Mother's Day Gift Guide - The Traditional and The Unusual

I always find that the pre-mother day’s advertising scene becomes a bit “home appliances” dominated every year. My mother seems to have been the one who pointed my attention to this fact, years ago. She started a little revolution in our household one mother’s day when we were thinking of getting her a blender or something, protesting that this is a gift for the kitchen, and that she refuses to be synonymous with the kitchen. I guess she has a point, after all, mother’s day gifts should be for her not for her house, and the old saying that this will help her with her house duties might actually spark a little women’s rights issue with international spread. Yikes!

So to keep our household safe, and for all the other mamas around the world who want personal, meaningful, happy and appreciating gifts, I decided to put together a gift guide for mother’s day. Right after I posted my Valentine’sday gift guide, a lot of people came to me for advice on more gift-related questions, the majority needed a gift idea that was out of the box, something out of the norm, still some people preferred to go with traditional normal gifts, this is why for this post I am going to give you six ideas of gifts that are mothers approved, three of which are non-traditional, unusual, unique gifts for those of us who have daring and different mums, the rest are going to be a more traditional take on the matter.

Let’s start with the usual, these are gifts that have been long known to satisfy mums around the world for years:

1. Jewelry:

It goes without saying, that giving your mum jewelry will definitely seek her approval one way or the other, some mums consider it too precious of a gift because it is at the end of the day a gift of value. Some others will consider it an investment, and then there are mums who just like the bling… you know! If you’re not sure, go for jewelry, because it is valuable but it isn’t straight forward money. So even if she doesn’t like it or wants something else, she will always have the option to sell and replace.

2. A cell-phone/Tablet:

Mothers don’t normally go gadget shopping, if anything most of them hate it, they hate it because they can never figure out what will work and what won’t. Choose wisely; she will probably keep it for years like most moms do, she will remember you every time that thing frustrates her, make sure its not a bad memory. Also make sure it fits her needs. It maybe a good thought to actually take her with you to choose, she can then tell you what she needs and you give her advice and choose based on it.

5. A personal care item:

I say personal care because I cannot categorize hair and beauty supplies under anything else, get her a hair dryer if hers is getting a bit older, get her a static brush, Braun make some really cool ones. Or there is this new hair straightening brushes that promise to straighten her hair without the fuss of the traditional straightener, I haven’t personally tried it. And at the end of the day it might be a gimmick that won’t work at all, but I am sure she will appreciate the thought.

For all you daring hearts out there, here are some unusual ways to express your gratitude to your mum. But, before you think “oh great I’ll do that”, if you’re not sure she will like/want any of these, then you better ask. In situations like this, its better safe than sorry. It can get explosive:

1. “A hobby”:

To be honest with you, when I first thought of this gift, I thought of a bicycle, but then not all mums cycle. And maybe not all live in a place that allows them to ride unnoticed and not be harassed for it. But the idea behind it was something that is joyful and means that she spends some time “playing” or having fun. So here are some other options to consider: if she is walker, or lives somewhere where she can take walks, buy her walking/running shoes, you can also get her into running. Another cool option is to buy her a GYM membership, you can opt in for a standard GYM, or be even more daring and hard core and sign her up for a CrossFit session, people always think CrossFit is so difficult and “not for everyone”, that is completely untrue, she can do it at any age. All of these ideas are for a mum who wants to be active, or likes to be outside, if your mother prefers to be inside, why not invest in an indoors hobby, the sky is your limit here and so is her’s: a sewing machine, some hand craft work, beads, a musical instrument. Or maybe even buy her a pool table or a PlayStation, she’ll enjoy it. Just choose the games carefully.

2. Something to take care of:

If your mother is into planting, or she has a garden to tend, get her a plant. Weather it being an indoor green or a tree in the garden, you can either buy her seeds and let her take care of them from the start, or buy her a house plant already potted. That being home décor is also a plus. You can also get her a pet, with a note that says: “yes mum I know you wanted grandchildren but this is all I can afford now”.. on second thought, no don’t do that unless your mum can handle a joke.

3. Something you made yourself:

ANYTHING you made yourself will do, mothers appreciate it when they see their children put the time and effort into something you made exactly for their pleasure. Make her a card, or cook her a meal or make her home made desert. If you’re handy, you can make her some accessories or something she can actually get the use out of, like a bag or maybe even a dress or a shawl. Whatever is the fruit of your creation, your mother will love it, appreciate it and keep it.