Mother’s Day is just around the corner and that means rushing out last minute for a gift that you may or may not be sure that your mom will love! We’ve got some quick picks that we are positive your mom will love! Everything shown here is priced from $25 to $325 so your wallet won’t be empty and we always suggest that any of our gift picks can be paired with champagne and/or chocolate to make them even more special! Cooking Mom’s favorite meal is always nice, too!
My love for Kiehl’s has been in place for about 40 years now and part of it is that they were making socially conscious products from their very start in NYC’s East Village back in 1851. Pictured above are some of my favorite choices to put together for a mom’s day gift basket and right now the company is riding high on the runaway popularity of their calendula products. The foaming face wash starts and ends your day with a spa like experience that leaves you feeling like you have really cleaned deep! Kiehl’s is forever trying to find new ways to keep plastics out of the environment and their latest success story is their refillable pouches (which are already in insane demand)! Kiehl’s Pouch Refillables save on average of 80% more plastic than a typical Kiehl’s single-use product and contain double to five times the formula of a standard 250 ml bottle. The pouches can be used to fill empty plastic bottles that you at home or used by themselves. Kiehl’s not only provides world-class nature-based products but they give out gifts and samples galore! Go to kiehls.com right now to order and if you spend $85 or more, you will get a wonderful five piece Soothing Essentials gift set!
Whether your mom is a carnivore or a vegetarian, there is something for her at Omaha Steaks. (If you don’t believe that there are good vegetarian or pescatarian options at Omaha Steaks, check out their corn and edamame succotash which I just tried recently and now want to eat everyday…and then there is their divine apple tartlets which has become a bit of an obsession for me as well). This year, Omaha Steaks has their best-ever Mother’s Day package that is priced at $160 with free shipping and will serve four. It’s called Surf & Turf For Mom and included are two six ounce Butcher’s Cut Filet Mignons (with a jar of the famous Omaha Steaks signature seasoning), a pound of Argentinian Blue Shrimp that are already peeled and deveined, a pound of the aforementioned corn and edamame succotash, four servings of their to-die-for hash browns and four apple tartlets. I dream about this dinner day and night and I promise you everything is easy to fix. For more info or to order, go to https://www.omahasteaks.com/buy/Gifts/Mothers-Day. Free shipping is included. For a mom who prefers an all-seafood meal, check out the Mother’s Day Seafood Combo and for moms who prefer sweets, check out the Mother’s Day Gift Box on www.Omaha Steaks.com.
LovePop cards got their first taste of fame on Shark Tank a few years ago and have taken off running ever since. These handmade creations are just so eye catching and conversation starting that you will never be able to go back to sending old plain flat cards again. Every holiday the LovePop geniuses come up with some great new lines of items, and Mother’s Day 2021 is no exception. Their bouquet cards are the real standouts—they are priced at $24 but you really get your money’s worth as these cards are so large and bold. There is a special blank message card that you can attach to a slot at the front of the bouquet. I love the fact that these cards are a gift in themselves. Pictured above is the simply Mother’s Day Flower Bouquet full of lovely pink and purple blooms you can order it here: https://www.lovepopcards.com/products/mothers-day-flower-bouquet.
Are you drooling over the stunning ladies’ hats in the above photo? Well, I have to tell you that they are from the legendary Tenth Street Hats: Sanibel in Tea is on the left and Belay in White is on the right (both are “one size” hats). I love both these hats because they are “summer classics” that are sturdy, waterproof and can even be worn in a pool! Every hat under the Tenth Street moniker and its sister brand like Scala are handmade and will last a lifetime is stored properly (meaning in a cool, dry unclamped place). Hats are reasonably priced at $40 to $125 and they have amazing items for dad as well! You will love the special try on feature on their site as it is simply too much fun! You might just be surprised at what looks good on you so be sure to step out of your normal “box” when trying on hats on the site. Head over to www.tenthstreethats.com right now and see what I am talking about for yourself. They have amazing customer service as well!
I plan on starting to use the new Lights Lacquer It Was All A Dream set this week to start getting in the spring spirit! Featuring a variety of six shades with glittering shimmers and luxurious creams, each color just screams spring. The six colors that you get are Marie (a medium classic pink), Your French Girls (a lightly frosted beige), Angel (a super glittery gold), Garden (a unique medium grayish green), Let Them Eat Cake (a light orangey pink) and Lilac Wine (a light to medium mauve). There really is a color here for every mani maniac mom to have fun with! Lights Lacquer nail color lasts a long time and go on super evenly with strong color “payoff”—and that’s why this brand is so beloved! You can purchase this oh-so-special Lights Lacquer set for $52 at www.lightslacquer.com. By the way, I am trying Lilac Wine first because it puts me immediately in both the spring and Mother’s Day spirit!
Persona Nutrition has really made a name for themselves as the kings of personalized nutrition since they were introduced to the world three years ago. The quality of their vitamins and supplements are through the roof—most are US made and all-natural. Persona takes all the guesswork out of nutrition: all you do is go to www.personanutrition.com (or download their app), take a 10 minute quiz that includes questions about how you are feeling and what meds you are on, and you get your own personal Vitamin RX. The packets with your custom day and night vitamins are then created and sent out to you every month at a price cheaper than if you bought each item separately. There is no obligation beyond a month but trust me when I say that you will always want to take your Persona packs! Your energy level will soar! Best of all, there are always nutritionists to chat with on their site if you need to tweak your Persona RX or if there is a new supplement you are dying to try. I have to say their their daily multivitamin that is put in every customer’s packet as well as their Appetite Support supplement are remarkable because you will see almost immediate results in your hair, skin and even weight! I think a three month supply (which runs about $65 per month) is the perfect gift for a health-oriented mom!
It goes without saying that New York ladies need big totes since we walk around all day running errands and need room for everything that we buy. HHPLIFT’s ultra lightweight Daydreamer Tote is available in several colors (including a stunning Terracotta Red) and at about 16” x 10” x 6.3” gives you tons of space. Best of all, all the materials that HHPLIFT uses is vegan and easily cleanable. A portion of the proceeds from each HHPLIFT helps the underprivileged find jobs or create their own businesses. Buying anything from this socially conscious site is a win-win because they give you cutting edge designs and help you do good for others at the same time. If your mom prefers going crossbody, have a look at the Groovy Messenger Bag. To order the Daydreamer Tote (priced at $105) or to get more info on it, go to https://hhplift.com/products/daydreamer-tote-l. By the way, HHPLIFT has many more gift items beyond bags—be sure to check out their spa items, coffee and gift baskets! HHPLIFT truly has something for every mom!
I recently discovered the most comprehensive vision shopping site in the world when I came across smartbuyglasses.com. They have the absolutely lowest prices that I’ve ever come across for RX glasses, sunglasses and contact lenses and right now on their home page they are offering 50 per cent off your first pair (just click on the banner on the very bottom). There is a virtual try on option, lens scanning, live chat support available 24/7, free shipping, a price match guarantee on all products and an unheard of 100-day return policy! My personal favorite part of the site is the outlet which has the biggest names in sunglasses at up to 70 per cent off. Furthermore, smartbuyglasses.com fulfills RX orders really fast and RX lenses start at only $39 (in case you’re curious, frames start at only $7)! You will become a sunglasses addict when you see the low, low prices that you can get brands like Gucci, Versace, Guess, Ray-Ban and Tom Ford for! Speaking of chic sunglasses, we think that you should let your mom pick out a pair for herself from smartbuyglasses.com for her special day! It is a gift she certainly will use for many sunny days ahead.
If you have a mom who seems to be masking several times a week and is forever looking for the holy grail of anti-aging, she’ll love the award winning Hanacure All-In-One Facial Starter Kit. Beauty editors at top flight fashion magazines like bizarre have called this product “life changing.” Created with Octolift®, The All-In-One Facial is designed to combat all of the most common skin concerns with innovative technology. By taking out impurities, the skin is revived dramatically—your face will look more firm and lifted, smoother and evenly toned, for a visibly refined appearance. (This includes an unbelievably radiant glow.) Many women have also reported that their pores are less noticeable after use of the All-In-One. The price is $29 on www.hanacure.com and replacement items can be purchased at a later date which also makes this fun-to-use kit economical.
Akola is a globally-inspired luxury fashion jewelry brand, creating unique handcrafted designs to elevate and champion women around the world. (The name actually means “she works” in local Ugandan dialect.) This truly caring company provides life-changing job opportunities through vertically-integrated manufacturing, giving women in Uganda the opportunity to make a living by creating each Akola piece. As a jewelry lover, you will fall in love with the high quality of each handmade piece. Pictured above is one of their best-selling earring styles called Rossi which features small crystal-centered brass-plated medallions with a white Ankole horn disc attached. They are quite dramatic and eye-catching even though they are only 1” long and are light as a feather. The Rossi style retails for $78. For these and other great styles of earrings, rings and bracelets, go to www.akola.co. You’ll feel great knowing that you’ll be benefiting several Ugandan families with your purchase. For 25 per cent off your purchase, use the code MAMA25.
Those kings of audio at JBL has expanded its popular LIVE series with the JBL LIVE Pro+ which feature a stick-design and variety of amazing features. These in-ear headphones are perfect for working from home, walking on a treadmill and even for traveling on planes. They come loaded with the highly-acclaimed JBL Signature Sound and noise cancelling technology and are priced at a very reasonable $179.95. The charging case holds to 21 hours of battery life. The JBL LIVE Pro+ in-ear headphones also give you hands-free voice capability with multiple voice services (including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant). With every use, you will discover something new that they can do including the fact that you can get seven hours of playback without charging them! (I also love that they are waterproof!) For more info, go to www.jbl.com—purchase there or at Amazon and Best Buy.
Moms who are mail maniacs will love the Bellasonic which is a 4-in-1, rechargeable, electric nail file used by celebrity manicurists who call it a “game changer.” This nifty and useful device features a patented oscillating head and four multi-purpose discs for shaping, smoothing, buffing, and shining. (Mom might just swear off fake nails and nail polish when she sees the gorgeous shine she can get on natural nails!) Additionally, the nail wand was designed with comfort in mind and to offer maximum mobility. It’s like having a pro nail tech at your beck and call. The Bellasonic will help the appearance of the surface of the nails (ridges, scratches, left over gel polish and generally dull nails). Mom’s hands and feet will appear perfectly groomed and more youthful with the touch of a button and next to no elbow grease. Even overgrown cuticles are easily removed and dry skin from nail beds are gone in a flash. It only takes three or four minutes on each hand to even out the length of nails and smooth off those unsightly ridges that often even show through ridge filling base coat and nail polish. Bellasonic is also a miracle worker when removing gel and acrylic nails and transitioning your nails back to their healthy, pink natural-looking state. Honestly, your dad might even want to steal this but he will have to wait until Father’s Day to get his own! Order Bellasonic for $79.95 on Amazon or www.Bellasonicbeauty.com (which will give you 10 per cent off if you sign up for email alerts).
Mila + Mate is a scarf company that is changing the business with their graphic prints, many of which are hand-painted by noted artists. While the Melody Of Flowers style is our top choice for Mother’s Day, there are many styles for all different tastes. There are prints featuring lions, sailboats, orchids and even abstract brush strokes! You might want to frame some of them rather then wear them because they are truly works of art. (Rumor has it that some people have made pillows out of some of them!) I love that this is a family-run business created by a mother and a grandmother who love fashion and design; they put their hearts and souls into creating designs inspired by art, architecture and nature. The smaller square scarves such as the Melody Of Flowers (which retails for $85 exclusive of tax) make great head wraps. Super large scarves usable as shoulder wraps are available for about $220 to $240. All items are made in Italy. For more info or to order, go to www.Mila-Mate.com.
Big news in the skincare world is that cult brand COOLA has gotten into skincare! Your skin barrier is your skin’s first line of protection—keeping moisture and nutrients in, and pollution and all sorts of modern day stressors out. COOLA Organic Skincare (which is guaranteed over 70 per cent organic) has been created to help fortify your skin’s natural barrier as you cleanse, moisturize and nourish. I am testing out two of the new products right now—the Reawakening Rosewater Mist (which includes green tea and cucumber along with Damask Rosewater) and The Great Barrier Cream Fortifying Moisturizer (which is rich in amino acids, fatty acids, antioxidants and proteins). Both smell super fresh and natural and they really do help keep your skin dewy and moist all day! Mom will love them—why not make up a beauty basket for Mother’s Day and include them? The Rosewater Mist is priced at $48 and the Reawakening Rosewater Mist is priced at $36. All COOLA products are free of parabens, phthalates, sulfates and synthetic fragrances. To check out the whole COOLA Organic Skincare line and to order, go to www.Coola.com.
Calandra Cheese is a wonderland of cheese on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx and as you can tell from the photo above, there are plenty of samples to try when you are visiting their legendary store. Not surprisingly, the regular and smoked mozzarella are the most popular cheeses but Calandra has over 100 varieties—some you might have never heard of before but I can guarantee that you will love all of them. If you can’t take Mom to the store on Mother’s Day to pick out all her favorites, you can shop for her on their site www.calandra-cheese/myshopify.com. They do gift baskets which you will see in the store but not on the site—but never fear if you can’t visit in person you can make up your own custom one for mom by using the contact address or phone number on their site and saying what you would like in your basket. (Calandra gets their gift baskets and food deliveries out really fast and even hand deliver in some cases!) I got a wonderful basket that I think anyone would love that includes a half-pound block of Parmesan, their homemade bread sticks, homemade fettuccine with “pinking shear” edges, Paola’s gourmet marinara sauce, olive oil, Tenero Allo Mandorla nut-filled candy, quince paste, a box of original Baci dark chocolates and more! Arthur Avenue is full of legendary stores with homemade goodies but Calandra is at the top of the heap. They are located at 2314 Arthur Avenue (with only a ten minute walk from the Fordham stop on the MetroNorth train), open seven days a week (starting at 8 am) and their phone number is 718-365-7572 if you like to order the old-fashioned way or have questions about what the latest cheeses are that have just been put out in the store.
Love the new line of bags from HHPLIFT! Their candles are amazing and burnt clean. What great products great to see others who love them too!