Mother's Day is May 14; check out these gift ideas

If you haven’t bought a Mother’s Day gift for the mother(s) in your life, you’re running out of time! Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 12, 2024.

source: Deposit Photos

Whether you’ll be celebrating your mom, stepmom, mother-in-law, mother of your children, or someone you think of as a mom, it’s a holiday that deserves more thought for gifting than grocery store flowers.

Most moms probably just want family time on Mother’s Day. Visit her if you can. If you can’t visit, Facetime or make a phone call.

If you are lucky enough to visit with your mom for Mother’s Day, make it her day. Do what she wants, don’t let her cook, and just be present.

Gift ideas for mom

Some of these links are from Amazon, so unless you are a prime member or are willing to pay extra for faster shipping, you may want to look for similar items locally.

Plants, Gardening, and Outdoors

Since Mother’s Day falls right in the heart of spring, flowers, plants, and gardening gifts are popular. Personally, I don’t like to gift cut flowers because they die within a week or two.

House plants are a nice option for a non-gardening mom, but kick it up a notch with a cute plant pot, pot hanger or watering bulb.

These nurseries and garden centers are great places to pick up gardening supplies, ferns, hanging baskets, houseplants, and more.

Oakland Nurseries (multiple locations)
Baker’s Village (Powell)
Strader’s Garden Center (multiple locations)
Darby Creek Nursery & Landscaping (Hilliard)
Wilson’s Garden Center (Newark)
Timbuk Farms (Granville and Newark)
Dill’s Greenhouse (between the suburbs of Groveport and Canal Winchester). Early shopping hours for elderly and at-risk
deMonye’s Greenhouse home and garden store (East Columbus)

Here are some plant sales for this weekend too:

If your mom is into gardening, there are plenty of gift ideas that will make her happy.

Favorite flowers, plants, or bushes for her garden or yard. Get bonus points if you help her plant these!

Decorative stepping stones, or one of these Stepping Stone Kits

Stacking garden pot. Smaller versions of these were available in Dollar Tree stores earlier this year, but may be out of stock. You’ll also find other gardening supplies, plastic pots, fairy garden figures/deco, and seed packets there if you really want to save money. They won’t be the highest quality, but you may find what you need.

If you have more time than money, plan a day to help her weed (and actually do it!) or make her some Homemade Gardener’s Hand Scrub.

Other outdoor ideas include a birdhouse and birdseed, or bee house. If you have siblings to split the cost with, a composter (I recommend this one) or a hammock (like this highly rated one).

Pampering Her

If you’d rather gift your mom with some pampering, surely she’ll appreciate one of the following:

Manicure or pedicure (bonus points if you join her – sons can get manis/pedis too!)

Homemade beauty and pampering gifts (find more ideas on the Mother’s Day Pinterest board)

A Favorite Things basket including all of the things that she loves (candy, beverages, food, books, hobbies, photos, etc)

Flowering Tea set

Things to Cherish

Get a little sentimental with these ideas

Birthstone jewelry with her kids’ birthstones or jewelry with sayings (Amazon and etsy are good resources)

A family photo book (the past year or all-time favorites)

DIY Canvas Art with a meaningful phrase

An autobiography book that she can fill out and pass down through the family (many options are available).

Arrange for a family photo

A decorated jar filled with short memories or reasons that you love her

Mother’s Day isn’t about the gifts, but your mom does deserve something, so at least make it something that you put a little thought into and is useful.

Check out the Living on the Cheap Mother’s Day Pinterest board for lots of other ideas, including plenty of homemade ideas that won’t cost you much!