Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and while it may be difficult to take mom out for a lovely celebratory brunch right now—and the idea of giving a big ticket item just seems a bit much in today’s economic climate—we’ve found several more meaningful gift she’ll appreciate throughout the year.
First, start by giving her a personalized card.
Felt—One of the easiest and fastest ways to send a special gift is through our favorite mobile app, Felt, which lets you customize and mail cards right from your phone. Choose one of the cool premade card templates, or upload your favorite photo and design your own. Best part? Click on the menu at the bottom of the app to add a gift of flowers, tea, chocolate, cash, confetti or a gift card to be sent along with it. Mom is sure to think you’re brilliantly thoughtful.
Canva—Canva offers another great way to create a custom Mother’s Day card directly from your computer. Just drag and drop free art elements onto one of the starter templates. When you’re happy with the design click print, and Canva will mail your card directly to mom. If you have younger kids and you want to create a card together by using the computer, Canva makes it fun and easy. Watch the video below on how to create a postcard with your kids.
Give her a subscription she’ll love all year long.
Spotify—Your mom loves music, and really who doesn’t? What better gift than a year’s subscription to Spotify Premium which lets you create your favorite playlists, listen to them on demand from anywhere, and download them to your phone without having to connect to the internet. You can help mom out by creating or suggesting a few playlists based on her musical taste. Double bonus: If you already have an account, she can just follow your playlists. Even better, upgrade your account to Spotify Premium Family which allows 6 family members to enjoy their own accounts, customize individual playlists, and all listen to their own music at the same time. Note, when invitations are sent out to family members to join the Spotify Premium Family, the recipient must enter the same home address as the account holder when accepting the invitation.
Headspace—Whether mom regularly meditates, or just needs calming music to help her get to sleep, Headspace mobile app soothes the soul with a wide range of programs at your fingertips. It offers tips on getting centered, programs on getting moving, and courses on everything from creating clear intentions to reframing loneliness. And for anyone who mediates who wonders if they are “doing it right,” Headspace gently guides you along with visualizations, illustrations, and suggestions to help you get the most effective benefit.
Zoom—Since the entire world went into quarantine, everybody has been on Zoom. It’s no wonder because it’s super easy to connect with friends and set up virtual meet-ups for book clubs, bridge groups, special interest gatherings, or just hang out with family and friends. If mom isn’t already setup with her own account yet, now is the time to get her started. The free version may be enough, but it limits your Zoom conference time to :45 which to us, seems just fifteen minutes short of a fun, fulfilling hour. A paid subscription would be a lovely gift and give the whole family a great way to stay connected.
The best gifts keep you connected.
Alexa Dot—Alexa Dot serves up endless amounts of invaluable information, does what you ask, plays what you want, listens when you call her name, and never argues—she’s quite possibly the perfect companion. In fact, my own mother was so ecstatic over her Alexa gift, she gave it to 8 of her friends for Christmas gifts. The capabilities of this handy voice-activated device is quite impressive. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving. Read more about Alexa in this article.
Bellabeat Leaf Urban—Mother’s Day jewelry is always a smart gift. But how about smart jewelry? Even smarter. This beautiful necklace is not only strikingly fashionable, it doubles at a wellness tracker to help keep you informed of your habits, milestone achievements and goals. It’s a functional tracker that records activity, sleep, stress, and reproductive health—all connecting through a smartphone app. Smart jewelry has never looked so attractive.
While we are are taking a break from our typical fast-paced lives, many of us have gone back to basics by sticking to just the essentials. Extravagant gifts feel like exactly that. Flowers are always nice, but they don’t last long enough. Technology gifts that keep mom connected, engaged and continuing to grow have never been a better choice than they are right now. What will you be giving mom this coming Mother’s Day? And of course, Father’s Day is not far off. We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
