Some moms don’t deserve Mother’s Day gifts — but yours hopefully isn’t one of them. That’s why you stress about what to get her every year. But what do you give the woman who doesn’t really need anything and always instructs you to get her nothing? The answer: A cool and useful gift that she’ll enjoy, but that you can also use when you visit. Selfish? A little. But we won’t tell her if you don’t.
The Best Mother’s Day Gifts For Mom
Recipe Glass Cocktail Shaker ($20 @ Amazon.com)
Some cocktail shakers look like urns, and you don’t want to remind your mom that she’s moved one Mother’s Day closer to her last. This 1940s-inspired shaker is made from hand-blown glass and can make up to three drinks (30 oz.). And if Mom has a cabinet filled with booze but your no Sam Malone behind the bar, the ingredients and instructions for popular drinks like Manhattans, martinis, and gilmets are posted on the side.
Molecular Gastronomy Kit ($60)
Watching your mom create those hockey puck-sized burgers with green onions jutting out the sides most likely isn’t a childhood highlight — but this gift can change the way you view her — and your — cooking skills. Each kit contains all you need to turn the kitchen into a food lab: An instructional DVD with 50 recipes will help you two morph textures of juices, dressings, and sauces into liquids, and substances like honey into cubes and chocolate into spaghetti strands. It’s a cool activity to do with your mom, and a skill you can take with you to impress women later on.
You’re Not Doing It Right: Tales of Marriage, Sex, Death, and Other Humiliation ($11 @ Amazon.com)
In comedian Michael Ian Black’s memoir, he discusses, well, everything mentioned in the title of the book. If your mom laughs at subject matter in the PG-13 to R range, she’ll enjoy the listen. If she’s more of a Carol Brady type, sticking with the idea but ditching this for a book like The Beatles: Image and the Media ($18) might be a good idea. You’ll enjoy either one, but we’re pretty sure that learning more about The Fab Five won’t include anecdotes about how a lesbian feminist mother raised her child, or how Ringo’s girlfriend dumped him for a guy nicknamed Taco.
Thumper Mini Pro 2 Massager ($190)
This lightweight massager has three power settings that can deliver 20, 30, or 40 “thumps” per second. Translation: Small or large, knots stand no chance against its power. The long handle and 12-inch cord mean you, er, Mom can get those hard-to-reach spots on the back without having to worry about tearing the plug from the outlet while moving it around.
Ninja Kitchen System 1100 ($160)
Mom can toss her blender, juice extractor, and food processor for the Ninja 1100, which can blend, chop, knead, and mix anything from dough and batter to smoothies and ice cream. When you visit her, use it to make yourself frozen cocktails or to give yourself a sugar jolt with a snow cone after dinner. Each order comes with a 40 oz. processing bowl with blade and lid, 72 oz. pitcher with blade and lid, whisk attachment, dough hook, and dough paddle.
Classic Margarita recipe:
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh orange juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 oz. orange liqueur
4 oz. tequila
1 tbsp. sugar or agave nectar (optional)
16 to 18 ice cubes
Instructions
Place all ingredients in the processor bowl and pulse until smooth. Taste and add the sugar or nectar. Serve immediately. Consume even immediately-er. Serves 3-4.
Relax Chaise ($500)
If the white vinyl is too modern looking for Mom’s living room, you can pitch it as her new reading chair for the den. (Or you can opt for the black vinyl.) Whatever she uses it for, she’ll be comfortable doing it. As for you, the attached pillow and thick padding made it an ideal spot to catch a snooze when you’ve down one too many boozy drinks at your parent’s place.
Bacon Rose Bouquets
Check out these delicious bacon roses from Awesome Gifts! Bacon roses combine two of the world’s greatest creations, bacon and chocolate. If you thought roses were the most beautiful thing on earth, you certainly haven’t looked deep into the eyes of a bacon flower. Give these stunning bacon bouquets to your loved ones to show them true beauty.
