Gifts that mom would really enjoy this Christmas

Growing up, I always found it hard to shop for my mom’s Christmas gift. I would always get her nice things, of course, but found it difficult to actually pick things that I thought she would like and could use. We would always give her the nice cookware sets, the sturdy vacuum cleaners and at times, even the drugstore perfume (when we were wee kids). But, when I grew into a young adult, I then wondered what to give mom for Christmas that  would bring a smile to her face and that I’d likely see more often, including the days and weeks after the holidays were over.

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Now, as a mom myself, I have the advantage of being a seasoned shopper in the gift-giving department. I don’t waste time and I make it very clear to my husband and children the exact gifts that I’d like to receive for Christmas. I drop hints, make lists, point them out in catalogs, email them links from online sites and basically make it very, VERY clear on what to give mom for Christmas. No strong-arming or anything. I just make gentle suggestions on what I’d like and what would make me happy.

This holiday season is pretty standard in terms of my wishes and suggestions. The subtle hints have been left, the links have been forwarded to their email addresses, the photo(s) have been uploaded and texted to their phones. So, there really isn’t any reason why I shouldn’t get ANY of the gifts that I’ve asked for, right? Well, we’ll see if Christmas morning comes and finds these gifts for me under the tree. Maybe you’ll even find some great ideas as to what to give to mom for Christmas. You never know. Here goes:

1. A Garmin Running watch. This watch is at the top of my Christmas wish list. Since I’ve been on a health/fitness/exercise/running kick for the last couple of years, I have been wiggling to get one of these fancy, cool, swagger running watches. It is absolutely the one thing that I want most and I hope I’ve left enough hints to my family that this is what I REALLY want. If not, I think I’ll send them the link to this article. You know…just to be sure.

2. Cookware. I want a good set of pots and pans. I know most moms would absolutely NOT want to get that, but I really would like them. I love to cook and having good, solid cookware is important. And, since I’m on this health kick anyway, I’m cooking more healthily now so I need good pans to accomplish that. I know most gift lists for gifts for mom for Christmas will perhaps be sans anything that requires domestic energy, but really for me, a quality set of cookware decreases my time in the kitchen so that I can get outside and run (and enjoy my new running watch).

3. Scents. Any kind of nice, aromatic scents for both the body and the home. I love scents that change the atmosphere and feeling in a room or with a mood. My Christmas list of preferred scents include candles, scented wicks and sprays for the home. For body scents, they include what I like as the “layering” effect, which is the bath gel, scrub, lotion, body spray and the cologne for my favorite perfume. Don’t worry; my list is very detailed on both scents as far as what I want, like, where it can be found, when and where it’s on sale, the name of the scent and even the number of wicks the candle should have on it! No, I don’t leave anything to chance with MY list.

4. Gift certificates. You can never, EVER go wrong by giving gift certificates. You can be as broad as you want to be with gift certificates. Since most all businesses and customer-oriented establishments give gift certificates now as a part of their sales, it makes it easier. For myself, I would love a gift certificate to my favorite restaurant (or several, if they’re feeling generous). These will and can come in handy on those days when I don’t feel like cooking (with my new cookware) or simply as a treat.

Gift certificates can be given for all types of services including spa get-a-ways, clothing stores, nail salons, hair salons, home improvement stores, etc. You can be as imaginative as you’d like, and to be certain, call and check mom’s favorite establishment to see if they issue gift cards or gift certificates.

5. Maid service. I’m sure I’m not alone on this gift request! Yes, it’s on my list, and yes, I would gladly receive it if it’s given and I won’t even try to clean up the day before the service comes! Whether the maid service is a service, a one-person show or two-women-and-a-mop, it matters not. Whether it’s for a one-time deal or once a month, it still doesn’t matter. Just to have my entire house cleaned from top to bottom is a gift that will make me smile and one that I’ll never forget. (Note to self: email this list again to my family).

6. Jewelry. Enough said.

But just to elaborate a little more, diamond earrings and bracelets are pretty popular for me. I like things that bling but are not too gaudy or showy. Jewelry will definitely bring a smile to my face and is sure to be a big hit as one of the gifts for mom for Christmas. If you’re not sure, go look at the catalogs laying on mom’s dresser or in her powder room You’ll see.

From my partial list here of gifts that I’d like to get as a mom, perhaps you’ll get some ideas of your own to make your mom (or wife) smile for Christmas. It’s really not hard, especially once you find out what she likes, doesn’t like (very important), what she prefers and what she is always chattering about. And, it doesn’t hurt to give her your email address, just in case.

Give her a gift that’s genuine, one that she’ll cherish and one that she’s likely to get a lot of use from and enjoy. Make her happy this Christmas by giving her something that she really wants. Because we all know that if mom’s not happy…