Mother’s Day 2019: 11 Super Useful Gifts Mom Will Love

Really want to show your favorite lady you care this year? Then don’t phone it in with store-bought flowers or a sappy Hallmark card.

Instead, give her something she can really use — a gift that makes her job easier, her chore load lighter, or her life just more enjoyable.

Not sure where to start? Need some inspiration?

Here are 11 gifts your mom is sure to love this Mother’s Day

1. A cute, personalized tote bag (or two): Have a mom who loves being thrifty or going green? Give her the gift of reusable shopping totes. Choose one in a cute pattern or print, or even personalize it with her initials or a photo of her family.
2. A family recipe book: Is mom constantly fishing through recipe cards or pulling out old notepads when it’s time for a holiday meal? Make her life easier by printing her favorite homemade recipes and binding them in her very own book. You could even just laminate her existing recipe cards, use a hole punch to poke a hole in each corner, and put them all on a handy key ring. A nice bonus with this gift? It also doubles as a great keepsake she can easily pass down to her grandkids.
3. Pretty pots: Does mom have quite the green thumb? Then fuel her passion with some cute and trendy flower pots. You can even get terracotta ones and paint them yourself (or have your kids do it!) If you really want to make the gift a fun one for mom, include a few seed packets or a gift card to her local garden store.
4. A new tea set: If your mom fancies herself a cup of tea on the regular, a cute, patterned tea set could be the perfect gift. Is she more the eclectic type? Consider popping by a few antique stores and getting three or four different tea-and-saucer sets. Then they’ll double as both decor and daily drinkware!
5. A Fitbit or activity tracker: Have a health-conscious mom? Then consider a Fitbit or other activity tracker. It can be a great gift to both inspire her on her fitness journey and keep her health goals on track. You could even include a gift card to a local farmer’s market or a healthy recipe book.
6. A French press: If your mom loves a good cup of Joe, then she’ll love her very own French press. Make sure to include a bag of her favorite coffee beans (or a variety of them, if you’re not sure what she’ll like), as well as any sweeteners, creams, or other add-ons she prefers. Is mom still working that 9-to-5? Then including a cute travel mug can’t hurt either!
7. A stylish calendar: Every mom needs a good calendar. It keeps the whole family on the same page, and it makes keeping track of all those appointments, games, work meetings, and holidays easier, too. Consider getting mom a sleek, framed dry erase calendar that she can hang somewhere central in the house (and be sure to include markers, too). If you’d rather go more personal, use a service like Shutterfly or Snapfish to customize a printed calendar with family photos.
8. A tracker: Have the forgetful type of mom? The kind who’s always losing their keys, phone, or purse? Then a smart tracker may be the perfect gift. Offered by brands like Tile or Nut, these use a small, stick-on device that helps you track down lost items with just one click.
9. A foot massager: A gift card for a massage is thoughtful, but it only lasts so long. Her very own in-home foot massager? Now that’s a gift that just keeps on giving. If you’re looking for high-end, Brookstone has a lot of great options. If you want to save a little, consider price-shopping at Amazon or Walmart.
10. A jewelry tree or armoire: If your mom has a penchant for jewels and baubles, then give her a way to show them off. Consider a countertop jewelry armoire or tree, or look into decorative wall pieces that offer both storage and display space. She’ll love being able to keep her favorite pieces organized, yet still front and center.
11. A snazzy laptop bag or phone case: Is mom always Skyping with the grandkids or Facebooking her favorite photos? Help her protect her all-important electronics with a cute bag or case. If you can get one that also offers added protection (like an Otterbox, for example), that’s even better — especially if she often has little ones around her devices.

Mother’s Day gifts don’t have to be cookie-cutter or boring. In fact, they shouldn’t be. Think outside the box, get creative and give your mom something she could really use this year. And if all else fails, just spend some time with her. That’s all we moms want anyway!