Your Guide to the Mother's Day Gifts you REALLY Want
I recently did an Instagram Story poll, to find out the Mother’s Day Gifts you REALLY want this year, and the most common response was ALONE TIME, which made me laugh out loud because honestly SAME. While we may not be able to get alone time in spades this year, I thought the second best thing to do would be to provide a list of some fun, giftable items that made the responses too! Many of these items came from YOUR suggestions, but some of them are also personal favorites or are currently on my wishlist too!
Ideas range in price points, some are experiences, some are tangible gifts, and there’s a little bit for everyone! From the minimalist to the fashionista and everything in between, I hope you love the list! Pro Tip: Send this list to your partner for some ideas, and let them pick for you!
The Modern Mamas Virtual Retreat
RETREAT YOURSELF. Do you love that?!! But seriously, I did an Instagram Stories poll, and about 90% of you said that all you wanted was time alone for Mother’s Day. What about if you asked your family to gift you time alone to take part in this incredible virtual retreat that we have planned for our Modern Mamas Community? Maybe a few days in a hotel or AirBnB to be by yourself, and tune in via Zoom to catch Laura and I bringing our in-person retreat to you in the comfort of your jammies. We’re also having some incredibly special guests (Hey Liz Wolfe and Kezia Neusch!) as part of our lineup that you won’t want to miss! Right now, retreat registration and early bird discount is live for everyone! You can sign up to attend HERE and get the entire retreat for $99 for a limited time! (On Monday, May 4th, the price will increase!)
Safer Skincare + Makeup
From now until April 30th, new Beautycounter customers can get 20% off their order - go HERE to snag your code!
Glow Up: Our brand new All Bright C Serum + Overnight Resurfacing Peel would be an incredible gift! Let’s face it, we’re all tired and worn out and I’m sure our skin could use a little love! You can check out why you need a Vitamin C Serum in your skincare routine and my review of the All Bright C Serum as well!
Bright Eyes: YAS. We gotchu! Stay tuned for something coming down the pipeline, launching on April 30th!! Pair this top secret launch with the best eye cream I’ve ever used, and quarantine ain’t got nothing on you!
Flawless in Five: The ultimate five minute makeup look, packaged together at 20% off! These 6 products will get you from “just woke up” to “ready to face the day” in no time! It’s my favorite way to switch to safer makeup!
Chill for Your Face: CBD Soothing Serum is something I haven’t tried yet, but it’s on my personal Mother’s Day Wish list! I’m low key obsessed with anything CBD, and this looks so soothing and hydrating! (use the code JESS10 for 10% off your order!)
Masks Galore: The Plumping Mask with Bakuchiol is another product that I’m placing an order for right as we speak! It has a powerful anti-aging ingredient, Bakuchiol, which is a safer alternative to retinol, and I’ve heard nothing but good things! (use the code JESS10 for 10% off your order!)
Face Stoned: This Gua Sha Stone is also on my list! I have a few other facial stones and rollers, but I don’t doubt the quality of this stone is infinitely better! If you aren’t sure how to use your stone, you can also refer to this series of helpful videos to help you get started! (use the code JESS10 for 10% off your order!)
Enneagram Coaching
I truly think one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is the gift of self-awareness and self-work. The more we know and understand our whys and the whys of those around us, the more we can step into who we are: as mothers, partners, friends, and humans! I’m doing a special Mothers Day rate of $10 off my one-hour Enneagram Coaching session (normally $85) from now until May 5th! Email me at jess@jessgaertner.com to snag a spot!
Spa Gift Card
I know that right now, Spas are NOT an option, but what a wonderful way to support your local businesses, by buying a gift card NOW to be used as soon as they do open back up! I am anxiously awaiting the day our holistic spa opens back up so I can book that massage that I’m going to need EVEN more after all this is said and done!
Sourdough Adventures
Guide: THIS guide is everything, and it’s totally FREE! My best good friend, Laura, is a sourdough baking goddess, and this guide is a really simple way to get started!
Workshop: If you’re seeking more one on one guidance and community around sourdough, Laura and Ashley (bread extraordinaires) are hosting several workshops to lead you through the magic of bread baking. It’s incredibly affordable and a great way to support women doing amazing things.
Starter: If you don’t want to make your own starter, you can order a really amazingly active starter from the wonderful family over at Three Rivers Farm! It’s incredibly affordable and great way to get started!
Flour: You can’t make bread without flour, and to really make a good loaf of sourdough, you’re going to need the good stuff. I’m talking, organic, unbleached, and plenty of it! When we first started with our sourdough adventures, the limiting factor was the fact that we couldn’t find flour ANYWHERE! Lindley Mills is looking to be a great source for affordable bulk flours of all kinds!
Tools: I’ve put together a little nifty Amazon list of all the things you might need for bread making! Some of these are a necessity, and some are just nice to have around!
Coffee Supplies
Ember Heated Coffee Cup : How many times a day to you have to reheat your coffee cup? One? Three? Seven? Tim has this cup and I’ve been eying one for myself too! You can set your perfect temp from your phone and it stays hot all day (until you finish it!) Bonus, the inside is ceramic, which is a safer alternative to toxic non-stick.
Keep Cup: My friend Liz is always reminding me about more sustainable ways to live, and I’ve been wanting a Keep Cup ever since she introduced me! They’re glass reusable cups you can bring along with you to your favorite coffee shops to reduce waste!
Safer Ceramic Frother: If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that I can’t live without my nifty ceramic frother. It can do both hot and cold foam in a matter of seconds, and we’re talking that rich BARISTA like foam! I also love that it’s ceramic on the inside (the only one I could find!) and not non-stick which can be potentially toxic to human health.
Chemex: This is our favorite hipster way to make our daily coffee. I’ll admit I did not care one bit how our coffee was made before Tim encouraged/made me drink coffee this way. It’s hilarious now, but if the beans are different or he makes it a different way, I can totally tell! He’s turned me into a coffee snob and I’m ok with it!
Espresso Machine : We haven’t used our espresso machine in a while, but it’s really because we need to upgrade our grinder to account for different sized grounds! They don’t have our EXACT model, but this is the closest one to the one we use and LOVE. It’s affordable an the perfect way to get our fancy coffee fix.
Electric Burr Grinder : If you make coffee as much as we do, you’re going to want that electric grinder. Sure a hand grinder makes it more “authentic” in Tim’s words, but when I want my coffee I want it now, and I don’t want to pull a bicep grinding it lol.
Great bag of coffee from your local favorite coffee shop
Pact Organic Clothing
I absolutely love everything I’ve ever gotten from Pact Organic Clothing and when you use THIS link you can get 20% off your first order! I did a big ol’ review of all of the clothing I’ve tried so far from Pact HERE on a recent newsletter if you want to find out my favorites! They have everything from underwear, bras, workout wear, sleep clothes, everyday clothing, kids, babies, sheets, towels and MORE!
Swimsuits
Albionfit: I’ve been eying this swimsuit brand for YEARS. I’ve never ever bought myself a high quality flattering swimsuit, and this is the year. Super intrigued by Albionfit!
Summersalt: Matching kids and mama swimsuits, yes please. I love the simple colors and patterns and body positive message behind summersault!
J.Crew: You can never go wrong with J.Crew…love the classic fits and fun colors!
Athleta: For a B-Corp and more sustainable option, check out Atheta for some flattering and basic fits!
Sunglasses
Diff Eyewear: You can get $20 off your first order, using this link! While I tend not to spend money on good sunglasses because I’m constantly losing them, I love the idea of “charitable eyewear” that Diff stands for. Every time you purchase a pair of their glasses, you help provide the gift of sight to people who need it through necessary eye services. I can get behind that, and right now they’re having a BOGO sale!
Clean Wine
Scout + Cellar: It’s also no secret that I’m obsessed with these clean wines. I love that they’re rated as THE BEST wines you can get in terms of cleanliness according to Mamavation who did an in-depth review of clean wines. I also love that it’s women owned, headquartered in Texas, and part of the direct sales model empowering women to earn extra income on their own terms. I also love that I’m finally able to drink wine after years of headaches and hangovers because of a few sips! I’m not a consultant for them, but my friend Elizabeth is a gem and here to answer all your questions!
Wine glasses: I really have a thing for these wine glasses! The shape is so unique and they’re super affordable and high quality!
Aerator: For when you want to feel real fancy, and when you know stuff about wine.
Wine Stopper: Kind of obsessed with these intention stone wine stoppers, and I’m not mad about it one bit!
Dazzle Dry Nail System
The creme de la creme of at home safer nail polish systems! I haven’t had a chance to try it yet, but it’s on my list and all of my favorite people swear by this system! No matter what you do, start with the full system for best results!
Hair Care
Dry Shampoo: I really don’t know how else to say this, but if you want to avoid the quarantine greasies (you know what I mean!) then you need some safer dry shampoo in your life! I love that this one comes in dark and light lock friendly colors! (use the code JESS10 for 10% off your order!)
Dry Shampoo Thingy: This was introduced to me by my friend Melissa and just an extra little nifty tool to really get your dry shampoo dispersed through the roots!
Goop Scalp Scrub: THE #1 safer haircare product you need in your life, hands down. You can read all about my safer haircare routine and my love affair with this life changing scrub HERE.
Hair Care Holder: I HATE that my wand, my blow dryer and my hair straightener cords are literally medusa snakes all over the place! I’ve been eying this cute holder as a way to organize but still keep some aesthetics in place!
Curling Wand: This wand has transformed my hair styling! I can have loose beach waves in a matter of minutes! I personally love the larger barrel - after a few youtube videos, you’ll be a pro!
Berkey
We are absolutely obsessed with our baby Berkey. We’ve waited a long time to invest in a Berkey, but it truly is the gold standard for clean drinking and cooking water. It helps that it’s GORGEOUS, and with the travel sized one (the one we have) you can literally take it anywhere and filter even standing water!
Stand: We got this plant stand for our Berkey to make it a little more aesthetically pleasing, and it works so well! Make sure you measure your Berkey to see what size you need!
Fun Cooking Things
Apron: I love love love the style and simplicity of these aprons! Since we’ve been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately, I’m really wanting something cute and functional to protect my clothes in the kitchen!
Air Fryer: I know you’re probably thinking that this is just ANOTHER gadget to add to your list of kitchen accessories, but I can’t sing the praises of the Air Fryer enough. And not just any old air fryer - this one is one of the ONLY air fryers that I’ve found on the market not entirely made of colored or black plastic AND that has a ceramic vs. non-stick coating on the basket. This was really important to me, knowing that black plastic has the highest cause for concern in terms of toxicity, and knowing that non-stick surfaces can also be potentially hazardous to health. We love ours and use it daily!
Safer Perfume
Safer Perfume - Use this link and get $5 off your purchase of safer perfume! I have been using this brand for a few years now, and Moab is my signature scent!
Photo Shoot
I am always asking for more pictures of our family, and we haven’t had family photos done IN SO LONG!! Help out a local photographer by purchasing a session to be used when social restrictions lift! OR, many of my photographer friends are doing porch sessions that are turning out so so cute, and a way to maintain physical distance while still getting some good shots!
Plants
Shop local nurseries if you can! Many of ours are doing contactless pickup!
The Sill: Some of my favorite way to get plants in the mail - you can order what you need based on light, pets, and many more filters!
Amazon Plants: I’ve actually had really good luck with house plants from this particular plant provider on Amazon!
Plant Accessories: These stands and hangers are my favorite plant accessories that I’ve found so far!
That SPLURGE pair of shoes/handbag
Rothy’s - Use this link to get $20 off your first order of sustainable, responsibly sourced and manufactured shoes and handbags. I don’t own a pair myself, but I’ve been curious ever since I found out they were made from recycled water bottles! These are definitely a splurge for me, but I’m all about the sustainability aspect and the fact that you can wash them over and over for long lasting wear.
CBD Oil
Equilibria - use the code “jess@jessgaertner.com” for $10 off your first order! I am all about anything and everything that will help me chill out during this pretty epically stressful time. Equilibria also launched a Mother’s Day Box that looks pretty rad!
Fe Earth to Body - We recently had the women who started and run this company on our podcast, and I’ve been dying to try their products!
Essential Oil Goodies
Stone Essential Oil Diffuser: This stone diffuser was gifted to me, and I’m obsessed with it. It’s so beautiful, unlike the plastic ones I’ve used in the past! If you’re an avid diffuser, this one is worth the investment!
Bath Time
Bath Caddy/Breakfast Tray Combo: I’m not normally a bath taker, but I think if I created the right vibe I totally would be! I like this bath caddy because it can turn into a bed desk too, which, I mean….work from bed life??
Bathtime Wine Holder: If you don’t want to lug around a bath tray or find a place to store it, this simple wine holder is beautiful for bath time!
Reader Gifts
Kindle Paperwhite: I’ve really enjoyed being able to download and read free books from our library on this little nifty device! And it gives me a reason to detach from my phone for a while!
Diff Eyewear Bluelight Blockers: Snag a pair of blue light blockers and a pair of sunglasses during their BOGO deal right now! I’m not sure if this can be combined, but use this link normally for $20 off your first order!
Safer Candles
Woodlot Candles: I’ve missed candles so much! My all time favorites are these ones from Woodlot! There candles are currently out of stock and I’m checking in to see when they’ll be back, but in the meantime, gift cards are available HERE!