A Creative Gift Guide for ALL Women This Mother’s Day by Toby Lowenfels Last Updated: May 4, 2022

Look, the “perfect” Mother’s Day is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe you’re in the snuggles-with-the-kids-followed-by-a-family-picnic camp. Maybe all you want is 12 hours in a sensory deprivation tank without anyone speaking to you. Or something in between.

But it’s not news that for so many people, this is a complex holiday. Some have lost mothers; some are estranged from their mothers or grown children; other women are desperately yearning to become mothers. Countless women have spent the pandemic not surrounded by a bustling family life.

So what about making this Mother’s Day a chance to celebrate and lift up all the women around us? Let’s show all the women in our lives that they are loved and noticed. Here are a few ideas for how.

1. Call. (Don’t text!)
2. Pick her up for a shopping trip, even if it’s just to Tar-jay. (As if that’s not the dreamiest shopping trip, and we all can admit it.)
3. Go for a hike together.
4. Write her an actual letter. Handwritten, on stationery.
5. Bring her lunch or order her lunch.
6. Lift up her kitchen game with a meal starter kit, meal plan or snack kit.
7. Bring over some delicious baked goods, of course.
8. Pop over to her house, plop your cuddly baby on her lap for some smiles then leave the second the baby gets fussy. (Take the baby with you.)
9. Appeal to her sweet tooth with some Dolly Parton ice cream.
10. Gift her a few hours of a handyman’s (or -woman’s) time. Taskrabbit it or hire your go-to person to spend some time hanging art and doing all those tasks we never get around to doing.
11. She spent the pandemic cultivating an indoor garden, so spoil her with a glass watering can that’s almost as pretty as her plants.
12. Head to your favorite bookstore or library together. Or grab her a handful of books and deliver them to her.
13. Book simultaneous hair appointments. Even a quick blowout is a treat. Or sit with each other as you get highlights and use the time to catch up.
14. Put together a playlist for her day.
15. Make her a personalized calendar featuring quotes she’d like and pics of the loves of her life — whether they’re pets, garden masterpieces, or humans.
16. A fruit bouquet may just be the nicest gesture in the world. DIY it if you dare.
17. Gift her a museum or garden membership.
18. You can never go wrong with cheese, glorious cheese.
19. Take an annoying errand or task off her plate. Helping with her spotty wireless connection or maxxed out photo storage is going to create space in her brain, and that’s a perfect gift.
20. Brighten her day with a brilliant pop of color so she can tote around all her shiz in style.
21. You know she’s itching to travel, so a good, old-fashioned city guide for the destination she’s been eyeing could be the right motivation for her to make it happen.
22. Hit peak luxury—for under $20, holy cow—with a milk frother.
23. The gift of a chic and super-portable folding chair will be perfect for all her outdoor gatherings this spring and summer.
24. Bathtime chill pills are ideal, or try shower steamer pods for the non-bath women.
25. Give her a chic cooler bag for picnic season.
26. Do something for her house, like have her windows or carpets cleaned.
27. Send her some good tea with a luxe cup. And a stunning kettle, of course. There’s also this extremely charming tea set for one.
28. Sign her up for a yoga course.
29. Frame a picture of the two of you together.
30. Up her produce game with a mushroom discovery service or funky fruit subscription.
31. Order a weighted blanket to keep her cozy.
32. Offer to clean out a junk or clutter area that’s making her head hurt.
33. Gift a cheeky t-shirt or an encouraging bit of cheer she can wear.
34. Indulge in pretty soap and cream to heal her over-sanitized hands.
35. Send your favorite book. Some suggestions: What Kind of Woman, Wintering, Dancing at the Pity Party, The Hill We Climb, Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief, Weed Mom, Revolutionary Mothering, The Book of Delights, Time Momagement, Rupi Kaur, Moms Don’t Have Time To
36. Hire a service to come to her house to do a spring cleaning session (not because it’s a sty, but because who wouldn’t love it?) Bonus if you can take her out somewhere fun during.
37. A stylish water bottle or to-go coffee mug to keep her hydrated and fueled.
38. Treat her feet to a foot massager and the ultimate mom shoe.
39. Give a cheery phone case, with proceeds going toward Stop AAPI Hate.
40. Appeal to her sentimental side with a charm.
41. Take her out for a spa afternoon or send her this luxurious facial steamer. Oh là là.
42. Send flowers and a glam vase to put them in, naturally.
43. Offer to take her Goodwill pile to Goodwill, or her digital recycling box to the recycle center. She’ll be grateful to get the trunk of her car back.
44. Source a workout set to break her out of her usual sweats.

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