With Mother’s Day a little over a month away, I’ve put together a list of gifts you can get to show your appreciation for the mothers in your life. Sometimes special days can creep up on us in our calendars, so this list has some items that should be pretty easy to source quickly. And honestly, they’re all gifts I would love to get – so its basically my wish list!
I view Mother’s Day as an opportunity to get the mother’s in your life something they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves – aka something luxurious or something fun. Moms are so accustomed to putting everyone else’s needs before their own, so it really goes a long way when you do your best to get them something thoughtful and a bit personalized.
Jewelry
Jewelry will always be a winning choice. But, what makes this gift really special is having there be a personal significance to it. I have a necklace that has the two initials of my kids and a pair of earrings with the birthstone of my son – both of these pieces are as important to me as my wedding ring. If the mother in your life doesn’t have commemorative jewelry, this is a perfect opportunity to get them something.
Etsy is fantastic for this! There are a variety of affordable birthstone, birth flower and name jewelry. Just make sure to check where the seller is located and the delivery time. I prefer to select Etsy sellers from Canada if possible – this also shortens the delivery time for me.
But if you’re willing to spend more and you have more time for delivery my necklace is from Right Hand Gal and my earring are from Mejuri.
I do also like the name necklaces from Oak and Luna. And, recently, I’ve been liking morse code jewelry as a more subtle nod to my little progeny. You can customize your morse code jewelry with initials or phrases (like Super Mom).
Pajamas or Lounge Pants
I don’t know any mom who doesn’t love a good lounge set. The important thing here is making sure the set is not only comfortable, but also stylish. I’ve been eyeing some items from the Londre Bodywear Cool-Comf Collection. I like that their products are sustainably made and that they’re a Canadian Company.
And Skims and Aritzia have some nice loungewear and sweat suits as well. If you’re into dupes, Amazon is always another spot to look, just monitor reviews.
Bedsheets/Bed Sets
Ok, hear me out! Fancy sheets and a new duvet cover can really elevate a bedroom. For the mom who seems to only have quiet time when she’s sleeping, this might just be the best gift to get her. Bonus points if you’re the one to wrestle her duvet cover on.
I like the inviting look of this duvet cover from Crate and Barrel and this sheet set from West Elm.
Cosmetics and Spa Care
This one might need a bit of snooping or asking the mother’s friends for help. I can guarantee that the mother in your life has some expensive cosmetics that they only treat themselves to on their birthday or during a sale. Whether that’s a fancy face serum or a signature scent perfume, there is big-budget product she loves.
Salt & Stone is a certified clean brand at Sephora that has some lovely body scents and deodorants (all gender-neutral). I also like Caudalie (another clean beauty brand), and their Detox Mask would be my pick to give moms a little “me time”.
Gifting moms a giftcard to their local spa is also always an option. Very few moms will say no to a massage or a facial. However, just make sure that you put in the effort to have them be able to go – i.e. if there are young kids, make sure arrangements are made for their care while mom’s away.
Family Photo Sessions
A family photo session is such a fun gift to give to a mother. It’s also a gift that doesn’t have to be scheduled for Mother’s Day, making it a perfect last minute option. Obviously, make sure you’re booking a time that works for everyone who should be in the photos.
Some photographers do hold mini sessions especially around special holidays like mother’s day. So, you might get lucky if you hunt around for any photographers who have extra time slots on mother’s day.
If you’re travelling in the future, Flytographer is an option you can use. It’s a service that pairs you with a photographer local to whatever international destination you’re visiting.
Just a quick note: prepaid photography sessions will only cover a certain number of photos for you to digitally download, with any extras that you want costing extra. Additionally, you’ll need to then print the photos and buy frames. Make sure to anticipate these costs when gifting a photo session.
Creative Gifts
I love creative gifts and I think they’re highly underrated. They can be opportunities for mom’s to explore new hobbies and have something tangible that they create. Etsy is again, a fantastic resource for this, and there are a lot of options for crafting like: dye kits, stamp kits, water colour paint kits, cheese making kits, and crochet and yarn kits. There are also companies like Wool and the Gang that sell yarn and crochet kits with modern, fun patterns in beginner to expert.
You might also want to try looking to see if there are any creative classes offered in your area. Classes like pottery, candle-making, DIY wine making, flower arranging, paddle-boarding classes, yoga, paint & sips, etc… Try to even think outside the box a little bit – I’ve been wanting to try a horseback riding class for forever, so to me, that would be an incredible gift! These classes not only are fun, but they give moms time to themselves and an opportunity to connect with others. Better yet, if you’re buying for your own mother, gift the class to yourself as well. Your mom will love having the opportunity to spend quality time with you learning something new.
DIY Brunch
Ok, maybe you’re short on time and all the brunch places near you have no more reservations left. No worries – just bring the brunch to your mom!
I love homemade brunches, not only do you get to curate the menu, but you can spend as much time at the “restaurant” as you want. Your mom is always looking after you, so why don’t you look after her for a little bit. Make your mom’s favourite foods, and maybe have some mimosas handy. The trick to making brunch easier on yourself is to choose one breakfast dish to be your show stopper that you make from scratch, I like these cinnamon rolls from Ambitious Kitchen. Then, you can also make a quiche (or buy one), or just have scrambled eggs and bacon. You can also order in brunch (like bagels and lox).
Buy some flowers for the table, or set it up outside if the weather co-operates! Then, when it’s all done, please please please, clean up and do the dishes.
Special Subscriptions
Subscription services definitely fall into the luxurious category for me. These are things that I would love to have, but really don’t need or would buy for myself. There are a ton of fun subscription options available that cater to every possible interest your mom might have.
A book subscription service like FairyLoot, Illumicrate, and Owlcrate are great for the fantasy loving-moms. For other book genres there are LitLoveBox and Book Box Canada. You can choose how often to receive these boxes and whether you want to get the books only or books plus merchandise related to the stories.
Wine or coffee subscription services are always a winner and clothing subscriptions (like Nuuly) can be fun for the moms who might be looking to wear something other than leggings.
Matching Clothing
There’s something adorable about twinning with my kids. Anytime we wear the same colours, my son is so proud to point out that we’re matching. Etsy offers some cute mommy and me clothes and so does The Children’s Place. And you can also get matching swimwear from Little Mia Bella.
Classic Gifts are Classic for a Reason
If you’re short on time for a mother’s day gift, just go with something classic like flowers. Mother’s day is in the Spring and the blooms are so beautiful and colourful. Nothing beats a bouquet of tulips, hyacinth, and daffodils. Take it up a notch by watching a Youtube flower arranging tutorial and bring them already prepared in a vase. For the mom with a green thumb, you can also buy these flowers potted for them to be planted in a garden later. These blooms are perennial, meaning that with proper care, they’ll come back every year.
Time with Family (or Time Away)
Sometimes, all a mom wants is some literal time. Whether that’s time away from their young kids (think spa day or just leaving the house for a few hours), or some quality family time with everyone. You can always ask what the mom is thinking of doing for mother’s day and go from there.
In my experience, mom’s with littles usually want to be a little more hands off on Mother’s day – perhaps you change all the baby’s diapers, or you play with the kids so mom can drink her coffee warm. But, they still want to be with their kids and with their families. So basically a “mom-lite” kinda day. Just be responsive to the mom in your life and maybe take over some big chores for the day (laundry, dinner, cleanup etc…).
Celebrate The Mother in Your Life
At the end of the day, moms want to be appreciated and acknowledged for all that they do. As long as you’re putting some effort into thinking about what to get them, you’re doing fantastic. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter what you get your mom/wife/partner/friend, as long as you’re there to thank them for all that they do for their families.