8 Unique Mother’s Day Gift Ideas For Hard-To-Buy-For Moms

Today we’re looking at Mother’s Day gift ideas for hard-to-buy-for moms. 

I think everybody has at least one person in their life that is impossible to buy for. Their birthday or the holiday season comes up, and suddenly you find yourself bashing your ever-loving head against the wall trying to come up with a thoughtful gift idea.

Somehow this conundrum is compounded even further when it’s your own mother.

You consider adopting some religion that doesn’t believe in giving gifts. You even consider giving them your first-born…

But before you make any rash decisions, let us help you out. Here are a few great gift ideas for quick reference that you may not have thought about:

  1. Spa Day. Make an appointment for her to get a massage or facial, get her nails or hair done, or even a tanning treatment if she’s into those. Even better if you could accompany her!
  2. Favorite Magazine Subscription. Get her an annual subscription to her top page-turner, be it Good Housekeeping, The New Yorker, Women’s Health, or some niche publication.
  3. A Meal Mom Loves. Head to the grocery store and get all the ingredients necessary for her favorite meal. I used to do this for my mom and she always loved it. Don’t forget the candlelight and a glass of wine to make this a truly special occasion!
  4. A Night Out. If she’s a music or theatre lover, get tickets to a performance or concert and take her out for the evening. Follow up with a fancy dessert and/or a bouquet of flowers for the icing on the cake.
  5. Acts of Service. Here’s an idea that any type of mom can get behind. Volunteer to take on her least favorite domestic task for a week, month, or year—whatever you’re capable of. If she hates vacuuming, become the vacuuming king or queen. The same goes for cooking, dusting, doing laundry, etc.
  6. Consumables. The best part about this is that it’s so broad. Consumables could be her favorite wine, bath salts, facial cream, sweets, or snacks… Better yet, get a gift basket and fill it full of the things you already know she loves and uses.

Those are just a few good ideas for your mom AKA built-in best friend, but keep scrolling and we’ll clue you in on our favorite gifts for those particularly difficult-to-shop-for moms.

Save your poor head many hard bashes to the wall, and pick from this list of best gift ideas that will result in your mother feeling loved and adored on her special day.

Without further adieu, here are 8 unique gift ideas that I think your hard-to-buy-for mama just might love.

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8 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Hard-To-Buy-For Mamas

Whether we’re talking about your own mom(s), step-moms, new moms, your non-related mother figures, or your grandmas; all mothers ought to be honored.

No, not with last-minute gifts that are thoughtless and flat, but with something truly special that will reflect your gratitude for all of her love and hard work. So here are our top suggestions to make mom feel as cherished as she is.

My Favorite
Giftory: Experience Gifts & Ideas For Every Occasion

To me, experiences are some of the very best gifts to give or receive. Enabling someone to see or do something they’ve always had their heart set on (without them having to foot the bill) is top notch gift giving if you ask me.

Giftory makes that simple: Just purchase a voucher for a fun experience, and the recipient can redeem it anytime they want. Thoughtful, easy, and memorable!

-McKenna

Browse Experiences
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At the top of our list is an experience gift. Experiences are great because they combine gifting with memory-making, and memories—unlike many tangible items—last a lifetime.

Sites like Giftory offer thousands of experiences in cities all over the US, as well as at-home, virtual experiences.

Bonus points if you can spend the entire time together.

For the Sentimental
Moments with Mom — Scratch-Off Journal
Pros:
  • Encourages time together
  • Sweet & sentimental
  • Beautiful, easy, scratch-off design
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I’m a sucker for sweet, sentimental ideas like this.

This 100 Things to Do with Mom journal is so sweet and includes more than just the scratch-off ideas! It also has places for you to scrapbook photos and mementos, and to make little journal entries of your time together.

I’m definitely keeping this bookmarked for my own mama.

For the Green Thumb
AeroGarden Hydroponic Indoor Garden
$79.95
Pros:
  • High performance growth light
  • Room for six plants
  • Reminds you when to add water and plant food
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03/11/2024 10:59 am GMT

Green-thumbed ladies unite! If she loves having fresh greens on hand (especially during long winter months), then this would be one of those really useful gifts she’ll be grateful for.

This isn’t your typical indoor herb garden, either, and the reviews speak for themselves. Users love how easy it is to set up and maintain, and how remarkable the results are no matter what they decide to grow in it.

Bonus: It’s also available in five different colors!

For the Reader
Penguin Clothbound Classics
$15.63
Pros:
  • Perfect for the classic lover
  • Beautifully designed
  • Dozens of authors and genres to choose from
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03/11/2024 10:49 am GMT

If she’s a bookworm, consider getting her a fancy, hardback copy of one of her favorite volumes! She’ll love reading through it as well as displaying it in a place of honor.

We’re particularly fond of the Penguin Clothbound Classics series, and this enchanting copy of Pride and Prejudice is sure to please. If she’s not an Austen fan, the collection has many authors and genres to choose from.

Unique Pick
Raw Honey Gift Basket
Pros:
  • A variety of honey-derived gifts
  • All handmade items
  • Natural, beautiful, unique
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Ooh! Call me mama, and get this for me now, please! This raw honey gift basket is so cool.

The basket comes with an assortment of items made with raw honey and is packaged oh-so-perfectly. It comes with candles, little jars of raw honey, lip balms, and more!

This gift will probably give your mother those same sweet memories, and what a way to spoil her on Mother’s Day.

There is also the option to include a personalized card with your order and to customize the basket with other items from their shop.

All in all, I think this basket is sure to bee a sweet gift for your honey of a mom. (See what I did there?)

Best Seller
Organic Spa Set
Pros:
  • Choose from four unique gift sets
  • Free personalized card
  • Clean, GMO-free products
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These are the ultimate spa gift sets. After all, who doesn’t like to be pampered?

The candle set (shown above) is filled with only the best products and the whole thing just screams, “luxury.” I, for one, think she could use some luxury in a Mother’s Day gift.

This set includes:

  • 100% soy wax candle
  • Lavender Lemongrass Soap Bar
  • Rose Face Mist
  • Extra Glow Face Serum
  • Heel Balm
  • Rose Soap Bar
  • Lip Balm

If you want your mom to put her feet up, pamper, de-stress, and enjoy Mama’s Day I think she would love this set as a gift.

For the Bloom Lover
Flower of the Month | Fresh Cut Flowers Club
Pros:
  • Unique. fresh
  • Professionally designed bouquets
  • Gift that keeps giving
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The only thing better than a beautiful vase full of various blooms is a beautiful vase full of various blooms every. single. month.

The Flower of the Month club will deliver fresh, professionally arranged, seasonally themed bouquets to your mother’s doorstep each month. She’ll get so much joy from these lively and luscious, fresh-cut beauties.

Etsy's Pick
Black Walnut Tea Chest
Pros:
  • Functional art
  • Beautiful, quality craftsmanship
  • Solid, black walnut wood
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Is your mama fond of a cuppa? Then this gorgeous tea chest might just be her favorite gift she’ll ever receive.

This tea chest is incredibly beautiful. Truly, a piece of functional art that can be handed down for generations. Handcrafted from solid black Walnut, it has eight segmented compartments to keep her top brews in.

Say goodbye to all of those flimsy, cardboard boxes filling up her kitchen cupboard and switch her over to this quality-crafted box instead.

More Mother’s Day Gift Inspiration

I hope this post has given you some inspiration as you search for that perfect gift for Mother’s Day.

If you’re still looking for something creative and unique for your special mama, check out these additional gift guides:

If you have any suggestions for additional gift ideas for our favorite ladies, let us know in the comments below!

View our Mother’s Day shop for thoughtful cards and fun activities!

Best Gifts for Hard-to-Buy-for Moms
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Christin Szczesniak

Christin is a wife, mother, professional photographer, writer, and artist born and raised in Oregon and now living near the white sandy beaches of Pensacola, FL.

Her love for the sea, for horses, for poetry, and for all things whimsical...

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