25 Affordable and Unique Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts
How did this happen? Spring took its time to make its grand appearance, and now, Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Pressed for time and short of ideas? No worries, we’ve got you covered with 25 awesome last minute Mother’s Day gifts to show her some love and say thanks. Pair up with a cheeky card, and you may get her to make you your favorite after school snack again soon.
1. Homemade Granola: You’re just an hour away from a delicious, thoughtful gift. Bake it the morning-of for extra goodness. A pretty glass jar + some ribbon and you’re set! (via Vegan in the South)
2. Southern Belle Gift Set ($60): This fabulous collection of soaks, scrubs, salves and more will get her feeling like she’s walking on the clouds.
3. Botanical Garden Membership: Just about every city has a treasured Botanical Garden — support mom’s local Garden and get her unlimited access and other members-only perks. In San Francisco, $60 gets you an individual membership, and you can email your gift for instant delivery. (via SF Botanical Garden)
4. Soy Candle Trio ($24): Help mom wind down after a long day with this set of scented soy candles. Get a sampler with one of each scent, or go all-grapefruit if she has a thing for citrusy aromas. Last minute bonus? It comes in a gift-ready muslin bag.
5. Whoopie Pies (starting at $30): If you’re in a lifelong competition with your siblings for the favorite child trophy, this might just push you to the top. A cross between a cake and a cookie, whoopie pies are rumored to be made in heaven. Well, these are made in Brooklyn, and you can choose from Pumpkin or Chocolate.
6. Gluten-Free Italian Cookies ($19): Alright, so maybe your mama loves cookies, but not gluten. Here’s the best option for the celiac madres out there.
7. Striped Dipped Tote ($45): Stripes and color block! Two of our favorite things in a stunning, roomy carry-all. If time allows, you can monogram it for an extra $8.50.
8. Jonathan Adler for TOMS Correa Sandal ($59): The newest flats from TOMS have arrived just in time for days in the rays and are as comfortable as ever. Good cause bonus: Your gift to mom gets a pair of new shoes to a child in need.
9. Airline Gift Card: Get mom a little closer to the trip she’s been wanting to take. Airlines like Southwest and JetBlue let you send a gift card by email — procrastinator gold! (via JetBlue)
10. In Full Bloom Birchbox ($58): She’ll have a hard time deciding where to start with this lush flower-inspired collection of beauty goods. This all-out box includes dreamy skincare, makeup and fragrance products from indie brands that mom just needs to know about.
11. My Family Cookbook ($35): Trust us. You want to get this for your mom. It’s a way to ensure you get your hands on the recipe for grandma’s secret sauce and other family classics.
12. The Only Ombré Pretzel Gift Assortment ($26): If your mom is as ombré-obsessed as you are, she’ll love these delectable chocolate-covered pretzels with a glamorous color treatment. Add pretty gift wrapping for an extra $5.
13. Metal Prints ($34+): Here’s something that caught our eye: Metal prints transform your favorite photo of you and mom into a display-ready piece of art. Turnaround is lightning fast, so yes, you can send a beautiful personalized gift even if you’re on a time crunch.
14. Brunch at Her Fave Restaurant: Nudge mom to try a new restaurant or pick her favorite with an OpenTable gift card. You can email it directly or print it to surprise her in person. (via OpenTable)
15. Ray of Sunshine Set ($29): This energizing pampering set is all kinds of fabulous and comes beautifully gift wrapped. Just try to remember: It’s not for you. It’s for mom!
16. A Cow ($75): We know what you’re thinking, and no, this guy will not be FedExed to your mom’s doorstep. When you purchase a cow in your mother’s name, you’re helping another family provide for themselves. Support Oxfam’s efforts in honor of mom, and she receives a card in the mail or an email that proclaims her the proud “owner” of a cow, along with info about what the gift helps achieve.
17. Mani-Pedi Gift Card ($50+): With over 3,000 nail salons in the SpaFinder network, she will sure find one close by to pamper herself. She can view ratings and book an appointment right on the site. Check your schedules and make it a date!
18. Set of Four Small Bowls ($53): We love Lotta Jansdotter’s colorful designs. This lovely set of versatile melanine bowls can liven up mom’s kitchen or her next outdoor dinner party.
19. The Chocolate All Stars ($40): In our book, chocolate is love. This heavenly box set features heavenly small-batch choco bites — chocolate-toffee pistachios, anyone? With free gift-wrapping and shipping, this might become one of your go-to gifts.
20. Sriracha Cookbook ($17): Whether she’s already totally hooked or she’s new to Sriracha, this book will rock her world. 50 recipes and lots of ideas to spice up her cooking repertoire. Round it up for an extra $7 with a bottle of the rooster sauce.
21. 8 Days-a-Week Planner Journal ($20): Basically the mother of all planners. Each spread covers Monday through Sunday, plus a very handy “Someday” column.
22. Floral and Gold iPad Case ($42+): She can’t live without her tablet, right? This gorgeous case will keep it protected. The smart vertical tab design allows for it to charge while in the case. She’ll FaceTime you right away to say thank you.
23. Cutting Board With iPad Stand ($75): Speaking of her iPad, she uses it to check recipes all the time and sets it down on… the toaster oven?! Big no-no. Time to upgrade to a digital prep station. This cutting board with a built-in tablet stand won’t dull knives, harbor bacteria or absorb flavors and odors. Pretty smart!
24. Sweet and Comforting Teas ($20): Yes, those are two of mom’s best qualities. This trio of exotic teas is a lovely token of appreciation and includes a tin each of fabulous blends like Forever Nuts, Coco Chai Rooibos and Red My Lips.
25. Giftrocket (you pick the amount): Still at a loss? Here’s the ultimate last minute, super-flexible gift. You suggest a shop or restaurant she’ll love, even if they don’t do gift cards. Giftrocket delivers a neatly packaged card or email to notify her of your gift. Mom gets to treat herself however she wants!
How are you surprising Mom? Tell us in the comments below.