Shopping for mothers day gift ideas is really about choosing a mood for her home, and the best picks pair a familiar scent with something pretty enough to leave on display.
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Mother’s Day is coming up on May 8th, so we thought we’d help out with some great gift ideas for Moms.
Choosing a scent for Mom
Think about what she already loves. A mom who keeps fresh flowers will probably enjoy a peony, rose or violet, and a mom who bakes might want something warm and sugary. If she says she wants nothing at all, pick the gentlest scent on the shelf.
Avoid anything too sharp or heavy. A fragrance that you love might overwhelm her, so lean soft.
Our own list included the Voluspa Maison Blanc Gift Set, with one votive of each of the eight fragrances in the collection. It comes in a white box gilded with gold, and the votives have screw top lids that make them ideal for travel or trial.
Lafco is worth a look too. The Powder Room candle, with its Duchess Peony fragrance, comes in a bright pink keepsake glass, and it is perfect for the girl in every mom.
Our favorite mothers day gift ideas are the ones that feel like a hug.
How to shop mothers day gift ideas
I would start with gift sets, since they let her sample several scents. A boxed set also saves you from guessing, which is the main risk of buying fragrance for someone else.
Then add one personal item, like perfume or a body treat. Moms rarely buy those for themselves, so they feel like real gifts.
Diffusers are a good candle alternative. They give steady fragrance without a flame, which suits busy households and rooms where candles are inconvenient.
Perfume makes a lovely addition. Juliette Has a Gun offers Miss Charming, a sweet fruity floral of Moroccan rose, musk and wild berries, and Lady Vengeance, richer and more sensual with Bulgarian rose, patchouli and vanilla. The first suits daytime and playful moms, the second evening and the daring.
Among mothers day gift ideas, the Lafco and Voluspa picks give the most flexibility. Add a body treat like a Beau Bain bath bomb for a personal touch.
Anthousa gift sets offer three mini diffusers, which are perfect for a powder room or other small spaces and make a nice alternative to a candle.
Mothers day gift ideas that include a candle should include matches or a lighter, too.
Timing and presentation
Order a week early so nothing is delayed in the mail. Wrap the gift yourself, even if the wrapping is a bit lopsided. A card in your own words will mean more than the item.
Fragrance sits near the top of most people’s memory, and for many of us a mother’s scent is the first one we ever knew.
Mothers day gift ideas do not have to be expensive to feel special. A single well-chosen candle with a card from the heart beats a pile of generic items.
Order your mothers day gift ideas early so nothing arrives after the holiday.
More gift ideas
If your mother-in-law is on the list too, see our post on gift ideas for moms and moms-in-law. For bridal showers or couples nearby, the wedding gift ideas page has a few overlapping picks.
For background on the holiday and how it began, Wikipedia has a full entry on Mother’s Day. Mostly, though, she just wants to know you thought of her.
Whichever of these mothers day gift ideas you choose, remember to add a handwritten card.
Mothers day gift ideas do not need to match her entire house, just her mood.
Whatever you pick from these mothers day gift ideas, she will remember that you chose it.
Come back and tell us how mothers day gift ideas worked for you.
Thanks for reading about mothers day gift ideas. Tell me what you think in the comments.
Header photo: JLPC, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).
