Mother’s Day is heading our way, and as usual, you are racking your brain for unique, affordable gifts for the moms in your life. Moms do so much, whether they are yours by birth or by choice, so choosing a gift that expresses how you feel — and one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg — can be a tall order. I found 20 gifts that are sure to please all the moms on your list.
APPAREL & ACCESSORIES
52 Days of Style ($13 and up) We all have phases when we are excited to get dressed, but there are other times when we are in a style slump. These cute cards, which were developed by stylist Dina Scherer, help provide creative ideas for coordinating colors, outfit suggestions, and fun fashion inspo; helping Mom work with her existing wardrobe and providing tips for picking up new pieces as well.
TYR Women’s SunDefense Long-Sleeve Shirt ($44.99)
This soft long-sleeve sun shirt makes shielding Mom’s precious skin from the sun a breeze with instant UPF 50+ broad-spectrum protection. The SunDefense QuickDry, moisture-wicking fabric is a pleasure to wear, wet or dry, and the shirt has thumbholes to ensure that the shirt stays in place. Lots of colors are available. I have the 900 Deep Ultramarine, which is a beautiful shade.
Kindred Bravely Emmaline Robe ($39.99)
This silky, lightweight robe in basic black makes a wonderful gift for a mom-to-be. The belt can be worn 2 ways, creating an empire waist, which is ideal for pregnancy, or a traditional waist. The robe has deep pockets for essentials, like wipes or tissues, and the 3/4 length sleeves won’t get in her way. The robe is also handy to use as a nursing cover.
PRETTY THINGS
Felt Flowers by Heather Donohue ($12 each)
These handcrafted felt flowers feature cheery pinks, oranges, and yellows cut into pretty shapes, then stacked to make whimsical blooms that will last forever. Each flower has a leaf that can be personalized with a name or “Mom” and a pipe cleaner stem. I fell in love with these and ordered several for the Moms, Nanas, Grandmas, and Grammys in my life.
Pretty Pep Talks Stationery Set ($45 and up)
If Mom enjoys sending written correspondence, a lovely letterpress stationery set from Pretty Pep Talks would be a welcome addition to her stationery stash. There are lots of designs to choose from, including sophisticated monograms and quirky designs featuring images like cocktails or flamingos.
BeachTech Towel in Sunset ($24.99)
These ultra-thin beach towels have their own carrying pouch and are made from recycled plastic water bottles! They are ¼ the size of a regular towel, and yet they resist sand, absorb 3x more water, and dry very quickly. Available in a variety of prints – I chose Sunset, which is very pretty.
Gift a Green ($12.99 on Amazon)
A fun and affordable gift, this “card” pouch has a space for her address, a personal message, and a sport for postage (for 100g). When Mom receives the pouch, she opens it to reveal soil and a seed packet to grow her own microgreens! Instructions are at www.giftagreen.com. There’s also a gift box ($33) that contains 5 different micro-green gardens.
The Stationery Studio Stunning Glass Photo Paperweight ($35.00)
You may know by now that I am always on the hunt for unique photo gifts. This elegant glass paperweight is 3″ x 3″ x 0.75″ and will look beautiful perched atop her papers.
The Happy Birdwatcher Starter Box ($32 and up)
A birdwatcher’s delight, this birdseed mix is unique to her zip code and the seed comes with expert info on what birds she can expect. You can choose between Regular, No Waste, and Hot Pepper blend options; No Waste is ideal for a patio because no hulls are left behind. Hot Pepper mix is the choice for those with a squirrel problem. Subscriptions are also available, and the customized mix is adjusted throughout the year according to bird migrations. Packaging is recyclable, and a portion of the proceeds is donated to organizations serving those with mental health issues or addiction.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
This oven and dishwasher-safe white dish will be a go-to when she entertains; it’s the ideal size for a brie or warm dip, and the tea light candle underneath will keep the contents at the perfect temperature for dipping. A lid is included, so what’s left can be stored in the fridge. 10-year warranty.
Corico Olive Boat ($30 on Amazon)
Another must for entertaining, this two-piece white glaze serving bowl holds olives around the edge and it has a clever, covered receptacle for the pits in the center. She’ll never have to look at ugly olive pits again! Dishwasher safe.
Filthy Starter Kit ($16)
If she loves cocktails, this cheeky kit will be an excellent addition to her home bar. The kit contains essential ingredients for Bloody Marys and Margaritas, including all-natural mixes plus naturally-cured queen olives stuffed with delicious Wisconsin blue cheese and wild Italian slow-cooked Amarena cherries. All products are non-GMO and gluten-free. Bump up the gift with her favorite booze brands.
SELF CARE
MICROJOYS: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay($22.68)
This insightful book by author Cyndie Spiegel weaves together essays addressing the microjoys that have kept Cyndie going through tough times and shows us how we can learn to find microjoys in our own lives. As she reads the book, Mom will learn how you can weather something hard but find joy in the small things at the same time.
Mental + Calm Strips Banana Breather ($11.99 for a 5-pack)
Life can be hard, and this limited edition Banana Breather is a sensory sticker that will encourage Mom to focus and breathe calmly whenever she needs it. The sticker can be attached to most surfaces; a phone, laptop, desk, etc., and can easily be removed.
Mental is an online platform dedicated to real life and its ups and downs, offering support, and removing the stigma of mental health challenges, because we all have them! The banana represents their tagline “Because life is bananas” and was created in partnership with award-winner Calm Strips. The strips come with a simple – yet effective – breathing exercise. This month, a percentage of the proceeds of each Mental + Calm Strips Banana Breather packet sold will go to Made of Millions, a global mental health advocacy nonprofit.
Sips by Bath Tea Kit ($40)
The Bath Tea Kit is a collaboration with Sips by Founder Staci in Austin, artist, watercolorist August Wren in NYC, and designer Julie in Portland. This soothing blend of herbs, fruits, and flowers is dispensed into sachets (included) infusing Mom’s bathwater with antioxidants and inflammation-reducing benefits. The teas and sachets come packaged in a beautiful, reusable floral print double-layered clutch.
BEAUTY
Nivea Skin Care Set for Her ($14.81 on Amazon)
This set of NIVEA products is nestled in a colorful, reusable zipper tote. The set includes full-size bottles of NIVEA Nourishing Care Body Wash with Nourishing Serum, Essentially Enriched Body Lotion, Moisture Lip Care, and a 2oz. NIVEA Crème. A lovely gift that is very affordable!
FaceTory Dream Garden Collection 8 Sheet Mask Set ($23.16 for 8 masks. Originally $28.95)
This collection of floral printed sheet masks contains 8 masks to provide nourishment and hydration to parched skin. The masks are infused with concentrated essence with ingredients, like Elderflower Water, Chamomile Extract, and Lotus Flower Extract, and her skin will feel fantastic after each mask.
grace & stella energy drink eye masks ($24 for 48 pairs)
A treat for tired eyes, these cooling and anti-inflammatory hydrogel eye patches contain nutritious ingredients, like Chondrus crispus powder and glycerin to intensely hydrate the eyes, depuff, and mitigate under-eye circles. Vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free.
If you’re not sure what to get
I hope you found some inspiration in the above suggestions, but if you’re still scratching your head, I have two suggestions for you.
One is PerfectGift.com ($10 – $100)*, where you can purchase a Visa gift card for Mom that can be personalized with a photo and message. That way, Mom can use her special gift card to buy whatever she wants!
I also recently had a chance to try Snappy, which is an innovative gifting platform where you purchase a Snappy for Mom for $25 – $500. She clicks on the email notification and then there’s a fun “scratch” feature, which reveals a slew of curated gifts (anywhere from 10-40) based on a variety of interests and hobbies that she can choose from. She can even send you a digital thank you note after! I received a Snappy to try for myself and I had a hard time choosing because there were so many nice gifts.
This article originally appeared on Truetrae and was syndicated by MediaFeed.
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9 TV mothers who were probably cooler than our own (sorry, Mom)
When we’re in need of comfort, advice, and inspiration, we often turn to those bastions of compassion who have stood the test of time – TV moms. They’ve been our role models, confidants, and entertainment for decades.
That’s why we went looking for the best TV moms of all time. We checked out what people think on Reddit and other forums, as well as scrolling through Rotten Tomatoes posts, and this is what we found.
These are moms who were main characters, provided a positive role model, were highly relatable, had a sense of humor and showed a strong bond with their children. These TV moms are the cream of the crop.
Let’s count down the top nine TV moms of all time, just in time for Mother’s Day!
IMDb
In “Leave It to Beaver,” June Cleaver, played by Barbara Billingsley, epitomizes the classic 1950s housewife. And she throws a mean party, too. June never loses her grace and composure, always decked out in pumps and her trademark pearl necklace, even while gardening.
Where she really shines is her calm demeanor and level head. No matter what the rambunctious kids around her bring her, she keeps her cool. June is almost intimidating in her coolness, but it’s a trait worth admiring.
Wikipedia
Played by Phylicia Rashad, Clair Huxtable is definitely the law around her home in “The Cosby Show.” This mother of five lays down the rules when she has to, but she’s also a hardworking career woman with strong feminist principles.
These high standards and commitment to fairness make her one of the most beloved TV moms of all time. And she’s not without a joke or two as well. Clair can be shockingly funny when she chooses to be. She’s had a profound effect on not just her TV family, but the real world as well.
IMDb
Any woman who can put up with Homer Simpson probably deserves a medal, but Marge Simpson does it with grace, humor and wit. Voiced by Julie Kavner, this iconic TV mom not only has a distinctive look, but also a grounding personality that often holds the whole wacky show together.
Marge is really doing the heavy lifting in this family. With all the antics going on around her, she is often the one stabilizing force in the family. She also understands Bart even when he’s at his most mischievous, displaying the true depth of a mother’s unconditional love.
20th Television Animation / IMDB
Tami Taylor from “Friday Night Lights,” played by Connie Britton, may be the most realistic TV mom on this list. The wife of the high school football coach, she’s also a guidance counselor at the local high school. This means a lot of characters come to her when they need help, advice and a sympathetic ear.
Listening to all the woes of high school students is no easy task, but Tami handles it with composure and compassion. This makes her a maternal figure to nearly the whole high school. Imagine having that many kids thinking of you as their mom. Yet Tami doesn’t even flinch, and for that we commend her.
IMDb
“The Brady Bunch” features a rowdy and ever-shifting family dynamic, yet Carol Brady, played by Florence Henderson, steps into the role of “mom” for this motley bunch with incredible poise. She is mom not just to her own daughters, but also to the three sons she gains through her marriage to Mike Brady. Talk about a big family.
Having six kids – many of them teenagers – sounds pretty overwhelming to us. Yet Carol manages to be there with life advice and stern but sweet guidance whenever the kids are in need. She even gets a job on top of all this in some of the sequels to the show. That’s a lot to juggle!
Wikipedia
Lorelai Gilmore from “Gilmore Girls,” played by Lauren Graham, is the cool mom we all wished we had. Her wit and sarcasm shine through to make her a relatable parental figure. This helps while she tries to raise her daughter Rory all on her own and teach her to be a strong and independent woman like her.
No TV mom is quicker with a quip or snappy comeback than Lorelai. To be honest, sometimes we’re a little jealous of the fun she and Rory get up to. Sure, she can be embarrassing at times, but what parent hasn’t embarrassed their teenager at some point?
Gilmore Girls / The WB
Claire Dunphy from “Modern Family,” played by Julie Bowen, is a working mom who manages to balance her career and family life. This requires a tough mind and strong organizational skills, but that’s where Claire shines. She knows how to get stuff done no matter what tangled mess she finds herself in.
Claire is the kind of mom who will do anything for her family, even if it means embarrassing herself in the process. Her organizational skills can get out of hand at times, resulting in some micromanaging tendencies, but we’ll forgive her considering the burden she’s bearing for the family.
IMDb
Being a mother not hard enough for you? How about being a doctor on top of that?
Rainbow Johnson from “Black-ish” is an anesthesiologist as well as a mother of four. Played by Tracee Ellis Ross, Rainbow isn’t afraid to stand her ground when she believes in something, even pushing back against Dre’s more firm parenting style at times.
She can be a perfectionist, and that means she holds herself and those around her to high standards. But she also speaks multiple languages, pushes those around her to be their best, and provides the love and nurturing only a mother can.
IMDb
Rebecca Pearson from “This Is Us,” played by Mandy Moore, has been through a lot, and it’s made her stronger. She is a wife, a mother of three, and a strong, resilient woman who puts her family first.
Rebecca is the kind of mom who will do anything for her children, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness. She is the mom we all wished we had, but only sometimes. Her emotional struggles and occasional overbearing tendencies could be a bit difficult to handle at times, even if they come from a place of love.
Carrie-nelson
There were so many TV moms who almost made the list, including:
- Elyse Keaton from “Family Ties”
- Jill Taylor from “Home Improvement”
- Diane Johnson from “Cheers”
All of these moms are strong, independent, and have a great sense of humor. Maybe they make the list for you instead of one of our choices above.
This article was produced and syndicated by MediaFeed.
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IMDb
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