How to Shop for Mother’s Day This Year

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Of all the gift-focused holidays in the entire calendar, Mother’s Day is certainly the one to plan for well ahead of time. Whether you're able to see Mom on the regular or find yourself squeezing in last-minute visits when you can, finding a special Mother's Day gift will make her feel loved and appreciated for all she's given you throughout your life.

If you need help figuring out what to get her this year, our first suggestion is to check out our excellent collection of Mother’s Day gift guides. They feature unique, hand-selected ideas for any type of mom — and they're available at every budget level.

But perhaps you'd like to take a different approach. Here, we're sharing our favorite tips and strategies for coming up with creative Mother's Day gifts on your own, as well as how far in advance to plan your shopping. Because while hitting "Add to Cart" takes just a second, the journey to get there can be a long one.

Read on to learn how to shop Mother's Day, and prepare for your most organized gift-planning yet!

Looking for more Mother's Day ideas? Check out our guides!

• Mother's Day decorations

• Mother's Day gift ideas on Amazon

• Last-minute Mother's Day gifts

Planning Your Mother’s Day Shopping

This year, Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 12. If you really want to be Mom's pride and joy, the best time to start planning and shopping for your gift is 3 weeks prior, which falls on the week of April 21.

The reason for this is that 3 weeks generally provides a window of time for you to make a trip out to the stores to shop for a gift in person or shop for a gift online and have it delivered. Plus, it'll also buy you time to do your wrapping, pick up a card, and write a heartfelt message inside (more on this below!). Highlight this week in your calendar to make Mother's Day gift shopping a priority.

Throughout the year, it's also a good idea to log gift ideas as you come up with them. We find that using a Secret Pinterest Board is the best way to keep track of gift ideas. Doing this automatically saves the item's picture, name, and link in one private, easy-to-find place. But if you don't use Pinterest, you can still keep track of gift ideas by using the Notes app on your phone, texting or emailing ideas to yourself, or even making an IRL list on sticky notes.

Tips for Finding Mother's Day Gifts

Finding a unique Mother's Day gift can feel like a puzzle that you must solve anew each year, but there are plenty of strategies you can use to make the search easier.

Focus on what the two of you have in common

Mother's Day shouldn't be a holiday that's interchangeable with any other gifting event — it's about honoring the labor of love that is raising a family. When you're brainstorming gift ideas, think about what you and your mom both love or the various hobbies, interests, and qualities you share.

For example, if you and Mom are both interested in all things related to your cultural or ethnic heritage, lean into it by shopping for specialty ingredients for her favorite dishes, artisan-made jewelry or textiles, or personalized gifts from Etsy shops or independent makers from your region of ancestry.

Visit Mom's favorite spots

If Mom is an avid patron of a particular museum or performing arts space, a frequent shopper at a place like Lowe's or Nordstrom, or a regular at a favorite neighborhood cafe or bistro, use these places as inspiration for your gift-giving.

We say that giving a gift card for Mother's Day is totally OK if it's for a shop, restaurant, or service that you know Mom will put to good use right away. But if you can buy something from the gift shop or merch table at any of her favorite spots, it'll give her something to unwrap and be surprised by.

Find ways to celebrate the season

Mother's Day is a peak spring holiday, so you can always steer your gift toward the enjoyment of the season. Moms who are gardeners, runners, pickleball players, or are otherwise outdoorsy are easy to gift for, since there's always some gear or accessory that they can use to enhance their experience.

Pollinator Garden Set

Fern Earrings

Open-Ear Bluetooth Bone Conduction Sport Headphones

Pickleball Retriever

Make a plan with your siblings

If you're an only child, feel free to skip this one! But if you have siblings with whom you'd like to team up for a gift, reach out to them in the 3-week window before Mother's Day. You can brainstorm ideas for a luxe group gift (say, an outdoor TV with TaskRabbit installation) and split the cost with them.

How to Write a Heartfelt Mother's Day Card

The best-kept secret about Mother's Day gift-giving is this: What you give and how much you spend really doesn't matter if you can wow her with a hand-written card.

If the idea of having to come up with an original thought has you running to the nearest AI chatbot, we urge you to reconsider. What would you write to Mom if this were the last Mother's Day card she'd ever receive from you?

Here are some tips for coming up with what to say in a Mother's Day card:

1. Start with gratitude. Make a list of the reasons you're grateful for your mom, even if they seem generic and obvious.

2. Then, try to think of any memories or stories attached to these reasons. Add any personal details that you think would make Mom either laugh or well up.

3. Then, take a break. Don't force yourself to make your gratitude/memory list and write the card in the same sitting. Reflect on what you've written and add any new ideas that come to mind over the next few hours or days. It can also be inspiring to look at photos of the two of you from when you were young.

4. After spending some time mulling it over, type out your Mother's Day message, expanding on the best parts of your list. It only has to be 3-5 sentences long, but after giving it a lot of thought, you can make every word count.

5. Once you've tweaked your message to read exactly how you'd like, copy it into the card by hand.

The message, written in your own words (and if possible, read aloud by Mom on Mother's Day) will be unforgettably heartfelt.

Gifting Approaches for All Types of Moms

Mother's Day is a great time to share the love with all the moms and mother figures in your life. Here are a few ideas on how to approach gift-giving for these other special women.

Gifts for your mother-in-law

If you and your mother-in-law have an extra-special bond, gift her something that speaks to one of the qualities or talents you admire in her. And make sure your spouse stays on track with getting her a dedicated Mother's Day gift, too!

Gifts for your stepmom

Whether she helped raise you or came into your life later, your stepmom's gift should be just as thoughtful and fun as she is. Consider gifting her something that encourages her to pamper herself.

Gifts for your grandmother

No Mother's Day is complete without honoring your grandma, too. For her, anything you can give with a personalized touch (especially photo gifts) will be deeply appreciated.

Gifts for your wife

While there may be no better gift for the mother of your children than a generous act of service that allows her to relax and take the day off, you could also give your wife a gift that conveys the same sentiment.

Gifts for a new mom

It'll be a few years before a new mom starts receiving cards and gifts from her little one for Mother's Day, so make sure you let her know how much you see the love and hard work that she’s put in from day one. Opt for cute gifts that combine her new role as a mama with her sense of style.

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