AAAAAH! Mother's Day is less than two weeks away! NOBODY PANIC!!!
I really enjoy dramatic headlines. But like, for realz. I never do gift guides and I'm seeing now what a mistake that is - I'm super good at this, guys. ;)
Here's a quick list of easy gifts, varied in cost so it can help everyone!
Gift Idea #1 - Indulgent Gift Certificates
Mom probably does these things routinely or, if not, she does them when she has time and is able to treat herself. Either way, having the kids pay for it as a treat would probably make her day so consider a gift certificate to whatever hair salon, nail salon or waxing person she goes to.
Wanna take it a step further? Find the most wonderful, luxurious spa in a reasonable driving distance and get a gift certificate there. Treat mom to a massage and/or facial. Call ahead - a lot of the higher end spas will also package in a glass of champagne for the day.
As gift certificates are terrific gifts but not as exciting to unwrap, I like to deliver them with some small goodies. Consider delivering with a new robe or soft blanket, a basket of skincare products or even just flowers.
Gift Idea #2 - DIY Photo Album
Does your mom enjoy some good old fashioned sentimentality? Here's a good one. Buy a simple photo album and fill it photos of you, your siblings and mom over the years. Add in little anecdotes and special memories, graphics that refer to inside jokes and perhaps any little tokens you may have saved like ticket stubs or play programs. Start it off with a handmade cover page and letters written from you (and the siblings if applicable) telling mom how much she means to you.
If your mom is a music buff, throw in a CD or thumb drive with music she loves on the last page. Call it "Reminds Me Of Mom."
Also! The techie version of this gift? A digital picture frame pre-packed with all the most wonderful, memorable photos of the family! She'll love to keep it on her desk.
Gift Idea #3 - A Unique Subscription
Give mom something that keeps on giving! There are a lot of fun subscription services out there now, why not pick out one or more for mom? Examples:
Rocksbox - Jewelry delivered to your door. Three pieces arrive at a time, wear them, return them, and three more come! (Don't worry, you can fill out a detailed profile and "wishlist" items you love to give them an idea.)
Homejoy - Send someone to clean the house! THIS IS THE BEST. Set it up so they come on a recurring basis.
Amazon subscriptions - Did you know about this? If mom has a favorite snack, you can actually subscribe her to it! Get those Twizzlers delivered every three months! Is she a Keurig devotee? You can subscribe for refills. Search for "subscribe and save" and use filters to narrow the results.
Gift Idea #4 - Extraordinary Flowers
Flowers are not a stand alone gift for everyone. It depends on mom -- some moms prefer more practical items or more indulgent items. But I know a lot of moms like flowers and I think if she works at an office, it's fun to send them there so she can kind of show off how awesome her kid thinks she is.
If you don't mind a further suggestion, my reigning favorite online florist is BloomNation, which is kind of like an Etsy for flowers. I like giving my business to the local florists they partner with instead of some giant site with tons of mark-ups. I always use them to send my mom flowers and the arrangement are always stunning.
Gift Idea #5 - A New Gadget
Does your mom like to feel like she's "in" and gets excited about new grown-up toys? Or, does she simply appreciate modern conveniences? You might consider her every day routine and think about what gizmo you might give her to improve upon a part of it. For example, if she's a chronic tidier, she might like to have a Roomba (the vacuum cleaning robot). If she loves to read, maybe it's time to upgrade mom to a Kindle. If she's a wine aficionado, there are a ton of electric wine openers out there that are really cool. Music lover? Bluetooth speaker! There are a lot of ways to upgrade mom!
What else?
What problem can you solve?
What need can you meet?
What treat can you give?
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