Mother’s Day Gift Ideas - Kelly Hynes photography, St. John’s, NL
The countdown is on for Mother’s Day! This year it lands on Sunday, May 14, 2023. I don’t know about you, but most years my lovely spouse asks me if there is anything special I would like for Mother’s Day, and most years I have no idea how to respond! This year he asked pretty early, so I set out to consider all the options. I don’t know if you’re like me, but I’m not great at surprises. I like to plan and to know what's happening. I’ve also been on a decluttering mission this year, and so I’ve been trying to avoid buying 'things' that aren’t useful, meaningful, or a nice experience. Keeping that in mind, I thought it might be nice to share some of my favourite meaningful, low clutter, Mother’s Day gifts. I hope this helps! If it does, you might want to share it with your significant other to help them plan a celebration of you!
Picnic
While it might still be a tad chilly in Newfoundland to go for a nice leisurely outside picnic, if you can catch the right day and weather, and maybe if you bundle up in some thick sweaters, a picnic is a great experience gift for your mom. You can pack a simple picnic lunch and bring a blanket from home, and set up at your favourite outside location with the whole family. This is a great experience gift when you have small children too, as you can easily set up close to a playground area, like Bannerman or Bowring Park. You can have lunch and then let them run around a bit while you let mom take a little break on the picnic blanket. If you choose to go a little fancier, scope out Newfound Picnics, who can take care of setting up a more luxury picnic set up with special local treats!
Photos of mom and her little ones
Ok, so we knew this was coming. I honestly love photography as a gift. Especially for moms. Moms are guilty of not getting in the photos! So what better gift than a specialized photography session for mom and her babies? Or mom and her grandchildren? Some photographers offer specialized Mother's Day, or motherhood sessions leading up to Mother's Day, but if not, a photography gift card is super flexible and great for the last minute shopper! Of course you can check out my work, and book a session here: www.kellyhynes.com/book-now. An important second step when having family photos done for the special mom in your lives is to make sure to PRINT THEM! It sounds simple, but many people have the photos taken and they sit on hard drives or computers for years when they should be printed and put up on the wall for everyone to admire. Often your photographer will have recommendations on printers, but I personally like Newfoundland Canvas.
A rest break
While it may seem counterintuitive, one of my favourite gifts of recent memory was a mini break away at a local hotel... ALONE. I love my family, but parents aren't superhuman, and we need breaks. Life is super busy, and it feels like someone always needs you. For Christmas a couple of years ago, my husband bought me two nights alone at a local hotel. It doesn't need to be super fancy, and it doesn't even need to be two nights. One night in a lovely budget hotel, or a more upscale spot if your budget permits, really is a great gift to help the mom in your life hit pause and regroup. No, it will not fully recharge your batteries, but it sure did help me come back ready to face the chaos again. If you're reading this for inspiration, why don't you check out the Alt-Hotel in downtown St. John's, or the Murray Premises.
Le Boudoir
Another favourite gift of mine in recent years can be found at Le Boudoir, in Churchill Square and on Water Street. This local business is owned and operated by the nicest ladies who will always point you in the right direction for your PJ, lingerie and loungewear needs. They sell so much more, but my Mother's Day suggestion is something super soft and cosy that mom will love. Let's face it, I usually spend shopping time looking for the cutest clothes and pjs for my boys, and if it wasn't for Le Boudoir and special occasions, I would likely be sleeping in old t-shirts and wearing ratty sports bras (ok so I still am sometimes guilty of the last bit, but it's on my list of things to do, post-Elliott!). I am writing this decked out in my super cosy favourite PJ Salvage pjs and the softest robe I've ever had, both courtesy of Le Boudoir, last Mother's Day. I always go a size or two up for these items (take note if the mom in your life prefers this too!). I know I said I'd be focusing on more experience based gifts in this post, but honestly, I feel like this is the perfect addition to a hotel experience but also PJs can be easily integrated into your wardrobe (you can use these nicer ones to replace an old pair that has seen better days).
Yoga
Back to the pure experience gift, I would be remiss if I didn't mention a one-on-one therapeutic yoga session with Maria Hillier. While my introduction to Maria's personalized yoga sessions wasn't from a gift, it was from an injury, but this would be the perfect gift for someone with an established yoga practice who could use some one on one attention/help or a brand new beginner who wants to ease into yoga from a super kind, non-judgemental human. This would also be great for someone who is active in other areas and could use yoga therapy, stretching or strengthening to help their primary sports, or someone with injuries - like me! Anyone, really! If one-on-one isn’t your jam, a gift certificate for extra yoga classes in any form is always a great idea! I love Embody Yoga, or Nova Yoga - both local, and both wonderful.
Spa treat
A classic, but reliable Mother's Day gift that pretty much all moms will love, is a spa treatment or spa afternoon. Nothing makes me feel more pampered and refreshed than a pedicure and a relaxing massage. There are lots of different options for spa services, but I really like Ocean Quest Spa or the Rosewood Spa.
Camera
Ok, ok, I know this sounds a lot like the photography session gift I've already mentioned, but this one is a camera FOR mom. Yes, everyone has a camera on their phone these days, but a great gift to go along with experiences is a nice camera that mom can use to capture all of the memories of the adventures she goes on with her kiddos. It's a great creative outlet and, I might be a little biased, a great hobby! There are a lot of great point and shoot options out there now, or some fancier DSLR or mirrorless options.
Sweet treat
If you know me, you know that I firmly believe that celebrations require cake. Cake makes everything better. Recently, one of my favourite bakers is Courtney at I Makes Cakes. She usually offers delicious themed cakes around holidays and special occasions. I'm not sure if she has a Mother's Day menu ready yet, but I'll be stalking her facebook page until then! If she doesn't, there are a couple of go-to alternatives, Old Dublin Bakery who offers a variety of baked goods, and sometimes cakes! I also am obsessed with the Newfoundland Donut Company, who are amazing and never disappoint.
I hope that helps you find a thoughtful gift or experience to share with the special mom in your life!