It’s that time of year. The time we all love or all dread…..or maybe we all do a little of both. Either way, we ALL want to be a great gift-giver. We want our kids to love our presents best. We want our spouses to love our presents best. But let’s admit it – it’s HARD to come up with great gifts year after year.
Odds are good, you probably either are a mom or know a mom. That mom probably doesn’t take great care of herself. Why? Because she’s too busy taking care of the tiny humans she made.
She doesn’t need cheap perfume. She may WANT jewelry, but she probably doesn’t need it – those tiny humans will probably just rip it off of her anyway, right? So what DOES she need?
Here is a list of 12 ideas for gifts the mom in your life will cherish with links for most to go check them out yourself. If you choose to buy these gifts through one of my affiliate links, I will get a tiny commission, but my integrity is too important to me to recommend products I don’t love. I have used all of these items and I love them.
Remember, prices are subject to change at any time on Amazon, so what I have below might be a little different once you check it out. I’m going to round off the prices, so just keep that in mind.
THE GIFT LIST
1. Roku
Once upon a time, every mom was a single girl. She had her shows which were appointment TV for her. She would curl up on the couch under a warm blanket with fuzzy socks on and a cup of coffee in her hand and she would watch her shows with her undivided attention. Then God blessed her with beautiful tiny humans. But with those little blessings come many, MANY interruptions and very little appointment anything anymore.
Enter Roku. This little device will give her a way to see her shows on her schedule through Roku channels like Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Netflix. There’s even an app she can put on her phone to use as the remote when the kids lose the remote. This and this are the kind I have one our TVs, but there are several options now so pick what you think will work best for her.
2. EveryOne Lotion
The longer I live and the more I read articles like this, the more I realize that many of the things we’ve trusted for many years in the health and beauty arena simply were not trustworthy. There are all kinds of toxins and weird yucky stuff (great professional language, huh?) in MANY of the products we use. (I’m going to be blogging about this more, so be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!)
Lotion is one of the many products that have been infiltrated by these toxins. In my mission to decrease toxins as much as possible, I found that my skin was drying up and falling off (not really…but kinda). I had to find something and this is what I found. EO Lotion is the bomb. My favorite is the Lavender kind. The aroma comes from real lavender, not toxic perfumes. There are other kinds too, but so far this is the one I like the best.
3. Boba, Moby, or Ergo
We’ve all heard about how moms grow extra arms and hands after they have kids. I’m still waiting on mine. Apparently, I was only apportioned two of each, no matter how many kids I have, so I needed some help.
Babywearing is all the rage now for crunchy mamas, and that’s great and all, but I don’t do it because I’m crunchy. I do it because the big(ger) kids have to eat everyday. (Seriously, didn’t I feed them YESTERDAY??? Ugh…) I do it because I have to eat everyday (though the tiny humans don’t seem to appreciate that). I do it because the toilet doesn’t clean itself and the laundry doesn’t wash itself. Well it kinda does….but that’s beside the point…..
Probably the biggest reason I do it away from home is to keep germy strangers’ hands away from her. For some reason, people are just drawn to touch baby’s hands and faces. I’m not a complete germaphobe, but the flu is real and RSV is real and lots of other stuff is real. I’m not risking my 6-week-old’s immune system just so you can be happy you got to touch my baby. (I know that sounds mean, but sometimes you gotta be a mama bear.)
Wearing your baby keeps those germs minimized because people can’t get to your baby unless they get all up in your space, which they’re less likely (though not COMPLETELY unlikely) to do.
There are lots of ways to wear your baby. Bagillions of ways really. But these are my two favorite. First, the wrap. This is kind of a papoose type of way to wear them and it is GREAT for sleepy newborns, especially when it’s cold outside. I’ve used the Moby and the Boba. They’re basically huge, long pieces of special fabric that you wrap around you in a special way and then tuck your baby into it. It looks complicated, but it’s really not. If I had to pick one I liked best, it’s probably the Boba, but only because it has a little bit of stretch to it. Each of these is around $40ish.
Another way to wear your baby is in a backpack-looking carrier. I think I’ve decided this is my favorite way because it’s much quicker to get your baby in and out of it. The Ergo Adapt is my favorite. In fact, my baby was tucked in hers when I wrote this.
Isn’t she cute? Yes, I know you can’t see her face….or my face…..just revel in the cuteness and be happy. I wish you could hear her sweet sleepy noises. I’m getting off track….
If the prices seem a little high, just know that fabric is expensive, especially the high-quality fabric used to make these. The wraps are VERY long, so you would be hard-pressed to make your own for less than what these cost ready-to-use.
4. Garden of Life mykind Organics Prenatal Multi Whole Food Gummies
We already touched on the fact that mamas don’t tend to eat as well as they need to because they’re so busy taking care of everybody and everything else. And yes, she needs “prenatals” even if she’s not still pregnant. They are great nutrition for women in their childbearing years even when they’re not actively growing a person.
These prenatal vitamins are my favorite because they are delicious and so easy to take since they’re gummies! Also, they have probiotics in them, they have methyl folate (more on this in a future post – be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!), and they’re made with whole organic fruits and vegetables.
5. Diva Cup & Wash
So maybe this one ought to be a stocking stuffer or given after the company leaves. Not because there’s anything wrong with it, but I’m saving you from the awkward conversation with Aunt Margie. You’ll thank me later.
In another upcoming blog post I’m going to tell you why women should stop using tampons and even most store-bought pads. Yes, there are toxins in them. Not good. We’ll talk about that more after the most wonderful time of the year has passed. Let’s be happy for now.
So yeah, the Divacup is a menstrual cup. It does exactly what you think it might, and it’s actually not as gross as you might think. I would like to tell you I’ve been using mine a long time, but I can’t because I have been busy growing people for much of the time I’ve owned mine so it’s been hanging out in my drawer. However, for the year or so I did use it, I loved it.
It’s so much more convenient (and cheaper) to use than store-bought products. It comes in two sizes, for before having babies or after having babies. I linked the one for after babies since I figure you’re here because of your babies. LOL! And yes, you need the wash, too, so you make sure it lasts for years. Some soaps can cause the material to break down, but this wash is made just for the cup AND you only need a tiny bit so it’ll last you FOR-E-VER.
6. Mirari OK to Wake Clock
It makes me sad when I hear my mommy friends upset because their kids get up before the sun. Mamas need their sleep. So do the kids, whether they realize it or not.
Or, in my case, I need a minute with my coffee and my Bible to hopefully get myself off on the right foot so that everyone lives through the day.
This might seem like a gift for kids, but I promise, with a little training, this is definitely one of the best gifts a mom could ever get.
Here’s how it works. It’s kinda like an alarm clock. You set a time when it is “OK to Wake”. When that time comes, the clock silently turns itself on to (hopefully) not wake the kids if they’re still sleeping. When it comes on, the child knows it’s OK to get up and come out of their room or call for mommy to come get them. Before it comes on, if they wake up, you teach them that they must lay quietly in their beds.
There’s also a nap button that you can set for however long you want them to be in their beds for their nap. I know it’s tempting to set it for 12 hours, but fight that urge.
Anyway, the glorious moments of rest of alone time she’ll get before the chaos of the day begins are worth the price of this clock many, many times over.
7. Diffuser
If you haven’t heard of essential oils by now, I’m not sure how you’re reading this post because, clearly, your head is in the sand. Come out and breathe….
OK, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, you may need one of these, too. Essential oils are awesome. They have lots of healing properties that can keep you from having to always revert to modern medicine. But even more than that, they smell good and they’re not toxic like candles can be.
Currently, my oil of choice is “Christmas Spirit” by Young Living which is a blend of orange, cinnamon, and spruce essential oils. It smells like a little piece of Christmas Heaven. And it makes me happy. We all need to be happy. (Use this link and promo code SHAREYL for 10% off YL essential oils!)
So get her a diffuser and also an oil or two if she doesn’t have any. Then she’ll be happy, which will help you be happy. Because if mama ain’t happy….well, you know how the rest goes.
8. Earth Mama Organic Herbal Sitz Bath
If the mom you’re shopping for is pregnant or just had a baby, she needs this. Even if she had a beautiful birth with no tears, eh-hem, down there, things will still be a little….off….for a while. Sitz baths are lovely, but they’re even better with something like EarthMama Organic Herbal Sitz Bath!
There are lots of different ways you can use them. First, you boil it just like any other tea you would drink. But then you can actually put them in a bath if you want, OR you can run them through the sitz bath, as I mentioned. You can also pour them onto pads and freeze them to have nice ice packs. However you use them, they are great for healing after pushing a watermelon out something the size of a lemon. (Bonus points if you can name that movie – if you know, COMMENT BELOW!) There’s a way to use them as pads according to the box, but I tried that once and it felt pretty weird to me…. But hey, try it if you want.
Don’t have a sitz bath? Get one here!
9. Necklace with kids’ names
Most ladies love jewelry. Most (ALL?) ladies love their babies. Combine jewelry with reminders of those babies and you’ve hit the jackpot.
So congratulations – you actually CAN hit this jackpot 100% of the time. They actually make necklaces that you can customize with kids’ names. Basically, the concept is that you have her kids’ names inscribed onto the necklace itself. You can add birthstones to some or birthdates. There are tons of options, but I guarantee there’s not a mom who won’t LOVE this gift.
I wish I could pick just one to recommend, but I simply can’t, so I don’t have a link for you for this one. There are tons and tons of designs and everybody likes things a little different. If you head over to Etsy, you’ll see what I mean.
10. FORLIFE Infuser
I’m not a huge tea drinker. I feel like tea is there for people who haven’t figured out the beauty of coffee. But even those people need love and need cool things. A dear midwife buddy of mine is one of these <weird> people, but I love her and so I will include people like her in this gift list.
Oddly enough, though coffee is pretty much my favorite food/drink thing on earth these days, I will drink some hot tea from time to time. I especially drink tea when I’m pregnant, like red raspberry leaf tea. When I was growing baby #2, I went on the hunt for a tea infuser that was easy to use and cool, because I wanted to feel cool.
I ended up buying this infuser and I love it. The infuser itself is a good size and it hangs on the size of a coffee – oops! — tea cup. It also has a neat little dish you sit the infuser on after it’s done its job, so you don’t make a mess on your counter.
11. LulaClips
At first glance, you won’t think these are a great idea. But they are a GOD-SEND. What mom doesn’t need all the tools she can get to keep her sleeping baby ASLEEP??
Enter the Lulaclips. These little doo-dads pin to each side of a baby’s car seat. They have a strong magnet (completely enclosed and not swallow-able) in them that holds the metal part of the seatbelt out of the way.
If you don’t have kids, let me help you understand how huge this is. Every mom in the history of the world since car seats came into being — before that we all rode in the floorboard, if you’re young and don’t know that – has tried to do the sleep dance and lay her sweet slumbering baby into their car seat without waking the little angel. She gets the baby laid down and she’s still snoozing. But then, the awful moment…..the straps are under the baby…..they must be pulled out……so she tries to gently fish them out…..and the squirming starts……and the baby wakes up…… UGH….
Many a sleeping baby have been awakened by their poor, stressed-out mamas trying their best to get them safely into their carseats. It’s a sad, sad moment. We need fewer of these moments. LulaClips help to do away with these moments. Sleeping babies are blissful.
12. StitchFix Gift Certificate
The last one should’ve maybe been the first. The more kids most moms have, the more likely they are to end the day still in their pajamas and probably not showered because they spent pretty much all day tending to everybody else’s needs and neglecting their own (as mentioned regarding food above).
And yet, all moms really want to be pretty. We don’t want to look like bums. But who has time to shop for clothes that fit the new “mom bod” we all sport. We need some help.
StitchFix is that help. The way it works is you go online and fill out a profile about your style. A personal stylist picks out 5 items for you and ships them to you on the dates you choose along with a personal note (love this part!) and some styling suggestions for different ways to wear the pieces they send.
You try it on and decide which items you love and which (if any) you don’t want. They send you a prepaid bag to return the items you don’t want (FREE shipping BOTH WAYS!). If you decide to keep them all, you get a 25% discount on everything. There is a $20 styling fee, but that gets applied as a credit towards the items you keep.
You can even schedule fixes to arrive every so often so you get a nice surprise on your doorstep because let’s just be honest – you’re going to forget about it. But this way you get to look nice without having to leave home to shop…. I’ll work on finding a way for you to find the time to bathe when I figure it out myself.
NOW GO SHOPPING! (from right where you’re sitting)
Now you’ve got some ideas for gifts she won’t want to return, so go shop! I’ve done the hard work for you. All you need to do is click (links are embedded in the titles of each item except the necklace). Most of these links have free shipping, at least for now, so take advantage of that and get her something she will love this year. If the mom on your list is a reader, check out my post for some book recommendations to help prepare for labor and breastfeeding. Until next time, please be sure to subscribe to my email list. I promise I won’t spam you, nor will I ever sell your email address, but this is the best way to make sure you don’t miss anything from Your Birth, God’s Way!