Mother's Day Gift Guide and Gift-Giving Tips
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?
The best gift on Mother’s Day is giving her your time. It costs nothing, doesn’t need to be fancy giftwrapped, and will mean more than any bought item 🙂
How about an entire day free from all the stresses of cooking, cleaning and looking after the kids 🙂 –Hubby u reading this?
You pretty much covered everything, imo. Only two things are left perhaps: music and food. Preferably a personalized version of either. My mother is my absolute best friend but, alas, she’s also the ultimate fashionista and wealthy enough to buy whatever she needs or wants. So, what I’ve done in the past is make personalised CDs for her workout and then, put them on her iPod. She’s not really au courant about the latest music, so I can fill in the gap and she loves it. I’m also a pretty gourmet cook (and she most definitely is NOT), so in the past I’ve made her an elaborate 4-5 course feast for Mother’s Day. The CDs really don’t cost anything but, like the cooking, shows a lot of effort. I think effort and/or thought is the most important part of a great gift. That said, this year I got her the NARS nail varnish that is exclusive to their website as one of her gifts; I know for a fact that she’s not internet savvy enough to be able to get it for herself! LOL
I don’t think people need tips on what to give their mother on mothers day.
William, maybe you don’t, but many people do.
My best tip is buy her something she wants.
my mom has always wanted really nice brushes but they can be expensive and she doesn’t wear makeup all the time and even when she does she just throws it on in the car. Lately she’s been talking about getting them but i can tell she’s waiting for a deal for really nice ones. So i got her the london travel brushes by sigma. They’re beautiful and perfect for her put makeup on the go, care free attitude. They were pricey but i know she’ll take care of them. To make it easier for her to take care of them, i got her a brush roll from MAC that can also hold a bit of makeup. Also I bought her a matte eyeshadow because she doesn’t like too much sparkle so this will be an easy crease colour that she can apply with her new brushes!
i also got her a starbucks venti tumblr just cause she said she wanted it for mothers day so i got it for her.
we’re making brunch for her and having a very relaxing day. we’re going to go see the avengers and go out to dinner at her favorite restaurant. low key but all about her.
I am a mom and I think a great gift would be a heartfelt letter letting her know what having her in your life has meant to you.A bouquet of flowers(handpicked is fine)along with it would also be nice.My son,who is 15,took me to McD’s for breakfast and gave me a big kiss and hug,and I am very happy with that.