Dreamstime
Forget the typical gifts this Mother’s Day, even if you’re not exactly flush with money.
Mom is always going to love any gift you give her, but you can get creative with a gift that she really wants — without overdrafting your bank account. She certainly wouldn’t want that to happen!
Here are a few ideas for Mother’s Day gifts that won’t cost you more than $100.
Massage therapy. Treat the mom in your life to relaxation with a professional massage. At A Great Massage (agreatmassagetn.com), moms can get a full-body massage for $55 and up. With locations from Collierville to Downtown, it’s accessible and sure to help mom relieve life’s stress. Also, A Great Massage doesn’t make you buy a membership, so you can treat her as often as you’re able.
Cheers! What mom doesn’t enjoy a glass of wine? For wine enthusiasts, the MuNiMuLa Wine Tray is a sleek and fun gift. Made of aluminum and available in a variety of colors, the tray holds four wine glasses and a bottle, so even if she’s a little tipsy, mom can carry it across a room without worry of stains (or wasted wine). Easy to use at the park or carry to your porch, it costs $98 and is sold at uncrate.com.
Facials and pampering. For fans of professional skin care, Bombay Salon & Spa offers facials ranging from $35 to $80, as well as a Diamond Microdermabrasion service for $99. Bombay has several locations (five in the metropolitan area, including Southaven), so get her a gift card and let her take her pick from the numerous facials offered. Visit bombaysalonspa.com for details.
Personalized jewelry. Put some extra thought into that necklace. For $59 (etsy.com), you can get personalized fingerprint, handprint, or footprint jewelry with an engraving, or choose a photo plus an engraving. If you’re looking to spend less, check out designs for photo engraved pendants at Personal Creations (personalcreations.com) for as low as $20.
Gifts that keep giving. For makeup and skincare enthusiasts, get your already beautiful mom an ipsy glam bag for $10 a month, or splurge for an annual subscription at $110 at ipsy.com. Each month, five to six beauty products — from eyeliners to anti-aging creams — are featured in cute, seasonal bags. And if the glam isn’t for her, the monthly subscription can be cancelled any time.
DIY gift basket. If you want to get creative, build a mom-themed basket of goodies. Pick her favorite colors for the ribbons and decorations, add an enlarged family picture for the backdrop, and make the treats all about her. Put in a bottle of her favorite wine or a bag of good coffee, add a gift card to one of her top local eateries or some delicious locally-bought sweets (try Muddy’s Bake Shop or Whimsy Cookie), and make your own card to top it off. Store-bought gift baskets are nice, but mom will be moved by your thoughtfulness.
For those looking to spend $50 or less, here are some suggestions.
Original Wall Decor. Stick’r Frames sells decorative picture frame wall decals, which are removable and reusable. If mom has too many pictures for stocky wooden or plastic frames (or if she likes to redecorate… often), this is a fun idea. Sets of eight adhesive frames in various sizes are available for $19.99 at amazon.com.
Environmentally friendly soaps. Does Mom love all-natural products and local business? Gifts from Nature is a Memphis company that sells soaps, bath bombs, and scrubs free of preservatives and other junk that can irritate skin and harm the environment. The products are sold at Maggie’s Pharm in Overton Square — where you’re guaranteed to find other gifts for any “hippie” mom. Visit maggiespharm.com or stop by the store at 13 North Florence Street (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
Go vintage. Recycled vintage record bowls are a fun decor idea for the music-loving mom. Choose her favorite genre, from country to showtunes. (Note: Most manufacturers advise not to serve food directly from the bowls. Be sure to check out the product description.) Manufacturers such as Vinylux and Artistic Pod sell sets of five bowls for $25, and others are available on Amazon and eBay.
Smell goods. If mom loves great scents, check out Zum, a line of natural yet invigorating bath and beauty products made by Kansas City-based company Indigo Wild. The Assorted Zum Bag set, which has mist, body wash, soap, and lip balm, is $16.50. Check out the choices at indigowild.com (where they have “Gifts Under $50” and “Gifts Under $25” options).
Helping locals by buying local. The minority- and female-owned local business My Cup of Tea has an amazing assortment of teas from around the world. They also help local women, especially those in Orange Mound, out of poverty by offering vocational training to aid in finding employment. The Wellness Tea Sample jar ($12) offers samples of teas that assist with healthy living, and boxes of Memphis Hometown Teas, at just $10, have fun titles like “Bluff City Chai” to show local pride. Visit shopmycupoftea.com for a complete list of local retailers, including The Dixon Gallery and Gardens and Miss Cordelia’s.
Good luck and happy shopping!
DIY GIFTS
Don’t have any extra money this Mother’s Day?Consider DIY presents. Here are a few fun ideas.
- Help organize an area of the house you know drives mom crazy. Get creative and use empty milk crates or cardboard boxes decorated with gift wrap to make a multi-space cubby and stack those books, Legos, stuffed animals, and anything else you have too much of in it.
- If you’re really crafty, try your hand at a homemade doorway hanger made with empty plastic water bottles. Cut out flower shapes from the bottom of the bottles, punch a hole in the middle, gather up some fishing line or thread, and string those flowers together! A great idea for small windows, like above your sink or at the top of an outside door, and the extra effort will make mom feel extra special.
- Digitize her photos. If mom has boxes of photos lying around from her childhood, stop the ravages of time from consuming them and scan them, then put them on a CD or a flash drive (with a little time, you can organize the photos into digital folders for her, too). If you’re not totally cash-strapped, you can use a photo digitizing service or stop at a FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, but it can also be done with a home scanner.
- Give mom a gift certificate good for one day — a whole day — to do anything she wants. If she opts to lay around the house, go out with friends, or spend time with you, let her choose what she does — and on what day she does it. Mother’s Day shouldn’t be the only day of the year you make the mom in your life feel like a queen.
Rebekah M. Yearout, a longtime journalist and Memphis native, is the mom of a wonderful 8-year-old boy.