This year’s Mother’s Day lands on 8 May, which gives you approximately two weeks to get your gift, get it wrapped and hand-write a card that will make mum coo and smile and maybe even cry a little.
Before we begin: call your mother, she misses you. Now that we have that out of the way, we’re less than a month away from the one day of the year your mother will feel no guilt about letting you know you don’t spend enough time with her; don’t call her enough; aren’t eating enough. And in honour of this day that celebrates mum — be it new mums, mums-to-be, surrogate mums, bus mums, grandmothers — here are some gifting ideas that should, really, only be a blueprint for what you actually get mum. You know her best! Put some thought into it, please.
Mamma Mia, It’s Mother’s Day!
For the mum who likes to splash out:
Look, an Hermès purchase is not an everyday purchase. Neither is an alligator-strapped Cartier Tank watch, encrusted with diamonds. But not every day is Mother’s Day! If you’re going to splurge, invest, instead, on things that last; on things that can be loved, treasured, then passed down for decades to come. Think of it this way: these could be yours, someday, too. And if mum’s not big on the materialistic, a print or painting might tug at her heartstrings.
For the mum who prefers tea:
Tea might, apologies, not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially if it’s in the gift-giving context, which, like candles, can often be seen as an afterthought; a last-minute throwaway. But if mother wants tea, then mother must have the best tea. Tea WG’s limited-edition Sakura! Sakura! green tea blend carries notes of wild Rainier cherry and sweet rose petals and comes incased in a collectable tea tin that mum will most likely repurpose as something that holds spools of threads. Errant buttons.
Or, go for something extra special from Paper & Tea, an artisanal tea brand that’s just touched down in Hong Kong from Germany. Chocolate Cure N725 blends cocoa beans with Pu-erh for a chocolately infusion that’s also, well, tea.
For the mum with a sweet tooth:
Chocolate! Truffles! A cheeky slice of Strawberry Monogram Cake from Maison Meiji, arranged in perfect, geometric triangles reminiscent of traditional Japanese “Uroko” patterns! Mum deserves something sweet on the palate on the day christened just for her. And if she’s not a dessert person? Can’t beat a pizza pie from Mother of Pizzas.
For the mum who Doesn’t Want You To Spend Money On Her:
Yes, I’ll address the elephant in this section of the gift guide: flowers are expensive. Bouquets — especially artfully arranged designs from brands like Ellermann, Flannel Flowers — are expensive. If you’re not willing to lie to your mum about exactly how much you spent on flowers, here’s an idea: moodboard your favourite bouquet and head to Mong Kok’s flower market to attempt your very own. She’ll like them better that way, trust. And maybe you’ll get a fun hobby out of it, too.
Otherwise, little microgreens grow cups from SLOWOOD are adorable for any green-thumbed mamas, and a book never hurts. Especially if it’s one listing out gin recipes and it arrives gift-wrapped alongside a bottle or two of Two Moons.
For the mum who’s always telling you to wear sunscreen:
Maybe she’s been moaning and groaning about a wrinkle you promise you cannot actually see. Maybe she’s a skincare obsessive who needs refills of her Dr. Barbara Sturm serums. Maybe she’s a beauty guru in the making, who wants a vanity shelf worthy of a Top Shelf feature on Into The Gloss. Whether you go for a full-on discovery set from Lane Crawford or dive headfirst into beauty gadgetry with Lyma’s laser starter kit, there’s something beautiful for every mother — beauty neophyte or professional alike.
For the mum who just wants a little sparkly somethin’-somethin’:
Jewellery is a no-brainer when it comes to Mother’s Day gifting. It’s something small, something precious. Something that can, if nothing gets lost, be worn and forgotten. A small pendant necklace that you do not take off is something that becomes intrinsic; an extension of you. Then, it gets passed down. Splurge on a diamond ring or DIY your own charm bracelets; one for you, one for her.
For the mum who’s redecorating:
Home is where the heart is and home is, often, where your mother is. Pick out knick-knacks she’d love; knick-knacks that’d remind her of you. Like this gorgeous, gorgeous Wave Pitcher by Sophie Lou Jacobsen or this very trendy Flowerpot Lamp à la Verner Panton if she’s into design. Or this circular tray from TREE — made by American designer Dawn Sweitzer who draws inspiration from her childhood in Ohio and her globetrotting adventures — that looks almost extraterrestrial.
Header and featured images courtesy of Sophie Lou Jacobsen
Joey Wong
Editor
Retired Tumblr girl Joey has written her way through fashion trends, youth culture and luxury retail in New York and Hong Kong. Beyond internet adventures tracking down the perfect vintage find, you can probably catch her tufting rugs, swigging back Bloody Marys — her third, probably — and making fastidious spreadsheets about her Animal Crossing island.
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