Mother’s Day Made Easy: The Ultimate Gift Guide for Mom

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and in honor of all the moms out there who are too humble to ask for what they truly want for Mother’s Day, I’m breaking it down for you. 

If I were to write my own wish list, here is what I (and basically every other mom you know, especially those with small children) would REALLY want for Mother’s Day.

Disclaimer: Every mom is different; what one mom likes, another may not. I encourage you to use this guide accordingly. I’ve created this guide to help you get creative, think outside the box, and gift the mom in your life something she could genuinely want this year.

Mother’s Day Gifts from the Kids

If she is a mom of young children, art is probably already covering your entire house, BUT those unique crafts that mean a lot to her are rarely made. Instead, she is busy helping the kids create those types of crafts for everyone else. 

A Handprint Craft

If she has little ones at home, more than likely, she is in charge of brainstorming all the art projects. I remember when I had a chance to take my kids to our local YMCA, and they would come home with the most adorable handprint crafts. I’m telling you, the staff was very creative with what they could make from my child’s hand, foot, or fingerprint. I loved them. 

However, I’m very unlikely to have my kids create a handprint craft for me. It seems, well, selfish? If we’re doing art projects, we’re making gifts for other people. So if you’re looking for a simple but meaningful gift for mom, incorporate these.

One Mother’s Day, we had an extraordinary nanny in our lives. She knew I loved gardening and traced the kid’s handprints onto a watering can. Several years later, I still take a permanent marker to retrace their handprints when they start to fade, and I use that watering can weekly. It’s just a special reminder of how big my babies have grown.

I’ve seen a variety of handprint crafts. I’ve picked a few of my favorites for you that are different from the traditional handprint-on-paper projects. 

• Hand Print Dish Towel
• Hand Print Flower Pot
• Handprint Pot Holders
• Hand Print Flower Poem

A Canvas or Framed Art Piece

If you want to stay more in line with a traditional paper (or canvas) art project, this one is for you. This one aligns with the handprint craft but is more of a personal art project for the kids. 

First, you’ll help the kids gather art supplies and have them paint, draw, or color a picture for Mama. If they can write, let them write her a little love note. If they’re too young, let them scribble, then ask them what they wrote and then put in underneath. I suggest buying frames or a canvas for this project to allow her to hang them on the wall.

** Label these types of art projects with the child’s name and the year. You can even add their age to make it extra special.

The Big Gifts

Now let’s talk about the “bigger” gifts should you be interested in those. If you want to truly spoil her and shower her with love and gratitude for Mother’s Day, these ideas will surely hit the mark and make her feel extra special.

1.) Family Time (Uninterrupted)

She may say, “All I want for Mother’s Day is family time.” Honestly, she is not just trying to be humble. She truly wants to enjoy the day with everyone together. 

I will go out on a limb here and suggest that she also means she wants a day of everyone together without interruptions. Plan a family day for her and leave the devices at home or at least on silent. 

I know it’s not easy to put the phone away, BUT this is just one day for a couple of hours. Put those devices away to honor her wish for family time; work can wait. A family day can be something as simple as a picnic or cookout in the backyard to a planned family outing at a playground or a hike. Regardless of how you plan your family time, do your best to be fully present during this time and not distracted by work or other obligations.

2.) A Meal She Doesn’t Have to Cook

This one sounds super simple, right? You tell her to pick what she wants for dinner… But wait, that’s where I want you to stop. Hear me out; moms want a meal they don’t have to cook or plan for. We have enough decisions to make in one day, we don’t want to plan a dinner to celebrate us too.

I can’t tell you how often my husband has asked, “What do you want for dinner?” The decision fatigue immediately hits. There are too many options. I’ve been making decisions all day, and I honestly cannot make another decision to save my life. I usually tell him, “I don’t know. Please just pick something.” It ultimately becomes a back-and-forth between us until one of us caves and picks something. Could you do the work here, not her? Pick out what’s for dinner ahead of time.

• Is there a restaurant she’s talked about that she wants to try?
• If you’re not ordering out, maybe there’s a meal she loves that you cook. My husband can make a great seafood boil and it’s one of my favorites. You can always make it a fun date night at home. I have alot of ideas for you in this blog post.

Regardless, if you’re ordering food, taking her out to eat, or making her favorite meal, don’t tell her “you pick” unless you know that’s what she’d want. Most of us want you to pick for us so we don’t have to decide. Plus, it shows us that you put in a little extra effort, which means much more to us.

3.) Someone to Clean the House

The thought of leaving and coming home to a spotless house sounds lovely. As a mom with several tiny humans making messes everywhere, having someone else clean my house would be a dream come true. I don’t care if it’s a professional house cleaner or my husband. As long as the house is clean, it’s the perfect gift.

If you think she’d like this, you can call a professional cleaning company or do it yourself; send her out for the day to surprise her when she gets home. 

4.) Spa Day to Be Pampered

We all daydream about spa days, the quietness, and being pampered. A spa day is a great way to recognize her and let her relax for the day. If you’re considering a spa day for her, plan this one out for her. 

Why, you may ask? As much as I’d love a spa day, I worry about coordinating a day at the spa with my husband’s schedule so that he can watch the children. Even if he has the weekend off, we still have sports practice and church, and I also want to ensure he gets his rest; oh, and those house chores never end. 

I have so many things that need to be done on weekends that I will likely put off the spa day to care for those around me rather than take a day for myself. 

**If a Spa Day is at the top of your list for her this Mother’s Day, schedule the appointment for her ahead of time rather than giving her a gift card. Do her a favor and make the appointment because she may not.

5.) Alone Time

As moms, our days are spent caring for everyone and everything around us. We rarely make it a point to care for ourselves and get alone time. I have a couple of ideas of how you could help her have some alone time this Mother’s Day.

• You could send her to a hotel overnight.
  • When was the last time she was able to sleep in without interruptions? I can guarantee you this is one that all moms daydream about. You may have the best intentions at home to let her sleep in and get rest, but as soon as she hears the kids, her internal alarms go off, and it’ll be hard for her to rest. Give her the gift of sleep by booking a room where she can relax and rest as long as she wants. She may binge-watch Netflix, catch up on reading, or sleep as soon as she gets there. Regardless, she can use this alone time however she pleases without worrying about the kids (or you) interrupting.
• If you can’t swing a hotel for her, don’t worry; you can still give her the gift of alone time. You can volunteer to take the kids out for the day to allow her to enjoy the house alone, or you can watch the kids at home while she goes out. I actually suggest sending her out for the day. If she stays home alone, she may try to clean rather than resting, but you be the judge. Either way, ensure you only text her if it’s an emergency or if she texts you first. She’ll likely check in with you (because we’re moms and we’re always worried) but let her reach out to you; give her a chance to miss things. 

6.) Professional Family Photos

I’m a photographer, so pictures are always on my radar. I know family pictures are the last thing you want to participate in but hear me out. Usually, it’s her idea to get family pictures (you know, maternity, newborn, & occasional holiday photos) because she wants to be remembered in the images too. When was the last time she had a professional photography session? 

What if you surprised her with a gift certificate? This way, she could schedule professional family images. You probably don’t want to spring a photo shoot on her. She’ll want to get dressed up for this and coordinate outfits. What you can do, is gift her a session to let her know she’s important to you. This is the last thing she’ll be thinking of, but it will be very special to her.

Happy Mother’s Day

Regardless of what you plan to do this Mother’s Day, make sure you at least tell her you love her and appreciate her.

Also, Mama, if you’re reading this, this is your permission slip to send this blog to your husband for ideas. I’m sure he’s asked you for ideas. This may help him plan a gift you’ll truly enjoy.

If I’ve missed something on my list that you’d love to have this Mother’s Day let me know in the comments below or email me HERE so I can add it!

Happy Mother’s Day to you and I hope you’re celebrated and loved like you should be.