What do you get the woman who has everything? More jewelry even though she has plenty? Clothes even though her closet is busting at the hinges? For years, I’ve struggled to find gifts for my mother for her birthday, Christmas, and Mother’s Day, and I know I’m not the only one who struggled. Not to mention, there is always one sibling who knows the mother best, so coming up with gift ideas always falls back on them. That sibling happens to be me, and these are some great ideas that, over the years, I have found to be meaningful and memorable.
- Hooray Heroes Customized Storybook
This is the gift I am getting for my mother for Mother’s Day this year. For around $70, you can customize a book with you, your siblings, and your mother as the characters. The story can include one or more children. There are fifteen prewritten short stories to choose from including stories about sibling rivalry, going to school, making breakfast, and camping. The book comes with an introductory story, then you can select ten of the prewritten stories to include. For an extra fee, you can select all fifteen. However, you must customize the characters first. The book allows you to pick skin tone, hairstyle, hair color, eye color, glasses or no glasses, freckles or no freckles, and, of course, the character’s name. Do I wish there were more options such as glasses style and different outfits? Yes, but I think the book I created came out adorable regardless. My favorite part was the ability to write a custom dedication. This is the perfect opportunity to write a heartfelt thank you for everything your mother has done for you and how she has influenced you.
This site has a variety of books that aren’t just Mother’s Day related, too. They have books for couples, Father’s Day, and even birthdays. I found this process best completed on a computer. You can use PayPal, credit, debit, and other ways to purchase your book. I think the $70 was well worth it for this amazing, customized book that will make my mother cry tears of joy.
- Willow Tree Figurines
If your mother has a collectibles area somewhere in the house, whether it be a shelf, curio, or China cabinet, then a Willow Tree figurine would be perfect for her. These beautiful figures are perfect for a variety of occasions including births, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, weddings, and so much more. These figures are made of resin but are molded and created from the carved statues of Susan Lordi. Her simplistic yet powerful work speaks volumes and will surely bring tears to your mother’s eye when she opens it. While there are dozens of pieces to browse at your local Hallmark or even on Amazon, the piece I purchased for my mother for Christmas a few years ago is titled ‘Close to Me’. This piece shows an older woman embracing a younger girl. On Amazon, the piece will run you around $50-55 depending on shipping, but it is well worth the cost! For her birthday, which is coming up, I purchased the piece titled ‘Thank You’. This piece cost me $32 at my local Hallmark store. Hallmark also has similar figures for around $12-20 if you are on a tighter budget.
- Precious Moments Figurines
Like the Willow Tree figures, these adorable collectibles will tug on your mother’s heartstrings. These pieces live up to their name, showing precious moments such as laying a baby in their crib, seeing a daughter in her wedding dress, baby’s first steps, a drawing made for mom, and so many more. My mom has collected these since she married and moved in with my dad twenty-six years ago. While I can’t recommend just one of these enchantingly cute figurines, I can suggest several. These figures range in price but do run on the more expensive side as they are highly popular collectibles.
Your Love Lifts Me (little boy): https://www.amazon.com/Precious-Moments-Porcelain-Figurine-154002/dp/B0187CZAD4/ref=sr_1_36?crid=29BQAGWFFNELU&keywords=mother+daughter+precious+moments+figurines&qid=1649684409&sprefix=precious+moments+mother+and+daughter%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-36
Mom, You Deserve The World: https://www.amazon.com/Precious-Moments-203005-Porcelain-Figurine/dp/B08VYBL1WP/ref=sr_1_8?crid=29BQAGWFFNELU&keywords=mother+daughter+precious+moments+figurines&qid=1649684409&sprefix=precious+moments+mother+and+daughter%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-8
I Cherish Our Time Together: https://www.amazon.com/Precious-Moments-Together-Porcelain-144004/dp/B00S7VZ6RG/ref=sr_1_5?crid=29BQAGWFFNELU&keywords=mother+daughter+precious+moments+figurines&qid=1649684409&sprefix=precious+moments+mother+and+daughter%2Caps%2C70&sr=8-5
- Handprint/Fingerprint Art
Our walls have been bare since I was little. We never put up any family photos because of my mother’s irrational fear of crooked hanging frames. However, with the help of my brothers, I’ve made custom artwork for my mother that remains on our wall years later. Since my favorite animal is a narwhal, we used my hand and the thumbprints of the three children to create a Mommy narwhal and her baby narwhals swimming in the ocean. This captures the size of our little fingers and will always be a reminder of how fast children grow up. Another piece we created involved our thumbprints being turned into bumblebees with the caption ‘All I am is what you helped me to bee-come’. What mother doesn’t love an inexpensive, yet priceless gift like this? I suggest using Apple Barrel paint for these, which can be found for under $1 a bottle at most craft stores and Walmart.
- Items Representing Your College/School
High school is nothing special. Most of us don’t select where we go to school, it’s just determined by the location of our home within specific district lines. However, college is something we select and is worth celebrating. I’ve seen numerous cars with bumper stickers showing what colleges the owner’s children attended. I’ve attended the University of Scranton for three years now and have two more to go, but it never occurred to me to buy my mother an item she can wear or display that has the University’s logo on it. For Christmas, I was stumped. Knowing my father was purchasing my mother a brand-new Ford made me feel defeated. What could I get that could even possibly top that? I was lost until my friend, Stephanie, dragged me into the bookstore on campus one day. There, I fell in love with a fleece jacket that I knew my mother would love. I also purchased the stereotypical bumper sticker which she has yet to put on her new car. However, she wears the fleece jacket to work, church, lunch dates with my father, and just events around the community. When she opened it on Christmas morning, she looked at me and said, “It’s about time! It’s only been three years!”. This prompted the whole family to erupt with laughter. Something as simple as this, or a cup, a keychain, a magnet, or even an ornament could mean a lot more than you expect. The prices of these items vary depending on the college’s bookstore prices and rotating sales. The fleece jacket cost me $45.
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, hopefully this list gave you some ideas to invest in for your mother. As the only girl of my siblings, I can speak from experience. Help your siblings out and maybe give them an idea or two off the list as well as there is a chance they might need it. These items will ensure that your mother has a spectacular and memorable Mother’s Day once again.