Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2017

Check out these 10 gifts that any mom would love.

We love, love the handmade cards and handprint artwork. We can never have too many precious photos. Breakfast in bed? Always a plus.

But this year, how about something different?

Check out these creative gift ideas offered by hard-working mothers who deserve a little pampering and believe in supporting small businesses, the local economy and clean living.

Simply print, circle and hand to husband.

1.     Spa Treatment. Buy local with a gift certificate from a small spa. There’s even licensed massage therapists who make house calls through apps like Zeel and Soothe.
2.     Handmade Soap. Fromnatural and organic food storesto farmer’s markets, locally made soap is infused with light, fresh scents like lavender. They’re perfect for sensitive skin.
3.     Home Cooking. Are you ready to order? Challenge your family to prepare an all-organic meal.
4.     Fruit Tree. If you’ve always wanted a particular fruit growing in your yard, now’s a great time to ask for one to be planted.
5.     Lazy Susan. These condiment roundabouts are practical and cool. We especially love those fashioned out of wine barrels that can be personalized. Check out Etsy for loads of wood choices and designs.
6.     Favorite Book. Find a book mom could really get into—and give her some quiet time to read it.
7.     Creative Candle. This one we have to admit is a “borrowed” idea. Repurpose an old glass votive with a special photo of the kids or whole family. We especially like the effect of an image photocopied onto transparent contact paper or decoupaged right onto the glass.
8.     Chocolate. Socially minded chocolate purveyors are a sweet choice, such as Chuao out of Southern California. A cooperative in Ghana provides the beans for Washington D.C.-based Divine Milk Chocolate bars.
9.     Theatre Tickets. Support your local theatre, there’s lots of them coast to coast doing great work.
10.  Skincare. We especially love mom-owned Osmia Organics’ body duo—start with the Himalayan body buff then smooth your skin with the rosemary mousse.

Moms’ Memories

LooHoo staff shares their favorite Mother’s Day with the ones they love.

“I love having a big breakfast at home lovingly prepared by Scott and Graham then going for a hike or having some outdoor time to spend in the yard. Planting flowers and veggies and herbs. Playing baseball and just having a quiet day at home together.”

—Cyndi Prince, LooHoo proprietress

“A cherished Mother's Day tradition in our home is going to our local greenhouse, Lausier Family Gardens, and picking out a perennial to plant—either a bush or flower. I have a yard that blooms every spring with a variety of flowers from tulips and daffodils to rhododendrons and azaleas, anything hearty that blooms in May on Peaks Island here in Maine. I love giving and receiving gifts that come back every year. Flowers are the perfect choice. I have made many bouquets to gift forward from our own plantings.”

—Heather Wasklewicz, marketing maven

“Family time—that’s all I ask for every year. No electronics, no errands, no laundry or cleaning. We sleep in, splash in the pool, play board games and, if we have time, we watch one of my favorite classics like “The Sound of Music."Meals are prepared by my husband and Emery and Nolan help with the clean up.”

—Cathy Risling, writer & editor extraordinaire