Mother’s Day is fast approaching and you might be wondering what to buy for your mum. You can’t give her another card, and she’s probably tired of flowers. You may have already gotten her a purse, a scented candle, a box of chocolates and probably even a new phone. So, what else can you give your mum now that you’ve officially run out of ideas? Well, don’t fret, even if your mum has it all, there may be a few things that can still give her a joyful surprise. If you’re looking for some unconventional Mother’s Day gifts for your mum this year, then you’ve come to the right place. Here are some suggestions on what you can get for your mum this Mother’s Day that will surely put a smile on her face.
Custom Artwork
Some artists can be hired to create a painted rendition of someone’s picture. This beats a normal photograph developed on printer paper, which can easily be duplicated. Paying to get a realistic portrait of your mum painted by a professional is the kind of custom, sophisticated gift that not many people think to do. Something original and one of a kind like that will most definitely end up being one of your mum’s most prized possessions. In addition to or instead of a professionally rendered artwork, why don’t you paint something for your mum yourself? A personalised, heartfelt artwork dedicated to your mum; and it doesn’t need to be the next Mona Lisa either. But if you have some artistic skill, painting something special for your mum can be worth more to her than something someone else made that you paid for.
Recipe Book
Even if your mum doesn’t cook that much, she must at least keep some old recipes from the days of yore. Secret family dishes from the time of her mother and grandmother. These treasured family heirlooms must be preserved for future generations. They can be as simple as fried beehoon or curry puffs, but they are still a valuable part of your history and heritage. So, if you can get away with secretly borrowing your mum’s folder or box of family recipes, make photocopies of them or copy them by hand. You can then either copy the recipes into a separate document or preserve the handwritten originals for a more organic look. Then you need to design, edit, proofread and essentially ‘write’ a family recipe book. This is usually the time-consuming part. After the editing process, you may want to get the book professionally bound and printed on long-lasting printer paper.
DIY Perfume Kit
You may have bought your mum a bottle of perfume in the past, perhaps even more than once. Perfumes are such a popular Mother’s Day gift, but they’re also a rather tricky gift to get right. Unless you know exactly what your mum likes, it’s not so easy to get her the perfect blend. But if you’re looking to get her into something new, then it will be a bit of a hit or miss. Your mum may pretend to like it when she really doesn’t. So why not leave the choice entirely up to her. Get your mum a DIY perfume mixing kit so she can design, modify, sample and bottle her own concoctions. Some of these kits even come with a recipe book so that the mixologist can have a starting point. If you can’t find any online or in stores, you can always make your own DIY perfume kit by getting all the popular essential oils, a few empty perfume bottles (spray or roll-on), carrier oil/perfumer’s alcohol, a dropper, test strips and a nice wooden box to store everything in.
Electromagnetic Therapy Machine
Some older women tend to suffer from aches and pains as a natural part of aging. Arthritis, back ache, headaches, etc. PEMF therapy or ‘pulsed electromagnetic field’ therapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses electromagnetic energy to improve biological function at the cellular level. Flooding your body with electromagnetic energy can energise your cells, helping them to better perform their biological functions. The result is better overall health. Some studies show significant promise in the treatment of pain, osteoarthritis, and joint immobilisation. PEMF therapy stimulates blood circulation, decreases inflammation, relaxes muscles, promotes cellular repair, improves immune system and even induces better sleep. If your mum is struggling with any of these problems, perhaps a PEMF machine may just be the thing they need.
Weighted Blankets
Sufficient, productive sleep gets harder and harder to maintain as you age. Even when you retire, the changes a woman’s body goes through may make it impossible to attain a good night’s rest. Weighted blankets, a form of pressure therapy, may be just the thing that can help with this. Because it mimics the sensation of being held or embraced, weighted blankets create an atmosphere of comfort and safety. If your mum is struggling with insomnia, a weighted blanket can help her sleep better throughout the night. Moreover, benefits of weighted blankets don’t stop with just promoting good sleep. They can also assist with alleviating depression and anxiety, reducing pain, lowers blood pressure, and minimises stress. A typical weighted blanket may weigh between less 2 kg to slightly above 22 kg. It will vary in size and price as well.
Crystals
Crystals are such an overlooked gift idea; they’re pretty, affordable and may even possess special properties. Certain crystals can alleviate pain, relieve stress and even promote good sleep. Scientists have attributed these properties to placebo, or the power of belief. So even if your mum isn’t a believer of ‘crystal magic’, they can still function as fashionable jewellery (bracelet, necklace, ring, etc.) or a nice living room decoration. Instead of a crystal, you can also get your mum a suncatcher. A suncatcher is an ornament that contains a multifaceted prism that you can hang in front of your window. When sunlight passes through the crystal, the rays scatter, bathing the room in rainbows. If you believe in feng shui, suncatchers are good for bringing in positive energy and breaking up negative energy in a space. As a decorative ornament, suncatchers can definitely infuse a room with a touch of magic.
Celebrating Your Mum with the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift
This list is by no means exhaustive, or even that unconventional. But sometimes there’s a fine line between unconventional and impractical. If you were to get a rare gift for your mum, it should be something that she can use, or display. An outrageous, controversial gift that has no other purpose other than shock value or comic relief is fun as long as it’s cheap. Expensive gifts that end up gathering dust are just a waste of money. Moreover, older individuals rarely have the space in their lives for unnecessary belongings that may just end up as clutter. At the end of the day, what you get for your mum doesn’t matter as much as the intention behind it. An inexpensive gift made with love may sometimes outshine an expensive on bought from a store. Most mothers aren’t materialistic and will enjoy any gift that their children get for them. A mother’s love is, after all, unconditional. And no gift, conventional or otherwise, can truly capture such an experience.
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