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Special Mother’s Day Gifts for the New Mom

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Looking for a Mother’s Day or shower gift for a new mom? Here are five suggestions from the National Parenting Product Awards.

JJ Cole Popperton Boxy Backpack

This stylish bag features 8 pockets, including 4 easy access exterior slip pockets, a changing pad that stores easily inside the bag and easy wipe nylon exterior and a zip out, machine-washable liner. $83.99, www.us.tomy.com

Emmaline Robe

This cozy robe is great for every stage of motherhood, from pregnancy to postpartum. Features two places to tie the belt, offering an empire or traditional waist and extra deep pockets. $34.99, www.kinredbravely.com

UPPAbaby Vista V2 Stroller

The intuitive design of this stylish stroller allows for multiple configurations, making transporting a second and third child a breeze — all while strolling like a single. Features a bassinet, reversible toddler seat, one-handed recline and extendable, UPF 50+ canopy,  $929.99, birth-50 lbs., www.uppababy.com

mbrio Clip-on Earbud Adapters

Transform regular audio earbuds into “pregnancy headphones.” Place your earbuds into the adapters and clip them to your waistband and start sharing your favorite music with your baby. Made from medical-grade silicone and independently-tested, mbrio’s patented adapters are safe for baby’s ears, skin-safe, comfortable and ultra-lightweight. $29.95, www.mbriotech.com

Dream On Me Nursing Chair

Designed to add more convenience and comfort during feeding time and can be used beyond the baby stage as a portable chair for play or reading time. Features 6 adjustable positions and a removable, machine-washable cover. Lays flat for easy storage. $60, www.dreamonme.com

For more award-winning products visit nappaawards.com

Unique Mother’s Day Gifts For Mom

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As much as every mom appreciates a card, some flowers, and a bit of a break on Mother’s Day, coming up with new gift ideas can be difficult.

Here are ten gift ideas to show the mothers in your life some extra love on Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. As much as every mom appreciates a card, some flowers, and a bit of a break on May 12, coming up with new gift ideas can be difficult.  If you’re struggling on what to get your mom or that special aunt or grandmother, here are ten unique gift ideas to show them some extra love on Mother’s Day.

A Special Weekend Getaway

If budget is not much of a concern, then maybe splurge on a girls’ weekend getaway with mom. You wouldn’t even have to go far. You can choose a nearby city like San Francisco to play tourist and find some fun activities you would like to do with your mom. Relaxing by the pool, beach or spa might be something you both would enjoy. If you are more active, then maybe try a nearby state or national park for some hiking and outdoor fun.

A Special Event or Experience

Maybe an idea for a Mother’s Day gift is tickets to an upcoming concert, sports game, Broadway show or a food tour nearby. If your mom enjoys wine, then maybe visit a nearby winery for some wine tasting. A history loving mom may like tickets to a new museum exhibit coming to town. Whatever the interest, there are special experiences available if you scour the Internet for local activities. Checking Ticketmaster or specialty sites may be helpful for planning purposes.

Personalized Gift on Etsy

Etsy is the king of personalized gift creation. The key is finding the right one that mom will love. On this marketplace, you can customize anything from a necklace to a pillow, to an ornament or even a photo creation. Frames with pictures of grandchildren or a great family picture could be the key to starting a unique personalized gift. Personalized state gifts (like mugs and wall art) are becoming popular too. The options are endless on Etsy. Once you start browsing, you may get sucked in and buy all sorts of fun items.

Kitchen Accessories

Many moms spend their time in the kitchen, and while many have the basics needed to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner, few will really splurge on a non-essential item. Try to bring up some type of food conversation with your mom and see if you can “fish” for what item needs replacing or which is on her wish list. Instant Pots have been on high demand lately, but your mom could just need a new all-purpose knife or skillet.

Classes

How about a class on something your mom enjoys and would like to learn more about? Maybe your mom would like to take a yoga, art, or gardening class? Specialty cooking classes could also be fun, or maybe even a cheese tasting or wine tasting seminar. Check to see the offerings of your local Whole Foods, Home Depot, or any specialty store that your mom tends to shop at.

Subscriptions

Subscription boxes could be a fun idea depending on your mom’s interests. There are a variety of monthly subscriptions that deliver items straight to your door. Some options include beer, wine, cookies, makeup, beauty/skin products, and outdoor gear.  Magazine subscriptions are also a unique idea. You could sign your mom up for a year’s subscription of food/ wine, home decor, gardening, or travel magazine.

Technology

Depending on your mom’s preferences, maybe she wouldn’t be opposed to some technology in her life. A simple start could be a fitness/step tracker. By keeping track of her steps, it could motivate mom to lead a healthier lifestyle. Other popular and inexpensive technology items could be Amazon’s Fire Stick or Echo Dot. If your mom already has Amazon Prime, the Fire Stick could be another way for her to watch TV, while the Echo can provide simple audio reminders and timers to facilitate home life.

Specialty Food Item

Does your mom love sourdough bread? What about blue cheese? Sometimes moms will not spend money on an expensive version of an item because they know they do not need it. Buying your mom that expensive olive oil or specialty chocolate bar may just be the small token she isn’t expecting.

Towels or Bath Products

Bathroom items are not the usual gifts; however, if your mom has not updated her hand towels or bath towels in years, a refresh might be an unexpected treat. Check out the color scheme in her bathroom, and find some matching or complimentary colors that would work. A nicely scented soap bar could also be a treat, as most of the time people buy in bulk at the grocery store.

Practical Gifts

Although not fancy or unique, sometimes a practical gift is the best kind. A gift card to mom’s favorite grocery store or favorite restaurant just may do the trick. Maybe your mom goes to a specific hair salon or manicurist. If you know where she goes, you could pay for her next visit in advance. Sometimes, people do not like to get out of their routines. By paying for something she was going to do anyway, it sends the message that you care, yet appreciate practicality.

Regardless of the gift you choose for that special mother figure in your life, the simple act of showing your appreciation is usually all that counts. Hopefully, one of these ideas will spark the perfect gift to help you say thank you and I love you!

Margie de Quesada is a former teacher turned family travel blogger. She writes about the places her family visits around the USA and has a bucket list goal to visit all 50 states before her kids graduate high school. You can read Margie’s travel blog at www.dqtravel.net.

Father’s Day: Celebrating Moms on this Mother’s Day

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Mothers are the original multitaskers—for example, answering questions, wiping chins, preparing food, and keeping the household organized among the other myriad tasks that mothers handle with strength and resilience. Nowadays, being a parent comes with a lot of stressors from others’ judging looks and the pressures of comparisons from social media. But, the worst targets are mothers. Mothers are judged all the time for their kids’ behavior, the achievements of their children, the cleanliness of the household, and even their appearance in ways that fathers are never judged to the same degree (or, maybe, at all). Now, I like to think I’m a bit more egalitarian with my wife in raising our daughter but know that the praise heard that I’m an involved father doesn’t get applied to my wife as an involved mother. The expectation is that mothers handle it all. Like most mothers, she does more than her share of the caretaking and other household responsibilities. And, like most fathers, I let it happen. Research has consistently found that, even when men say they do half of the household chores, women still do more, including a disproportionate amount of time caring for children. I am aware that I benefit from the fact that the middle-of-the-night nightmares result in a call for Mommy.

As a father on Mother’s Day, my job is to ensure that I acknowledge all that my wife does as a person and, particularly, as a mother. I also make sure that my daughter does something to recognize her mother. None of these activities have to be extravagant. I ensure our little one makes some sort of card, and we often conspire together on purchasing a gift. However, because my daughter cannot keep a secret, I have to wait until the last minute for any purchase to provide some element of the ceremony of gift giving and specialness needed for Mother’s Day. I also try to insert other “gifts” in the day to recognize her dedication to raising our daughter and taking care of all of us. Sometimes, it is cooking a special breakfast, going out to breakfast, managing meals later in the day, or being in charge of shuttling our kid to activities already scheduled. Another gift can be just time alone or the ability to shop or cook alone, uninterrupted. Sometimes, it is making the little decisions, so she doesn’t have to. Given that her attention is regularly pulled towards my daughter or other tasks, having time where her attention is only controlled by her can be the best gift of all. 

The irony of today’s Mother’s Day is how different Mother’s Day has become from its origins. Mother’s Day began as mothers’ work days in 1858 when Anna Reeves Jarvis organized others to improve sanitation in rural West Virginia. During the Civil War, she worked to organize care for wounded on both sides of the war, and after the war, she brought together former enemy soldiers to discuss peace. In 1872, Julia Ward Howe, writer of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” created Mothers’ Day of Peace, advocating peaceful actions with other mothers. At the time, mothers were seen as having a moral authority, mobilized public protest and lobbying, and were able to advocate for temperance, anti-slavery, consumer protection, working conditions, and social welfare (and were heard). Anna Reeves Jarvis’s daughter, also named Anna, lobbied Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers in contrast to all the days honoring men. In 1914, Congress set aside the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. The attention of mothers towards social justice issues around this day was eroded by marketers and anti-reformers pushing mothers’ roles as regulators of their households only and leaving societal ills to be addressed by politicians (i.e., men). Furthermore, Anna Jarvis became outraged at the commercial exploitation of Mother’s Day and tried to reverse the holiday up until she passed away. Nonetheless, I would not suggest the focus of the holiday be neglected.

I should also mention attending to one’s own mother. When I worked as a therapist and had young people come in to discuss their relationship troubles, I would often ask how the romantic partner treats his or her mother. There is some support that the way one treats his or her mother is the way one will treat his or her romantic partner. So, if a romantic partner is dismissive, derisive, and belittling of his or her mother, then one can expect the same. If someone is respectful, communicative, and open, then one can expect the same in return in the romantic relationship. Now, I know that mother-child relationships are complicated and can accrue a lot of baggage over time for adult children. For my daughter, though, she only knows the present and sees how I interact with, talk about, and treat my own mother. I am fortunate to have a relatively good relationship with my mother and always make sure that my daughter sees me acknowledge my mother on Mother’s Day as well. 

I guess the bottom line is that Mother’s Day is about fathers being sure that mothers get recognition for their hard work, in the past, in the present, and in the future.     

Robert (Rob) S. Weisskirch, MSW, Ph.D., CFLE is a Professor of Human Development at California State University, Monterey Bay and is a Certified Family Life Educator. He and his wife are parents to a chatty 5-year-old daughter and reside in Marina. 

Rob wishes a very Happy Mother’s Day to his wife!

Mother’s Day Celebrations and Gifts She’ll Treasure

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The role of mothers in shaping their daughters’ and sons’ lives is unsurpassed. Mothers teach us to love, be strong, be confident, persist, live life to its fullest and be the best we can be.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. So, this year give her the gift of your heart and time, and make it a special day she’ll treasure.

Mother’s Day Brunch Serve your mother a scrumptious breakfast or take her out for Mother’s Day brunch. If you prepare it yourself, the following menu will be sure to please: fruit salad, juice, waffles or pancakes with her favorite blueberry or strawberry topping, Canadian bacon and fresh sausage, omelets or eggs benedict, homemade hash browns, and coffee cake or Danishes. Also, don’t forget the fresh cut flowers for the table centerpiece.

Spring Bloom What better way to spend a spring day than together in your mother’s garden? Pick up her favorite annuals and perennials: begonias, petunias, violets, morning glories, poppies, marigolds, snapdragons, or mums. Then enjoy a relaxing day together planting and sprucing up her flower garden and catching up on old times.

Mother and Daughter Memories Give your mother a keepsake that’ll be dear to her heart. Purchase Mothers & Daughters: A Record Book About Us to fill out and share with her. Or create your own memory book with a scrapbook or journal. Include photos and memories about special times the two of you have had together; the most important things you remember about your mother from your childhood; how she has inspired you; and the times you look forward to in the future.

The Main Event Surprise your mother with tickets to an event she’s been dying to see: the ballet, a concert, play or musical, the opera, a favorite sporting event, a comedy show, or dinner theater. Be sure to tell her you have something special planned (but not what), so she’ll be all yours for the day.

A Short Excursion Spring is the perfect time to tour the countryside. Take a car or bike ride with your mother, and enjoy the vivid colors of spring, blue skies, beautiful blossoms, and other scenic sights.

Family Portrait If your family is like most, you’re well overdue for an updated family portrait. What better time to have it done than on Mother’s Day? Schedule to have your family’s picture taken at a studio, or hire a photographer for a photo shoot in the park. Coordinate with family members in advance on the formality and color scheme, so outfits don’t clash. Inform your mother how to dress for her special day, but keep it a surprise, and don’t disclose your plans.

The Power of Poetry You don’t need to be a poet to write a special verse for your mother. In your poem, share what it was like growing up with her, how she influenced your life, or tell her just what she means to you. Then print it on stationery, and mat and frame it.

A Little Pampering Mothers spend many years pampering their children giving bubble baths, washing hair, and caring for them when they’re ill. Give your mother a special treat, a gift certificate for pampering at the spa where she can enjoy a Swedish massage, hair design, a sea spa manicure and pedicure, or a soothing facial. (See Allison Chance’s article on pages 12-14 for ideas.)

Weekend Getaway Put together a weekend package designed especially for your mother. Choose a destination that offers the activities your mom most enjoys. Leave the dates for the getaway open so she can make the trip at her convenience, or so the two of you can make plans together.

Keep it Simple Plan a relaxing day together enjoying the outdoors, and head to a nearby park where you can meander along nature trails, take a scenic bike ride and reminisce.

Especially for Mother Select from one of many poetry books for and about mothers that expresses what you’d like her to know. Try one of the following:

  • Mother: A Cradle to Hold Me by Maya Angelou

  • Mothersongs: Poems For, By, and About Mothers by Sandra M. Gilbert et al.

  • You Are One Amazing Lady: Special Thoughts to Share With a Truly Wonderful Woman by Douglas Pagels


Kimberly Blaker is a lifestyle and parenting freelance writer and blogger. You can visit her blog, The Young Gma’s Guide to Parenting, at www.theyounggma.com

Monterey Mother’s Day: Military Style!

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Nothing compares to the love between a parent and child, something we get to celebrate every summer during Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. For military parents, celebrating these holidays with their children is extra special, since they know that in future years deployments or training may keep them apart during these special days.

Our military community in Monterey knows this and wants to help military parents make memories with their kids during this season. Join the Presidio of Monterey for A Knight to Remember Mother/Son Dance on May 12th at the General Stilwell Ballroom in the Fort Ord Housing complex. The Naval Postgraduate School is hosting a Daddy/Daughter Dance on May 18th in the Barbara McNitt Ballroom at the NPS Campus. 

Formal attire is recommended for both events and is the perfect opportunity to dress up in your finest to show the child in your life a great time. For a really fun touch, pick up a corsage or boutonniere. Pick your date up and open the car door for them. At the end of a magical night, make sure to walk them to the door. 

Some military moms and dads in our community are away from their families during Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, while others are parenting alone while their spouse is away for deployment or training. Whether you are missing time with your kids or needing a break from all the parenting responsibilities, these holidays can still be a fun and memorable time.

A brunch out with friends is the perfect way to celebrate while your spouse is away. You can also take yourself out on a date, to the spa or out for a cup of coffee. Mother’s Day is the perfect time to indulge in some relaxing mom time. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can be challenging for deployed parents. Photos, handmade gifts, and letters from home can help make that separation a little bit easier. To all the deployed moms and dads—we see you and are proud of you.

For tickets to the Mother/Son Dance, stop by Army Community and Youth Services at the Stilwell Center, the Porter Youth Center, or the POM Chapel. For tickets to the Daddy/Daughter Dance, drop by the Tickets & Travel Office on the first floor of the historic Hotel Del Monte.

Happy Mother’s Day from this military mama!

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. Katie is an advertising sales executive for Monterey Bay Parent Magazine. She is the mother of a one-year-old and five-month-old sons.

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