A Last-Minute Mother's Day Gift Guide, From Actual Moms
Here's what 13 moms we admire *actually* want this Mother's Day.
This is the free edition of Rich Text, a newsletter about cultural obsessions from your Internet BFFs Emma and Claire. If you like what you see and hear, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
Some of us (read: Emma) are notoriously late holiday gift-givers. But we still love our moms and our mom friends and our mother-in-laws and our mother figures! So if you, like Emma, are behind on your Mother’s Day shopping — or just need ideas for links to send to your partner and/or children — we’ve got you covered. Sadly, we can’t simply click a button and give the moms in our lives the things we need most (universal daycare, for example, or abortion rights). But we can still find meaningful ways to make the parents in our lives feel cared for and appreciated. Like… something they actually want in their lives. We rounded up some great ideas from real moms and parents we adore!
A Housedress or a Modern Motherhood Book
Claire Fallon, co-author of Rich Text:
My great indulgence since becoming a mother has been frilly dresses, which I love to throw on in the morning so that I feel cute and put-together while I shlep my kids here and there. Hill House just had their summer drop, and I’m definitely eyeing their gingham Ellies as perfect summer options; Christy Dawn also dropped a collection of $99 Dawns, a more affordable, deadstock version of another housedress favorite. Call me a cliché, because I am one, but I love that Ellies and Dawns make me feel pretty while also being practical to wear to the playground. It’s a treat and also… I need it. Right?
Another surefire way to my heart is a good book, and I’ve been dying to read Amanda Hess’s new memoir “Second Life: Having a Child in the Digital Age.” And doing the dishes that night so I can start reading would just be the cherry on top!
A Framed Photo or Art Print
, co-author of :
I really treasure any kind of framed print, photo, souvenir or artwork — and I can’t wait until my son is a few years older so he can create more than a scribble. Framebridge and Artifact Uprising both do a great job at this! And otherwise, I think the classics are classics for a reason: I’d love a spa day where I can treat myself to a facial or massage — or both!
A Libro.fm Subscription
Ilana Masad, author of the upcoming novel “Beings”:
I think a Libro.fm subscription is a gift that keeps on giving; audiobooks are convenient for the working parent to get a bit of escapism or knowledge while also attending to other things. Multitasking maybe isn't the ultimate goal for any of us, but it's the reality of the capitalist world we live in, so why not enjoy it and also benefit indie bookstores while doing it?
A HeyDay Gift Card
Melissa P., Underwear Merchandise Planner:
I would love a HeyDay gift card to indulge in some more self care. Their facials are efficient and luxurious at the same time, and their product offerings are always hard to resist.
Together Time (Without the Kids)
, author of :
I have both a sister and a sister-in-law who both had kids after me, but as soon as they did, we started incorporating some sort of time together into our Mother's Day plans. Maybe we'll hit up a nursery, get massages, or go to the beach with a cooler full of snacks and beer. Regardless of what we end up doing, the simple tradition of time spent together is always fun, cathartic, and regenerative, and it's a gift you can give to yourself (with the help of partners or other caregivers) which will never let you down. Highly recommend!
A Custom Artwork Necklace
Laura Schocker, Chief Content Officer of Apartment Therapy Media:
I saw this necklace on the Big Little Feelings (iykyk) Instagram a few years ago and have been wanting it ever since. It's the perfect amount of quirky and sentimental, and simple enough to wear everyday. My daughter recently created her first real "portrait" of me, so I sent a photo of it with this link to my husband and am hoping he takes the hint. (Hey, John!)
Elevated White Sneakers
Jessica Kelly, editor:
This Mother’s Day I want the Isabel Marant Beth sneakers. It’s not really a mom-specific gift, but I need new white sneakers that will go with work pants and skirts, and are on trend but feel a little more special than Sambas.
CurrentBody LED Red Light Mask
Erin Darke, actor:
This red light mask! As a mom, being able to develop a routine around something that feels luxurious and like self-care, but doesn’t actually require me to stop doing any of the things I have to do is pretty great! (Editor’s note: You can use code EMMAGRAY to get 10% off this mask.)
See’s Dark Chocolate Boxes
Chaney Trotter, artist:
I’m obsessed over the dark chocolate/truffle boxes from See’s. They’re a west coast company but miraculously have their *one* New York state store in Greenwich Village and my husband Pete knows it’s a Mother’s Day mandate. Big dark chocolate snob here and their truffles are the real deal. (Also, just a verbal agreement that going out to Mother’s Day brunch with your toddler is not actually fun? Like please don’t sit there and take pictures while I manage a knife-grabbing baby and get bruschetta thrown on my dress.)
Sweatpant Jean Shorts
, co-author of and author of “Everyone Is Lying To You”:
I am a person who wants to live in soft clothes. So I wear pajamas as outdoor clothes more than the average bear. Sweatpant jeans have been an excellent compromise for me and I only realized four days ago that there is a shorts version. I doubt I will take them off this summer.
A Massage, Any Massage
Laura Hankin, author of “One-Star Romance”:
A massage, so I can lightly disassociate from everything else.
KitchenAid Grain & Rice Cooker
Emma Coburn, freelance writer and editor:
I don’t really have space for this grain and rice cooker in my kitchen, nor would I likely use it enough for it to earn its spot, but I saw a video of someone using it years ago and think about it every few months. In some parallel universe, a better, healthier, more organized version of me (with a bigger kitchen) is using it every day.
Marlo Laz Alphabet Charm Necklace
, author of :
Having just had our second baby, I’d love something really fancy with his initials that I can layer with my other everyday pieces. This necklace fits the bill.
A Night Away In A Nice Hotel
When all else fails, turn to the gift that most moms think of first: one perfect night and morning of solo bliss. Room service. A big fuzzy robe. Absolutely zero chance that someone will get her in the middle of the night because her ankle feels funny or wake her up at 5 am because they’re just not tired anymore and they want to go to the playground. We do not know a single mom who would be mad at this gift. Just saying.
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A night at a hotel is so it. I’ve been saying I’m going to do it for MoDW for the last 5 years and have yet to do it but I’m gonna one of these days.
Do yall still sell the LTSI rom com mom sweatshirt? I bought it for my sister last Mother’s Day and want to buy it for my friend, but I can’t find it anymore!