Ahh, holidays. It seems each one serves as another opportunity to convince ourselves that we won't wait until the last minute to purchase a gift, only to prove ourselves wrong for the millionth time. Trust me, I get it. While I didn't wait until the last minute to buy my mom her Mother's Day gifts this year (progress!), I know that procrastination panic all too well. But here's the beautiful thing about Mother's Day: gifts aren't a focal point. The purpose of Mother's Day is to simply enjoy being with our moms, talking to our moms, or thinking of our moms, wherever they may be. Of course, when we love people, we want to surprise them and make them smile, and gifts are great for that; but you don't need to run to the mall or pay extra for overnight shipping to make your mom happy. In fact, in my experience, the best Mother's (and Father's) Day gifts are the ones that come from the heart, often requiring nothing more than a quick trip to the grocery store or a small local shop. They're personal and thoughtful, rather than flashy and stressful.
That being said, here are 10 last-minute ideas for Mother's Day - from personal gifts to sentimental surprises - that will ensure you and your mom/mother figure enjoy the holiday to the fullest, with your bond as mother and daughter kept top-of-mind. :)
1. Breakfast in Bed + Old Home Video + Matching Jewelry Set
When my sister and I were kids, we surprised my mom and dad on the morning of one of their wedding anniversaries with breakfast in bed and played their wedding video for them to watch as they ate. It made both of my parents sentimental (which made me incredibly happy) and is something they still reflect fondly on to this day. Try the same concept this Mother's Day, but with a home video of your birth date (you don't necessarily have to take her through the memories of labor; I'm suggesting something more along the lines of a video of her holding you after you were born). To make the breakfast in bed even better, try preparing one of her favorite breakfast foods to add to the surprise and effort. For a gift that will ensure she never forgets this surprise, give her a necklace or ring that serves as the other half to one you purchase for yourself.
2. Sangria Bar + Monthly Wine Delivery Service
Surprise your mom with a festive Sangria, Mimosa or Bloody Mary Bar (my hope is to recreate this one this weekend), and add a membership card for a monthly wine (or spirit) delivery service in the envelope of the card you're giving her. The bar will create a celebratory vibe for the holiday and her wine/spirit delivery will serve as a monthly reminder of the fun gesture (plus, who doesn't love a surprise wine delivery?).
3. Family Photo + Pretty Frame
If you ask my mom what her favorite anniversary gift from my dad is, she won't mention a piece of jewelry, handbag or tech device; she'll tell you it's the framed photo he gave her years ago. He found a photo of the two of them on a camera, ordered it, and placed it in a beautiful frame that had a sweet message about love engraved on it. She said it made her cry because it wasn't just a swipe-the-card purchase, but rather, something that required multiple steps to complete. Find a photo of you and your mom - or better yet, you, your mom and your mom's mom - and place it in a pretty frame. It's small and simple, yet personal and special.
4. Summer Bag Filled with Goodies + Surprise Beach/Pool Day
Have a mom who's desperate for summer to arrive? Give her a pretty summer bag and fill it with some sunny-day goodies (sunglasses, beach wave hair spray, a funny koozie, etc.) and take her out for a surprise beach or pool day. Tip: call your local hotels to see if they offer any affordable packages that allow you to take advantage of the pool for a few hours. I find calling always helps more than emailing or messaging on a website.
5. Bottle Of Her Favorite Perfume + Mini Bottle of Your Favorite Childhood/Teenage Perfume
Ah, again with the sentimental and nostalgic gift (I'm a sucker for these!). For the mom who's obsessed with all things beauty and body, surprise your mom with a bottle of her favorite perfume - then take it a step further by adding a mini bottle of the perfume you wore as a kid or middle/high schooler to take her back in time. There's something cute about the bottle of your childhood/adolescent perfume being smaller than hers - it plays into the "mommy and me" factor. :)
6. Handwritten Letter + Pretty Frame
While handwritten cards alone are always a "Do," there's nothing like an unexpected and elevated twist on a tradition. Swap your annual Mother's Day card for a lengthy, from-the-heart handwritten letter (typed if you write like a two year-old, please) on a piece of thick, pretty stationary, then place it in a frame she'll love. Tip: make sure the frame matches the area you think she'll want to hang it in, so she doesn't have to worry about exchanging it for another.
7. Basket with Indulgent Bath/Body Products + Spa Gift Card
Nowadays, it seems we could all use more time to relax - amiright?! Now, if I - a single twenty-something - feel this way, it probably means the moms of the world could really use some personal downtime. Give your momma the gift of bliss with a basket filled with indulgent bath and body products (think: sugar scrub, body polisher, stress relief body wash, etc.) and add a gift card for a massage, facial or treatment package at a local spa. The bath and body goodies will give her something to look forward to every day, while the spa day can be used on a day when she's asking Jesus to take the wheel.
8. Homemade Recipe of Her Favorite Dish + Cookbook
Millennials aren't the only ones who carry the title of "foodie" (ever heard of Ina Garten or Giada De Laurentiis?). If your mom's favorite spot in the house is the kitchen or her favorite weekend activity is enjoying dinner at a nice restaurant, treat her to a homemade recipe of her favorite dish and throw in a gift-wrapped cookbook featuring flavors, chefs or cuisines she loves most.
9. Rooftop Yoga/Dance Class/City Bike Ride/Group Hike + Monthly Membership
Your mom out-runs and out-sweats you during a workout, and it's embarrassing. So do yourself a favor and get on her level. If cardio or #namaste is your mom's favorite way to spend a Sunday morning, treat her to a class with a special fun twist (e.g., rooftop yoga vs. regular yoga) and add a monthly membership to extend her endorphin-boosted mornings.
10. Favorite Album or Film + Tickets to a Concert or Show
If Netflix, Spotify or Playbill is your mom's middle name, tickets are your best friend. Head to a record shop or local store and purchase one of her favorite albums, films, or TV series, then add to the surprise with tickets to a concert, Broadway show or movie she's been talking about seeing. Bonus points if you throw in a vintage concert tee for the music junkie mom.
Remember: regardless of what you give your mom, be sure she has something to open or enjoy on Mother's Day.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there - especially mine! :)
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