Shopping for Mother’s Day: difficult, expensive, typical (flowers! perfume! chocolates!) presents?
Receiving presents? Yay!!!
Stealing ideas? Smart.
Below are some of the best (ethical, small business, useful, uber-pleasing) presents my family found for me.
Gardening Overalls from Duluth Trading Co.
Yes, I am in love with these. Pockets? Do you want pockets? Zipped pockets for your phone, teeny pockets for those hankies above, places to hang your trowel? They got ‘em, baby. And they’re comfortable. And they look kind of cute. And who cares how much dirt you grind into them?
My husband gifted me with these for Valentine’s Day, and yes, it made me love him even more. I hope he’s not reading this, though—because they are on serious sale right now (the denim ones), and he might have missed it.
I don’t know how many others are on sale, but they have lightweight, flowered, many colors, short ones, tough-looking ones, and seriously cute ones. They also have plus-sized and little-sized, and all of them look wonderful.
How can I possibly explain how these hankies and the hanky holder changed my life? I must rhapsodize about how the soft, soft, soft bamboo hankies are so soft and comfortable that you look forward to blowing your nose or blotting a tear. Not only should we not waste paper, you might, like me, find deep pleasure in using these and, with the holder that has one side for clean tissues and the other for dirty ones, but you will also have something permanent and lovely to tote them around.
They were a gift from one of my daughters, and I love them, so buy some for your mom, your daughter, or anyone who deserves comfort.
Sugar Bowl from Funktini Glass
From the other beloved daughter, I got eye-joy to match the above comfort. This bright and happy glass sugar bowl holds my sugar and tells me to go ahead and have some joy! You deserve a spoonful in your oatmeal! Thank goodness it’s there every time I think about getting out some blackstrap molasses or (ugh) monk fruit (don’t ask—it didn’t do good things for me!).
Who needs another bookmark, for goodness’ sake …. turns out I did.
This is another one from my daughter, the genius Etsy hunter. They just work great: light, sturdy, easy-to-see tassel. The bonus? You can write on them, which is a phenomenal treat when you have to jot down those brilliant thoughts you just read.
I have never—never, ever—smelled candles as good as these. All the scents, but most especially the lavender and white birch (and this is coming from a lavender agnostic.)
My husband and I met the owners of The Sweetest Thing Shop at a Boston craft fair; we chatted over much (me), bought the candles (him for me), and have followed them ever since. The couple who own it are lovely, and the candles are—yes—the best ever: delicate, natural, not intense, but providing the perfect olfactory hug.