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23 Genius Gifts For Moms Who Say They Don't Want Anything

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by Lisa Fogarty
Updated: 
Originally Published: 

To often the search for the best Mother’s Day gifts ends with your mom saying she doesn’t want or need anything. So if you’re shopping for a mom who doesn’t want anything, it calls for a little creativity. Maybe you're the kind of person who can think of genius Mother's Day gifts — lucky you — but most of us are left picking up a generic wine bottle or coffee mug the day before.

But for those of who need help choosing gifts for hard-to-please moms, shopping can be a lot more difficult. We have to think outside of the box. We have to make predictions about what our moms would love, even though they themselves don't know it yet.

Or maybe we just choose unique, brilliant gifts to surprise our moms who have everything and let them know we're tuned into their wants and needs . Find the perfect gift on this list for your mom to make her think you're a mindreader— even the one who told you to "save your money" because she doesn't have a gift in mind.

1

A Fruit-Infusing Water Bottle For Fresh, Tasty Water

Keep your mom healthy and glowing with this Infuser Water Bottle, which can be used to easily create travel-friendly, fruit-infused water drinks. You can even steep tea in there! The bottle is BPA-free and leak-proof and can be popped into the top rack of mom's dishwasher, plus this one comes with an e-book full of recipes.

According to one reviewer: “I bought two of these for Mother's Day gifts, and they both use them regularly. My mother wanted to replace her coffee with water but hated the taste of it plain, so we got this for her.”

2

A Basic FitBit With A Slim Design That’s User Friendly

For the mom who thinks most fitness bands are clunky, this activity tracker is both functional and fashionable. It'll track steps, give you data on sleep patterns, and monitor heart rate. This one also connects to the FitBit app, where she can connect and share her activity with friends and family who have FitBits.

According to one reviewer: “I bought this for my mom and she absolutely loved it. She wanted it for tracking exercise routines; however, she loves the added bonus of being able to see calls and messages coming through.”

3

Flameless Candles That Flicker & Have A Built-In Timer

These flameless candles are battery-operated, and even come with their own remote so you can set a timer from anywhere from two to eight hours. You can also choose between a flickering and a non-flickering light. With zero risk fo flames, these make a good gift for anyone, even those with pets or kids.

According to one reviewer: “These candles are a fantastic gift. I ordered the box of 3 for me and then recently ordered 4 other sets for Christmas & thank you gifts. Works great and so very pretty!”

4

An Easy, Fun Gardening Set That Grows Ingredients For Cocktails Or Mocktails

Got a mom who loves filling her house with plants? Or one that would be eager to try? She'll adore this gardening kit, which has everything she’ll need to grow popular drink ingredients like lemon balm, lime basil, mint leaves, and more. Along with seeds, six small pots and six peat discs are included, plus suggested recipes, too. An herb variety is available, too.

According to one reviewer: “Bought it as a gift for my mother who's not got a green thumb, but loves to garden. Her plants grew great and she was so pleased with the flowers and flavors.”

5

A Five-Minute Journal For Moms Who Are Busy

Building a journaling habit is hard, especially when you are super busy. This genius journal has five-minute prompts you can tackle every day, with space to write out what you’re grateful for, and jot down the good things that happen throughout your day. There’s a morning and and evening spot, so you can easily check back in at the end of a long day with a quick look at how it went.

In fact, one Bustle editor loves hers so much, she’s gifting it this year to her own mom: “I've been using the Five-Minute Journal for the past year and I feel like it's been a low-effort way to notice the things that matter to me on a daily basis and make them a bigger part of my life. I'm giving it to my mom for Mother's Day because I'm hoping she'll appreciate it as much as I have.”

According to one reviewer: “Bought this as a gift for someone; it looks like a great way to start journaling if you have never done so before. Would consider buying it again as a gift or for myself.”

6

The 3-in-1 Styler That Will Replace All The Hair Tools

It would be an understatement to say this wildly popular hair tool is beloved by editors at Bustle. It makes it super easy to blow dry and straighten your hair simultaneously, and reduces frizz and hair damage in the process. Over 250,000 Amazon users have left reviews for this tool (that is not a typo), and their reviews are as rave as the ones from our editors. This tool will save you time styling your hair, and would make a great gift for anyone in your life.

According to one reviewer: “I can dry my hair in less time and leaves it absolutely beautiful!!! I bought another and I’m gifting it to my mother!”

7

A Powerful (& Portable) Back Massager That’s Heated

This pillow massager can be taken anywhere mom needs a moment to unleash some tension in the calf, neck, back, or abdomen area. It's heated, too! The attached strap can be put on nearly any chair — we're talking in the office, the car, or anywhere in the home. The massagers change direction every minute, so it'll mimic the real thing.

According to one reviewer: “I loved this so much bought one for my Mom too. It is portable yet powerful enough to help a sore neck, shoulder or lower back. Highly recommend it!”

8

A Hands-Free Dog Leash To Make Walks A Breeze

When mom loves her pooch almost as much as you, this Mighty Paw Hands-Free Dog Leash is the gift that keeps giving. She can attach the leash to her waist and move about freely, which will eliminate unneeded stress on her back, arms, and neck. And she'll have the extra hands to, um, call you more.

According to one reviewer: “I bought one of these for my mom. She runs daily with her dog and she loves it. I plan to get one for my husband and I to run with our dogs too. It was worth the money!”

9

A Portable Espresso Machine She Can Take With Her Anywhere

This portable espresso machine can go with you anywhere — on a hike, to work, or out on the go. Simply put a bit of espresso in the filter basket and add hot water to the tank. You can unlock the central button and push it to apply pressure, releasing delicious espresso in the process. This genius gift is great for any coffee-loving mothers.

According to one reviewer: “[T]his made such a great gift. it works as promised and is a tasty cup of Espresso. Once you run through it a couple times you can make an espresso in a couple minutes.”

10

An Easy Way To Jump Start Yoga Aspirations

This instructional yoga mat is great for a beginner doing at-home yoga, but it'll also please the yogi mom who appreciates a refresher, too. The names and graphics for 70 yoga poses are cleanly printed on the mat, and she can use it inside or out. The mat itself is 24” x 68”, is made with moisture-wicking PVC, and is non-slip. It’s on the thinner side as far as yoga mats go, and there are multiple colors to choose from, so you can pick one of her favorites.

According to one reviewer: “Purchased as a gift for my sister who is completely new to yoga and trying it at home, self guided. Perfect for initial teaching, reference, and flow of moves.”

11

The Caddy That Will Let Your Mom Drink Wine In The Bathtub

If you're always trying to get your multitasking mom to unwind, this bathtub caddy should help you do it. It's made from bamboo and adjusts to fit nearly any tub, but it's what it can fit that makes it truly special. There's a little space to put a glass of wine or a mug of tea, and it'll hold books, magazine, or a tablet for some light bathroom emails. It'll support heavier objects, too, and is also big enough to place some candles on as well.

According to one reviewer: “Bought this as a gift for my mom. She absolutely loves it. It fits her tub perfectly and is amazingly durable. She uses it to hold drinks, food, books, her phone, [etc] with zero problems plus it looks great!!!”

12

This Compact And Convenient Skillet

It takes a lot to get the average person excited about a skillet — but this Presto Electric Foldaway Skillet is so much more than just another pan. This skillet has an heavy cast aluminum base, a built-in spout for pouring liquids in or out, and folds up so that it takes up practically no room in the kitchen. "This skillet seems to have no 'cold spots' or overly hot spots," one reviewer writes. The spoon rest cutaway in the corner makes a nice vent for the pan when cooking, and easy pouring for liquids in the skillet. Cleanup was a fast and easy. If you are looking for a skillet that has fast, even heating, easy cleanup and a compact footprint in a cupboard, this is definitely one to consider!"

According to one reviewer: “I bought this as a gift for my mom. She had a frypan like this for many years and was so upset when it broke. I got her this and she says it is even better than the old one.”

13

A Luxury Wine Gift Set For The Mom Who Loves Chardonnay

If your mom always has a nice bottle of pinot noir in her house, this wine gift set is a great present, and comes with an electric bottle opener, a foil cutter, an aerator, a wine vacuum preserver, and two bottle stoppers. Basically? Everything any oenophile would love.

According to one reviewer: “I received this as a gift from my husband for Mother’s Day and I absolutely love it, and it’s durable! Our lovely son basically threw it off the counter and not a scratch lol thank goodness!”

14

The Perfect Pillow For Reading In Bed

When one pillow is never enough and two pillows is a little too much, this foam bed wedge pillow steps in to provide the perfect head support for reading in bed. It can also be used as a laptop rest, or under the legs to relieve pain when sleeping.

According to one reviewer: “I bought this for my mom who has hip pain and has a hard time sleeping flat. She can sleep comfortably now.”

15

A Digital Photo Frame That Has Built-In Wi-Fi

This photo frame is perfect for the mom who takes too many photos from her phone during any family event. It’s a splurge, but this frame is easy to set up and anyone can send photos directly to it via email. The Wi-Fi-enabled frame immediately receives the photos and videos and they get added to a rotating slideshow of photos. You can pause on photos, go back and forth, and delete old ones, as well.

Editor’s note: This is one of the best gifts I’ve ever given my mother, and she loves it. She can see photos of her children and grandchildren sent to her, with little effort. It’s definitely worth the money and super easy to use. — Amy Biggart

According to one reviewer: “We bought this for my mother who lives 500 miles away and she constantly talks about how wonderful it is to see all of the grandchildren every day. New pictures that show up on the frame are always fun!”

16

The LED Mirror For Perfect Makeup Application Every Time

This vanity mirror makes it so makeup application will be a lot easier — it offers three levels of magnification for a great view of whatever needs a closer look, plus 36 LED lights for illumination. There's a storage tray for tweezers, mascara, or whatever else she wants to put in there, and it even rotates a full 180 degrees.

According to one reviewer: “She said it was one of her most favorite gifts she received!!! Excellent product and value for the price I paid. I am going to get one for myself”

17

Spa-Quality Bath Bombs In So Many Luxe Scents

All moms deserve a bit of luxury in their lives and this collection of best-selling bath bombs delivers. This set contains eight natural, organic bath bombs that come in a variety of scents and experiences like lavender and vanilla, aloe and green cloves, and cotton candy, lemon, and caramel.

According to one reviewer: “I bought these for my mom as a birthday gift and she loved them. The product has very nice packaging and she really liked the different aromas of the ones that she has tried so far.”

18

The Necklace That's Also An Essential Oil Diffuser

For the mom that loves aromatherapy and essential oils, this diffuser necklace allows them to carry and customize the experience anywhere. The nine reusable pads can be dipped or dropped or spritzed with any oils, and the scent will last all day! The necklace itself is made from hypoallergenic, surgical-grade stainless steel.

According to one reviewer: “Purchased as a gift for my mom in silver & she loved it! The locket as a nice weight to it, which makes it feel expensive. She also is allergic to most metals, so the fact this is made with surgical-grade steel is wonderful. I am going to purchase for myself in gold!”

19

This Heated Aromatherapy Neck Wrap & Eye Mask

This aromatherapy herbal neck wrap is filled with a blend of 12 herbs and organic flax seed, made with 100% cotton, and can be microwaved to provide a heated muscle cramp relieving treatment. It also comes with a French lavender eye pillow and a sleep mask, so mom will truly feel like royalty.

According to one reviewer: “Bought it as a gift for my mother in law, she loves it, uses it every evening, once warm it has good scent of lavender.”

20

An Nonstick Pan Liner For Moms Who Love To Bake

For the mom who loves to bake and wants to help save the environment, this nonstick baking sheet eliminates the need to use parchment paper. It's made from silicone and can withstand temperatures that is oven-safe up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit, turning any pan into a nonstick one that requires absolutely no grease or oil.

According to one reviewer: “I bought this for my mom for Christmas since she cooks a lot and bakes a lot of cookies. She loves these and even bought another pack.”

21

The Perfect Gift To Pamper A New Mom

Know somebody who just became a new mom? For their first Mother's Day, gift them a New Mama Natural Gift Box, which contains an all-purpose salve, postpartum organic herbal tea, a baby salve for diaper rashes, a stainless steel tea infuser ball, and two natural lip balms.

According to one reviewer: "Salves are soothing and perfect for delicate baby skin and the tea is calming and fantastic for nurturing new moms.I also use the salves for myself and I have VERY sensitive skin. I have tried almost every moisturizer on the market and these are the best, no doubt about it!"

22

A Cream Set From Burt’s Bees That She’s Sure To Love

Any mom is sure to love this cream set from Burt’s Bees, which includes many of their their best-sellers, including a foot cream, hand repair cream, lip balm, and more. These are made with beeswax, vitamin E, and peppermint oil to hydrate and moisturize skin. It even comes in a tin that’s ready to gift.

According to one reviewer: “This was a small gift for my mom for Mother'sDay, and she loved it. She's always liked Burt's Bees products and she used up everything in the gift set. A great buy!”

23

An Embosser For Chic, Personalized Stationary

You already know your mom is the boss, and this personal embosser will remind the rest of the world of that fact by giving her the power to mark book pages, envelopes, stationary, invitations and more with her name or signature. If she's the type who loves sending personalized holiday cards, thank you notes, or invitations, this will be just the gift for her.

According to one reviewer: “This book embosser works perfectly, and it makes for a great gift for a bibliophile. I gave one to my fiancee for Christmas, customized with her name, and she loved it.”

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