Mother's Day will soon be upon us, and if you're still scratching your head over what to get your mom, grandmother, aunt, sister or friend on her day, here's a list of suggestions that will help you, and make her smile. (Because we all know that's ALL she wants on Mother's Day... right?)
1. If Mom loves all things French, but the price of whisking her away for a Parisian getaway is tres, tres more than you can afford, a French-themed gift basket would make a lovely cadeau. Begin the day with a homemade breakfast of French Toast, fresh croissants (from the local patisserie) with some French jams from Bonne Maman and cafe au lait. This delicious spread can be served on a tray that has been lined with a "Bon Appetit" French country linen towel from Ikabags on Etsy. Include a gift certificate for a French manicure and/or pedicure, and finish it off with some luxurious hand cream and French soaps from L'Occitane En Provence.
2. If there's no longer any room on the fridge for her children's (or grandchildren's) masterpieces,
what about turning one of those works of art into a piece of jewelry? KidzCanDesign will take their creativity and transform it into a sterling silver pendant that everyone can ooh and aah over.
3. If reading on the beach or by the pool is something Mom loves to do, a terry beach reader bag from Echo will make sure her reading material stays clean and dry. It's great for hardbacks, softbacks and is large enough to hold most tablets as well. As an added treat, you might want to include a copy of Beach Wisdom: Life's Lessons From the Ocean for her reading pleasure.
4. For the mom who loves Yoga, we recommend the most popular and eco-friendly mat we could find. JadeYoga's mats are made of natural rubber and contain no PVC or ozone-depleting substances. They come in great colors, and the company plants a tree with every mat that's purchased. As an extra treat, you can include one of their microfiber yoga towels.
5. A pendant that says, "I love you" in the gift giver's own handwriting makes a loving, personal and very unique gift. We found Memorial Jewelry from Surfing Silver on Etsy, and absolutely loved everything they featured.
6. The Essential Spring Scarf by Everlane would be a perfect addition to Mom's wardrobe. It is incredibly soft-lightweight enough to be used as a scarf, and large enough to be used as a shawl when the spring or summer breezes blow.
7. For the mom who loves to garden, some things to make her experience more pleasurable, as she becomes one with the soil, would be great: A Sombriolet Sun Hat will keep those harsh rays away from her face; a set of mini herb garden markers from NinaGibsonDesigns on Etsy will always remind her what's growing; a garden kneeler and tool pouch will help avoid the aches and pains that sometimes come with gardening. And to add a bit of beauty to her day, a set of three handblown art glass flowers will make sure her garden blooms in any season.
8. If the lady of the day is a baker, how nice it might be to bake her something for a change. A pie or crisp (perhaps from one of her own recipes) baked in an Emile Henry Ruffled Pie Dish would be a yummy treat. (Make sure to tell her the dish is her gift too.)
9. Tell your mom to stay in her PJs because she's having a spa day, and send the rubdown to her. Companies such as NYC Healing Hands, Rolling River Massage Therapy in Boston, and Sweet Home Massage in Chicago offer in-home Swedish, deep tissue and sports massage. When she's done, offer the lady of the day a steaming mug of Novel Teas or a nice, cool fruit-infused drink from a Flavor Infuser Water Bottle.
10. Mother's Day brunch is nice, but a Mother's Day brunch with a musical twist is even better. Redwhite+bluezz in Pasadena offers a Brunch + All That Jazz every Sunday. The House of Blues in most major cities offers a Sunday Gospel Brunch. Check your local listings for other similar events.
This article previously appeared on Betterafter50.com