In search of gift ideas for a busy mom? If she’s too busy to get back to you with her wish list, we have a full list of gift giving inspiration.
This ‘busy mom’ gift guide is centred around the more general themes of self-care and saving time — for obvious reasons. Pampering, hobbies, entertainment all take a back seat to responsibility for the busy mom. If she’s like most moms, she probably misses those things.
Little people add a lot of ‘stuff’ to our lives. When we have kids, we are literally tripping over detritus and we spend half our lives putting other’s belongings away. Chances are, the busy mom on your list would like to streamline the house a bit. Unless you know for a fact that she really, really wants that decorative sculpture, think services instead.
The first thing to ask yourself is, will this service be practical? Can she use this gift certificate given her schedule and responsibilities?
For example: salons and spas, massage, acupuncture and other forms of pampering are great, but they’re also time commitments. Can you pay for babysitting as part of the gift? Can you babysit yourself? Make it easy for her to enjoy your gift.
What else? Well, most parents – fathers or mothers – really appreciate a chance to get out and do adult things. Can you get her tickets to a concert or theatre (movie or live performance)? Is there a restaurant she’d love to try?
Sometimes the best ‘night out’ is just a night doing something healthy, like yoga, pilates, or a running club. Pick up a class or a series of classes from a local studio, community centre or Running Room.
Maybe creativity is her thing. Possibly she has a much-neglected hobby or a creative dream she’d like to pursue. Can you gift her with classes?
‘Date night’ gift certificates are also a lovely idea. Get creative here and choose something like a couples’ cooking class, or a couples’ massage package. And then – this is the key – make sure the babysitting is sorted out.
If the busy mom on your list is uber-practical, think of how you can make her day-to-day life easier with services. Home cleaning, yard work, car detailing and handyman services are great ideas.
What about gifts that help busy moms stay healthier?
There is never a good time to get sick or run down, but for parents staying healthy is imperative. Parents need to have boundless energy and superhero immunity. And yet, they have less time than ever for self-care.
The good news is, you can make staying healthy a little easier for the busy mom.
Let’s start with nutrition because, let’s face it, eating well is one of the first things to go. (If you’ve ever dined on kids’ discarded bread crusts, you know exactly what I mean.)
But eating on-the-go doesn’t have to mean eating junk. Get her a gift basket loaded with healthy snacks: think treats made with raw nuts, seeds, fruits and superfoods like dark chocolate.
Does she wish she ate more local and organic? Gift her with a subscription to a local “Community Shared Agriculture” arrangement. Local farmers will deliver weekly boxes of fresh, seasonal produce, for a flat subscription rate. This is a pricier gift, but it certainly makes life a lot easier – and healthier.
On the topic of making meals easier, look into ‘healthy family meal services’ or ‘healthy family meal subscription’ in her neighbourhood. Everywhere, in response to the go-go-go lives we lead, businesses are sprouting up to fill the gaps: they make family meals easier, either by offering healthy prepared meals or home delivery of all the ingredients you need, plus a recipe to make a complete meal. Ingenious!
If you’re going to splurge, how about a good blender? You can get a NutriBullet for between about $80 and $180, depending on the model. It is truly a great machine for this price. Sure, the Vitamix or Blendtec may be the ultimate in smoothie technology, but the NutriBullet is the gateway blender.
Another major health issue for parents is sleep. Women carry a running deficit of sleep, from pregnancy to the empty nest. The busy mom needs to make the most of what time she has for shut eye, which is why we think she needs Natural Calm. It will help her sleep better, keep her cool and even address muscle or nerve pain. Best of all, magnesium is highly safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Are you inspired to give the gift of health? Then get on out there to your local health store, or shop our online store and get free shipping!
Busy moms are still sappy moms. Give her a gift that shows you understand what matters to her most.
The truth is, no matter how much pressure she’s under, the busy mom wants to treasure these years. She realizes that her kids are growing up way too fast. And yet, sometimes she’s just too busy to capture the moments.
That’s where keepsakes come in. Keepsakes are really special gifts because often, they’re something we secretly want, but we either see as an indulgence, or we haven’t found the time to invest in ‘making’ yet.
Let’s start with photo keepsakes.
If she’s like most mothers, she probably takes at least one photo of her kids every single day – often far more. And she’s probably living with the constant guilt that she doesn’t print more pics or make an album.
This is where you can help. If you have access to her digital photos, you can gift her with something she’ll treasure forever.
One option is to choose some amazing frames – maybe a wall collage type frame – print out and frame her best family photos. Don’t underestimate the value of this gift! It’s all about the time required to sift through thousands of photos, pick the right ones, and put the project in motion.
If the framing sounds like a lot of work, then skip over this next option. Because this next option is a multi-evening project.
The way to dazzle her forever is to make a printed album of her photos, using an online album making service. You’ve seen them before. The glossy-paged, professional looking, hard-cover albums that are completely personalized. One album can contain many, many photos, and it’s something she’ll treasure forever. It’s also a bit of insurance in case she ever loses her digital files (something we all dread).
Note that making these albums can be a major time commitment. You should be decent with computers, have some design sense, and be able to spend several hours.
There are lots of ways to approach this project. You can create a yearbook retrospective of the past year, or several years. Or, you can create more of a themed book, for example focusing on a family vacation, kids sports, special holidays and birthdays.
What if you just don’t have that kind of time? Or you don’t have access to her full library of photos?
Think about getting one special photo printed on canvas. Canvas-printed photos can be beautiful pieces of art.
You can also have a photo reproduced as a hand-painted piece of art. Check out services like Instapainting, where you can upload a photo and select an artist to create a painted version. There are many other similar services, so shop around.
Like the idea of a family keepsake, but not sure you can pull of the photos thing?
You might look into keepsake ‘family’ jewellery. The idea is to get a pendant, a set of ‘charms’ or a ring that has the children’s names, initials, birthdates or birthstones incorporated.
On Etsy.com I have even seen miniature portraits on pendants and charms. You can have these made by sending a photo of the children for the artist to reproduce and incorporate into the piece of jewellery. A gift like this can be really special! It doesn’t need to be heirloom-value, either. Silver keepsake jewellery can be very affordable.
What if you’re really short on time but like the idea of a keepsake? Find a local photographer and gift her with a family photo session. This is a last-minute gift that looks far from thoughtless.
On this heart-warming note, I’ll wrap up the Busy Mom gift guide. I hope you’ve enjoyed and found some inspiration.
Magnesium is a critical mineral for children’s growth and development, affecting everything from muscle and bone strength to sleep and mood. However, getting the right magnesium dosage for kids can
Maintaining a strong immune system is essential for family health, especially in today’s fast-paced world. While many people focus on common immunity boosters like vitamin C or zinc, magnesium is
Migraines can turn a good day into a challenging one, and many who experience these headaches are constantly on the lookout for effective ways to prevent or alleviate them. Did
100% of profits are donated to help end extreme poverty. Find out more at thriveforgood.org
© 2022 NATURAL CALM CANADA – ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
