtful, but it wasn’t what either of us wanted as first time moms. We didn’t want crowds, we couldn’t eat and drink the price of the buffet, and we wanted to be with our families. If doing breakfast, make it. And then bring her a glass of something strong (coffee or champagne!) and clean up afterwards!" And another note here, do all the work before and after breakfast. Get the kids dressed and loaded into the car seats, bring activities to distract them at the restaurant, etc. This is a treat for mom, it shouldn't be more work for her.
Get her something luxurious.
Again, we come back to pampering. After reading this list, my friend Briana says: "These are all the things I want, but for any holiday I ALWAYS like to receive tiny luxuries, especially new jammies."
Wine and coffee.
When in doubt, every mom I know lives on wine and coffee. Get her a nice bottle and maybe a sweet mom-themed wine glass. Get her some premium coffee and her favorite creamer and maybe a cool Mama Bear mug. Have one of her girlfriends help you make a big gift basket out of it, she'll likely know her taste if you're feeling a bit lost. (Note: this is not a good gift if she's pregnant or nursing, don't get her something she can't use for months!)
Flowers and a card.
Tight budget? No time to shop? Something is better than nothing, so remember you can never go wrong with flowers and a card. You can get a thoughtful card at the dollar store or make one at home. I have found the most beautiful and affordable flowers can be found at Trader Joe's & Costco, along with most farmer's markets. This time of year you could even go pick wildflowers for her or go to a home improvement shop and plant a pack of flowers in a pot (doing it yourself is less than half the price of the potted flowers they have on display!)
Give her the gift of sleep.
This is my favorite! For my second Mother's Day our toddler was almost two and in the throws of a growth spurt while I was halfway through my second pregnancy. So I was absolutely exhausted and entering the uncomfortable phase. The Friday before Mothers' Day, my husband got me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a sweet card that said my gift was that I get to sleep as much as I want! That meant he got up with the toddler when she woke up at night, he jumped out of bed and kept her quiet and entertained in the morning, making her breakfast and distracting her so she wouldn't come and wake me up. It was AMAZING.
If she says she doesn't want anything, consider doing something for her instead:
Clean the house for her.
Whether you do it yourself or hire a cleaning service, surprise her by having the house scrubbed top to bottom. I feel like I'm constantly picking up after the whole family and hauling loads of laundry everywhere and cooking all the meals and doing all the dishes... so I just don't have any time or energy left to dust the shelves and scrub the tubs and the other long list of chores that keep the house clean (as opposed to tidy with all the messes put away). A truly clean house and a full day off sounds like the best gift to me, even if it only lasts a week before there's more toothpaste cemented to the sink and a mysterious stain on the carpet!
Do a deep cleaning chore.
You know, the things she gets really motivated to do during Spring Cleaning but doesn't have the time to do herself (or the budget to hire someone to do for her). Ideas include having the carpets deep cleaned, having the house exterior power-washed, you see where I'm going here...
Wash & detail her car.
Oh, the mom car. Full of old snacks and plenty of dirt from various sports fields. Don't just wash it, get the inside detailed for her! Vacuum all the crumbs, wipe down the dust from the dash, clean the windows, use whatever product it is that makes the tires look shiny and brand new... Oh my how that would be a treat!
Do something on her "honey-do" list.
I have a running list of things I'd like my husband to do around the house, but I don't like to nag him about it (and I'm sure he doesn't like being nagged, as he can tell what needs to be done too and he's just as exhausted as I am). So when he has the time and creative energy I like to get as many tasks done as possible, but the list is long and projects get put on hold for years... So surprise her and hang that shelf, build the washer/dryer pedestal stand, replace the fireplace mantle, whatever. (hint hint babe!)
Upgrade something broken.
Does she have something that's broken but she just doesn't have the time or money to fix? Something that she uses to pamper herself or show off her style, like a broken curling iron, a worn out purse, scuffed high heels? It could be anything that she wishes wasn't busted. Moms tend to put all our time and money into buying and fixing things for the rest of the family and we never get around to doing it for ourselves, so show her that you pay attention and that you care by fixing/replacing something for her.
Give her the gift of a 'relaxed brain'.
This comes from my friend Heather and it's such a good summary of what so many of my friends say: "The older my kids get, I am truly beginning to understand my mom’s old request of 'all I want is for you kids to get along.' Seriously. Don’t fight, don’t force me to be a referee. Clean your own messes, find your own shoes, do your chores without making me threaten your life, ask me if *I* would like a refill while you are up, I could go on... what I really want is the gift of a relaxed brain. Somebody else can do all the thinking, planning, organizing, double checking, needs anticipating, and disciplining for just one day. I can buy my own 'stuff'. But a nice card is good, too."
And some tips on what NOT to do:
Avoid practical gifts.
Mother's Day is about celebrating mom and pampering her a bit, so don't give her a new vacuum and remind her to get back to work! My husband has never given a bad gift, but he's an engineer and has an incredibly practical brain. Our first Christmas together he got me a new set of skillets... On our wedding day he got me a watch... Those were things I needed and they were nice upgrades that I wanted, but not on such a special holiday. I would have rather received a new pair of slippers on Christmas and a tennis bracelet on our wedding day. I know that sounds selfish and spoiled to say aloud, but I'll say it here because most women I know wouldn't speak out against a gift because it's downright rude. Any gift is better than no gift! And it truly is the thought that counts... but if you're delightfully practical like my husband, she may be a little sad that her Mother's Day gift wasn't something more thoughtful and personal. Don't give her something that she needs, give her something that she wants.
Want to avoid the stress next year? Try this:
Keep a running list of gift ideas.
Some women really love having something to unwrap and hold in their hands, so you'll want a thoughtful gift. I have a list on my phone of gift ideas for everyone in the family. When someone says that they really like something or want to get something, I'll write it down. When it comes time to give a gift, I'll find a way to casually bring up my gift idea and see if they are still interested. For example my sister-in-law loves Fixer Upper and Joanna Gaines (who doesn't?!) and mentioned that she wanted her cookbook when it comes out. So when it was about to be released I mentioned in conversation, "Did you see her new cookbook is coming out next week?" To which she said she didn't know and would love to read it. Then I asked my brother if she had bought it yet, and when he said no I told the rest of the family that I had called dibs. She was thrilled!
What would you add to this list? Find me on Facebook and let me know!
www.Facebook.com/ListsForLittles
Look for an online wish list.
Does she have an updated wish list on Amazon, Etsy, Pinterest, etc? Sometimes it's nice to get her exactly what she wants. Don't get something from her baby registry or something that is really meant for the kids, pick out something that is just for her. Treat her on this special day!
Have the kids/grandkids make her something homemade.
If she's really into her designer home decor, give her something she can stash away in a cupboard but still enjoy when she wants, like a painted coffee mug. If she loves having things from the kids out on display, consider a crafty picture frame or piece of art from them. For the gardening mom, paint a pot and plant flowers or a flowering bush in it. For the bookworm mom, make her some beautiful bookmarks. For the glam mom, make her some earrings or a bracelet (craft stores often have classes and it's easier and more affordable than you'd expect!) You get the gist.
Give her an experience instead of a gift.
Personally, we have enough stuff laying around the house, I don't need something else that will sit on a shelf and collect dust. I would love to get away with my mom or a girlfriend and go for a mani/pedi, or a facial, or a massage, or all of the above! Swoon. I would enjoy if the whole family took me out to brunch and we just had time together. I would love if someone else made me breakfast in bed and I didn't have to do the dishes. I'd like to go out with the whole family to a baseball game or go out on a date night with my husband. It can be as cheap as a movie or as expensive as a concert, but I bet she'll remember and cherish those tickets more than something you just grabbed in a wild guess at the mall!
Make reservations for a meal out.
Mother's Day is one of the busiest restaurant holidays of the year, understandably so. And while it's great to have someone else cook her a nice meal and then scrub all the dishes afterward, waiting 60-90 minutes or more for your table sometimes isn't worth it (especially if you're trying to wrangle fussy and hangry Littles that whole time). So if you want to take her out, pick one of her favorite places and make reservations ahead of time! Let the host know you are coming to celebrate Mother's Day, as sometimes they'll have the server make an extra fuss over her and/or she'll get something free like a mimosa which is always a neat treat. However make sure this is what she wants to do, as my friend Katie warns sometimes it's just really not that great: "The boys tried a Mother’s Day brunch for us our first year as moms. Bottomless mimosas was advertised. Not only were we both breastfeeding still, it took over 30min to get a refill. We even showed up on time, and were seated quickly (to a buffet *eye roll*). We sat at brunch whining about how this was really thoughtful, but it wasn’t what either of us wanted as first time moms. We didn’t want crowds, we couldn’t eat and drink the price of the buffet, and we wanted to be with our families. If doing breakfast, make it. And then bring her a glass of something strong (coffee or champagne!) and clean up afterwards!" And another note here, do all the work before and after breakfast. Get the kids dressed and loaded into the car seats, bring activities to distract them at the restaurant, etc. This is a treat for mom, it shouldn't be more work for her.
Get her something luxurious.
Again, we come back to pampering. After reading this list, my friend Briana says: "These are all the things I want, but for any holiday I ALWAYS like to receive tiny luxuries, especially new jammies."
Wine and coffee.
When in doubt, every mom I know lives on wine and coffee. Get her a nice bottle and maybe a sweet mom-themed wine glass. Get her some premium coffee and her favorite creamer and maybe a cool Mama Bear mug. Have one of her girlfriends help you make a big gift basket out of it, she'll likely know her taste if you're feeling a bit lost. (Note: this is not a good gift if she's pregnant or nursing, don't get her something she can't use for months!)
Flowers and a card.
Tight budget? No time to shop? Something is better than nothing, so remember you can never go wrong with flowers and a card. You can get a thoughtful card at the dollar store or make one at home. I have found the most beautiful and affordable flowers can be found at Trader Joe's & Costco, along with most farmer's markets. This time of year you could even go pick wildflowers for her or go to a home improvement shop and plant a pack of flowers in a pot (doing it yourself is less than half the price of the potted flowers they have on display!)
Give her the gift of sleep.
This is my favorite! For my second Mother's Day our toddler was almost two and in the throws of a growth spurt while I was halfway through my second pregnancy. So I was absolutely exhausted and entering the uncomfortable phase. The Friday before Mothers' Day, my husband got me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a sweet card that said my gift was that I get to sleep as much as I want! That meant he got up with the toddler when she woke up at night, he jumped out of bed and kept her quiet and entertained in the morning, making her breakfast and distracting her so she wouldn't come and wake me up. It was AMAZING.
If she says she doesn't want anything, consider doing something for her instead:
Clean the house for her.
Whether you do it yourself or hire a cleaning service, surprise her by having the house scrubbed top to bottom. I feel like I'm constantly picking up after the whole family and hauling loads of laundry everywhere and cooking all the meals and doing all the dishes... so I just don't have any time or energy left to dust the shelves and scrub the tubs and the other long list of chores that keep the house clean (as opposed to tidy with all the messes put away). A truly clean house and a full day off sounds like the best gift to me, even if it only lasts a week before there's more toothpaste cemented to the sink and a mysterious stain on the carpet!
Do a deep cleaning chore.
You know, the things she gets really motivated to do during Spring Cleaning but doesn't have the time to do herself (or the budget to hire someone to do for her). Ideas include having the carpets deep cleaned, having the house exterior power-washed, you see where I'm going here...
Wash & detail her car.
Oh, the mom car. Full of old snacks and plenty of dirt from various sports fields. Don't just wash it, get the inside detailed for her! Vacuum all the crumbs, wipe down the dust from the dash, clean the windows, use whatever product it is that makes the tires look shiny and brand new... Oh my how that would be a treat!
Do something on her "honey-do" list.
I have a running list of things I'd like my husband to do around the house, but I don't like to nag him about it (and I'm sure he doesn't like being nagged, as he can tell what needs to be done too and he's just as exhausted as I am). So when he has the time and creative energy I like to get as many tasks done as possible, but the list is long and projects get put on hold for years... So surprise her and hang that shelf, build the washer/dryer pedestal stand, replace the fireplace mantle, whatever. (hint hint babe!)
Upgrade something broken.
Does she have something that's broken but she just doesn't have the time or money to fix? Something that she uses to pamper herself or show off her style, like a broken curling iron, a worn out purse, scuffed high heels? It could be anything that she wishes wasn't busted. Moms tend to put all our time and money into buying and fixing things for the rest of the family and we never get around to doing it for ourselves, so show her that you pay attention and that you care by fixing/replacing something for her.
Give her the gift of a 'relaxed brain'.
This comes from my friend Heather and it's such a good summary of what so many of my friends say: "The older my kids get, I am truly beginning to understand my mom’s old request of 'all I want is for you kids to get along.' Seriously. Don’t fight, don’t force me to be a referee. Clean your own messes, find your own shoes, do your chores without making me threaten your life, ask me if *I* would like a refill while you are up, I could go on... what I really want is the gift of a relaxed brain. Somebody else can do all the thinking, planning, organizing, double checking, needs anticipating, and disciplining for just one day. I can buy my own 'stuff'. But a nice card is good, too."
And some tips on what NOT to do:
Avoid practical gifts.
Mother's Day is about celebrating mom and pampering her a bit, so don't give her a new vacuum and remind her to get back to work! My husband has never given a bad gift, but he's an engineer and has an incredibly practical brain. Our first Christmas together he got me a new set of skillets... On our wedding day he got me a watch... Those were things I needed and they were nice upgrades that I wanted, but not on such a special holiday. I would have rather received a new pair of slippers on Christmas and a tennis bracelet on our wedding day. I know that sounds selfish and spoiled to say aloud, but I'll say it here because most women I know wouldn't speak out against a gift because it's downright rude. Any gift is better than no gift! And it truly is the thought that counts... but if you're delightfully practical like my husband, she may be a little sad that her Mother's Day gift wasn't something more thoughtful and personal. Don't give her something that she needs, give her something that she wants.
Want to avoid the stress next year? Try this:
Keep a running list of gift ideas.
Some women really love having something to unwrap and hold in their hands, so you'll want a thoughtful gift. I have a list on my phone of gift ideas for everyone in the family. When someone says that they really like something or want to get something, I'll write it down. When it comes time to give a gift, I'll find a way to casually bring up my gift idea and see if they are still interested. For example my sister-in-law loves Fixer Upper and Joanna Gaines (who doesn't?!) and mentioned that she wanted her cookbook when it comes out. So when it was about to be released I mentioned in conversation, "Did you see her new cookbook is coming out next week?" To which she said she didn't know and would love to read it. Then I asked my brother if she had bought it yet, and when he said no I told the rest of the family that I had called dibs. She was thrilled!
What would you add to this list? Find me on Facebook and let me know!
www.Facebook.com/ListsForLittles
Comments
Post a Comment