2021 Mother's Day Gift Guide --- May 2021 Updates

Mother's Day is just around the corner. In today's post, I'll share trendy gift ideas that moms will love!

Wine Insiders has you covered when it comes to ordering wine for Mother's Day and throughout the year. If you follow regularly, you know that I rave about this company because they curate memorable wines at great prices with top notch customer service.  The secret behind this 5 star company is their business model. They have direct relationships with top wineries which allows them to avoid typical markups associated with marketing, advertising, and store operations. Their experts curate 40 popular varietals from 15 top wine regions. I've always been impressed with the wines that they send, but it's nice to know that they have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. This customer oriented company promises to make things right if you are ever unhappy. Personally, I recommend Martha's Endless Summer Sips Half Case for Mother's Day. Moms are sure to enjoy relaxing and sipping on this seasonal selection of wines from California and beyond. The popular varietals include crisp Chardonnay, food-friendly Cabernet Sauvignon, and more. This mixed case was curated for moms to enjoy on sunny days and warm evenings! Visit Wine Insiders here.

Sperry's Women' Crest Twin Gore Animal Print Sneakers are stylish and no-fuss slip-on shoes that go with everything from denim to mini skirts. These versatile shoes are perfect for busy moms. Personally, as a boy mom of extremely energetic little boys, I also love that these shoes have comfortable memory foam insoles and flexible non-marking rubber outer soles for traction. Many moms will love these as their go-to shoes!

CeraVe offers my favorite skincare products. If you follow regularly, you know that I've used CeraVe products for several years. I was introduced to them by my dermatologist and the rest is history!  Let's start with my morning routine. My skincare routine begins with CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser. This gentle face wash is a lifesaver for my dry skin. It's fragrance free, contains niacinamide to help calm my skin, and contains hyaluronic acid to help retain my skin's natural moisture. I use it twice daily. My next step is to use the CeraVe Skin Renewing Gel Oil to improve my skin's radiance. I dot this formula onto my skin and pay special attention to areas where my skin tends to get dull. This product uses CeraPlex™, a unique blend of five ceramides and sunflower oil, and CeraVe’s patented MVE Delivery Technology for a continuous release of moisture.. I then use the CeraVe Ulta-Light Moisturizing Lotion to help moisturize my skin without feeling greasy. My favorite thing about this moisturizer is that it absorbs quickly and feels lightweight. The hyaluronic acid helps my skin to retain moisture. It provides broad spectrum SPF30 sunscreen protection which is important in Texas.  Later in the day, I often run errands to pick my children up from school which involves a lot of sun exposure and then I go on a run. I like the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen for the SPF50 protection. This protective sunscreen uses 100% mineral filters and is free of chemical filters, fragrances, parabens, and oil. It's suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

My evening routine begins with the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser that I mentioned earlier. I then use the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum to help brighten and resurface my skin.  The serum is gentle, lightweight, and absorbs quickly. I love the results because the serum has been reducing the appearance of my post-acne marks and pores. It has even helped with discoloration. After the serum, I use the CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. This gentle moisturizer is exactly what I need at the end of the day because it is lightweight and provides overnight hydration for my dry skin. 

While I focused on my personal favorites, I should also share that all of my family members use different CeraVe products despite our different ages and skin types. It's easy to see why their product lines are so popular and recommended by my dermatologist.  You'll find their products available nationwide at drugstores and on Amazon.

Sweet Maria's curates the best green coffee beans and has been the top company for consumers to purchase green coffee beans for many years. My husband and children love waking me up with breakfast and a latte on Mother's Day. My husband has a hobby of roasting green coffee beans. This hobby is perfect for Mother's Day because I love breakfast-in-bed with a special latte.  If you haven't tried coffee roasting, it's a nice hobby and surprisingly easy to get started. Sweet Maria's has a helpful guide to getting started here. Once you have a roaster, the Green Coffee Sampler Set for Espresso is our favorite because the experts at Sweet Maria's source different high quality beans throughout the year. The surprises from the Sweet Maria's sampler set are sure to impress! 

Bake Me a Wish offers whimsical gift baskets that are generously filled with springtime brownies and colorful flower cookies for Mother's Day. This gift is almost too pretty to eat! However, we couldn't resist and found that they taste as fabulous as they look!  This gift basket is generously loaded so that moms are able to indulge and share with their children.

If you aren't familiar with Bake Me a Wish, you are in for a treat. This New York based company is over a decade old and ships baked goods across the country.  The way that it started is that the founder had just moved to Manhattan and wanted to send his mother a Tiramisu cake, but no one provided the service to mail a cake. He realized the need for a hassle-free service to send delicious cakes to family and friends. He got together with friends and created the iconic Bake Me a Wish company! They are perfectionists who pay meticulous attention to detail. They use amazing recipes and premium ingredients to make their crave-worthy baked goods. They neatly package each item so that your recipient feels special when they open it. While we love the Mother's Day Spring Time Gift Basket, you will also find dozens of other fabulous gifts here.

Mama Geraldine's is a company that my southern heart loves! If you are from the south or have ever visited, you may know that buttery cheese straws go with pretty much everything from tea parties to movie nights. I especially crave Mama Geraldine's cheddar straws at this time of year. Nothing is better on rainy days than tomato basil soup with the cheddar straws. It's a southern tradition that my children love as well. Mama Geraldine's offers several varieties, including Parmesan Herb (gluten free), Chipotle Cheddar, Pimento Cheese, Aged Cheddar (my favorite), and Pimento Cheese & Olive (gluten free). 

In addition to the cheese straws, Geraldine's cookies are also pretty amazing.  The Italian Wedding cookies have almonds and amaretto!  The key lime cookies have a zesty lime flavor that goes perfectly with the powdered sugar. Southerners will be obsessed with the Pecan Cini-Minis!  As I mentioned earlier, my southern heart loves Mama Geraldine's for Mother's Day! Visit their website here.

eCreamery offers gifts that provide delicious treats with a fun bonding experience! We love their gifts of ice cream and cookies to make ice cream cookie sandwiches together. If you follow regularly, you may already know that we love this company!  We aren't alone. They've been featured in Oprah Magazine, The New York Times, USA Today, and more. You may have also learned about this brand on one of my favorite shows - Shark Tank!  This trendsetting company ships fabulous ice cream and cookies to your gift recipient's door step. The company focuses on perfection in everything from ingredients to recipes to customer service. eCreamery has special packages right now for mothers and grandmothers. You also have the option to customize flavors, mix-ins, and labels for anyone else or other occasions.  This is a unique and memorable gift that moms will love to share with their family!Visit eCreamery here.

Get Basic offers Basic Man and Basic Woman subscriptions that are perfect for gifts and throughout the year. Their Basic Woman products are especially nice for Mother's Day! You may order individual items or sign up for a subscription. We especially love their subscription service because it will give moms something to look forward to each month as they look forward to good quality basics. The way that it works is that you sign up for a subscription to receive high quality basics each month. I love their subscription that sends a matching shirt, pair of underwear, and socks that are incredibly soft and made from natural and sustainable fabrics. They've put a lot of thought into everything from the quality and super soft fabrics to the customer subscription experience. It's easy to subscribe or pause the subscription.  Personally, my favorite thing about Get Basic is their fabrics and that they have flattering designs. The subscription options offer nice savings for high quality basics each month. Moms are sure to look forward to these fun deliveries! Visit Get Basic here.

HALOmask offers high quality face masks that moms will love. I feel like face masks have come a long way over the past year. HALOmask is a leader in the area of top quality masks.  Each mask offers multiple layers and a secure fit– it’s comfortable, breathable, and stylish. It’s a filtered mask, not a cloth mask, with a nanofilter that’s scientifically proven to screen out 99% of airborne particulates-including COVID-19.

Each mask form-fits to your face and it lets you breathe safely. Not only is it great for the ongoing pandemic, but it's also helpful if you suffer from allergies. I think that masks will be here for a while longer, so this is a nice gift for moms who appreciate comfort and style! Visit HALOmask here.

Dropps is an eco-friendly company that makes cleaning products with low waste packaging.  You may be thinking -- What?! Cleaning products for Mother's Day! No Way! However, hear me out.  My oldest son does the sweetest thing for Mother's Day. He creates coupons for me in which he offers free 30-minute cleaning sessions or to go on a run with me. I love his little face with his beaming smile when he gives me his special coupons!  I suggested to my husband that he should join in on this gifting experience and find some eco-friendly cleaning products. That's where Dropps comes in! This company is pretty amazing because they offer subscriptions for fantastic laundry and kitchen products. 

Their products have great formulas and very little waste. Their packaging is compostable and they use carbon neutral shipping. We love their dishwasher detergent and Swedish dishcloths for the kitchen and then we use their detergent, fabric softener, oxi-boost, and dryer balls for laundry.  We recommend subscribing & saving with Dropps because you'll save 25%. It's a great deal!  Visit Dropps here.

The Black + Decker Steam N’ Vac is another great Mother's Day gift. I try to maintain a healthy home environment with as few chemicals as possible. My eco-friendly heart loves that this over-achieving steamer + vacuum let's me clean with water.  It's too easy. It works some serious magic and my floors look awesome when I am done. As I mentioned earlier, my son creates a coupon book with vouchers for him to spend time cleaning or going on a run with me. The little coupon book pairs perfectly with this gift! The Black + Decker Steam N' Vac is perfect for moms who have energetic and messy children. It meets user demands with its 2-in-1 versatility for quickly cleaning everyday messes on multiple surfaces. This powerful steam mop plus vacuum will keep your home sparkling killing up to 99% of germs without chemicals while removing tough dirt and grime with just water and the included microfiber pad. It comes with a Steam Mop + Vacuum, Mop Pad, and Pad Tray. 

Some of the awesome product highlights include:

• Kills up to 99% of germs and removes tough dirt and grime just using water and the microfiber pad.  Mop as you vacuum for one step cleaning of hard surfaces!
• Safe to use on all sealed surfaces around the home including sealed hardwood, tile, stone, grout, wood, laminate and granite.
• Powerful 1,000-Watt steam boiler and 500-Watt vacuum can be operated simultaneously, continuously and reliably with plug in power.  Controls easily switch functions so you can vacuum and steam at same time or separately.

Let me share some of the product specifications:

• 2-in-1 versatility: Steam Mop and Vacuum 
• White/Aqua
• 1.2L Dust/0.38L Water capacities
• 1000W Steam/500W Vac power
• HEPA washable filter
• 11.5” cleaning path
• Steam Mop & Dry Vac
• Easy to maneuver, multi-surface solution
• Stainless Steel Filter
• Chemical Free Cleaning - 99% sanitation with no harsh chemicals, kills 99% of germs with only water
• Variable Steam Control
• Includes mop tray for storage
• Unlimited Cord Runtime
• 10.05 Lbs.
• 45.55” 9.33” X 11.81” (H X W X D)

The Black + Decker Steam N’ Vac is a great deal at $229.99. You’ll find it at Amazon.com, Bedbathandbeyond.com, and Walmart. 

GoSili offers brightly colored reusable cups and straws that are pretty and practical for moms.This brand was created to provide safer, more sustainable and more practical options other than single use disposable plastics. It is estimated that Americans throw away 500 million straws and 40 million coffee cups a day. GoSili products offer a way for us to make a difference on a daily basis. We love the to-go cups, straw cups, standard straws, and extra long straws. We also love that the Silicone Ocean line provides eco-friendly products and contributes some of the profit to ocean clean-up and preservation. It's like two gifts in one! Plus, when you are done using the GoSili items, you may recycle them on your own or ship the items back for GoSili to recycle them for you! You can look for goSili straws at Target stores nationwide and online at www.target.com.

OLAPLEX offers the ultimate haircare products for moms. I think that most moms go through phases where their hair needs extra help. Personally, I experienced a lot of breakage after each of my pregnancies. It was especially bad after I gave birth to my youngest when I was in my 40's. Nothing was working until a friend told me to (a) reduce how often I wash my hair and (b) use the OLAPLEX system. This advice was life changing! I'm glad that I finally learned about the bond technology.  I've tried many different brands and products, but reducing how often I wash my hair and using OLAPLEX is the only thing that has made a big difference.  First, I really like the OLAPLEX No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and OLAPLEX No.3 Hair Perfector. No.0 primes my hair and then No.3 helps to repair damage and reduce breakage and split ends. Studies have shown that these two steps together have strengthened hair by 68% and made hair up to 3x stronger.  The results are pretty amazing! Second, I regularly use the OLAPLEX No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo and OLAPLEX No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner together. No. 4 will repair, strengthen, and hydrate. No. 5 will repair, strengthen, and hydrate. Third, the  OLAPLEX No. 7 Bonding Oil is a highly-concentrated, weightless reparative styling oil that dramatically increases shine, softness, and color vibrancy. N°7 minimizes flyaways and frizz, while providing UV/heat protection of up to 450°F. I use this almost everyday, especially when the Texas humidity is high.  I initially visited Nordstrom for OLAPLEX products, but you'll also find them on the OLAPLEX website here.  You'll also find a nice guide to helping your mom understand her hair here.

We hope that you enjoy a special Mother's Day with your family!