Do you need help figuring out what to ask for this Mother’s Day? I’ve got some great ideas for you!
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time with gift receiving occasions. I’m usually so busy worrying about the needs and wants of everyone else around me that when it comes time for me to think about what I might need or want, I come up empty.
Despite this recurring feeling, I’m adamant that Mom not be forgotten on gift-giving occasions. Kids need to know that Mom is worthy of celebrating!
Now, I’m not saying that you need to ask your family for grandiose things or even material things at all for Mother’s Day. On the contrary, asking for useful items, sentimental items, or priceless items is usually my preferred way to go.
If you’re feeling stuck, here are some ideas for what to ask for this Mother’s Day. Feel free to send this link to your partner and/or kids or even buy yourself a thing or two if you don’t have a partner or kids who can buy gifts for you.
What to Ask for This Mother’s Day
Practical
Look, I love a practical gift. I’m really into things that make my life easier. If you’re similar to me in this respect, here are some great practical gifts to ask for this Mother’s Day.
Mom bag
You are nothing without your Mom bag. You know it, I know it, your kids definitely know it. Your Mom bag holds the basics like your wallet, keys, and phone of course, but it also holds toys, extra clothes, and, most importantly, snacks!
The Mom bag you choose is super personal, so I’m giving options for a few different types of Mom bags that you might want to ask for this Mother’s Day.
Crossbody bag
If you’re more of a minimalist, maybe you want just a simple, casual crossbody bag. The Lululemon All Night Festival Bag Micro 2L is a great option if this is your jam. If you’re a minimalist, but you want something that’s a little more elevated, the Quince Italian Leather Handwoven Sling Bag is gorgeous!
Mini backpack
If the smaller crossbody bags don’t offer enough space for snacks, you might prefer a mini backpack. I highly recommend a backpack made of something wipeable, like nylon, so you can spot clean the mess your kids will surely make as necessary. The Kate Spade Chelsea Medium Backpack ticks all the right boxes.
Sling bag
Want something in between a crossbody and a backpack? You might want to consider asking for a traditional sling bag this Mother’s Day. I love that Athleta’s All About Sling Bag is made of water-resistant fabric and comes in colors other than your typical black or brown.
Sandals
Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to get a new pair of sandals. The weather is warming up, your toenails might be painted, and your old sandals are probably a little (or a lot) worse for the wear.
After walking many miles in sandals in my life, I’ve landed on classic Birkenstocks as the best sandals for me. I prefer traditional leather and cork Arizonas, but the EVA Arizonas definitely serve a specific purpose and are much more budget-friendly.
Water bottle
A new water bottle is what I’m asking for this Mother’s Day. For years, I’ve been using my gigantic Stanley-inspired water bottle with a handle and a straw. Although it has served me well, I’ve been pining lately for something a little more portable. I wanted something I could throw in a bag and take on adventures, but I didn’t want to give up a straw. Enter the Owala FreeSip. I can’t yet vouch for it, but it looks great, and the colors are so fun! If you’re curious, I’m asking for the 32 oz size in the color 80s ski slopes.
If you want a big mamma jamma with a handle, you might want to consider the Brumate Era. It’s leakproof, which is a huge benefit when you’ve got kids around. I’m so in love with the color Dark Aura that I might need to ask for it next. You can never be too hydrated, right?
Skincare
If you’re well and truly stuck with what to ask for this Mother’s Day, skincare is always a good way to go.
Vitamin C serum
My favorite skincare item to ask for is Timeless Vitamin C serum. Ask for the 1.7 oz size so it’ll last you a while.
Eye patches
Moms, we all need some help under our eyes. Why not ask for some under eye patches this Mother’s Day? These Wander Beauty Baggage Claim patches are hydrating, synthetic fragrance-free, and shiny gold! I mean, what more could we ask for this Mother’s Day?
SPF
Even if you don’t wear SPF on your face year-round (which you should), you really should start wearing it daily around this time of the year. You’re outside more, the sun is more intense. Let your kids give you the gift of delaying wrinkles and avoiding skin cancer with a little facial SPF.
You know I love the Neutrogena Purescreen+ Tinted Mineral Sunscreen in light, but my friends also want me to suggest to you the EltaMD UV Clear face sunscreen. It contains a chemical sunscreen that doesn’t play nicely with my skin, but they all swear by this product. If your skin isn’t traditionally ticked off by chemical sunscreen filters, give this a try!
Books
If you love to read like I do, might I suggest you ask for books this Mother’s Day? If you’re an avid reader, you probably have a list on your phone of the books you want to read. Just copy and paste that bad boy into a text and let your people pick a few for you. If you want to get back into reading after a hiatus brought on by motherhood, I have two suggestions for you.
First, you can ask for a book subscription. Book of the Month is the most well-known subscription service, and they have a three-month gift subscription option.
Your other choice is to ask for specific books that have been recommended to you. Lucky for you, I have some great recommendations.
- One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid – Imagine being newly married and deeply in love only to lose your spouse. After years of healing, you fall in love again, only to find out that your spouse is actually alive. Now you have to make an impossible choice.
- Happy Place by Emily Henry – Harriet and her fiancé Wyn have been together since college until they abruptly break up, and they aren’t talking about why or telling their friends and family. Then they find themselves on vacation with their college friends, lying through their teeth to their friends and each other.
- Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple – Follow Eleanor through her day, which doesn’t exactly go to plan. She’s faced with the past, present, and future all at once. All of it is poignant and also hilarious.
- The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty –Cecilia opens a letter that her husband wrote to her that was only to be opened upon his death while he’s very much alive. Will she be able to live with his secret?
- The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’antonia – Amanda and Mae are sisters who do not get along. When they find themselves vying for $100,000 on a reality TV show, they must decide whether they want to fight with one another or for one another.
Notepads
No, notepads are not a boring gift to ask for this Mother’s Day! I don’t know a mom who doesn’t live and die by a list, so notepads are crucial. If you’re uncomfortable just asking for generic notepads, ask your family for specialized notepads like a daily planner pad or a meal planning pad. You’ll use them, I promise.
Sentimental
If sentimental gifts are more your speed, I’ve got you covered too. Here are some super sweet things to ask for this Mother’s Day.
Kid-themed jewelry
If you’re a mom, you understand that you want your kids with you all the time (even if they’re driving you nuts). You likely can’t pull that off, though, so it’s nice to have a little reminder of them wherever you go. Kid-themed jewelry is the perfect way to carry a reminder of your kids with you.
Birthstone rings
How I keep my kids close is through birthstone rings that I stack with my wedding band. I have one eternity band with my son’s birthstone and another with my daughter’s birthstone right on my ring finger. I’m sure you can find these many places, but mine came from Sarah Elise jewelry. These carry a bit of a hefty price tag, but the quality of these rings is impeccable!
Initial necklace
If you’re more of a necklace person, consider asking for an initial necklace for Mother’s Day. I am not a necklace person (I feel like I’m being choked), so I do not own this product. The quality looks gorgeous and the reviews are fantastic, though.
Photos
I don’t know about you, but I love to look at photos of my kids. If I have a free moment to myself, you’ll often find me scrolling through my phone’s photo library just staring at photos of my children and tearing up at how big they have gotten. This might sound obvious, but how about getting those photos off your phone for Mother’s Day?
Digital frame
The easiest way to get your photos off your phone is to sync them up to a digital frame. With just a few swipes of the thumb, your photos are beamed to the frame for maximum enjoyment. There are lots of good options in the digital frame space, but the most beautiful frame is the Aura Carver Mat frame. A beautiful, sentimental addition to any home.
Framed photos
Although it takes a bit more legwork than the digital frame, everyone loves a good framed photo to hang on the wall or add to the mantel. Ask for framed photos of your kids, the whole family, or of you with your kids (if those exist in your life).
Journal
What better gift can you ask for than memories to pass on to your kids? The best way to do this, in my experience, is to ask for a beautiful journal. You can then fill up the journal with snippets from your days and stories from your past. This is a great keepsake that your kids will have forever!
Priceless
Some of these priceless things to ask for this Mother’s Day are free, some cost money. Either way, they’re worth way more than what they cost.
Notes/drawings from kids
Starting off with the free gifts, every single mom I know would love to receive special notes or drawings from her kids made specially for her. My son makes my husband a card every single day, but he has never made one for me. If he would make one card for me for Mother’s Day this year, my life would be made!
Time together
I spend a ton of time with my kids. But that doesn’t mean it’s devoted time. Special one-on-one time when I’m not trying to also make dinner, break up fights, do the laundry, and plan a birthday party is rare, y’all. What a beautiful Mother’s Day gift to get devoted time together with your kids.
Time alone
Conversely, the gift of alone time would also make a truly priceless Mother’s Day gift. Simply time alone in your house by yourself is free, of course, but you can also ask for time alone doing something special too.
Ask for a spa treatment like a facial, a massage, or a nail service or lessons for something you’ve always wanted to learn like golf or tennis. Just make sure that you’re specific about how you want to spend your time alone so your family is all on the same page.
Meal
I don’t know about you, but I’m the primary cook in my house. Although I do love to cook and bake, sometimes I truly want nothing more than to eat a meal that I didn’t have to prepare or clean up. I would truly appreciate a gift of a meal either prepared for me at home or a meal eaten out.
If you do choose to ask for a meal for Mother’s Day, make sure that your family knows that they have to make a plan. Walk-ins on Mother’s Day aren’t really a thing, and you shouldn’t be expected to meal plan for your own gifted meal.
Fun activity
My kids are finally getting to be old enough that fun activities out really are fun. I would love to do a fun activity on Mother’s Day with my kids. I like non-traditional Mother’s Day activities, but feel free to ask to do whatever sounds like fun to you on Mother’s Day!
Other posts
Looking for more Mother’s Day content? Check out these posts:
I hope this post helped you decide what to ask for this Mother’s Day. If you’ve already asked your family for something for Mother’s Day, share what you’re asking for below or over on Instagram @sarainseason.