Mother's Day is Just Around the Corner!

Mother's Day is on Sunday, May 13th so mark your calendars ladies and gentlemen! It's a lovely day to pay extra attention to your mom and go out of your way to show her how much you appreciate all her love and effort. A big hug, a sweet card, and a thoughtful little gift are a great way to shower your mom with affection. However, in that last sentence lies a teensy little problem. Moms never (or rarely) tell you what they want! It's a tricky conundrum, because you want to get her what she wants (or at least something she'll like) but gift ideas are hard to come by under pressure.

Generally speaking, if you try asking a mom what she'd like for her birthday/Mother's Day/Christmas/etc, she'll reply something along the lines of "I don't need anything, I just want to spend time with you" or "I'll love whatever you get me" or worse still, "don't waste your money on nonsense!" I have a theory as to why they play so hard to get; one, moms genuinely don't want to be fussy or demanding when it comes their own presents and two, moms are so used to thinking about what everyone else wants/needs that they may not have considered their own wishlist in a long time! All the more reason to get creative and try your best to figure her out!

If you know your mom's favorite brand or store she likes to shop in, half your battle is over. Buy something from there (bonus points if you have some idea of her taste, such as her favorite color or style) and make sure you surreptitiously tuck in the receipt as well, just in case it's not perfect (although I'm sure it would be!) If you have no idea of specifics like that, try to think of her favorite things or her hobbies. What sorts of items come to mind? For example if she likes hiking, does she need a new hat or perhaps some fancy extra-comfy sweat-wicking hiking socks? Or if she likes to cook, maybe a new cookbook by her favorite author or some cute/chic kitchen accessories (depending on her taste, personally I'd go for cute!) My general rule of thumb is that it's okay to get something useful or utilitarian, provided that it's extra special (such as fancy high tech socks, or a really snazzy kitchen gadget.) And never forget the power of presentation! Even the most humble gift will shine when packaged nicely in a box with neat wrapping paper and a pretty bow.

Just to give some inspiration, here are some of my picks for what that I think would make an excellent Mother's Day present!

The Naipu Shiatsu Massager is probably not what you might have expected as my first suggestion (being neither pink nor cute), but it's actually at the top my personal wishlist. I don't own this (yet!) but I've tried it out at my friend E's house, and it's seriously amazing. The balls rotate just right, reversing direction every once in a while. Did I mention they're heated? Yes. Heated. You can turn off the heating option, but why would you want to? It's bliss to tuck this behind my neck and let the warmth and the kneading motion of the massager relax my tense shoulders. Bliss!

Next up is the Sally Hansen Argan Oil Color Therapy nail polish in the shade Powder Room. I already talked about this one in my previous blog post, but it's so cutely packaged with the rose gold top and the rosy champagne color is so pretty that I think it would make a cute little present for the mom who likes to paint her nails but doesn't want too much fuss being made over her. If you want to be extra, you could get her the cuticle oil or topcoat from the same line, so she has a nice little matching set that looks pretty on her counter and on her nails!

The Fresh Pink Out Loud Lip Kit contains two full size tinted lip balms and a travel size lip scrub. I can vouch for all of these products- they're fantastic. The balms are super moisturizing, gliding on without feeling thick or sticky. SPF 15 is a nice perk, because your lips need sun protection too! The balms are tinted so they do impart color to the lips, but they're very easy and forgiving to apply and don't require a mirror, which is perfect for a busy mom on the go. The lip scrub is wonderful as well, and I find that it both exfolitates my lips and conditions them so that when I rinse it off they feel so soft!

A very cute Kate Spade passport holder (I'm not sure why it's called the "Swamped Passport Holder"... flowers don't bring to mind swamps!) is right up my alley, and it's on sale! Crosshatched leather should mean it'll be nice and durable despite the light colors, which would be perfect for a mom who travels a lot or has an vacation coming up! The slip-in design of this passport holder means it could also potentially do double-duty as a notebook cover, provided you had a notebook that's roughly the size of a passport!

I've seen many names for these boxed flower arrangements, but basically they're preserved roses than retain their original texture, color and smell for 1 year or longer. This single rose is from Venus de Fleur, who do larger (and more expensive) boxes as well. I haven't yet ordered any of these myself, so I can't particularly recommend Venus de Fleur over any of the other preserved rose purveyors, but I'm extremely intrigued by the thought of a rose that will stay fresh and smell lovely without wilting or requiring water! They seem quite popular on Instagram, and I think they're a great gift for the flower-loving mom who doesn't have time to meticulously care for bouquets or potted plants.

** This post is not sponsored in any way. The Amazon links may earn me a small commission if you purchase, but there is absolutely no difference in the cost to you. The other links are included for informational purposes only and earn no commission. **