Mother’s Day is coming up, and it’s easy to feel stumped about what to buy for the women in your life that you love. I feel like May rolls around and my mind goes completely blank. So, we’ve rounded up some favorites (including local businesses as well as links to make it easy!), and we’re sharing this with plenty of time for you to shop and order something perfect for the women you love!
BOOKS:
Moms: A celebration of Motherhood from StoryCorps, Dave Isay
(I have given this to both my mom and my mother-in-law after receiving it as a gift myself. If you aren’t familiar with StoryCorp, it’s mission is to preserve and share our stories as a nation.)
Local: Prairie Lights 319-337-2681 (needs 1 week to order)
Devotions, Mary Oliver
(A poetry anthology from one of the best modern poets that weaves incredible stories about nature and life.)
Local: Prairie Lights 319-337-2681 (needs 1 week to order)
StoryWorth
(This is the gift of telling her own story. Each week she will get a writing prompt via email, and after a year she will have all her stories in one place. Then you can edit and print her book. We’ve given this gift to family and it’s so fun and such a great way to know those you love better and preserve their stories!)
www.storyworth.com
JEWELRY:
GLDN
(Personalized jewelry is such a great way to celebrate moms. We love this adorable signet ring. Get one with their initials, or a stack to commemorate their offspring. A wonderful way to remember all family members.)*
www.gldn.com
Made By Mary
(This stunning birth flower necklace set is such a lovely everyday wear piece. You could get her birth month or multiple charms for each child.)*
www.madebymary.com
*If you know and love a loss mom, jewelry is a wonderful way to also commemorate babies/pregnancies that she may have lost.
FLORA:
Cut Flowers
(There’s nothing quite like a stunning bouquet of fresh flowers on the table. Both shops below are local, full of gorgeous and uniques blooms, and have phenomenal customer service. You can call to place an order (and/or delivery), or you can pop in to chat with them about what you’d like and shop; both spaces have incredible gifts in the store–including gorgeous beeswax candles, vases, gardening tools, and high quality puzzles!)
Local:
Willow & Stock: (319-338-1332) Open Thur-Sat
Beno’s: 319-449-7571
Gardening
(If you love a mom who loves having her hands in the dirt, grabbing a gift certificate from Earl May or a gorgeous plant that she can have is a perfect gift. We love to gift a Mandevilla; stunning blooms that thrive in Iowa summer heat/humidity.
Local: Earl May (319) 354-5028)
House Plants
(We love popping in to Basic Goods on the PedMall and grabbing a gorgeous plant. They do such a good job of curating their selection, so anything you find will be great, although you can’t go wrong with a Monstera or a Fiddle Leaf Fig!)
Local: Basic Goods (202) 657-9102)
CARDS/ WRITTEN WORD
RSVP
(This local gem is packed with beautiful cards that offer every sentiment possible for telling the women and mothers in your life how much you love them. Pop in over your lunch break to pursue the selection and pour over their gift section too!)
Local: RSVP (319) 337-4400)
Subscription
Another great gift idea is a subscription to news/writing that they can receive regularly. The options below are lovely gift ideas because they combine news, world events, culture, poetry/personal writing, and fun brain games like crossword puzzles and sudoku. You can pick between online (app) and/or print. I like both! The printed copies are great to take in the car on long drives (or while waiting in the car lane for kids at school), and the electronic version is with you wherever you go!
The NewYorker: www.newyorker.com
The Atlantic: www.theatlantic.com
PAMPERING:
Manicure/Pedicure
There’s nothing like having a fresh spring color on your nails. Even better if you can plan time to go together! My favorite is G&G nails (owned by my neighbors!), they do such a great job with colors and service!
LOCAL: G & G Nails (319) 351-1518
Float Therapy
Give her the gift of complete relaxation! This therapy supports the body physically (circulation, skin health, electrolytes, pain reduction, etc.) and has wonderful mental health benefits too (relief from anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc.)
Local: Iowa Recovery Room 641-660-6972
GIFT OF DOING:
We love giving tickets to a show or talk. One of the benefits of living in a university town is having access to so much wonderful culture!
Local:
The Englert:319-668-2653
Hancher Auditorium: (319) 335-1160
GIFTS OF TIME:
I find that particularly when looking for gift ideas for older generations, consumable gifts/things to do are a big hit, since they already have homes filled with things they love. What they are often most interested in is gifts of our time, and gift of experience. These are most effective when we pick a specific day and time so they don’t just fade into the future and not get used!
–Plan for a day together (a hike at Hickory Hill)
–Brunch: Goosetown Cafe is our favorite
–Coffee Date: We love Tru Coffee
GIFT OF ACTION:
Moms Demand Action: Make a donation in her name to help stop gun violence.
https://momsdemandaction.org/
Where are your favorite local places to grab gifts for the moms in your life? We’d love to hear! Happy almost-Mothers Day to all of you!