Last-Minute Mother's Day Gifts for All Types
Still need to pick up something for Sunday? We've got you covered.
May 9, 2014— -- intro: The 48-hour countdown to Mother’s Day has started. Tick, tick, tock. If you haven’t done your gifting, though, there are many quick, (mostly) online-enabled gifts that’ll show mom that you love her – and that you know how to shop for her. Here’s our tip sheet of last-minute gifts for moms of all personality types:
quicklist: 1 title: Classic text: Harry & David is known for its gift baskets and holiday themed goodie “Towers,” but if you didn’t have time to get one delivered, here’s the beauty of an e-certificate: Mom can choose exactly what she wants, whether it’s a picnic basket, a mini rose garden or a tower of chocolate.
quicklist: 2 title: Perfectly Coiffed text: For moms who like to be closeup-ready, a twist on the Mother’s Day brunch is the “Beauty Brunch” that includes a spa or salon treatment. The old-school way to set it up was to make back-to-back beautification and brunch ressies. But some places are packaging the experience themselves. Examples: Manhattan-based beauty bar Pucker in partnership with Magpies, Nordstrom at The Grove in Los Angeles, and Hotel Vitale in San Francisco (paired with high tea, not brunch).
quicklist: 3 title: Media Junkie text: Moms of the smartphone generation are savvy with social media, photo-uploading and the wonderful world of viral video. But that doesn’t mean they won’t occasionally drop their device off a countertop, into the bathtub. Gift her an Otterbox case: It’s stylish, practical, super-sturdy (the Preserver Series is waterproof to 6.6 feet for up to 30 minutes) and it comes in pink (Commuter series only). Available at BestBuy, AT&T stores and other major retailers.
quicklist: 4 title: Sweet Tooth text: It’s almost too easy to send a sweets lover into a “nom nom” spiral with a box of gourmet cupcakes, but why doubt something that so obviously works? Crumbs Bakeshop, Sprinkles, Georgetown Cupcake and every other self-respecting cupcake bakery has Mother’s Day boxes ready to go. And if you want something slightly different, Magnolia Bakery does old-fashioned icebox pies and cakes, just like mom’s mom’s mom used to make.
quicklist: 5 title: Sporty text: Private tennis lessons are a great gift. A private weekend clinic from Andre Agassi in Las Vegas is on a whole different level. And now, it’s available via IfOnly.com -- a startup that provides extraordinary experiences in several leisure categories, with a “luminary” expert guiding or curating the experience. If you can’t afford Agassi, other instructors include Brad Gilbert and Gene Mayer. With any IfOnly transaction, a portion of the purchase price goes to charity.
quicklist: 6 title: Epicure text: With so many Mother’s Day brunches serving buffet-style to accommodate crowds, people who prefer a fine dining experience might want to skip this tradition in favor of a less rushed, more elaborate Mother’s Day dinner. BLT’s “Mother’s Day Blackboard” menu varies by location, with a la carte or a prix-fixe dining available. In Las Vegas, STK wins the prize for Mother’s Day celebration with the bawdiest name: the MILF Dinner. For “The Mom I’d Like to Filet Mignon,” this is a four-course steak dinner with sides and a cocktail pairing option.
quicklist: 7 title: Spa text: Pampered or put through the cardio wringer: It’ll be mother’s choice if you spring for a gift certificate from Exhale Spa. Now in nine states and one Caribbean location, Exhale is known for its rigorous Core Fusion barre program – and on the flip side, for its holistic spa offerings including acupuncture and vibrational therapy. Offerings vary by location, and gift cards can be for packages or for a specific amount she can spend how and where she likes.
quicklist: 8 title: Chic text: If mom’s fashionable and has definite taste, you can’t go wrong with a virtual shopping spree at industry-leading fashion flash sale site Gilt.com. It always has an impressive number of designer labels (Zac Posen, Marni, Balenciaga) mixed with not-so-famous brands that may be just as flattering. Always excellent at guiding the user experience, Gilt has its own Mother’s Day Gift Guide posted and ready for Sunday shopping – with even more mom-personalities than we just covered here. Buy E-Gift Cards.