Gifts for Moms: When a Card Isn’t Enough

Gifts for wives and moms can be hard. What do you get for the special lady in your life who has everything? My husband and I recently had a long conversation about gift-giving and understanding expectations. Every relationship is different, but I’ll go out on a limb here and just say it: a card isn’t enough. Show this to your husbands.

Here’s my best advice for giving her a gift (Birthday, Mother’s Day, Anniversary, etc).

Get Something!

Gifts can be small and relatively simple. Personally, I cherish small and thoughtful gifts the most. One year my husband planted two large plants for me and hung a hammock in our new backyard – I loved that! Simple can be as easy as:

  1. Fresh flowers (Try the pretty bouquets of mixed flowers from Whole Foods rather than the spray-painted-looking daisies at other grocers).
  2. A gift card to her favorite beauty store (Ulta, Sephora) because beauty items can be pricey, and it’s fun to splurge on yourself!
  3. An experience gift: manicure, pedicure, massage, facial (Most women won’t ever say no to these!)

Take Notice

Look around. Check out what perfume, specialty hair products, or favorite local artisans she’s purchased before. Replenish her stock or buy a similar item. One friend shared that her husband bought her sandals each year, which sounded simple enough and really sweet. Her shoe size is written on every shoe in the closet – take a pic of what she already has and ask a shop owner to help you select something she’d like. It’s ok to ask for help. You can ask her best friend or mom for input too.

Get Something Special & Local

There are a ton of great Louisiana-based businesses that are A+ gift repositories. If you aren’t sure what to buy, find something fun and local from these selections.

Mimosa Handcrafted Jewelry with Louisiana themes

Louisiana-themed apparel from Fleurty Girl or DirtyCoast

Tickets to a local show at the Saenger or a concert coming up

Locally-made cutting boards or cheese boards from Nola Boards

Large assortment of gifts, art, and decor: Home Malone

Krewe Sunglasses

Plan a Photo Session with a local photographer (for family or couple)

The Thought That Counts

It really is the thought that counts. Your wife/mom/sister will be grateful you gave it a go. It’s much better to try, show up with something, and just keep the receipt in case. Also you can find out before any pending holidays what brands and items your wife is likely to want, like, and appreciate. Here’s a running list of retailers you can ask your wife or mom about (prices range from $25 – $500). Get a checklist ready and store it in your “Shop here in the future” Note on your phone!

  • Luxury Athleisure like Fabletics or Lululemon (ask for the sizing!)
  • Kendra Scott for necklaces, rings, earrings
  • Fancy undergarments – Adore Me, Victoria’s Secret, Soma
  • Running shoes/outdoor gear – know her favorite brand and size
  • Handbags: Macy’s and Dillard’s have great collections. Also Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Coach are familiar favorites. Look around at what she currently owns and the brands/styles she’s drawn to already
  • Julie Vos for chunkier gold jewelry
  • An appointment at the Bead Shop to build her own custom jewelry
  • Kitchen gear if she likes to cook: customized kitchenware at www.gifts.com

There are lots of options but, mostly, successful gift-buying centers around knowing the types of things your special lady likes. Remember, it’s ok to ask and then write it down for later! Showing her that you’ve thought of her and shopped in advance of any celebratory day is a gift all in itself.

Rachel Harris Ledet
A New Orleans native and entrepreneurial mom, Rachel maintains a daily balance of running her own marketing firm, 30|90 Marketing, managing her kids’ schedules, and maintaining an active extracurricular life including teaching dance, volunteering, and instructing a digital marketing class at UNO. Rachel lives in Mandeville with her best friend and husband Lenny, daughters Addison and Amelia, stepson Luke, and new baby Tucker. With a growing family and a million balls in the air, Rachel keeps things light by continuously learning, spending time with amazing friends, blogging, finding any route to a concert or outdoor festival, and planning her next getaway with her husband. A sense of humor can get you through almost anything, so she tends to surround herself with fabulous and very funny people.

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