Here’s What To Buy Your Mom For Mother’s Day

This Sunday is Mother’s Day, and with a global pandemic keeping us apart, we still should celebrate the day for what it is—giving thanks to the women who made us who we are. Obviously mothers don’t have to be biological, maybe you’ve had an aunt or female figure in your life that gave you love. Either way, you should probably go ahead and get her a gift. The editors here at The Inventory put a little gift guide together to make your mother blush and smile, even on FaceTime. Here’s what we recommend:

La Vie en Rose | $102 | UrbanStems | Promo code KinjaMomsDay

Gabe Carey, Content & Strategy Manager

Though it might sound cliché, you can’t go wrong with roses. The La Vie en Rose bundle from UrbanStems doubles as a self-care starter kit for any mom going through separation anxiety right now (I know mine is, we text every day). Included in the package is a bouquet of roses, ruscus, spray roses, and hypericum berries immersed in a white ceramic vase. Enclosed in a convenient travel pouch, Fresh rose deep hydration face cream and toner will keep your mum looking young well into her 20s.

Part of UrbanStems’ Spring Collection, the La Vie en Rose bundle is the perfect gift for wine moms who already have an unwieldy back catalogue of booze (and the perfect pairing for those who could use more). Because everything at UrbanStems is 15% off for a limited time using our exclusive promo code KinjaMomsDay, it’s worth shopping around for additional treats too. You can add chocolates or pineapple gummies to the mix. Perhaps you should peruse the wider selection of flowers, succulents, and gift boxes at the Mother’s Day storefront.

While shipments from UrbanStems may be delayed until after Mother’s Day, you can always order a belated gift now and let her know it’s on the way. I’m fairly certain she’ll still love you.

iRobot Roomba 675 | $219 | Amazon

Gabe Carey, Content & Strategy Manager

All moms deserve a break from cleaning, and honestly you do too. This week you can get your mom a Roomba for the price of a Eufy. This 600 series model has gotten high marks from trusted reviewers online for its efficiency at picking up dirt and crumbs and for its repairability, too. iRobot, the company behind the autonomous Roomba vacuum cleaners is revered for its ongoing availability of replacement parts—including lithium ion batteries and full-on replenishment kits. That way you never have to worry about taking a risk on an unreliable seller when it’s time for your mom to revitalize her Roomba (or for you to do it for her!).

The Roomba 675 beats out its closest rival in terms of pricing and popularity, the Eufy RoboVac 11S from Anker, because its two brush rolls boast a more comprehensive clean. That said, don’t go in expecting Roomba S9+ performance as it lacks the smart mapping technology to properly learn the rooms throughout the house. As long as your mom doesn’t mind emptying the dustbin, the iRobot 675 will save her time that could otherwise be spent on more productive matters—like catching up on the latest episodes of Vanderpump Rules or, you know, reading and journaling. And hey, if she needs a hand with mopping, there’s always the iRobot Braava Jet M6.

Shiatsu Full Body Massager | $63 | Amazon

Quentyn Kennemer, Associate Editor

Most mothers are hard workers. They spent the first few years wiping your ass and the next two decades protecting and providing for it. Some relaxing me-time after a long shift is rightfully atop any working mom’s nightcap, and a nice home massage only enhances that. Unless dad has some gifted hands—or he hasn’t exactly fallen in love with his calling as a personal masseur—she’ll love a shiatsu massager. These things wrap around your body in whatever weird contortion she desires to reach those knotted areas she didn’t even know existed.

Forget the Kindles and the iPads, especially if she’s older and can’t be arsed to learn all these newfangled gizmos. I bought my mom one of these last Mother’s Day, and she can’t put the thing down. She turns it on and takes a trip to cloud nine for 15 minutes while catching up on the news. This model has eight kneading nodes, all of which emanate infrared heat to help settle those muscles. There are three different levels of vibration, and having tried it myself, I can tell you it’s no spring chicken. It digs deep into the love handles with ease, and that tension falls off like tender rib meat from a bone.

Amazon Echo Show 8 | $80 | Amazon

Quentyn Kennemer, Associate Editor

You know, when mom kicked you out of the house and told you to go live your life, she didn’t give you permission to call her just once every few months. If you’re living away and you could stand to spend more time in her company, grab a couple Amazon Echo Show screens and send one to her. And yes, you have to use it—that’s part of the gift, silly. With a camera and four far-field mics that can all be disabled, you’ll be able to place video calls by saying “Alexa, call mom.”

The beauty of this gift is that it’s useful even when you’re not on the obligatory checkup call. With Alexa, you get voice access to thousands of skills that can do everything from reciting the weather to controlling your smart home. Unlike other Echo devices, the Echo Show’s screen enables visual content and feedback. You can keep it in the kitchen and pull up recipes without exposing it to your salmonella-ridden hands, and then throw on a few Teen Mom episodes during prep. (Don’t be ashamed. I like Teen Mom, too.) Be sure to consider the Echo Show 10, which is $100 more, but has a 10″ screen and a much better camera. If either options are too much, the Echo Show 5 does all the same stuff for $30 cheaper, but with weaker speakers, a smaller screen, and a fuzzier picture.

Sonos One | $200 | Sonos

Jordan McMahon, Editor

Everybody loves a good jam sesh. Whether it’s propped up on their desk at work, sitting on their nightstand, or plopped on the kitchen counter, the Sonos One can pack a room with great sound as they blast their favorite tunes. Paired with a Spotify or Apple Music subscription, you can help your loved one turn any room into a personal soundstage with the world’s best jukebox on hand.

It’s known for its great sound, but the Sonos One can also do lots of other neat tricks, like changing up the color of their smart light bulbs, set a couple timers, stream a podcast, or even control that new sous vide machine they’ve been testing out.

Jordan McMahon, Editor

We’ve all been getting a little bored lately. Maybe your mom’s been getting tired of the typical Netflix binge, or they’re missing their weekly trips to the bookstore. Either way, a Kindle is a great way to give the avid reader in your life a nice way to keep their books handy.

The newest Paperwhite is waterproof, and has a light-up display that’s pleasant to read in the dark without straining your eyes. Plus, its battery life will ensure that even when quarantine’s eventually over, they’ll never run out of juice.

Pandora Bracelet | $65 | Amazon

Ignacia Fulcher, Editor

If your mom prefers something a little more heartfelt and thoughtful, I’d recommend a Pandora bracelet. Yes, it’s basically a grown-up version of a charm bracelet, but you both can customize a bracelet just the way you want it. I’ve gotten my mother a couple of charms for the past couple of years along with my sisters and she’s loved each and every one. If she’s more of a fan of aesthetics, you can purchase pretty charms, or you can match it with her eclectic sense of style. It’s an easy and fun way to bond with your mom.

Ignacia Fulcher, Editor

Whose mom loves to bake? Mine doesn’t but she’s obsessed with kitchen gadgets. Why not buy her an appliance that will last her until the end of time? Enter: the Kitchen Aid mixer. She can make bread, cupcakes, and whatever else she needs while the mixer itself looks great on her countertop. Yeah, she’ll think of you every time she uses it. You’ll be the favorite child. You’re welcome.