One of the hardest questions to answer, at least for me, is “what do you want for [insert holiday here]”. The same can be said for Mother’s Day. Listen, this is only my second one, and I’m really not sure if people even ask that often, but I decided to compile a list of things that actual moms want for Mother’s Day.
I sent out some texts/feelers to my mom friends and put a post out on my personal Facebook asking for input.
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Two of the most resounding answers I got were “sleep” and “a massage”. As a mom, self care time can be hard to come by (yes, I’m lumping sleep into that category), and there’s often an overwhelming feeling of guilt that comes with scheduling time for yourself. Personally, I’m susceptible to those feelings too. I have to stop and tell myself to schedule time to take care of me instead of taking care of my kiddo.
One of the most helpful things that I was told was “you have to put on your own oxygen mask before you put on other people’s masks.” It’s also one piece of advice that I tell most new parents (not just moms).
To sleep all day.
Britnee D.
A break from the daily grind of motherhood.
Lauren I.
Massage or pedicure.
Sierra C.
I actually was talking to my husband the other day about this (and this post, if I’m honest). He made a comment that really resonated – “you tend to like ‘sets’ of things. Things that are kitchy and go together”. He’s absolutely not wrong.
He, actually, was the one that gifted me the Renpho Eye Massager, although I can’t remember what holiday that was for between Mother’s Day and my birthday. I was kind of skeptical, but as soon as I tried it, I was hooked. I tend to get headaches a lot, and it only magnified with pregnancy and the early stages of parenthood. This thing heats up while it massages, and it’s quite literally the best thing ever.
Gift Idea:
- Renpho Eye Massager
- Her favorite snack & drink
- Take the kids out for the day/a few hours to let her recharge
I did get a couple of people respond with outdoorsy asks.
Hanging baskets
Amber D.
Plants for our flower beds
Ciara S.
Is it just me, or are millennials taking more to the earth? I know I’ve been trying to make a more conscious effort to use fresh ingredients in my cooking and really focus on what I put into my body and feed my family (nobody needs to comment on the ungodly amount of processed food/takeout I eat weekly. It’s a work in progress). I recently picked up some established herb plants from a friend’s daughter’s school fundraiser and hope to keep them alive long enough to harvest some of those goodies.
Gift Idea:
- Wraxly Fabric Flower Grow Bags
- Family trip to a local nursery to pick out plants
- Cute handmade card (maybe with kiddo’s hand print as a flower)
I love the thought of a spa day, as did a lot of my friends.
I asked for an hour massage gift certificate.
Megan G.
A clean house and a spa day
Tabatha Z.
Sometimes, though, that’s not always in the budget. Living in this world lately is pretty expensive, and spas are definitely not cheap. Piggybacking on the thought of just having time to oneself, I looked into gifts for an at home spa day.
Gift Idea:
There were also a lot of requests just for a plain night away.
A night in a hotel by myself.
Tess S.
Kid free night in a hotel with wine, Netflix and junk food.
Lindsay J.
Gift Idea:
- Get her a night/weekend at a hotel, either local or a weekend getaway (if you’re in Ohio, I really recommend Hocking Hills, but that’s just me)
- This cute wine tumbler
- Her favorite wine or drink of choice
If you can’t tell, I’ve tried to keep these pretty consistent to what my husband said. Something “kitchy” (I also call these things cute) paired with an experience. For a lot of people, the experience portion is the most valuable.
It’s so hard to slow down and enjoy even the littlest of moments, so making memories and spending quality time with family are things I always look forward to.
Brittany J.
My kids are grown and far away. I would love a visit.
Juli R.
Hugs.
Jessica P.
We live in a digital world. Gone are the days of physical photo albums filled with memories. We have a Google Drive full of pictures of kiddo with her aunts and uncles, me and her dad, and all of the things she is doing as she grows and explores her world. One of the biggest complaints I hear from moms is that they’re usually the ones taking the pictures, hardly ever in the pictures.
Gift Idea:
- Fujifilm Polaroid Camera
- Take candid shots of her with the kiddos as you’re out and about
Hopefully these give you some good starting points or ideas for meaningful gifts that moms actually want for mother’s day. Thanks for reading.
The Mediocre Homemaker 