Mother’s Day is right around the corner—May 13 for those of you still surprised—and it’s time to start planning something extra special for that extra special woman in your life. Whether it’s something small, grandiose, or sentimental, here are some gifts your mom is sure to love.
Personalized Blanket
Do some research on local companies that can engrave a cozy blanket for your mom to snuggle up into before bed! Take into consideration your mom’s favorite color, and include a message that means something to her. Whether it be a quote from your favorite bedtime story she’d read to you as a kid, an inside joke, a nickname you dubbed her, or a note about how much she means to you. This personalized touch will make the comfy gift even warmer. Want to go an extra step? Try making a blanket on your own. There are plenty of craft tutorials that show how to make knots and braids just around the edges of a blanket—no sewing expertise needed.
Scrapbook
Print off some of your favorite pictures with Mom, showing your unforgettable memories together. Grab some scissors, glue, stickers, cardstock paper, and any other decorations you’d like to include, and get crafting! Include little notes in the margins of photos, with funny anecdotes and inside jokes. Tell her how beautiful she looks in X, Y, and Z photo. Plus, once you’ve digitized your photos, you can use those old familial snapshots in a scrapbook without fear or ruining the one and only copy!
Slideshow of Memories
If scrapbooking isn’t your thing, consider digitizing old photos with Mom and creating your own slideshow, using apps like iMovie or Powerpoint. Here, you can add music to the background, include personalized notes in the margin, and add motion graphics to the photos.
Handmade Coffee Mug
Head to the nearest pottery shop, paint a mug, and send it to the kiln. Or, if you want to go an extra mile, enroll in a ceramics class, where you can make your own mug! Then, take the same steps. Just keep in mind that this will require more advanced planning, since it can take up to two weeks to glaze a piece of painted pottery through a paint-it-yourself pottery company. Be sure that the colors and ideas you use to decorate the mug reflect your mom’s personality and style.
Tea Kit
Now’s the time to convert your mom into a tea-drinker, if she isn’t one already. The coffee gifts are overrated, and drinking caffeine can only be encouraged so many times. A tea set would include small drinking cups, a large teacup, an infuser, and several varieties of tealeaf. And once you’ve given the gift, you two can have a tea party! Don’t forget to bring along a basket of pastries and some miniature chocolates.
Cheesiest Things
The cheesier, the better. Get your mom a big block of gourmet cheese, some quality cheese knives, a wooden cutting board, and of course, a “cheesie” letter titles “100 Things I Love About You.” In your list, include memories, personality traits, and precious moments that mean the most.
Flower Earrings
Rather than buying your mom a bouquet of flowers she’ll likely have to throw away just a week or so later, why not preserve her favorite blossom in a pair of dangly earrings? Search on Etsy, or try finding DIY tutorials for the perfect set of one-of-a-kind gifts from Mother Earth herself.
Wind Chime
Does your mom love to garden or spend time lounging on the back patio? If she’s one to soak up sun, listening to birds, with her hands in the dirt, she’s also likely to enjoy the sweet sound of a wind chime. Hunt down a quirky, beautiful wind chime that creates a melodious song when stirred by the wind. Or better yet, try making your own!
Hiking Boots
If your mom enjoys the woods, you can’t go wrong with a pair of sturdy hiking boots. As we age, our joints are more prone to injury—even more so for women—so a reliable pair of boots can go a long way. Find a cozy, durable pair so that Mom doesn’t have to feel like age is limiting her enthusiasm for the great outdoors.
Vintage Camera
She doesn’t have to give up her admiration for film photography. Hunt down an outdated camera, so that Mom can keep producing art the way she enjoys most. Nowadays, finding outdated technology can be a difficult task, so if you can pull off finding her favorite 8mm, Kodak Brownie, Leica, or Polaroid, she’ll be ecstatic!
Movie Night
Buy a few of your favorite mother-daughter themed movies, some gourmet popcorn, a cheap bottle of wine, a pint of ice cream, some pretty nail polish, and a nice pair of slippers. It’s time to host a movie night for Mom! And if you go over early enough, you can cook dinner or order pizza carryout!
Whatever it is you do for mom this year, she’ll surely be thankful for the effort you put into your gift. Like most moms say, “It’s the thought that counts.” So this year, reciprocate the unconditional love and energy that your mom gives to you, by showing her a bit of extra care.
