To be a Strategist editor is to live with the constant burden of always having the perfect gift ideas. But for you, our dear readers, it’s a burden we’re happy to carry. Presented as part of our Mother’s Day extravaganza, here’s what we’ll be gifting our moms this year.
“A few years ago, my mom went crazy on vacation and bought half a dozen hair clips from this shoe box of a store in Paris — apparently, they grip hair painlessly without ever coming loose. Way pricier than the stuff at the drugstore, but she swears by them.”
“My mom never takes off her Fitbit, which at this point is two-plus years old (I’ve literally walked around the block with her after heavy dinners). I’d get her the newest version, which tracks sleep and steps, but also notifies her whenever she gets a text.”
“My mom loves candles, but instead of a Jo Malone or Diptyque, I think I’ll get her one of these wax-jarred candles (the color is hand-mixed, then sculpted underwater for the groovy swirled look) this year.”
“My mom loves to proudly show me the latest teeny-tiny umbrella she’s gotten at T.J. Maxx and say, “Here, feel how small and light this is!” (She has a bad back, and has a deep appreciation for things that are extremely light.) The problem with teeny-tiny umbrellas from T.J. Maxx is that one strong gust of wind, and that’s the end of it. So I did some research, and found the Davek Lightweight Mini Umbrella, which appears to be the strongest and lightest umbrella on the market at the moment. It can fit in the palm of her hand, and will last her through many a rainstorm.”
“My mom is an immigration scholar, and I think she would love the new Mohsin Hamid book, Exit West (it follows a young couple fleeing a civil war in an unnamed country who end up in Greece, then England, and then finally the United States). She never buys herself new hardcovers (she gets 99 percent of her books at Housing Works), so this will be a treat.”
“This year, I’m going to get my mother a quilt from Haptic Lab for her currently blanketless couch. The city quilts are sewn with maps of various cities: Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans. And they’ll embroider little stars on meaningful intersections. Though I’m loathe to admit this level of cheesiness to the general public, I’m going to get her the New York quilt, embroidered with a mark over her first apartment with my dad, the hospital where I was born, and the Upper West Side apartment where she lives now.”
“My mom is super hip — I have countless stolen T-shirts and pairs of pants of hers hanging stealthily in my closet — but doesn’t make the wackiest fashion choices. This year, I have a Mother’s Day plot to get her to change it up a little, starting in the comfort and privacy of her own home, with these shaggy Suri alpaca slippers.”
“My mom will sometimes take two baths a day, and Jo Malone is her go-to for oils and bath accessories. I know this isn’t really an exciting gift, but you can’t mess with perfection, and it’s one that I am 100 percent sure will get used, which is really all that matters to me. I’ll also throw in some hand cream because she deserves it, and maybe one of Jason’s clips because they seem awesome.”
“The truth is that my mom never wants any gifts, and actively asks me and my siblings not to get her any. But she’s a total sucker for graduation speeches, so she’d probably read this and then pass it back to each of us to read, too. She’d love that. I might even put together a bundle of them.”
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best women’s jeans, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, ultra-flattering pants, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
