by josie
Keep your mom close to your heart with matching mother-daughter necklaces from Satya Jewelry.
If there’s one time of year you shouldn’t listen to your mother, it’s on Mother’s Day. If your mom is anything like mine, she insists she doesn’t need or want anything. Peruse the VIVmag gift guide below and make your mom happy that you ignored her advice.
Matching mom When I was little, my mom would make us matching dresses, and we were pretty darn adorable, if I do say so myself. So I’m partial to the Like Mother, Like Daughter ($96) matching necklaces from Satya Jewelry. Choose from a lotus (gold or silver), hamsa (gold or silver) or heart (gold or silver). Other Mother’s Day options include the gold carnelian tree bracelet ($48) and the silver Tree of Life earrings ($38).
Green scene The last time I was in Ohio visiting my mom, we created a few terrariums together using the book Tiny World Terrariums (Abrams, 2012), previously mentioned in VIV Says. When my boyfriend asked for an explanation of what a terrarium is, I summed up, “They’re plants in jars.” He responded, “Women have weird hobbies.”
At least moms understand the appeal of tiny verdant tableaux. Creating a terrarium can be a fun Mother’s Day activity, and Twig Terrariums offers DIY kits ($25–$65), as well as classes ($45) for those in the New York City area. Or opt for Twig Terrariums’ limited edition “Brave New World” ($75), with the scene of two tiny girls or two boys holding hands on an adventure. Order by May 5 to receive it in time for Mother’s Day.
Gift guides If you feel like you need some guidance, gift sites have Mother’s Day sections to provide inspiration and can help you narrow your search.
Terrain offers hand-picked and hand-potted plants from garden centers in Glen Mills, PA, and Westport, CT, as well as eco-friendly growing supplies, home and garden décor, kitchen accents and jewelry. The Mother’s Day gift section includes a variegated orchid trio ($158), gold haricot vert earrings ($128), a zinnia bouquet wreath ($88) and hand-poured soy candles ($26) in refreshing scents. Mother’s Day orders of more than $100 receive free shipping with the code FORMOM.
One of my favorite gift sites is AHAlife, a curated site with truly unique finds. Narrow your search by category — Gifts, Fashion and Tech, for example — or from options such as Good Karma, Sustainable or Well Being. Options include the elegant sterling silver Nora Kogan ring ($153), inscribed with the word “mama” and punctuated with a diamond. Gifts that give back include a Mongolia travel wrap ($280) made in the country’s oldest textile workshop, a gold and pavé diamond serpent bracelet by J/Hadley Jewelry ($7,500, with 10 percent going to a charity of your choice) and a silver cord bracelet ($85) from the Brave Collection, which fights human trafficking. In the Splurge section, you can buy Mom private yoga lessons with celeb instructor Tara Stiles or finally get her that island retreat she deserves.
Last-minute shoppers can appreciate Red Envelope’s feature that shows the earliest possible delivery date for gifts. The good news is that you still have a little bit of time to order Mother’s Day gifts, even the personalized items such as the Family Tree Keepsake Box ($59.95) or the Loved Ones stamped pendant ($99.95–$229.95). Other cool Red Envelope gifts include a Hidden Message to Mom cuff ($99.95) with attributes (magical, organized, treasured, heartwarming, enduring, reliable, to spell the word “mother”) inscribed on the interior; The Reasons I Love Mom truffle box ($29.95), which has messages at the bottom of the box that are even sweeter than the gourmet confections; and a bath caddy ($49.95) with a space for a bar of soap, a glass of wine and a good book.
Good reads If you want to pair that bath caddy with some reading material, there are a few reads that your mom might enjoy. Actor/author/Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeney — perhaps best-known for her role as the androgynous Pat — recently spoke at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books about her new work, If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother (Simon & Schuster, 2013), a humorous take on her own parenting adventures. On a more serious note, bestselling author Katrina Kenison’s Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment (Grand Central Publishing, 2013) is a thoughtful memoir on motherhood, coming to terms with an empty nest and transitioning from one part of life to another; she recently spoke to VIVmag about the book.
Staying in touch I’m surprised my mom hasn’t hand-embroidered a version of the Call Your Mother pillow ($98.95) from Red Envelope. Stay in touch with your mother year-round (and beyond) with the mother and daughter letter book ($38) from Uncommon Goods. The set of 40 cards are meant for sharing, with prompts for inspiration. Once the letters are completed, they can be kept in the book as a keepsake.
Sharing an experience Maybe your mom has always wanted to go for a wine-tasting sail or learn how to drive a race car. (Hopefully not in that order.) Check out the experiences on The Gift Insider’s website. Or take her for a spa day or finally agree to take skydiving lessons with her. And don’t forget to check out our seven gourmet gift ideas for Mother’s Day!
Photo credit: Courtesy Satya Jewelry; cover photo: courtesy AHAlife
