Mother’s Day Gift Guide and Gift-Giving Tips

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Mother’s Day Gift Guide and Gift-Giving Tips

If you haven’t yet finished your Mother’s Day gift shopping, here are some last minute suggestions and tips and tricks (which really apply to any gift giving occasion and recipient).

  • Watch out for hints. They may not even be genuine hints as far as the recipient goes, but they can clue you in on things the person might want but not feel willing to purchase.  My mom mentioned she really wanted more non-stick cooking mats a month or so ago, and I kept an eye out for them (and did manage to find some on sale!).
  • Think about their hobbies.  Often, hobbies are one of the ways we really enjoy ourselves–away from the hum drum of work, daily routine, and errands.  My fiance’s mom loves jewelry; both generally as a gift, but she’s also known for taking apart jewelry and creating a new piece out of it.  I know I can’t go wrong with giving her jewelry or jewelry-making supplies.
  • What’s something they love but feel frivolous buying?  I often think gifts should be a bit of an indulgence; something the person wouldn’t buy for themselves but really wants.  I always toy with the idea of buying my mom La Mer, because she absolutely loves it (go figure, she was never and still isn’t into makeup/beauty but is in love with La Mer), but I keep making her try other supposedly good moisturizers instead.  Shaun’s mom has her favorite perfume, which she wears almost daily, but it’s a little pricey, so her boys always get it for her on Mother’s Day.
  • When in doubt, ask for a list.  Part of me loves to surprise people, but the part that would rather give someone a gift they’d love than one I’d think they love but they don’t end up loving.

My Picks for Gifts

  • Fragrance gift sets.  Lots of brands put together sets of their bestselling fragrances for big gift-giving holidays like Mother’s Day.   Nordstrom has a whole slew of them to choose from.   I like sets that offer more for your money, and it’s even better if they come in a cute box or bag.  Sephora has a few fragrance samplers, which include miniature-sized scents within a family (e.g. florals).
  • Get her hooked on skincare!  (or replenish her favorites) Ole Henriksen has several gift sets available of just-the-right-sized products–enough to try but not so much that they’re still attractively priced for higher-end skincare.  I like their Truth line.
  • Books and more.  I think almost everyone in my life now has a Kindle, and a lot of those were gifted by me. It’s such a useful gift that ends up becoming well-loved, too.  If you have a sibling, you can also work together to accessorize it with a nice case and some books to start off with.  My mom sometimes tells me it’s the most expensive gift I’ve ever given her–because she has bought so many books since owning one!
  • At-home spa days.  If it wasn’t already a fairly obvious choice, gifting a spa day is rarely a bad way to go, but it can be incredibly expensive to send someone on one, but you can bring the spa home, too, for a lot less.  I love philosophy’s gift sets because they come in an array of fun scents and always have cute packaging that’s perfect for gifting.  Sure, I bought myself i love jam (and am in love with the Mixed Berry Jam scent), but it would’ve made a good gift for mom!  You can buy some candles, bath salts, soaks, or even a face mask (if you live near a LUSH store, you can pick up a fresh mask–they’re so cheap, too, like $5).

What are your best tips for gift-giving for Mother’s Day?