The first Mother’s Day post I wrote was six years ago, and to this day is one of my favorite posts I’ve written. I know that saying a bona fide gift guide is a favorite may sound a little odd at first, especially given how many posts and personal reveals I’ve done, but it was in that one where I got to really talk about my mom. She passed away when I was 23, and while she’s never not a part of me, it’s never not at least a little hard. Grief is a riiiide. However, getting to share a piece of her was such a privilege. There’s a chance you might tear up if you read it, but I promise you will smile and maybe even laugh! I know it doesn’t sound like a comedy, but I definitely added my own spin;) So not only do I talk about the one and only Julia, but it’s filled with really great, thoughtful gift ideas that I still wholeheartedly think are truly awesome. I read it again before writing this post and thought, “Wow, these are really good!” Not to toot my own horn or anything, lol. So I look at this year’s post as more of an addition to that first one. We all have different ways/abilities of expressing our love and appreciation, and our moms/maternal figures in our lives also receive love differently (yes, I’m talking about love languages). While I love and recommend giving experiences if you can, not everyone lives near their mothers. So in that case, you have a couple of options — you can gift them their own experience without you, or send/make a thoughtful material gift. Both are wonderful when it’s from the heart, so it’s up to you (and let’s be honest, your budget) to decide what the mom in your life would like best.
These ideas and products listed below came from Emily herself (with the exception of a great Mallory rec). Unless you have a particular type of mother who wants to be showered with only physical gifts, I believe that most just want to feel appreciated and seen. I truly hope these help.
“Travel” Gift Cards
An Airbnb gift card is still one of Emily’s favorite gifts to give and receive. Especially if your mom has a trip coming up and she prefers a house over a hotel, what could be more useful? Maybe to personalize it a bit more, you could find some homes she might like or things to do in the area she’s headed. Airbnb has experiences, too! Or if she doesn’t have a specific trip planned, maybe there are some fun driveable destinations she might like that you could suggest with a little itinerary. I know gift cards can be thought of as a “lazy” gift, but we know people love to get them. Plus, with the added effort of some planning suggestions, it’s a slam dunk.
Of course, if your mother is more of a hotel lover, well, I’ve got that covered too…
When we did an Instagram call out a couple of years ago asking what moms actually wanted for Mother’s Day, a staycation (even just one night) was the #1 requested gift. A little luxury for the woman who has or continues to make sure you are good, safe, and happy sounds like a very wonderful idea. I linked Hotels.com for a gift card, but if you know of a hotel they love or there’s a hotel group you know she’s a fan of, I’m sure they all have gift card options too. If you have the budget, maybe throw in a spa treatment;)
Family Lore Gifts
From Emily: Listen, I’ve done them all and in a lot of ways I like other photo books better, aesthetically (the linen covers, the big lay flat pages, etc). But this one promised to take “5 minutes,” and when I was trying to pull together multiple books for all the families from our annual camping trip, “affordable and fast” fest like the best route. So I gave it a go and was/am so shocked by how easy it is – after starting the project, you scan a QR code with your phone and select from your phone and it AUTOMATICALLY POPULATES CHRONOLOGICALLY into the book (you can do the same from your laptop, too). And then check this out – you send that same QR code to your friends/family who shared the same event or trip, and once they click on it, they can select their photos and those photos also automatically populate chronologically into the book. AI lays it all out and yes, at times there are two that are so similar that you might want to delete or maybe AI will put a photo as full page that maybe isn’t your favorite (also easily editable), but if you can release control in the name of ease and speed, I’m telling you – these are awesome. For Christmas, I made 5 different books in less than an hour – one for our family reunion for all my siblings and parents, 1 for Brian’s dad 80th birthday weekend (for all the cousins and parents), 1 for “lockdown years” (the missing years that I didn’t make any photo albums), and 1 for our Costa Rica trip. They come in 10 days, they aren’t crazy cheap (the thicker they are, the more expensive), and you still have a lot of upgrades that you can make. But for me, it’s “done is better than perfect” because photo books can feel so daunting and then I push them off forever. You can make one for your mom in 5 minutes (should you have easy access to photos) and get it in like 8 days. This is totally non-spon, just so fast and easy that I had to share.
From Emily: This year, I had a partnership with Etsy, which I obviously have loved forever and tend to get all my personalized/customized gifts from (think house portraits, pet portrayals, house/pet ornaments, all my vintage Boro fabric, etc). So I chose these tiny photo keychains to give my parents because as a mom I got a kick out of them and would totally show them off to strangers (when provoked). These were $23 each, including custom engraving on the box and the leather. They came in 9 days from placing the order, and there are a lot of different colors to choose from. Sure, you can buy her a scarf, but trust me – most mamas would think this is so cute and sweet.
Fill-in-the-Blank Gift Journal
When we were talking about our Mother’s Day post and what should be in it, Mallory insisted that this $9 book she got for her mom should be included! Here’s what she said about it.
From Mallory: Procrastination gets the best of us all sometimes – and that’s where this story begins. Two years ago, I was in a real time crunch to find my mom something good for Mother’s Day…I had two days to be exact, so I went onto Amazon and found the sweetest book (but I do think they might sell this book other places as well if you’re not in a time crunch, FYI). It’s small and affordable, and it took about 30 minutes to an hour to fill out (there were some tears of love shed during the process because it’s so sweet). The book has some fill-in-the-blanks like “___ was one of my favorite memories together” or “I love how you ___” and it was so special because that book is full of things I always think about but might not say to my mom as much. It brought her to tears reading it (and again brought me to tears writing it), and it’s literally $9 so it proves that sometimes the best gifts aren’t about the price tag.
Customized Necklaces
We know a necklace may sound a little cheesy, but all the moms in my life LOVE their necklaces that have their kids’ names or initials on them. Emily is a big fan too and wanted to make sure this idea was in the post. There are truly so many different styles and price points that this is a gift that so many people could pretty easily get. It’s thoughtful, not over the top, and just sweet. Now, as with any custom gift, if it’s made to order, you’ll want to order asap to make sure it gets to your mom on time.
This was the one Emily really loved from Etsy. Here’s what she said about it:
“I love how this one has a vintage vibe and is really subtle – plus that cross latch (not sure what it’s called) is my favorite vintage style. And this one you can add more and more if they/we have more kids, LOL.”
Brook & York Custom Monogram Herringbone Toggle Necklace
After Emily sent that first one through, I went on an initial necklace search for some other options and really thought this one was cool and special. It’s slightly bolder than your average initial necklace, but that may be perfect for the mom in your life! A hint of art deco, if you will. Plus, it also has that easy toggle clasp, which makes getting it on or off so much easier!
14K Gold Name Necklace | Sideways Initial Necklace
I’d say these styles are the most popular amongst my friends. I got a single initial one for my best friend, and she still wears it every day, four years later. But my cousin has her baby’s full name and it’s equally as sweet! The full name version above only comes in gold but has a lot of different font options, while the sideways necklace has different metal options. It’s up to you!
The two I already showed you are a bit more budget-friendly, while this single initial option is from Mejuri and a bit pricier. I just wanted to show you another option for a brand we love.
Lockets are another Emily Henderson favorite, so here are a few we love:
A modern classic! Simple, sweet, and timeless if you ask me. Not everyone is a heart-shaped person, so this oval option is such a great alternative. Add that with a custom letter? If you’re mom is an everyday necklace wearer, this could be a great addition to her stack.
But let me be clear that there’s obviously nothing wrong with a heart-shaped locket, especially when it looks like this. I love that it comes in either silver or gold, and you can add a complimentary engraving to the inside or outside. The handmade look of it makes it feel special, but not too fancy for everyday wear.
Experience Tickets/ Gift Cards
I think a lot of people are in agreement that cool experiences are incredible gifts. So much like the Airbnb/hotel gift cards, a paid-for experience is top freaking notch. That, of course, could be anything, and you know your mom best. And obviously, an experience together is the best:)
Emily loves going to concerts with her kids. So if you found a concert they would want to go to, I’m sure she’d be so excited and down. In LA, they have these cool instrumental candlelit concerts in a church where they have themed nights like Taylor Swift or Queen vs ABBA! I know that’s specific and not everyone lives in LA, but you might be able to find something a little more out of the box like that! I also think that a new restaurant, a spa day, a class of some kind, or even a hike would be so much fun. Well, that hike would need to be a group outing with you because telling your mom happy Mother’s Day and to go take a hike might not be super well received lol.
Regardless of your gift, a card expressing your appreciation goes such a long way. While I know good relationships with our mothers aren’t something everyone has or can have, if you have the gift of a living, supportive mother, just know you are lucky, and getting to show her that is extremely special. My guilt trip is now complete:)
Here are three other Mother’s Day posts (including the one I talked about in the beginning) for even more ideas:
Love you, mean it.
Opening Image Credits: Photo by Kailtin Green | From: Meet The Newest Members Of The Henderson Family – Our Pet Alpacas
