Mother's day gift guide for every kind of mom

(Image credit: Getty Images / Carol Yepes)

published 7 May 2023

This Mother's Day, give your mom, grandma, mother-in-law, aunt, or other special woman in your life something she can use all year long. Flowers and candy are great, but gone too soon — here are a few ideas for presents that will stick around:

This one's for the information junkie, who's always picking up her phone to check the weather, stock market, and latest sports scores. Tidbyt is an LED device that displays info from apps selected by the user — everything they want to know is just a glance away. This is a strictly visual experience, as there are no speakers or AI, and the LED lights are bright enough to be seen from across the room. There are several hundred apps to choose from, and those who know even the basics of coding are invited to build their own. $179 at Tidbyt

The Carry-On Closet makes packing easy and unpacking totally optional. It has a built-in shelving system, keeping everything organized — rolled up shirts can go in one space, pants in another, and shoes in a third, with three more shelves left to fill with additional travel must-haves. There's a compression strap to hold everything together, and since the suitcase has a polycarbonate shell and aluminum frame, it's durable. It works for every type of traveler — there's plenty of space for light packers, and those known for trying to cram the entire contents of their dresser into one bag (you know who you are!) will also have more than enough room. $275 at Solgaard

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Amulets are small pieces of jewelry believed to protect the wearer, and she'll not only appreciate this stylish necklace, but also the meaning behind it. The pendant's focal point is the orb made of Czech glass, which is surrounded by 24K gold plate with Swarovski crystal and sodalite accents. It's an adaptation of an ancient amulet in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection, making this eye-catching necklace truly timeless. $105 at The Met Store

Kids come home from school with a lot of art, so unless they live at the Louvre, their parents don't have enough room to display all of these creations. The SANK Kids Art Frame offers a solution. This frame opens and closes like a book, and holds up to 150 sheets of A4 paper — their newest drawing can go behind the glass, with other works of art stacked behind it. Michelangelo's grandmother would have loved this. $37.99 at SmartSaker

Every sip out of one of these glasses also serves as a reminder of the beauty of nature. These handblown pint glasses and tumblers have iconic mountains molded into their bases, with United States Geological Survey data used for each design — these aren't only pretty, they're also accurate. The glasses are crafted in Portland, Oregon, and feature peaks from across the United States, like Washington's Mount Rainier and California's Mount Shasta. For each glass sold, North Drinkware makes a donation to an environmental organization in that mountain's region. $49 at North Drinkware

Stick it to 'em with a subscription to the Pipsticks Pro Sticker Club. Every month, a box arrives in the mail filled with 15 sheets of sparkly stickers, a vinyl sticker, and various paper accouterments. This is a delightful way to brighten your mom's day (and mailbox) and show that sticker collecting isn't just for kids. There's also a Petite Pack available for $11.95 per month, with half the stickers but the same amount of fun. $17.95 per month at Pipsticks

Is your mom happiest when she's in the kitchen? Through the Charolais Cooking Classic, a live virtual cooking event that is also a fundraiser for youth mental health programs in rural Montana, she'll learn from Chef Daniel Cox the best way to prepare a New York steak. The class is set for Sunday, June 25, and before the event, a box will be sent to her with two hormone-free, pasture-raised New York steaks and ground beef, so she can cook alongside the chef. Bonus: Friends and family will reap the benefits when she tries out her new recipe at the next holiday dinner. $99 at DC Meats

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.