The oversugared advertising around Mother's Day may be all about profit, but many of us genuinely appreciate the lifetime of support, encouragement and care with which our mothers provided us. The question is often this: what kind of gift can really show your gratitude for all she does for you?
It's time to think beyond flowers and knickknacks. Finding the perfect present is all about understanding someone's interests, desires and endearing little quirks, which shouldn't be too much to ask when it comes to your mom. All you need is a selection of thoughtful, creative gifts to choose from, which is exactly what you'll find down below.
The perfect gift for frequent drivers, this phone holder looks good, grasps your phone firmly and is no trouble at all to use every day. It’s also economical, especially once you realize that you get two for the price of one.
For less than the price of a bottle of prescription painkillers, you can get this holistic alternative for daily use. Is it effective? The consensus seems to be “yes”. Comfortable? Not so much.
Someone who’s special to you will always appreciate a handmade gift, but not so much if it looks like the result of setting a gorilla loose in an art supplies store. This gift lets you express your love and creativity even if you don’t have any artistic talent.
It’s not always easy to find a meaningful gift for someone, even if they’ve been in your life for years. These little books have a writing prompt on each page to help you think of all the things you really appreciate in a person.
Heat has long been known as an effective treatment for muscle pain, stress and cramps. This stylish neck wrap makes it easy to apply this to yourself at home and also incorporates relaxing aromatherapy scents.
A great gift for any woman, this tiny humidifier emits ionized steam, which is great for improving skin tone and eliminating facial impurities. As a bonus, it can also serve to warm up a small towel or make the air in a room more comfortable to breathe.
Anyone who enjoys coffee with friends will love getting this little decorating set as a gift. The designs it allows you to make on top of each drink may be short-lived, but are all the more special for that.
Somewhat ironically, this watch designed specifically for the visually impaired takes style to the next level. It’s not cheap, but totally worth the price given its concept and durable construction.
Plenty of people think of sushi as something exotic and nearly impossible to make. They’re right, of course, if we’re talking about upholding traditional Japanese standards. If you just want to create dishes that look and taste good, even a novice can get started.
A great gift for hikers, outdoor workers and chilly grandmas alike, these electrically powered insoles apply heat directly to the body parts that are often the first to get cold. Despite a slightly awkward design, they’re also surprisingly comfortable.
Practically speaking, it’s impossible to avoid all potentially harmful chemicals, but many people are now choosing to limit their exposure. As far as underarm deodorants go, this may even be the more effective and economical option.
Winterwear doesn’t always mix well with certain hairstyles. Don’t hang up your ice skates just yet, though: this beanie keeps your ears from freezing while still allowing you to wear your hair up.
There’s no place like home, but sometimes, there’s no way to get home. Should a distant friend be having a bad day, they will really appreciate being able to conjure up memories of their birthplace just by lighting a candle that smells like their home state.
Following a healthy diet does require some work, but it’s actually easy once you get the hang of it. Whether you want to eat less junk food, practice better portion control or just spend less effort on cooking, these glass storage containers may be just what you need.
This slab of premium rock salt makes a perfect gift for regular grillers, but also a fine addition to any kitchen. It imparts wonderful flavor to any food placed on it and has a couple of other, interesting uses.
Many people enjoy foot massages, but there isn’t always someone around to give you one. Once you have this machine, you can get a relaxing massage anytime you want to. This will make a great gift for anyone who’s constantly stressed.
Anyone who’s ever tried to balance a teacup on the rim, or read a book while bathing, has probably wondered what exactly bathtub designers were thinking. This bamboo tray compensates for some of their oversights and makes soaking in the tub a lot more fun.
A lovely gift for anyone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, this ingenious whisk reduces mess and lets you salvage the sauce or batter that would normally be left clinging to the wires.
Chronic stress doesn’t just lead to painful muscular tension, it can be downright lethal if left unchecked. Luckily, there are a couple of things you can do to improve such a situation, whether in your own life or by giving this stylish yet effective massager as a gift.
An exquisite selection of teas presented in a stylish box, this is the perfect gift for long-time tea drinkers and newcomers to the pursuit alike. With eight classic flavors to choose from, trying to decide on a favorite is sure to broaden your horizons.
Lisa See (author) is well known for her novels depicting foreign eras and societies with compassion, understanding, and objectivity. This book is no exception, primarily following a Chinese girl’s odyssey from a near-feudal life into the modern world.
Music teachers are often flooded with gifts from their students around the end of the year or term. These little note cards give you the option of showing your appreciation with something special rather than an impractical, characterless gift.
While you can always use your words to ask for a cup of get-up-and-go juice, you might sometimes be too tired for even that level of exertion. When this happens, you really need a way to broadcast the fact to your loved ones before you risk falling unconscious.
There are plenty of options out there when it comes to keeping your coffee steaming hot and tasting fresh – sadly, many of them just aren’t very good at doing either. This stainless steel decanter, by contrast, works just about as well as the laws of physics allow.
Decorations make great gifts, especially when they’re personalized in some way. Luciana Frigerio’s Book Sculptures spell out a message of your choosing, and look great as well. You can’t go wrong with this one.
These soap bars are just the right size for a gift, while the color alone makes it worth giving. The scent is complex yet clear, strong but not overpowering, and certainly natural and inviting.
While most bath salts are formulated mainly to smell nice, Minera focuses on providing a mineral-rich bathing experience. Taken from the Dead Sea, it’s subject to only a minimum of processing.
Whether you just need to see the keyboard in dim conditions or don’t want to disturb your wive while watching television, this little gadget can be a life saver in many situations.
Brewing coffee is all about extracting the flavorful compounds while retaining more or less of the bitter or acidic components. This coffee maker is pretty good at that.
With this bowl you can keep your breakfast cereal from getting soggy by lifting it above the milk. You can also use it for things like separating oatmeal and fruit.
There are various types of implements to make your own noodles, but we like this one because it makes it easy to produce uniform spaetzle every time. A great gift for serious chefs.
Some women use this brow kit every day. With or without the stencils, the brow powder and wax are of very high quality and won’t come off at the slightest provocation.
This golf putting trainer is a great gift for any aspiring golfer. By clamping two extendable rods to your putter’s shaft you can practice swinging from the shoulders instead of using your arms.
Made of polycarbonate and stainless steel, you’d have serious difficulty doing much damage to this micro case. It will also help your phone survive bad weather. Perfect for on the go.
Although there are numerous similar products around, we like this particular lever citrus juicer for its sturdy construction. It works effectively with differently-sized fruits.
At bedtime, this night mask shows a gradually dimming sunset. The light not only soothes you to dreamland, it also gently wakes you up in the morning. For someone with difficulty sleeping, this might turn out to be a lifesaver.
When it comes to decorations that are in any way kitschy, we are usually not a fan. However, this wind spinner is something handmade, creative, and innovative. It’s really worth a second look.
A smoke waterfall censer provides a great way of experiencing the benefits of aromatherapy – at home, in yoga studios, and even in offices. This one will certainly not disappoint, it’s hypnotic to watch.
Kitchen gadgets often solve a problem that doesn’t exist, and do only one thing. This tool, however, seems to be different. It’s not a replacement for conventional tongs and spoons, but will indeed perform the functions of both of these.
To get good results in your crafting, you need the right tools, no matter how talented you are. This minc foil applicator starter kit will certainly help.