2026 Mother’s Day Gift Guide
Mother’s Day is coming up in a few weeks (Sunday, May 10th, to be exact), and we’ve pulled together a few fun gift ideas. Please feel free to skip if you have a complicated relationship with this holiday, of course. For those who are celebrating, here are 15 ideas for the moms and mother figures in your lives…
A gorgeous cheese board that arrives ready to eat, with herbed chèvre, strawberry rhubarb jam, chocolate almonds, and many more sweet and savory treats. $165. (Or an avocado-toast basket, $80.)
Everyday nail polish, $20, and a plan to do each other’s nails.
A beautiful digital frame that makes it easy to share and display your favorite photos, from $179. My mom, my aunt Lulu, and I all have one and love them. Bonus: Get $25 off this frame with code CUPOFJO.
A cool sweatshirt for the NPR moms among us. $45. (via Abbey)
A cult-favorite tomato candle that’s earthy, peppery, and smells like stepping into a summer vegetable garden. (My friend was burning this in her home the other night, and I could not stop saying how incredible the scent was.) $64.
A dreamy green mug she’ll reach for every morning. (It also comes in nine other pretty colors.) $44.
A big bunch of peonies, arguably the world’s loveliest flower, from $77…
…or marshmallow flowers, $41, if she has a sweet tooth. (Via Abbey)
Diamond pajamas, $119, or pjs for dog moms, $56 on sale.
A summery fragrance that she’ll reach for every day, $115. I loooove this vanilla salt. Or this sampler set, so she can choose a scent to fit her mood, $72. Bonus: Get 20% off Ellis products on Amazon with code EBCUPOFJO (good through Monday, April 27th; not stackable with other discounts.)
I’m not crafty/artistic at all, but watching 30 Rock reruns while coloring drawings of Paris street scenes sounds like a DREAAAAMMMM. Also, Tokyo and New York and market days. $17.
A floral tin of Levain cookies, which are delicious and big as a brick. $69.
A funny hat so she can get a little quiet time for the love of all things holy. $36/priceless.
A donation in her name to Planned Parenthood, which provides essential healthcare and sex education to millions of people worldwide.
A card listing all the reasons you love her, $7, or coffee, lunch, dinner, a movie, or walk together. “I just want to feel remembered and to know that there’s a place for me in my children’s lives,” writes Laurel Pantin, who calls herself a “quality-time mom.” Aren’t we all? xoxo
P.S. The best thing my mom did as a parent, and a parenting realization that really moved me. Plus, three complicated mother/daughter relationships.
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Tags: best gifts for moms, best gifts for women, gift guide, gifts
Comments
169 commentsHaving a mother and being a mother have broken my heart in countless ways. I have alway loved the sweet little gifts from my children on mothers day; handprints, scribbled cards, and other treasures, like a decorated egg carton from my son with little rocks and other things tucked inside. But, I have always hated Mother’s Day in general, mostly because of the expectations of the other mothers in my life, but after my daughter died last year, I hate it even more. How can I celebrate being a mother when one of my children has left this earth? This year I will cuddle with my kids, especially my daughter who is headed to college in the fall. I will secretly hope for handmade cards and pictures. Then we will all go on a hike and visit the grave of my 14 year old, and the kids will complain, and someone will scrape a knee or accidentally hit a brother with a stick, and I will cry, and most likely have to pull a tick off of one member of the family. And we will not get dressed up and we will not have a dumb brunch and it will be a good enough day.
Lew, hugs to you. I think there is no greater pain on Earth, than having to endure your child pass away, before you. Hold on to your loved ones and do what feels right for you.
Really thinking of you. This sounds unspeakably hard, thank you for sharing your experience here because it’s an important one. I’m so so sorry for the loss of your daughter ♥️
Holding you in my heart right now and sending you a virtual giant hug.
Oh Lew, what an unbelievably hard day for you. As is every day, I imagine. I’m so very sorry for your tremendous loss.
Sending lots of love your way, Lew. This is incredibly heartbreaking
I have a great relationship with my mom and grateful for it. I tell her everything and anything going on in my world and my opinions. I was an early bird and bought my mom a 100 dollar gift card to World Market so she can pick out what she likes. Also got her some hard candies of coffee and green tea latte and marshmallow chocolate biscuits from Scotland. She loved her gifts. 🩷🩷🩷
Love this! Have you guys ever considered a teacher appreciation gift guide? The week is quickly approaching and I’m always looking for new inspiration!
YES!!!
This is really worth the read! Anne Lamott’s annual Mother’s Day post. I read it every year and learn something new each time. https://www.facebook.com/AnneLamott/posts/here-is-my-annual-mothers-day-post-only-for-those-of-you-who-dread-the-holiday-d/1224018262420011/
THAT WAS S O GOOD! and really just what my soul needed to hear right now. As someone who adored my mom, and misses her terribly, it doesn’t change that this feels like a very difficult time coming up, as much BECAUSE of the happy memories as anything else. Thank you for sharing this ♥️ Highly recommended to anyone who can use a dose of understanding + a little dark humor
I can’t tell you the pain this first Mother’s Day coming up since my mom died unexpectedly during a very short illness11 months ago is causing me. I would give anything to be able to “opt out” of every reference and gift guide for Mother’s Day this year; all the businesses that send you the option to do so, I have taken them up on it (and very very much appreciate it). I will say it breaks your heart just to see the gift guide, even if there is a note to avoid it added on. (And I am a reader who enjoy COJ gift guides and in the past has often used ideas from them for gifts!) I don’t have an answer, just want to share this perspective, and send huge hugs in solidarity with everyone else who is missing their mom, for whatever reason, this year. It is very sweet to hear the memorial ideas (like planting wildflower seeds in honor of a mom who has passed away) & I second the heartfelt requests for a post that crowdsources ideas of how readers whose mom have died, or who are estranged from their mom, choose to acknowledge (or not) the day, and if they choose not to acknowledge it, how they deal with the onslaught of messages. Because they break your tender heart every time when the loss still feels new. This particular season is quickly becoming one of THE most painful I’ve experienced during this time of grief (and I say this while feeling very lucky to have access to weekly therapy, multiple grief support groups, and having read a lot about grief during this time). Content warnings help, while addressing the root of the pain head on through an intentional post would be even more welcome <3 If we are lucky enough for life to unfold as it is meant to, every adult will lose their mother too at some point. And in that way, such a post becomes relevant for all of us.
I’m sorry to hear your experience. This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. She passed in the fall, and a short couple of months after her own mom, my beloved grandmother passed. They were both the people I wished a Happy Mother’s Day too. But my time with them was special. We can live in the happy memories we had together. I don’t think taking away others truly happy day because you feel this loss is the answer. Acknowledge your feelings, and skip these if you must. but also know that almost everyone here will also lose their mother one day. Let’s hope they can make the most of the time they have. I am sorry for your loss. May you find comfort in your mourning and may the memory of your mother always be a blessing to you.
I’m so sorry, Sarah. That’s painful. My mom died now 15 years ago and Mother’s Day can still bring on pings of sadness and grief. My mom’s birthday also tends to land on Mother’s Day. Some rituals that have helped are writing her Mother’s Day and birthday cards (when im up for it), making a dinner she’d love, buying her favorite flowers for my table, and giving myself permission to turn off my phone to avoid the well meaning texts. I have also been known to dote on myself a bit more these weeks, knowing it’s a tender time, as my mom would have done the same for me if she were here physically, aware of the pain that emerges every spring. That has been a helpful antidote to the understandable misplaced anger I sometimes felt towards all the Mother’s Day crap. I don’t have a magic salve and it’s still hard. Becoming a mom soothed my heart in curious ways too. Hope you find things that work for you and so very much connect with what you’re describing. It stinks!
Thank you Mae for your heartfelt suggestions~ it’s very kind of you to share what’s helped over the past 15 years and I took a screenshot of your comment for some ideas ♥️ Continuing to send many caring thoughts to others for whom Mother’s Day is not the easiest
Hello Sarah, hugs to you. I lost my mom 23 years ago when I was in my early twenties. She pretty much missed every single adult milestone. Usually, in India, your first salary is a big deal and you treat your family from your first salary. She passed away the month I started my first job. She passed away suddenly and very tragically. It took me over 10 years to even talk about her without crying. However, Mother’s day never bothered me. Maybe we didn’t grow up with this holiday and I see it for it is- a Hallmark kind of celebration. All I can say is, Time is the best healer and the pain does dull and one day it will get to a point, when the grief is like a gentle breeze rather than a torrential rain. For years, her jewelry slept in locker. These days I have made it a point to wear them on appropriate occasions, wear her sarees before they rip apart completely. I learn classical dance and my mom is the reason I dance. She lived vicariously through me. It is fitting that my school’s annual recital is on Mother’s Day this year and that I get to dance and remember her.
Anon in India, thank you for sharing your perspective. I understand something about the pain of unfulfilled dreams (like sharing that first payment of salary with your mom). There can be so much grief in the things we hoped for and are unable to do. It’s beautiful to hear how your mom lives knowing through you these days~ thank you for sharing.
Oops Anon, that should say lives ON, not lives “knowing,” my phone seems to have a mind of its own : )
Sending you hugs and wishes that you make it through this season with lots of love from family and friends.
I want a new zero gravity chair to sit in on the back porch while the breeze goes through the trees in the moments between when the kids go to school and work starts. And a monocular to spy on birds and my boys at soccer and my daughter at the beach with boys in the waves! My mom is a very dedicated card lover so I make sure to write her a thoughtful card and send her something cozy (pajamas, soft blanket, slippers, towel warmer, heating pad, nice socks, new towels or a robe for instance!).
Do you have a zero gravity chair that you love? I’ve been looking for one but it’s hard to know if the ones available on-line will hold up. Thanks!
This is such a beautiful list, Joanna! We love Cup of Jo over here at dignify. We’re a small, family-run business (shopdignify.com) and we’d humbly raise our hands with an idea — we make vintage handstitched kantha throws with women artisans in Bangladesh. They’re truly beautiful. Each one has the story of its maker included. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms here. 🤍
Commenters who love their moms but also have become moms themselves: How do you celebrate Mother’s Day? Before I became a mom, the day was all about my mom, and so it would usually involve going out to eat at a preferred restaurant near her, buying her a gift, etc. The day oriented around her! But I’m newly a parent myself, and so I’m excited to celebrate my own identity as a mother! Did you find that once you had kids, the way you celebrate the day shifted? If it were up to me, I’d much rather stay close to home, treat myself to a local coffee, and have a slow day, but I don’t my own mother to feel neglected. Am I an overthinker? Well, yes!
After becoming a mom we celebrated together- sometimes with my mil as well. It’s been very organic, fluid- for many years when our parents were still driving, etc, we would all meet up at someone’s house to celebrate casually. As parents age, move away, etc, we have celebrated differently. Mostly we have gone to my parents who live closer -now that my parents are at an age where they don’t really drive anymore, my mil has moved out of state. As it goes, some years we celebrate the day before and I get the actual day to myself (usually reserved for hiking if the weather is nice), my mom is quite flexible about these things, noting that any day can be a celebration for bdays/mother’s day/father’s day/etc. Hope this helps! And happy early mother’s day to you!
This is such a good question and topic! I’d love to hear more responses. I’ve been through the exact same thing – Mother’s Day revolved around my mom and grandmothers. When I became a mom myself five years ago, I got the impression she still expected the same level of celebration revolving around her and my desire for time to be with just my family was seen as a personal insult to her. (E.g. I once attempted to celebrate with her on Saturday instead of Sunday and that was seen as wildly unacceptable.) I can only imagine that it’s a hard transition for her to experience but it is also really hard on me to feel like I don’t actually get to celebrate Mother’s Day for myself however I wanted with my husband and son. It’s tricky and five years in, I still don’t know how to navigate it in a way that my mom and my MIL both feel celebrated and loved, and still carve out time to enjoy with just my husband and kids.
I would split it between two days. One day for just you, and one day for just her. No need to do everything the day of just because Mothers Day falls on one day.
There is nothing my own mother wants more for Mother’s Day than to know that I’m happy and doing what I love. She’s been very open about letting me take the Mother’s Day crown since our child was born. I give her a call on the day, and I’ll usually drop off flowers at her place the day before, but Mother’s Day is all mine.
I live far from both my mom and MIL, but if my mom lived close by I would choose a day to celebrate her and a different on to celebrate me :) my mom is Mexican so normally I celebrate her (from afar) on Mexican Mother’s Day (always May 10th) and my kids celebrate me on the American one. I think the two-day system is great and plan to continue it (with my celebration moving to May 10th) when my kids are moms!
I celebrate my mother with my sibling on the Saturday and I celebrate with my family on Mother’s Day (Sunday), though I always call my mother on the Sunday. I’m grateful for a mother whose love and grace has extended to giving up her own celebration for me on the actual day.
I can’t take credit for this but agree with some smart person on the internets that Mother’s Day is for active duty moms aka those still in the trenches with children at home, and veteran moms aka grandmas need to step aside and let the active duty moms have their day. I still get my mom a card, but I don’t do a big gift or make plans. Doing something together might be more of a consideration if we lived closer than 2 days of travel away though.
Ha, ha, ha…erm, in my family, it’s all about my and my husb.’s moms, though my parents usually give me a sweet card, which I love, and my kids make some kind of paper craft thank you, which I also love. But there is no “I’m just going to head to the bookstore for the day and relax.” I’m helping siblings make treats/eats for my own mom (who hates mother’s day, incidentally) and my grandma. I’m beyond happy to do those things for them. But every year my husb. says something like “we need to celebrate you on a different day!” (It doesn’t happen, but to be fair, how many times does he get a day off of duties on Father’s Day?) Some years his or one of my son’s bdays falls on that day, too, and bdays take precedence around here. If someone has figured out the magical way to feel loved and supported (and off duty!) as a mom, while also celebrating other people, please tell me. Eight years into parenthood I sure haven’t figured it out!
To can I be anonymous today, if your mom hates mother’s day why bother. Give her a call and call it a day. As with grandma, a call or cards for both. I don’t understand parents expecting anything more. If my daughter says happy mother’s day great. If she’s off doing her own thing, that’s great too. I know she loves me. By the way, has anyone seen the Mothers Day episodes of The Middle ???? Hilarious !! Maybe that’s what y’all can do with your moms and kids. Watch the Mothers Day episode from each season. They are so great. On holidays we did that with the Christmas and Thanksgiving episodes from each season. Well, hope everyone enjoys the joys EVERY day wherever, however you find them. And thinking of people who miss their moms too. Mine has been gone almost 26 years. My daughter is the love of my life, always and forever. She’s been amazing me since 1988.
Mother’s day was never such a big deal until now my mum is old – I feel the older they get the more they want. I say that gently, recognising oh boy, that’ll probably be me too. But it is annoying when I am the active mum, working, mothering and she’s fully retired. I try to celebrate with her on another day – this year I am taking the suggestion from another post on Cup of Jo (a few days ago I think) and taking my mum to the nursery (the one with the best carrot cake in the gorgeous cafe, and with ducks!) so we can both buy seedlings.
@meredith – I feel so seen! Mother’s Day is for those who are mothering. We can honor those who have mothered grown ups but on this day, those who are cutting crusts, picking up poop off the floor, doing incredible amounts of laundry, and are somehow still functioning should claim the day proudly and without shame. My MIL is a flake who has done very little mothering to help with her 2 granddaughters aside from babysitting once last year for 3 hours (my kids are 3 and 6). So I feel zero guilt having her at a dinner that’s convenient for me and only me. My mom is very ill and can’t travel or do much. The thought of her traveling for a meal she can’t physically eat sounds unreasonable to us both. But also the thought of a day full of my two rowdy kiddos in her space would be overwhelmingly exhausting for her. So we compromise and I send her a lovely gift, nothing expected in return and see her when she’s up for it.
To PNW Grateful, it’s a good question. But there are reasons. My mom suffered an incredible and awful loss on Mother’s Day when I was a kid. That’s partly why she hates it, and partly because of the hypocrisy of a day when everyone is supposed to be extra nice to their mom and then take her for granted every other day. I get that. And probably, for my siblings and me, Mother’s Day has always been stressful because we have tried to give her a good memory/something positive to associate with that day. But I’m 46, and I’m the only sibling with kids of my own, and honestly, I’m tired. We celebrate the day at my mom’s house, because my grandma (who is 100) comes too, and all my grandma’s kids. But maybe I can just “go” and not “do.” Thanks for making me think about this a bit more. I always like your comments!
I’ve only had two mothers days so far, but last year (and this year we plan to repeat) my mama and I snuck out for brunch and shopping just the two of us and it was lovely. My husband took my son up to my MIL’s, which delighted her, and my dad got to read his newspaper in peace. Everyone won.
Honestly, it’s not an issue that even registered to me! My mother was so happy that I had child, she has never said a peep about how we celebrate Mother’s Day. Since my daughter was born, I celebrate with my little family. And she happily takes us up on a dinner or trip to the nursery that is for her Mother’s Day (never actually on that day). I am sure everyone has a different relationship but my mother could not care any less about me celebrating it with my little girl instead of her.
I take my mother out for breakfast (her favorite meal of the day!) on a date OTHER than Mother’s Day. Neither of us are fans of the crowds, plus when my sibling and I had children she insisted that we spend the day with “our famillies” rather than trying to also do something with her (she had been there, done that) and I’ve always been thankful. I take my dad out for lunch for Father’s day, too. They both want the gift of time. I usually do something just for me and something with the family. This year will be different, because my husband will visit his mother for Mother’s Day so for the first time in the nearly twenty years since I became a mother, I’m spending it away from him and trying to decide what the kids and I will do. I’m thinking of ordering pizza, maybe some Mario Kart, lol. I also just want the gift of a good time together.
Seconding a digital frame – we have Nixplay. I love how right in the moment – sports game, birthday party, etc – I can use the app and send a photo of it to my mom’s frame! She is mid-70s and not tech savvy, so texting photos isn’t really an option. I ended up getting one for our house a year later and when my boys’ baby photos pop up, I’m in heaven.
My mom passed last September, so this is my first May without her. I’ve been considering how to navigate this first Mother’s Day without her physical presence. I decided I am going to till up a small part of our yard and scatter wildflower seeds. She loved flowers, especially daisies and sunflowers, and by July, it should be bustling with all kinds of blooms that I didn’t even. know were in the mix. It makes me excited for a day I haven’t really been looking forward to. Sending love to all of the other motherless mamas out there.
What a wonderful way to remember your mother. My condolences to you and may your garden be bountiful!
Sending you a big (and gentle!) hug! And I absolutely love that idea, how beautiful 💜
Hi Seja – my mom died last October…I planted some bulbs very late in the fall in the midst of thick grief and it’s been so heartwarming to see them coming up this spring. I love your idea of planting wildflower seeds on Mother’s Day — I am going to borrow that idea and do the same. Sending love from Vancouver, Canada.
Sending you hugs for this season. What a wonderful idea to sow wildflowers in celebration of your mother.
Blows my mind people have enough disposable cash to spend 165 on a cheese board?!
I hear you, but I was thinking of it as something my siblings and I would go in on together for our Mom who is not near any of us.
Everyone has different income levels. Someone who can’t afford this could also put together some less expensive but nice options at a local grocery store or Trader Joes, with a bouquet of flowers!
thanks for writing this – not wanting to criticise this blog, but it’s nice to hear this isn’t normal for everyone :)
oh yes I was thinking it would be a siblings gift, but also the idea of making a beautiful cheese plate yourself or cutting cheese into “I love mom” would be fun to do separately from the Murray’s board. hope this helps! xoxo
I was gifted a Trader Joe’s board for Christmas one year, and it “cheese boards up” quite beautifully. I don’t think one has to spend a lot, you can even put it on brown paper on the table, which is what my friend does- she loads it with all her favorite cheeses, deli meats, snacky-snacks, and it looks amazing!
Yes to this. I live in Europe with a very different price level, aka lower, if I spent 150 euros on cheese and stuff it would be enough for the whole nursing home. Very happy to live here. Take care everyone and please use your money as you see fit.
Last year I gifted myself a Moominmamma mug and it gives me joy every morning: https://finnstyle.com/products/arabia-moominmamma-mug?variant=50903509336373&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=267191538&gbraid=0AAAAAD_f8Z3IF8lWgcsRsgKT-dXxBh5hH&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2Ir9payGlAMVTjAIBR1sRhIGEAQYBCABEgI4A_D_BwE
That’s cute ! Love the Moomins ! I love all Tove Jansson’s books, especially The Summer Book.
Love this! Moominmamma is such a nurturing character, and the whole Moomin world is so strange and wonderful.
Oooh I just texted my wife this link (for me!) We’ve been reading the moomin books at bedtime and I love the combination of fantasy creatures, fun illustrations and ideas that are interesting to all ages not just the kiddos.
I deeply appreciate the disclaimer and link to the old post, regarding complicated relationships with moms but it would be so, so cool to see a Mother’s Day post about how people with those messy relationships and/or their mamas have passed spend their Mother’s Day. Do they want to be alone? Do they have a tradition? Do they spend it with other mom-like people in their lives? If you don’t have anyone who steps in like that, what do you do? I find as I round the bend on 40, there’s more sadness around not having a mom who can be a mom. You intellectually accept it but your heart always breaks, just a little bit, as Mother’s Day approaches.
This is my first year, started in January of going completely no contact with my mom after years of low contact and dysfunction. I am already anticipating this day to come with some anxiety as she continues to call/text as if nothing has happened or wrong. Idk what to do just yet but I definitely want to make it something different with a new tone this year vs other years when I have let this complicated relationship/holiday take over the mood of the day. I am a mom myself and it feels weird to overcelebrate or even acknowledge myself as a way to do it differently. It’s tough and I hear you!
Amanda – just wanted to offer some solidarity as someone who has been very “minimal contact” for years now (due to undiagnosed mental health issues and refusal to get treatment or therapy). Sometimes it’s a weird day, but it’s also very nice to know that the day will no longer be taken over by something so daunting now that you have boundaries in place. This stranger is proud of you for setting the new tone!
Posting to offer support and answer your question. Mother’s Day was super traumatic starting from childhood and grew to become quite the foreboding day for my sister and I. Consequently as an adult, I don’t put much attention on Mother’s Day. I never wanted to repeat the same pressure on my kids and I adored all their school and home made gifts. Now that they are adults, I get a hug and a wonderful text expressing their appreciation and love. Sometimes I’m surprised with a gift. That is all I need and it makes me happy. Personally, I take another day to celebrate myself. “Jane Day” so to speak and I treat myself to anything I want all day long!
Marie, my best wishes for getting through this time. You are not alone.
Conveniently, my city’s writer’s festival is the weekend following Mother’s Day each year, so my Mother’s Day gift is to book a nice hotel near the venue and spend the entire weekend soaking up authors and fellow readers in between luxurious nights in a big plush bed alone. As someone who always feels disappointed in “the” day (birthday, Christmas, you name it), this is the perfect way to take the pressure off the day and know I have something to look forward to.
Joanna, when you post a picture of you and Lucy as children, I’m never sure which one you are. Is there an easy way to tell?
What a cute question :) she usually has blonder hair; she has a cute little nose; I have a bigger head!
Jo, I really love your answer. Do you have an answer for your sister – one that isn’t so kind to her? or are you two genuinely lovely? – for eg, regarding my brother I would say to anyone except him “He is calmer, and kinder in a million ways”. To his friends, within his hearing I would say “Oh he’s the chunky one who smears food all over his face and is crying for mum”. That sort of thing….
hahahaha hmmmmmm i am trying to think of one! she was much braver than I was growing up, but that’s a good one too! I’ll think :)
Missing my mom. I’m taking my kids to the coast for tidepooling for Mother’s Day this year.
It sounds like you have a wonderful day planned. Sending you hugs as you navigate the holiday without your mother.
I plan a day around Mother’s Day to buy take out ‘high tea’ and bring it to my mother-in-law’s house. She isn’t very mobile so it’s a way of making the day super easy for her. The kids stay with our babysitter and we send my father-in-law out to have his own fun. So my MIL and I get to spend the afternoon gossiping freely!
This year on Mother’s Day, I will be taking the train from Amsterdam to Paris with my husband and three daughters. Smiling just thinking about it.
I wish the Levain cookies shipped to Canada! I bought a tin when I was in NYC a few years ago and they became the cookie tin that went to school pickup. Cut (quite literally) to a school pickup that coincided with an ice skating outing — let’s just say that the enamel is definitely not as nice now.
Someone in the comments recommended Golightly Cashmere scarves, so I treated myself by ordering one (in the color Dijon) to recognize a small goal met. It is spectacular. Light as air, warm and soft, gorgeous construction and lifetime repair guarantee. Go forth and scarf splurge for your loved ones if you feel it!
+1!! My mother gave me a pine green golightly cashmere beanie many years ago and I loved it so much I gifted myself a bright blue similar but different style beanie the next winter. Have gotten so many wears and still like new. Very indulgent and as you said light as air, warm and soft.
That was me!! Woohoo! I also ordered a scarf this week for myself, my second one as it is 20% off this week. Cannot recommend their hats, scarves and everything enough. Enjoy!
Those marshmallow flowers are bonkers!
All I ever want on Mother’s Day is a photograph with my babies :)
Same! A few years ago my husband gifted me a session with my favorite photographer Max Wanger. The most beautiful surprise, and I treasure those photos. But we’re back to regular iPhone pics and we’ll see if my angsty teenager daughter agrees to pose with her annoying mom and siblings this year ;)
@Auste, I used to tell my teenage daughter that the faster she gives me a couple of genuine smiles, the quicker she’ll be done in front of the camera- worked amazingly well. Haha.
A photo with your babies is such a genuine and sweet request! As the former angsty (painfully insecure) teenage daughter, I’ll respectfully chime in that the photos I was forced to be in still make me wince inside a decade later because I look so uncomfortable, so perhaps there’s a lower-stakes way you can capture the moment and your relationship with a photo-shy kid. A photo of your hands clasped together or the activity you did? A craft you both made? Just a really great memory? The refusal of a photo is not generally about you, but about peer pressure in that space (maybe try at home) or about internal pressure that could just use gentle acceptance (maybe an understanding nod as the willing kids join in). Take some reassurance from me that she loves you just as much.
I found one of those East Fork mugs abandoned on a rainy winter day at the playground near my house, tucked under a bench. There was no one else around. It had been there for at least a day as it had curdled milk in the coffee and there was a tiny leaf floating in it. You better believe I took it home! It’s my husband’s favorite mug now. The heft of it is just delightful.
I don’t offer this as judgment, just as a view from a different window ~ whenever I see something left behind, I imagine the story of the miraclemoment for the person who lost it…the mug still waiting where they left it, days later, a tiny left floating in it! And maybe they weren’t coming back for it. But maybe they were or would or did ~ and I want to believe in (make) a world where we are weaving tiny miracles for each other.<3
I love this Betty! I think it was meant to be passed on to you! <3
Yea! My husband and I own a shop where people ALWAYS leave stuff behind and NEVER come back to reclaim it. You gave the mug a happy home!!
Betty, my home is full of objects/ things that have found their way to us in ways like this. We often walk at this lovely wooded area we call, creatively, The Woods, lol. Someone leaves little items there in the crooks of trees – a photo in frame, a home made ceramic dish. I don’t always take whatever it is, but sometimes i do, and these little gifts bring so much joy. My husband works on the grounds crew at our local university, and oh my, college students are forgetful. So he and his crew are constantly adding to their lost and found (no one ever claims anything, ever – not even the hundreds of dollar expensive outer wear), and after a few weeks he brings home items. The latest was a Smokey the Bear bandana for me! I used to feel a little bad for the kids, but quite honestly the vast majority are out of state kids who come here to ski on their parents’ dime. And again, no one ever comes back to claim the items. And finally, trailheads often have found items. I do try and find the owner, but I’ve never had anyone respond. So hats, balaclavas, leashes…. Am i a crow?? Lol, I guess so. I wouldn’t feel bad about finding the cup. Most likely someone bought it for themselves, and those are quite expensive. Expensive enough if I were lucky enough to have one i certainly wouldn’t take it out of my house. I’m sure they could easily replace it. Or they have 8 more already.
I don’t know where to shout out Pepper (tiny boobies unite!) so I figured this might be the place. They sent the loveliest email earlier this week, giving folks the option to opt out of Mother’s Day-geared emails. I thought it was so sensitive and caring.
I love pepper bras!!!
Yes! I ordered for the first time a few months ago. Going back for a swimsuit. Fingers crossed.
all awesome stuff i’d love to receive, but the prices. yikes!
Right?! I wish she’d list some more realistic options.
Thank you so much for the feedback! Always appreciate it. Here are few gift ideas for under $30: * red socks because, as a CoJ commenter said recently, outfits with red socks always look intentional: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E482605-000/00?colorDisplayCode=15&sizeDisplayCode=027 * homemade crispy/chewy chocolate chip cookies (I would die to get these in the mail!!!): https://smittenkitchen.com/2009/03/crispy-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/ * the best smelling body wash (I use it every morning and never take it for granted): https://go.shopmy.us/p-39357972 * colorful taper candles for glowy dinners at home: https://littleking.online/collections/mothers-day/products/dining-table-candles?variant=40396463472846 * a book you recently enjoyed that you’d like to chat with her about: https://cupofjo.com/editors-picks/ * you know what would be so cool? Getting an issue of a magazine you like — the New Yorker, house and garden; whatever — and marking it up with little comments and asides for her on the pages, and then sending it to her. I would LOVE if my kids did this for me, it would be like a little visual conversation :) * cool chopsticks if she’s a sushi lover: https://bignightbk.com/products/bistrot-chopsticks?variant=46267535819006 * blockprint tea towel to brighten up her whole kitchen: https://www.blockshoptextiles.com/products/orchid-loops-tea-towel * summer pajama set: https://www.target.com/p/women-s-cloud-knit-long-sleeve-notch-collar-top-and-pants-pajama-set-auden/-/A-94889234 * pretty dried flowers: https://www.fruitandflowershop.com/floral/cupids-love-bouqet Hope this helps!! Would love to hear other readers’ ideas too Xoxoxo
So feeling this too. These gifts so far out of my family’s financial league it’s sad-funny (and I’m 46!). I get my mom a Jane Austen-esque novel each MD, or a small gift card to the local gelato place or coffee shop with a note to “pick a date”–because that’s what she really wants, “us time.” :)
I hear you, Emily a great suggestions, Joanna! Mine aren’t necessarily geared toward Mother’s Day, but I think moms would like some of these, too: I’ve been gifting some newsletter subscriptions lately—loving Beth Brower’s of Emma M. lion fame, Long Live, Scattering Seeds (Elise Joy), and Feeling! Magazine. Libro.fm credits if they like audiobooks although there’s also a sale right now and you can gift them directly from checkout (Emma M. lion vol 1-5 is on sale just fyi… lol) or bookshop.org they have ebooks, too! Some accessible art supplies and a little project (if they’re crafty and game.) we often run across these at thrift stores and estate sales (not everyone wants a 2nd hand gift, so whatever works!) A favorite game to play together (we’ve enjoyed playing Sushi Go with friends lately) For people who like chocolate, Tony’s Chocolonely bar or the individually wrapped medallions—yum. I made a little mini newsletter last year with things I loved (causes to support, books, newsletters, tv, movies etc) and thought they might like. And sometimes, I’ll pair one of these with a donation or plant a tree in their honor (or just do it on its own.) e.g. National Bail Out, HIAS, Trees Atlanta, Arbor Day Foundation, American Cancer Society, voting organizations, a political campaign you know they support, a local food bank, Innocence Project, etc.
It’s possible to look at every single thing on this list as a suggestion of something that might be a gift — you don’t have to spend $65 on the exact cookies here. Maybe you make them yourself or give a package of the cookies you remember from childhood. Make the card yourself instead of buying one — or buy a card that isn’t the exact one here. Find a less expensive hat (or scarf, or perfume or cheese board). Make a donation in whatever amount you want. People get stuck when it comes to gift-giving. Use these –or any posts on this or any other site — as springboards for your own imaginative gift-giving. I very much doubt the intention of these is YOU MUST GIVE THIS EXACT THING. But they do need to have pictures and once you do that people will want the link.
Like Dose, I see this (and all the gift guides) as a conceptual list. I’m not going to ship a cheeseboard to my mother who lives a mile away from me. But how fun to go to a local shop, pick out the items, and bring it over to share? I genuinely may do this, which hadn’t even crossed my mind before! A mug (ANY MUG) and some favorite tea? Great! Could be <$20. Bake something myself instead of buying cookies? Fabulous! Also, my husband and his siblings share gifts like this to ship to their mom. Split four ways, it's quite affordable.
Second for the Cloud Knit pjs- I got my mom 2 pairs and she loves them. She is wearing them every time I visit her lol.
For the longest time, I resisted a digital frame. Something about it felt awkward, much less charming than a grouping of family photos in lovely frames. But with three adult children and three grandchildren the digital frame allows me to see multiple delightful photos every day. It brings me more joy than I could have ever imagined. And since I have one, now I can suggest gift certificates to my favorite quilt shop for Mother’s Day.
Damn. The Paris coloring book is perfect for my artsy, Paris-loving mom, but it doesn’t arrive in time. Anyone know of a good dupe?
I like Urban Anna’s work on Instagram and she has a cute Paris coloring book. https://www.amazon.com/Urban-Annas-Paris-Love-Coloring/dp/B0DDJJHSVD
oooh Gretchen Alice, that’s perfect! Thank you <3
My parents were Dismissive Avoidants- both of them. I don’t have a single memory of doing anything out of the ordinary ever. It was school, home, homework, sleep- repeat. They were fabulously wealthy- I got clothes 1X/ year unless I outgrew them, and my mom looked at me like I committed a sin. She also never told me what a period was, and looked disappointed when I had one. I started working since high school- all hours beyond school. I married the first guy who was nice to me (I had no bar, I didn’t know what being nice meant). It took me 25 years to release that he also is a Dismissive Avoidant who offered me the same crumb, different flavor. We never went on a date, no vacation, he never bought me anything. He was just like my dad to our kids. So I decided to be the best mom ever- the kind who jumps puddles with you, and then brings warm chocolate chip cookies with organic milk while you play with Legos, the mom I never had, and I made up for all his deliberate slacks and negligence. He didn’t stay up a single night, didn’t but them a single holiday present, didn’t see them through a single tear. Last year my youngest “picked him” over me because ” he was unavailable to us/ kids all those years since he had to pay the bills”. And later I found out that the other one regularly joins them for restaurant meals. I’m the one now with a barely making it job, paid the price with my health. This is for the moms who think “they’ll remember me”. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.
Mona, it sounds like there is a lot that happened during your childhood and I’m sorry for that (and your experience with your kids and their father). It probably doesn’t help, but remember that your kids do not have the same experience with their dad that you have. They don’t owe you more in a sense, just because you felt their father was unfair to you and them. That’s not their responsibility.
I’m sorry for all of the pain caused to you by your parents and spouse! I just really want to stress that your children’s desire for a relationship with their father does not mean that all of the ways that you’ve loved them did not matter. It is so, so natural and complicated and human that they would want closeness to their dad, even despite all of his flaws and short-comings. And while the lack of acknowledgement around your sacrifices and efforts is painful, it formed a beautiful foundation for their lives, whether they consciously realize it or not. The lack of outward acknowledgement can feel hurtful, but that doesn’t mean that they’re truly unaware. You raised them and helped them to be safe and cared for!
Mona, I can feel your pain! I hope you are able to give yourself and your kids of letting go of resentment and bitterness. My life mantra is “if you want a positive, give a positive. If you want a negative. Give a negative”. Try to find acceptance for what has been and allow your kids the space and love to have a relationship with their dad. If you approach your kids with only love, it will only serve to strengthen your relationship while also, possibly, heal yourself. If you are open to it, check out the transformative book Loving What Is by Byron Katie. We are sending you love and tenderness Mona!
To the first Sarah- judging someone based on my feeling would be unfair. I didn’t “feel” he was unfair to them, it was their words about their dad, not mine. Where did I say they “owe” me or “it’s their responsibility to owe me more”?
Wishing you comfort and kindness and inner peace, Mona. You may not be able to see evidence of it right now, but certainly your efforts made a difference. The choice to not repeat what your parents did was healthy and positive. and that is a victory.
I’m sure I’ve posted this before, but for Mother’s Day I spend the day organizing a closet while my family takes turns delivering strawberry daiquiris. And they all have to actually make a decision when I ask if we need to keep anything. It is the best.
Midge, I like your style.
Midge that is my dream day too!
Ohhhhh this had never occurred to me and is genius not only for mother’s day but also for birthdays and Christmas…
Midge for president.
::high five::
omg hahaha I love this so much.
Love Love Love this
I used to request yard work assistance for Mother’s Day (spring) and my birthday (fall) and it was fine for a year or two and then they started to dread/resent both days. So I released them of the expectation and now I just ask that they free me up to do it myself. Note that my kids were/are in the 7-13 age range, not adults :)
Midge is Queen! BEST!
Or…a favorite framed photo (like the first photo in this post 🥰) it’s adorable!
This year, I am sending a specific list of suggestions for my husband to choose from: – night at a hotel and the fam can join me at 11am to swim in the pool the next day – really nice birding binoculars – this Sans cueticals thingy https://sansceuticals.com/products/perpetual-activator (has anyone tried it??) I feel like, in my mid-forties, I am pretty well summed up by these three items.
“night at a hotel and the fam can join me at 11am to swim in the pool the next day”—win win. I’m totally copying this.
I love your specificity!
Hotel idea is brilliant! Putting it on my list
omg brilliant.
Copies link. Sends to family.
I can’t think of anything more anti-mother’s day than cheese. The dairy industry is only possible by forcibly and repeatedly impregnating female cows and then separating the moms from their babies almost as soon as they’re born so that we can take their milk for ourselves. Cows are well known for being devoted mothers and are not indifferent to this; there are so many videos and reports of them trying to hide their babies, chasing after their babies as they’re taken away, and bellowing and crying in distress for hours and days thereafter. Humans don’t need other mammals’ breastmilk to survive; please don’t support this awful industry.
Thank you Gina! So true.
Gina – whether you support it or not, cheese will be made and consumed. I think the better note here would be to support small farms who practice “calf at foot” dairy, where the calves stay with their moms, and provide slaughter-free milk and cheese. I’m in MD, and Five Freedom Farms in VA is doing this, if you’re interested: https://www.fivefreedomsdairy.com/our-story
Sorry – edit to add, Five Freedoms Dairy is in Colorado! But there is also Gita in PA: https://gitavalley.org/
Thank you all for sharing about this here, it’s something that made me sad to read but I otherwise don’t think about. It’s…grounding to have this reminder and perspective here: I would definitely rather “know” than not know.
Hey Sarah, thanks for engaging. One thing I’d note is that every industry ultimately runs on supply and demand. As long as people keep buying cheese, it will keep being produced. But if demand decreases, supply eventually adjusts as well. More broadly, when a system involves large-scale harm or exploitation, people usually have a few options: they can keep participating in it, try to support versions that are somewhat better for those who are harmed or exploited, or choose to step away from the system entirely. Sometimes I think about this in relation to chattel slavery. When it was widespread and legal, people could fully participate, try to treat enslaved people more “kindly,” or refuse to participate because they believed the system itself was wrong. Humans don’t need another animal’s milk to survive or thrive, and we’re the only species that drinks milk after infancy or takes milk from another mammal. Because of that, I personally think it’s better to step away from the system altogether rather than participate in it. Wrong is wrong, even if it’s “kinder” to the victim.
Mom isn’t around, but I’m taking my local mom figure out for a tea party! Very much looking forward to it. :)
💕
I’m organizing a peace/anti-war protest for mother’s day. I learned recently that one of the origins of Mother’s Day was Julia Ward Howard’s 1870 “Mothers’ Day Proclamation” which was a pacifist reaction to the carnage of the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. I know gifts are many people’s love language, and this is an incredibly thoughtful gift-guide, but, for what it’s worth, the founder of what has become our official mother’s day in the US, Anna Jarvis, passionately opposed its growing commercialization and eventually campaigned against the holiday.
LOVE this!!! ♥️♥️
This is awesome.
That sweatshirt is so good! Quite possibly my Mother’s Day gift to myself.
I give my mom a gift certificate to the local nursery so after brunch, we go over there and she picks out flowers for her garden. It’s fun and she adores it every year!
omg i LOVE this
This is perfection!
This is wonderful!
Such a great idea!!!!
NPR sticker*
Love the NPR sweatshirt!! I just put a NPR on my car as a very non-bumper sticker gal.
love that!!!!
Marshmellow FLOWERS?!?!?!?
my friend abbey found them!! https://abbeynova.substack.com
I usually gift my mom an IOU for brunch on a later (less busy) date, but I love most of these ideas and would be over the moon if someone gave me cozy pjs, those decadent marshmallow flowers or even just a couple of peonies from Trader Joe’s. On a completely unrelated note, what kind of socks are people wearing with sneakers these days? I think I’ve moved past no show socks but I’ve been wearing them so long I no longer know how to choose socks that do show. If I’m wearing light colored sneakers and dark pants, what color sock do I wear? White? Black? What about sneakers and shorts? I don’t really want statement socks. I want socks I buy in a big pack and move on with my life.
My husband and I have feet close enough in size that we just bulk-buy a ton of these Uniqlo socks in various colors and share them. They’re thin and comfortable enough not to be hot in summer, but I wear them through the winter in my moderate mid-Atlantic climate. They come in TONS of colors. They hit my shins at a good height to look cute with shorts and skirts, but don’t leave a wedge of skin showing when I’m wearing pants in winter. They last a good bit, too! I think our oldest ones are probably 10 years old and I’ve just started mending holes (yes, you can mend $5 socks!). And they come in a TON of colors, so you can wear more conservative gray or white if you’re not feeling fancy, then bust out lilac or turquoise to jazz up your outfit. Oh, and unfortunately they only come in a men’s size, but I’m a women’s 8 and they’re fine for me. https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/products/E461025-000/00?srsltid=AfmBOoqMMuW4AxoeckM9yoDF68s9pFxeb-fr1YfbZqd4UZ1IRyN90P4q&colorDisplayCode=02&sizeDisplayCode=027
this comment made me laugh because just today after a year of wearing crew socks because no show socks are apparently ~uncool~ i decided i am going back to no show and moving on with my life!!! i like them!!!! wishing you good luck on your sock journey! ;)
Same! Although I may go back to no shows for the summer. With full length bottoms, have been matching socks to my sneakers and clogs (Birks, Rothy’s) These have been perfect! https://amzn.to/42pKBP7
Ok, I had to chime back in because: 1. I remembered I ran a half marathon in my Uniqlo socks, no problem! 2. I sent the wrong link with not all of the colors represented. Here’s the right link: https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/contents/feature/masterpiece/product/colorful-50-socks/?srsltid=AfmBOorg0P1hjeSjyrwxxNoHMoO463N7UkwCCRXJS3FEjhYe99AOPo16
I buy Darn Tough socks. They are an investment but they last FOREVER! then I don’t have to think about buying socks for years and years and years. I am so over having to replace basics.
Related question: Anyone know where to buy 100% cotton socks? My mother has been obsessed with finding 100% cotton socks. Her last pair – from probably the 90’s – finally fully wore out and she has not been able to find a replacement. I’ve been trying to find some to give her, but she appears to be correct that everything now has some amount of poly or spandex (which, IMO, improves a sock… but this is what she wants and a woman in her late 70’s deserves the socks she wants).
Thank you for all the sock suggestions. I am not the proud owner of a pack of crew socks and have Darn Tough hiking socks on my wish list for the future.
@Peach, Q for Quinn is where I have been getting my socks the last few years. They are based in Canada, but ship internationally. https://www.qforquinn.com/collections/100-cotton-socks/Women
Joanna, the pic of you, your twin, and your mum is so sweet. (I actually had the same little coat in blue!!) Marshmallow flowers = gorg. And was pondering death in the middle of last night, and thought of you climbing allllllll those flights of stairs. Oof, everything can be A Lot. Anyway, I’m so excited for mother’s day bc my girl will have just arrived home from her first year of college, and just feeling really grateful to have my mum right now. xx
we should make a hat that says “bedtime death ponderers” or some such and how exciting that your daughter’s coming home from her first year, congrats to you both!
HA! That hat would be a total hit w the peri-M crew! Or, a tee that says “HRTs yeah you know me!”
The East Fork mugs are the gold standard. I always order a colorway for my daughter’s teachers each year as Christmas presents. Everyone gives the advice that no teacher wants another mug. That is because they have never tried an Easter Fork mug. Also, trying Piyama for the first time. Really excited. This post really hit home on my favorites! My daughter has the backseat NPR baby t-shirt, too. The local NPR station is a block from our house. She takes it very seriously when she wears it.
I love east fork mugs SO MUCH. we have three and we all dive for them when they come out of the dishwasher. I’m excited to give one to my dad for Father’s Day this year (he’s a big tea lover / travels with his own teabags lol).
What’s the specific appeal of east fork mugs? I’m trying to wrap my head around it, and they seem a bit large and clunky to me (being a delicate bone china person generally), am I missing something, or are there just two different types of cup people?
I’m with ya, Jules. That huge handle grosses me out.
@Jules, you’re not alone! I’m really specific about the types of mugs I like—and East Fork stuff does not make the cut.
@Jules – it’s the weight/ heft and way my hand around it. Plus somehow it seems to taste better? And I like the thickness of the mug too! The weight thing is a total preference though! I basically only use my east fork mugs at this point.
Those mugs look too heavy and they are definitely too small. 10 ounces, maybe 12? Noooo. This is the ideal mug, if you ask me: https://www.crateandbarrel.com/aspen-15-oz.-porcelain-white-mug/s256870 Graceful shape, realistic size (people need coffee!!) and not too expensive.
@Jules I agree with Heather that the heft feels good in hand, a personal preference not shared by all. And on a functional level the thicker walls keep my coffee warm for longer than any other traditional mug I own.
@Erin Geiger Smith – in case it’s mainly the size holding you back they actually have ‘Big’ mug which holds 16 oz at the brim – https://go.shopmy.us/p-54529767 East Fork is just an amazing company for how they treat their employees, all they put into their community, and their transparency- they’re easy to support!
It’s the perfect hand weight and texture. Plus the mug keeps the coffee warmer than a normal mug. I know it sounds silly but they almost mold to your hands. For those of you “grossed out” by the handle, they make handleless mugs that are also good. We have five and they are only mugs my family uses. I feel bad for the other ones. :)
I have the EF Small Mug which I use just for tea. Their glazes are matte but feel so silky and delicious. Plus they’re good folks.
Jules – my family and I have the strong belief that there are tea mugs, and there are coffee mugs. The East Fork mug is definitely a coffee mug, and not at all an appropriate choice for tea! The delicate bone china mug that you’re describing sounds like a tea mug to me!! : )
I love the east fork mugs for tea!
This conversation reminds me that I have a favorite spoon. It is a superior spoon. None of the other spoons even come close – even the one that is *almost*, but not quite, identical. I can only eat my morning oatmeal with my favorite spoon. My husband knows not to use it first for his much earlier breakfast. I will only have a bowl of ice cream AFTER the dishes are done, so that I can use my spoon. In short, we like what we like. Mug, spoon, milk or dark chocolate, and we’re all exactly right, of course. Thanks for coming to my TED talk about my spoon.