Why does your mom or your wife or your grandma say she doesn’t want anything for a birthday, Christmas, or a Mother’s Day gift? And what should you do about it?
There are many reasons why she says she doesn’t want anything. For example, she might not want you to spend money on her. Maybe she doesn’t feel like she needs any more stuff. Perhaps she is out of the habit of taking care of herself because she spends so much time caring for others.
But everyone needs to be seen and appreciated. Especially moms, wives, and grandmas. You can and should gift: experiences, small tokens of appreciation, surprises that she didn’t even realize she wanted, or practical and useful gifts she needs.
The Gift of Experiences
Have you ever asked your mom, your wife, or your grandma what they want, and they say something like, “just spending time together?” Well, they say that because it’s true. Moms just figure out what’s really important in life long before we ever do. But spending time doesn’t just mean hanging out.
Even if life is crazy, or you live far away, you can gift some adventures or experiences that gives her a break from her routine. Some ideas:
- Gift cards for interesting or new places to have lunch or dinner
- A national parks pass
- A state parks pass
- A night in a nice hotel
- Tickets to an event: theater, ballet, concert, ballgame….
- Most places have some famous or interesting sites close by. I know people who have lived near Yellowstone Park for years but have never been there. Where hasn’t she been yet? Take her, or set up a trip.
- A month of a meal delivery service like Home Chef
- A subscription to a monthly box of snacks or treats
- A subscription to a monthly/quarterly flower delivery
- Take her to an escape room
- Check out an experience gift website for more ideas: Cloud9living.com
- My favorite thing: when one of my kids plans a day trip or weekend road trip and brings me along. It doesn’t have to be something/somewhere I’m into. I love it when they share something they are into with me.
Trendy Things She Doesn’t Even Know She Wants
What cool or trendy stuff do you know about that she might not know or use? Think: tech, phone accessories, fashion trends, the newest kitchen thing. . . Here are a few suggestions:
- cool emergency supplies from readyjudy.com
- a new or renewed membership to audible
- super handy bamboo iPad stand
- get mom in on the wild animal trend with a double-sided stretch Apple Watch band in a cheetah pattern
- this tea kettle is pretty enough to leave out. Perfect for mom’s holiday hot chocolate bar
- the famous Capri Blue volcano jar candle
- just say charge it for this iPhone battery case
- lovely gold essential oil diffuser. This diffuser is not only pretty, it’s quiet and sturdy as well
- how cute is this third gen Amazon Echo dot ?
- this air fryer is beautiful as well as functional
- moms love soft blankets, and this plush throw comes with pompoms
- Legacy quality solid American Black Walnut tray Perfect for breakfast in bed, or for charcuterie board entertaining
- KeySmart Pro has an LED Light + Tile that tracks your lost keys & makes your phone ring with a double press. I’m totally getting one of these
- Perfect travel bag for Mom as an overnight bag, weekender travel bag, gym duffel bag, beach bag and shopping bag
- Dyson supersonic hair dryer dries fast and prevents damage to fragile or fine hair
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Useful or Productive Gifts She Needs
We all have stuff that needs updated or replaced, things that get shabby over time. Things like towels, sheet sets, blankets, luggage, and other useful items that wear out. These are great gifts for the practical mom or grandma. Choose a color she likes and consider giving some quality home goods that everyone needs sometime:
For other useful and practical gift ideas, think: what are her hobbies and interests? Most hobbies also have things that wear out or need to be replenished or freshened up.
- makeup brushes
- oil or acrylic paints
- garden tools. a new shovel.
- a telescope
- sheet pans. spatulas.
- a heat press. ink.
- thread. needles.
- jewelry tools
- a turntable
- clay
- dumbbells. tennis balls.
- binoculars
- an inflatable kayak
Gifts With Meaning or Sentiment
Remember the Jim and Pam teapot? What made it so awesome was the sentiment and thought that went into it. Jim chose things that represented happy memories and experiences they had together.
Take some of those photos out of your phone and put them in a book of good memories. Photo books are always welcome. Something you made or created is great too. Moms that don’t want anything will always love a card with a thoughtful note or words of thanks.
