This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 8 — which, in case you haven’t looked at a calendar recently, is less than a week away. And though we here at the Strategist have spent the past several weeks digging up the best Mother’s Day gifts for all types of moms — from long-distance moms to foodie moms to new moms — at this point, you probably just want to know which gifts are going to arrive in time. It might be too late to order a personalized gift, but that doesn’t mean your gift can’t be personal.
To make things easy for you, we’ve pulled together a list of 34 Strategist-approved, last-minute Mother’s Day gifts at every price point. Order any of these today and they’ll arrive on her doorstep on or before May 8 — although you might have to pay more for expedited shipping.
Gifts under $25
These rattan placemats come recommended by ANGL co-owner Alana Grim, who likes the fringed edges almost as much as how easy they are to wipe down.
If your mom prefers to read in bed, she’ll love this amber-hued book light that writer Molly McGhee says “keeps the blue-light blues at bay.” In addition to helping her wind down without a screen, it doesn’t keep her partner up when she reads late into the night.
This set of 20 iconic, brightly patterned notecards will make any mom smile. Just make sure you include a note as well.
Brewing baskets hold on to tea leaves better than infusers, and they can be easier to clean. This particular brand comes recommended by Tony Gebely, owner and founder of Tea Epicure. “They last forever and can be thrown in the dishwasher. Mine are ten years old now and are showing no signs of wear,” he says.
While she counts the days until her next vacation, these nontraditional wineglasses will let her at least feel like she’s getting away.
Whether she’s a fan of the classics or whatever random movie popped up on Netflix, she’ll enjoy this streaming subscription, which lets her watch some of the best films from around the world.
Gifts under $50
One step up from a disposable camera, this 35-mm. reusable camera is still pretty bare bones with a fixed, focus-free lens and automatic flash. You’ll get the same unexpectedly cool results, but it’s more eco-friendly since you don’t have to buy a new camera body each time.
A good gift for an artsy mom looking for a new medium to explore.
While gift cards are often the mark of a last-minute gift, they can still be quite thoughtful — like this one from Keepsake Frames, a service that will allow her to have photos from her phone printed, placed in a handsome frame, and mailed directly to her house.
John Bettencourt, the head roaster at Oslo Roasters, says you don’t need to be a barista or coffee nerd to make delicious coffee with a Chemex. “It’s simple to use, elegant, and the specially made paper filters contribute to a very clean cup of coffee,” he says.
If all that caffeine keeps her up at night, give her one of these luxuriously soft weighted eye masks to help her sleep.
Give her something to look forward to every month (or every week) with Bouqs’ subscription delivery service, which lets you regularly send either roses, a rustic farmers’ market arrangement, or a bouquet of roses, calla lilies, and alstroemerias.
For the mom who loves lightweight things, this set of packing cubes from Baggu can fit all her vacation essentials and weighs less than ten ounces.
This is a great book for moms who already have some wine knowledge but want to dive deeper into tasting theory and learn about different wine regions.
One way to save your mom a few trips to the grocery store is to buy her a subscription to a meal-delivery service. Strategist writer Lauren Ro likes Marley Spoon, which she says works fairly similar to other meal-delivery kits (premeasured ingredients, step-by-step recipes) but has slightly more generous portions and particularly fresh produce.
Gifts under $100
For the mom who used to have more time for gallery visits, this hardcover (a companion to MoMA’s exhibition of the same name) touches on everything from abstract art to Dada, marionettes, embroidery, furniture design, and architecture.
All moms could use a vacation, and a gift card from Airbnb will let them plan exactly when and where to go — whether to a house in Joshua Tree or an apartment in Paris.
For the gourmand mother, this tinned fish sampler pack from Matiz Seafood came recommended to us by Dimes co-owner Alissa Wagner (who appreciates that the company’s sustainably packed fish are good for both your health and the planet’s).
New moms might like an initial pendant to commemorate the birth of a new baby. And not-so-new moms might like one with their own first initial. Either way, this personalized gift won’t take any more time to arrive than another piece of jewelry, and Mejuri offers free expedited shipping on all orders.
These sturdy, stackable, stainless-steel mixing bowls are perfect for the mom who got really into baking during the pandemic (or who has not-so-subtly mentioned her baking gear could use an upgrade).
Chocolate-loving moms will melt over this insanely delicious chocolate cake made famous by Ina Garten.
For new moms or moms-to-be struggling to plan healthy meals, a Splendid Spoon subscription will deliver delicious smoothies, grain bowls, and soups right to her door. Get her a meal plan like this one or let her build her own box online.
This portable speaker from Bose offers up the same crisp sound as the brand’s pricier picks, can be toted around anywhere (inside and outside), and plays for up to six hours on a single charge.
StoryWorth is a service that sends your mom open-ended questions every week for a year before collecting all of her stories in a book. Strategist contributor Sarah Z. Wexler bought one for her dad last year and says, “As a big reader and an author myself, I can honestly say I’ve never been more excited for the release of a book. It’s been a true joy for me to open my inbox and see my dad’s stories each week.”
If you’ve really left your gift shopping until the last minute or forgot about Mother’s Day altogether, Cameo is a perfect place to shop. Depending on your mom’s tastes, you can get her a special video message from an actor, comedian, Great British Baking Show star, or this famous talking African gray parrot.
An Ancestry.com membership is thoughtful and requires no shipping time. It’s the perfect gift for moms who are obsessed with possibly being related to the guy who invented the egg cream or other niche delights. Memberships come in three tiers, and you can give a six-month or yearlong membership starting at $99.
Splurge-worthy gifts
These sleek wireless headphones sound great, sanitize themselves with UV-C technology as they charge, and come with an airplane-outlet adapter so you can use the case as a dongle while watching in-flight rom-coms.
This electric kettle from Fellow has appeared in our gift guides for both tea lovers and coffee lovers; it might be the only thing those two fandoms agree on.
For the mom concerned about getting her steps in, this FitBit doubles as a smartwatch (it also tracks sleep quality and has a built-in Alexa).
If your mom has caught every episode of Master Chef, she’ll likely enjoy this Gordon Ramsay–led Masterclass, which tech strategist James Matthews called “very Gordon Ramsay.”
If your mom is always craving truffle fries or crispy wings, gift her this expert-recommended, best-in-class air fryer. It has handy presets for cake, meat, and fish, it’s easy to use, and it’s also the model that Vanderpump Rules star Lala Kent raved about to us.
This attachment will elevate a basic stand mixer (if she doesn’t have one, you can grab her one at Best Buy as well) to a bona fide pasta maker.
Give her the gift of never having to vacuum under the couch again.
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