The average mother doesn’t want to cook, clean, chauffeur kids around or run errands on Mother’s Day. Basically, she wants to be treated like a queen, and she should be. The question is, how to do it? It should be all hands on deck for the family in order to pamper mom, and here are some gift ideas in the Princeton area, parts of New Jersey, and online for every budget to spoil her.
Small Budget:
- Breakfast in bed* with a breakfast tray – Target, Walmart, Starbucks Breakfast Tray Set
- Photo of the kids – Picture People in the Quackerbridge or Bridgewater Commons Malls, photo frame from Target
- Massage cushion with heat – Walmart
- Flowers from McCaffrey’s
- Design your own chocolate bar for mom – Chocri
- Cooking classes – Whole Foods, Princeton Adult School
- Mother’s Day wine tasting – Hopewell Valley Vineyards
- Write your favorite quotes and original poetry in a notebook like this one from Target
To love and be loved is to feel the sun from both sides ~ David Viscott
Moderate Budget:
- Breakfast in bed* with a breakfast tray – William-Sonoma
- Special Mother’s Day brunch menu – elements, Prospect House, The Brothers Moon
- Local Spa Packages – Sydney Albert Renew Yourself Plus package (manicure, pedicure, facial, massage); Amber Spa Spa Perfect package (manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, scrub, scalp treatment, lunch); Koi Spa Leha Leha Day package (pedicure, facial, massage, body polish); Princeton Marriott Spa at Forrestal Empress package (manicure, pedicure, facial, massage, scrub, lunch); Onsen for All Water package (simulated hot springs private soak, massage, facial, organic scrub, hair & scalp facial treatment); Vallerie European Spa Head to Toe package (facial, massage, manicure, pedicure). Each day spa offers other packages.
- Embossed stationary and a pen – The Papery of Princeton
- Assemble a yoga package – Yoga class: YogaAbove, Holsome, Simply Yoga, Princeton Center for Yoga and Health, Onsen for All ~ Yoga accessories (mat, foam bricks, water bottle, top and cropped pants): lululemon
- Fruit cut to resemble a floral arrangement – Edible Arrangements
- Create your own ice cream, gelato, or sorbetto – eCreamery
- Personalized bottles of wine – Wine Gift Club, Custom Wine Source
- Mother’s Day lunch or dinner cruise – Spirit Cruises
- Picnic Gift Basket – Reunion or Windsor picnic basket from Kitchen Kapers filled with goodies from Bon Appetit
- Shopping with a personal shopper – Rouge gift card, Quakerbridge Mall Gift Card**, Bridgewater Commons Gift Card**
- Floral arrangement – Viburnum, Spruce, Jardiniere Florals, Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Company, Perna’s Plant and Flower Shop, The Flower Station
Luxury Budget:
- Book the Saturday night before Mother’s Day at an Atlantic City hotel like the Borgota Hotel or the Trump Taj Mahal. Offer dinner, entertainment (show, casino, dancing), morning room service, spa treatments, and shopping.
- Hire a company to oversee household maintenance, handle event planning, etc. – Princeton Concierge, Princeton Errands, Concierge of Princeton
- Hot Air Balloon champagne flight – Hunterdon Ballooning
- Framed photo of kids – Photo: Pryde Brown Photographs, Thea Photo, Image Arts, Kim Schmidt Photography, Taylor Photo ~ Custom Framing: Cranbury Station Art Gallery, Image Arts, Michaels
- Oil portrait of kids – Barabara Thorton Haas, Larry Chestnut, ~ Custom framing: Cranbury Station Art Gallery, Image Arts,Michaels
- A watch, whether it’s a trendy white ceramic model from Chanel, a classic design from Cartier, or a reversible face from Jaeger-LeCoultre, makes a practical yet chic gift – Hamilton Jewelers
- Jewelry is always a great gift idea – Forest Jewelers, Hamilton Jewelers
- Cooking classes for 1 – 10 people or wine tasting and food demo for up to 20 – Chef Luis Martinez, Executive Chef of Teresa Caffe
- In-home Personal trainer – New Jersey trainers
- In-home massage therapy – Massage table and personal massage therapist
- Personal Training membership – Phrog Personal Training Studio, P.T.S. Health & Fitness
*This is a link to a post listing my favorite breakfasts AND my secret waffle recipe. Shhh!
**Most department stores in malls offer personal shoppers. Please call ahead to make arrangements.
Wow! This post is chock full of things to do. You out did yourself Robin.
Thanks Khürt! I hope you found a good idea to share with your kids.
Awesome tips! We always do breakfast in bed for her with flowers – its a family tradition. I’m thinking the spa package might be the best bet for me since my mom has been so stressed out lately. It will be a great way for her to relax and know how much I care about her. My dad is getting her a new cell phone, a Tracfone, to be exact. Its really cool actually, its the new slider for only $50 and the best part is the wireless bluetooth. Anyone have this phone and know if it works good? We know the service is great but we want to know about the phone itself. And then my brother is getting her a cute little gardening set since she loves to take care of her garden in the backyard. Hope everyone has a great mothers day!
Thanks Cindy! Most moms would appreciate breakfast in bed and flowers, so that’s a great family tradition! Spa treatments are a great way for mothers to de-stress, especially if a massage is involved. I also love the gardening set idea! Unfortunately, I don’t know anything about the Tracfone. Thanks so much for sharing!
De-stress is definitely a good idea for moms on the Mother’s Day.