Monday, April 13, 2015

2015 Mother's Day Gift Guide

Okay, don't panic.  Mother's Day isn't until May 10th in the US, there is plenty of time to make this awesome. Wondering how you can drop these hints to your spouse?  We'll cover that too!
Ashlen and I are sharing some of our favs that would make great Mother's Day gifts!  We weren't paid or perked by any of these companies; we're just sharing stuff we have and love as well as stuff we'd love to have!  Links contain affiliates.
1. Amazon Fire TV Stick: If you had told 10 year old me that someday movies and televisions shows would fly through the air on demand, I would have laughed.  At thirty years-old, I can't imagine life without one.  This $39 device turns any screen with an HDMI port into a Smart TV, meaning a cheap computer monitor adds Hulu, Netflix, Pandora, and Sling to any room in the house.  We also have a Google Chromecast, but the Fire is my favorite because of the remote.
2. Roomba Vacuum:  Tread lightly on this one; vacuums aren't considered the best gift idea, but since my husband purchased ours, she has become part of our family (we even gave her a name!) Rosie the Roomba runs a couple days a week and catches all the crumbs and dog hair she can find.  The dogs are totally indifferent to her and she doesn't seem to mind our complicated furniture arrangement.
3. Keurig Coffee Maker: Both Ashlen and I are lost without caffeine in the morning and the Keurig makes it easy to make one cup without the rest of a pot going to waste.  The price has come down on these, definitely look for one with a large water tank like this one!
4. CamelBak Water Bottle: These are BPA free, flexible straws and are perfect for around the house or on the go.
5. Cards Against Humanity: This fun (and not child-friendly!) party game is perfect for unwinding with friends or (maybe) family!  You don't truly know your friends until you've played CAH with them!
6. Shower Bluetooth Speaker: I might have rolled my eyes a little when I received this as a gift, but I have gotten way more use out if it than I could have imagined.  If any of my co-workers are reading this, I definitely didn't listen to part of that three-hour conference call in the shower while working from home.
7. Sony NEX-5TL As a photographer, I love my camera gear, but it simply isn't practical to carry a heavy DSLR everywhere we go.  This camera would be perfect to tuck in a diaper bag or purse so you can capture photos away from home too.  If you're particularly interested in photography, you could always check out the NEX's cousin, the Sony A7 with a full frame sensor and amazing reviews, but a heftier price tag.
8. Massage/Pedicure/Manicure: Nothing is more relaxing for me than any of the above.  This one can be tricky, many women are loyal to a specific salon or masseuse, so a gift certificate to a different provider may sit unused.  If you're unfamiliar with her preferences, consider a sweet card and some new flip-flops with a homemade gift certificate for the service of choice.  
9. Bluetooth Earbuds with Microphone These look great for working out, and are the right style for staying securely in your ears with the convenience to answer calls and skip tracks on a playlist.  I'm hoping they might arrive for my birthday this year *hint hint*
10. Contigo Autoseal Travel MugThis is the first coffee mug that has lived up to its advertised promises.  The non-spill design is functional yet convenient to open with one hand and it keeps my coffee at a drinkable temperature for hours!  I didn't realize it was available in my favorite color (purple) so I may need to get another one...
11. Nike Cross Trainers: With spring finally here, we are all spending more time outside and new shoes like this offer support and flexibility but are super light.
12. Arc Notebook/Planner:  I know, I know, we live in a digital world; I just can't get away from taking notes for work, the blog, my photography business, and projects around our house.  This awesome system from Staples lets you easily move pages, and add tabs, folders, calendar pages, etc.  I've got Ash hooked as well!  I also have this smaller version, perfect to throw in my bag.  Here's a quick video on how they workand if you are looking for a punch, check out this one at half the price!
13. Memory Foam Mattress: I used to lust after those high-end memory foam mattresses, but my frugal nature never let me pull the trigger on such an expensive purchase.  This mattress is just as good, if not better than it's expensive competitor!  We love sleeping on it and have convinced several friends to purchase them too.  We seem to get practical gifts like this for birthdays and anniversaries, so while it is not an inexpensive gift, it clearly fills a need and is a treat on a special occasion.
14. Personalized gifts like this stepping stonethis keepsake,  another stepping stone or this wall hanging are sweet and thoughtful ways to include small children in the reason for the day - they made you parents!
15. Personalized Necklace with your children's names on it is a super sweet gift.  I picked this simple design because it is casual enough for everyday, but could also be worn on special occasions.  
16. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling: This feel good read was a great birthday gift and fun read.  Perfect for an easy afternoon away from the hustle and bustle of life.