SILVER SPRING, MD, November 8, 2011–The holidays are a time of reunion, family, and gift-giving, and for some, it’s the gift-giving that is the problem.  You don’t know what to give, you don’t have the time to hunt for the perfect gift, and you don’t know if the recipient will like it. This gift-giving season, give the mom in your life a gift that she’ll love, and save yourself some time.  All of these products are available online, over half can also be purchased at a store as well, and there are options to fit any size budget. These gifts are designed to pamper her, because being a mom is a full-time gig, and she deserves a little luxury.

Designer diaper bag from Diaperbags.com

This is a great option for new mothers and mothers of young children.  Diaper bags can be big and bulky. Many scream diaper bag. 

But there are some brands that have caught on to the fact that mom wants to be stylish while toting around their tots.  

Ranging from $54.99 to $469.99, there are about 200 options to choose from. 

NOOK tablet by Barnes & Noble

E-readers are the way books are going, and magazines too.  The NOOK tablet is a great gift for the mom who loves to read.  The NOOK tablet is the perfect size to fit into a purse or diaper bag.

Not only can she carry her bookclub book with her, but she can also have her magazine subscriptions digitally, cookbooks with built in demonstration videos, facebook, internet, and more. 

A nice plus is that when she wants to have storytime with her little one, NOOK tablet’s full color touch screen is great for children’s books.  She can either read the book aloud, record herself reading the book for playback, or have the nook read the book to the child.

Plus, many children’s books are being enhanced for children’s interactions, like popping blueberries in a sky full in “Blueberries for Sal.”

At just $249, it’s more affordable than the other tablets on the market, plus you get Barnes & Noble’s customer service, both over the phone and at their stores. 

NOOK products are sold at Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, HSN, and Staples.

Pandora Charm Bracelet with baby carriage charm

A traditional gift for new moms is a piece of jewelry commemorating the birth of their child.  Instead of getting a birthstone necklace, or a mother and child pendant, why not consider a Pandora Charm Bracelet. 

Pandora’s charm jewelry aren’t like the old-time chain link bracelets with jingling trinkets that dangle from hooks.  The “charms” are really beads that slide on a base bracelet or necklace.  There are a variety of charms, beads, and spaces, ranging from silver to gold, from Murano glass to enameled designs. 

These bracelets have become very popular because of their styling and the ability to personalize.   For the new mom, consider the baby carriage charm, $35 for silver or $525 for 14k gold with a semi-precious gemstone accent.

Bose Quiet Comfort 15 headphones

For the music loving mom, give her these headphones.  The Quiet Comfort 15 Accoustic Noise Cancelling headphones will help mom be able to escape when she has a moment to relax. 

While the noise cancelling technology won’t block out the yelling or the noise from babies banging on pots, they do block out all the background and ambient noise, which means if mom is given some time alone in another part of the house, she won’t be bothered by the goings on elsewhere (hint, hint – take the kids for a while). 

Bose is known for the acoustic quality of their headphones, and these were named as one of the best noise cancelling headphones by CNET.  The quality you get from Bose doesn’t come cheap, the Quiet Comfort 15 headphones are $299.95.

Personalized Photo book of the baby from Shutterfly

Shutterfly is the photo personalization website that makes turning your digital photos into personalized keepsakes from holiday cards to mugs to scrapbook easy.  Using Shutterfly to create a photo album of family photos from the past year is a personal gift that she’s sure to love. 

The creation process is very easy thanks to the user-friendly interface. Simply upload photos off your computer, then click and drag to the photo boxes on the product you’re creating. 

You can choose from one of their pre-determined “simple-path” layouts or create a more personal “custom-path” book.  

Prices range from $12.99 for a 5x7 “simple-path” with 20 pages, up to a 12x12 “custom path” with 101 pages and 1000 photos.

Massage Envy Gift Certificate

After long days and long nights, moms can feel overwhelmed, stressed-out and frazzled.  Being able to leave the kids to head off for a massage, is just the cure for the stress that can build up.    

Massage Envy is a day spa franchise with locations across the country.  They offer massages and facials at reasonable rates with professional massage therapists.

With locations across the country, gift cards can be purchased at one location and used at another, or purchased online. 

This makes giving a massage to a mother who lives in another city, and because they offer gift cards, you can choose any denomination that fits your budget. 

Introductory massages start at $49 for 1 hour.

Merry Maids Gift Certificate

As if taking care of children isn’t enough, moms have to take care of the house as well.  The more attention the child needs, the less time there is for cleaning, then when the child becomes more independent and there’s more time to clean, there are more toys scattered about and more to clean. 

Whether it’s a stay-at-home mom, or a working mother, any mom will appreciate not having to spend their free time scrubbing toilets and vacuuming. 

Giving the gift of a clean house is something that will be appreciated.  Merry Maids is a national franchise that has been around for more than 25 years and offer a satisfaction guarantee.  

You can purchaser gift certificates for their services starting at $150.

LUSH Bath Products

After the kids are in bed, the dishes have been washed, and everything is ready for the next day, the only thing more relaxing than slipping into a hot bath is slipping into a tub with LUSH bath products.  Their bath bombs combine sodium bicarbonate, essential  oils, and skin softening ingredients, like cocoa butter, replacing traditional bath salts. 

Bubble bars put liquid bubble baths to shame with their mountains of perfumed suds. Finally, the bath melts are like soaking in moisturizer, giving you the relaxation of a bath and the silky smooth skin yielded from high quality lotions.  

All LUSH products are fresh and handmade.

While you can buy these products individually starting at $4.95, LUSH offers beautifully packaged gift boxes.  The gift boxes take the guess work out of trying to figure out what to purchase from their vast selection.   

Stop by one of their store to test the scents, or visit their web site to learn about their natural ingredients. While their gift selection range from $9.95 to $199.95, the best packages for soaking in the tub are The Christmas Star at $39.95 and The Twelve Days of Christmas at $79.95. 

Wine and Chocolate Gift Basket from Wine Country Gift Baskets

After 9 months of abstaining from alcohol during pregnancy, this is a great gift for a new mom – or any mom really.  Wine Country Gift Baskets create beautiful gifts for any occasion and have specials for the holidays as well.   

The Chocolate Shop Dark Chocolate Red Wine Gift Basket at $59.95 brings these two favorites together. If wine and chocolate aren’t the favorites of the mom you’re shopping for, they have wine free baskets, ones with cheeses, cookies, coffee, fresh fruit and other gourmet snacks. 

Just remember, if you’re giving this gift to a nursing mother, you might also want to include a box of breast milk test strips that can tell you if the milk has any alcohol in it. These strips are available from Babies ‘R Us or online from Target or Amazon.

Keurig Single cup coffee maker

Sleep deprivation is something that mothers get used to, but that doesn’t mean mom doesn’t need a little help fighting fatigue. Keurig was ingenious when they created their single cup brewers.  

It puts a hot cup coffee at your finger tips without having to wait for an entire pot to brew.  This is especially helpful when only one member of a household drinks coffee, or the schedules of the coffee drinks don’t coordinate.

With Keurig, mom can get her favorite cup of gourmet coffee in under two minutes.  There are a number of different models, ranging from $99.95 for the Kuerig MINI, to $249.95 for the Kuerig B155.

These brewers can be purchased online from Kuerig or at a number of other house and home retailer including Bed, Bath & Beyond, Macy’s and Target.  If she already has the brewing system, there are over 200 varieties of K-cups varieties to choose from.  Make sure you pick up a box of her favorite and a box of something new.

600 Thread count sheets

At the end of the day, slipping into bed is a welcome relief for mom.  Give her a little luxury with the softness of 600 thread count sheets. The higher the thread count, the softer the sheets.

The sheets by Hotel Collection Bedding are made from 2ply 100% Egyptian Cotton creating a study soft sheet that make bed an inviting spot.  The 600 thread count sheets by Hotel Collection Bedding are available at Macy’s from $120 depending on size.

Comfy Cashmere Lounge Set from Pajamagram

New moms spend a lot of time in pajamas and robes during their nightly duties and attendance to infants.  So, give her the ultimate pajama set that she won’t want to change out of once the sun comes up.

Normally, pajamas wouldn’t make a list of luxury gift, however this 2-piece pajama set from Pajamagram is made from a silk/cashmere blend. They come in ice-blue and have a drawstring waist. 

The silk and cashmere make this set super soft and ultra luxurious.  They come packaged in a blue fabric hatbox with a lavender sachet.  For $129.99, these plush pjs are a good deal.

While it’s true that it’s the thought that counts, it’s also true that mom’s need a little “me time.”  So, pamper her with one of these gifts. She’s sure to love it.

 

 

 

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