Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2021

Mom, this one’s for you

The soccer game cheerers. The dinnertime heroes. The kissers of scraped knees and givers of the best advice. Moms are kind of magical – which is why on their special day, they deserve a celebration as amazing as they are. For someone who gives so much, Mother’s Day is the one day a year that’s all about mom. It’s a day to say thanks, to show our appreciation and to give something back.

If you’re having a tough time thinking of gift ideas, don’t worry! We’re kind of experts on moms, and we’ve put together some of our top Mother’s Day gifts for all the moms-to-be, mamas and grandmas in your life. Once you find that perfect present, make it even more special with personalization for a gift she’s sure to cherish for years to come. Come on, let’s get gifting!

Mother’s Day gifts for moms-to-be

For expecting moms with little ones on the way, gifts to get ready for baby will be much appreciated. Personally, we think a cute and functional diaper bag or organizing pouch is the way to go – we’re talking pockets galore and plenty of space for all those new-mom must-haves. When baby arrives, she’ll be so happy to have your thoughtful and useful gift! For an added touch, tuck some self-care spa essentials inside that she can use when she needs a moment to relax.

Gift Ideas

Our top picks for diaper bags go to the Everyday Essentials Tote and Zip-Top Organizing Utility Tote. Pockets? Check. Plenty of room? Check. Cute prints that she’ll actually want to wear 24/7? Double check. And to up their organization even more, pair these bags with a Zipper Pouch or Size Up Expandable Pouch. Pouches are so handy for storing extra baby clothes, bibs, binkies and more.

Make it personal(ized)

For a thoughtful touch, personalize her bag or pouch with an embroidered Icon-It^TM, message or monogram. Add a sweet Fox or Elephant Duo Icon-It^TM, baby’s name or one of these cute phrases:

• #momlife
• Oh baby
• Blessed
• Baby on board
• The adventure begins
• Dear Mom, you’ve got this

Mother’s Day gifts from moms with young kids

Once the kids learn to walk, mom’s life is nonstop. Errands, sports practice, school activities, play dates – the calendar is always full, and organization. Is. Life. The perfect gift? A gift basket full of her favorite things that she can repurpose later for organization!

Gift Ideas

When it comes to gift baskets, there’s nothing more versatile than the Canvas Storage Caddy. This small storage bin is soft yet structured and has a top handle to make carrying it around the house or out and about a breeze. Plenty of pockets provide added organization, and the neutral canvas goes with any space – plus it looks great with all kinds of personalization! Fill it up with whatever mom loves – coffee supplies, baked goods, spa essentials. Here are some Mother’s Day gift basket ideas we love.

Make it personal(ized)

What do you think mom will use her new caddy for after she’s finished all the gift basket goodies? Use that to inspire your choice of personalization! Here are some ideas for icons and phrases.

• For crafty moms – Craft Queen (with Art Supplies Icon-It^TM)
• For board game storage – Play on! (Message personalization) 
• For home organizing – Homebody (with Home Outline Raised Embroidery)
• For first aid supplies – Get well soon (with Stethoscope Icon-It^TM)
• For coffee supplies – I love you a latte (with Coffee Mug Icon-IT^TM)

Mother’s Day gifts for moms with teens

By the times the kids are in high school, moms are multitasking pros. The diaper bag may have been retired long ago, but mom still needs a purse with plenty of room for when she’s running around. This Mother’s Day treat her to a tote that’s not only roomy enough for her lifestyle, but also stylish and organized to boot!

Gift Ideas

Looking for that perfect purse that checks all of the boxes? With these all-star options, you can’t go wrong! With its colorblocked details, secure zipper pockets and wipeable interior, the Step Up Tote is a functional bag that’s also cute as can be. For a classic and relaxed vibe, the crossbody Window Shopper Ltd. is a Customer favorite. And for moms who mean business, the Modern Tote in a fun pattern or pop of color is the perfect treat.

Make it personal(ized)

When it comes to purses, a classic monogram using mom’s initials is the way to go. Try these timeless and on-trend options.

• Old World Monogram 
• Border Initial 
• Bracket 
• Circle Monogram 
• Diamond 
• Dotted Line 
• Inner Circle Initial 

Mother’s Day gifts for empty nesters

Once the kids have left the house and headed off to college or on new adventures, it’s time for parents to plan some adventures of their own! Mom will love these travel-themed gifts that she can use on her next big trip or weekend getaway. 

Gift Ideas

For a small but thoughtful gift perfect for packing, we love gifting mom a makeup bag or travel pouch. The Half-Moon Pouch is a stylish option that’s great for storing makeup, lip balm or hair accessories. For travel shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste and other toiletries, go for the Glamour Case or the roomy Hanging Traveler Case, both of which have wipeable interiors!

Make it personal(ized)

Take the travel theme one step further with some adventure-inspired embroidery on your gift.

• Adventure Kit
• Ready, set, go!
• Wander
• Away We Go
• Compass Icon-It^TM
• Here’s to new horizons
• Let’s get lost
• Vacay all day

Mother’s Day gifts for grandmas

Don’t forget to say a big thank you to grandma this Mother’s Day. Of course, she’ll love anything the grandkids give her, but to make her day extra special, give her a gift that’s picture perfect.

Gift Ideas

A Photo Key Fob personalized with a picture of the grandkids makes the sweetest little gift that grandma can clip onto her purse, wallet or keys. Or, put card-sized family photos inside the Half-Moon Card Wallet or Rubie Mini for her. She’ll love the beautiful accessories, but she’ll love the precious memories tucked inside them even more.

Make it personal(ized)

When personalizing the Rubie Mini, think about what word or phrase would brighten grandma’s day. Here are some ideas.

• LOVE
• HOPE
• Spread kindness
• Proverbs 31 (or another bible verse)
• FAMILY
• BELIEVE
• Choose happiness

Here’s to you, mom

Whether you’re celebrating a stepmom, grandma, wife, friend or yourself this Mother’s Day, remember that when it comes to gifts, it’s the thought that counts. For even more great gift ideas for mamas, head over to our Mother’s Day shop. Happy gifting!

Need help???? Send me a message and I will be happy to help you select the perfect gift.  

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

How to Simplify Your Morning

The school year is underway and for some the transition has been smooth sailing while for others, they are still trying to figure out the hectic morning routine.  I can barely remember those hectic mornings or getting Belinda out the door and me to work but I’m sure they were anything but smooth.

I know hitting the snooze button was always an option but when I rolled back over to eke out five more minutes of sleep I knew it was going o be a crazy morning.   The rest of the morning would fly by in a blur as I quickly got dressed, fed Belinda (who was not a morning person) and got out the door before being late to work.  Thankfully, I never had to punch a time clock or I would have definitely been in trouble!

Did you know by making a few simple tweaks to your morning routine, you can start every day off on the right foot. Give ’em a try if you’re ready to reclaim your morning sanity and actually feel joyful about the day to come.

1. Map out your morning menu

Skipping breakfast was always an option in our house since neither one of us were big breakfast eaters…. BUT they say it is the most important meal of the day and it is brain food, right?  Most kids and their tiny tummies wake up hungry, and they naturally all want something different to eat. By making note of what you (and your family members) will be eating each morning, it eliminates the chaos which comes with trying to throw something together at the last minute.

2. Steer clear of your cellphone

Electronics PERIOD!  That means your laptop, tablet or any other tools and toys. It’s no secret social media is a giant time-sucker, but tethering yourself to any technology in the morning eats away at minutes you could be spending in more productive ways. Remove it from the equation and you may be surprised at how much time you free up — enough, let’s say, to wash and style your hair before heading to work.

3. Make a checklist

It’s one thing to make mental notes of what you need to accomplish. It’s another thing altogether to have a physical list staring you in the face, practically begging for you to check off its items. The sheer satisfaction you’ll get from making it down the entire column of tasks should be incentive enough to keep your morning cruising down the right track.

4.Prepack your lunch

Meal planning makes life easier.  I just can’t seem to get the hang of planning for dinner.  I don’t know if it is an MS thing or if I just never had the skill.  We always did meals on what we “felt like” eating at the moment.  Lunch was always easy to pre-pack especially when I started on Weight Watchers.  When you wait until the eleventh hour to pack your lunch, you’re leaving a lot to chance — you won’t feel too rushed to grab something, you won’t forget, you’ll pack something relatively healthy… you get the gist. When you front-load your time and forethought into packing your lunch the night before, you can breeze through the morning with the peace of mind something yummy is waiting for you in the fridge.

5. Plan your daily pick-me-ups

If you’re anything like me, you need a little sumthin’ to look forward to in order to get through the day especially if I am spending lots of time in the car.  It doesn’t have to be a huge deal, just something simple to keep me motivated enough to keep pushing — and it’s gotta be a treat that doesn’t take a lot of morning prep time.  Plan it or always having a snack in your purse, it will definitely help.

6. Utilize double-duty products

This doesn’t mean to go out and stock up on mega-bottles of shampoo-plus-conditioner hybrids (I’m not a fan of these). It is more about two-for-one beauty products. Think a tinted moisturizer which also has your a.m. dose of SPF or a “stain” you can use on your lips and cheeks. It may not seem like much, but these double-duty beauty products can shave valuable minutes off your morning routine.  I’m more of the moisturizer, bronzer and some mascara kind of gal…. quick and easy.

7. Consider a capsule wardrobe

You’ve probably heard a hundred times how laying out your wardrobe the night before makes mornings much, much easier. There’s a reason for the repetition — it’s true, and it’s true largely because we all have more clothes than we really know what to do with. Simplifying your closet to create a capsule wardrobe, though, means you’ll spend less time fussing over what to wear. What is a capsule wardrobe you ask? It’s when you cut your options way, way down to some basics that are easy to mix and match. You may think having more clothes to choose from is the way to go, but it actually makes things more complicated — and any time we can make things less complicated, it’s a joyous occasion. For real — you’ll be surprised how much happier you will be through the rest of the day when you don’t start your morning with a closet war.  I’m working on this but I can’t seem to get it down…. just when I do, I find something I really like and I’m off buying some extras.

What is your morning routine like?  Do you have some tips you can add to this list?  Share with us your best tip….

Have a blessed day!

Tasty Tuesday: Low Carb KEY LIME CHEESECAKE

Today’s recipe is courtesy of Kacie Orlando from Younique.  Kacie has been a customer of mine for some time.  I was thrilled when you shared this recipe with me which combines TWO of my favorite things: cheesecake and key line.  

Prep time:   20 mins     Cook time:  10 mins     Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 1¼ cup almond flour/meal
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1½ teaspoons Splenda or preferred sugar substitute

Filling

• 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
• .3 ounce packet sugar-free lime jello
• 1 teaspoon key lime or lime zest

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Mix almond flour, butter and sugar until mixture is crumbly.
3. Press into the bottom of pan and bake for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
4. Cool completely.
5. Using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment mix cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
6. Stir in vanilla extract.
7. Add heavy cream and whisk on high until mixture thickens and soft peaks forms.
8. Reduce speed to low and mix in jello packet and zest and mix until blended.
9. Spread mixture evenly with a spatula over cooled crust.
10. Cover and chill in refrigerator until set, about 2-3 hours or overnight.

Thank you Kacie for sharing this YUMMY recipe with us.  Be sure to check out Kacie’s Facebook Page. Younique’s mission is to uplift, empower, validate, and ultimately build self-esteem in women around the world through high-quality products that encourage both inner and outer beauty and spiritual enlightenment while also providing opportunities for personal growth and financial reward.

Kacie says this about “why” she became a part of Younique: I love makeup that makes me feel confident and doesn’t irritate my skin. That’s why I’m proud to be an independent presenter with Younique! Whether you’re a makeup beginner or pro, I invite you to come get dolled up along side me!

I am not a HUGE makeup person but I will tell you I LOVE the Beachfront Bronzer. 

So whether you are looking for some awesome cosmetics or skin care, be sure to check out her website.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!