Arts & Culture

A Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Perfect mail-order presents for Southern mamas

Mothers home-schooling, mothers on the front lines of hospitals and grocery stores, mothers Zoom-conferencing, mothers separated from their loved ones due to self-isolation—now, more than ever, the maternal figures in our lives deserve a little kindness (and pampering, too). Below are a few of my favorite gift ideas for delivery this season, just a mail-order click away. 


Bath Towels
I stole this idea from a friend who gives her mother a new set of bath towels every year, a simple creature comfort for everyday use. These super-thick fringed designs from Parachute Home are wonderful. $23 each; parachutehome.com


Caftan
Two things. First, this is the time of year that, homebound or not, moms are looking for the perfect cover-up. Second, the caftan idea isn’t going anywhere soon. And this delightfully soft, cheerful pink design by Home & Loft (which has dozens of summery things to peruse) ticks all the boxes. Bonus points for working over jeans or white pants, too. $122.50; homeandloft.com


Southern Women
Honor the female role models in your life with a book that celebrates more than a hundred of the South’s best, from change-makers to icons that shattered glass ceilings and continue to inspire (we’re looking at you, Dolly!). $33; ggfieldshop.com


Flatware
Gathering around a table for a family meal is an essential part of any day, but especially meaningful now. Setting the table is half the fun, and this new, matte-black-finish flatware from Rigby Home offers a casual, unexpected alternative to sterling silver, stainless, or brass. For every purchase, the company will give 10 percent of the proceeds to Feed America. $280; rigbyhome.com


Lotion
Technically, Lord Jones formulated this CBD-infused cream for fatigued feet (and it works brilliantly for that), but it also relieves sore hands, an aching lower back, and headaches induced by reading about the stock market, when rubbed into the temples. $70; lordjones.com


Swimsuit
When the idea of a vacation (or, for that matter, a day at the beach or the lake) returns, make sure Mom’s ready with a flattering, classic one-piece from Andie Swim. This particular cut, called the Amalfi, in white, can double as a flattering tank or bodysuit under wrap skirts. $115; andieswim.com


Scarf
The Charleston artist Susan Carson created this silk scarf for Fieldshop by Garden & Gun, and the springtime-nest motif couldn’t be more apropos for this moment. Her collage work is almost too pretty to wear—it would look beautiful framed as well. $350; ggfieldshop.com


Bouquet
Carnations often get relegated to the dreaded “grocery store flowers” category. But when arranged en masse in a single color, such as this GlobalRose bouquet featuring a hundred stems in an unusual coral hue, they couldn’t be more chic—and even take on a peony-esque quality. $51; amazon.com


Hat
Even if a pool day isn’t an option, this lovely straw hat from the designer and Kentucky native Morgan Hutchinson of Shop Buru, a label that creates all manner of apparel and accessories tailored entirely to mom life, will beautify a day in the garden or a round of porch-swinging. Twenty percent the proceeds from each hat go to the organization Bring Change to Mind, which champions mental health awareness among women. $69; shopburu.com


Novel
While not a current release, the 1975 classic The Summer Book by Tove Jansson recently charmed me with its quirky story about a grandmother and granddaughter spending a summer together on an island. Lessons of youth and old age abound. $12; amazon.com


Candle
A pleasantly scented candle always makes a great gift, but many of them—even the most expensive and well known—are filled with synthetic fragrance. Not so with any of the soy candles by Slow North in Texas. I’m partial to this orange and clove option. $34; slownorth.com


Earrings
Female artisans in Guatemala made these beaded hibiscus statement earrings by hand, part of a collaboration with Austin’s Noonday Collection to empower women around the world. $58; noondaycollection.com


Cake
Deliver breakfast in bed with this pull-apart cinnamon bread shipped straight from  Savage’s Bakery, a beloved institution in Birmingham, Alabama. $17; shopsavagesbakery.com


Slippers
A major upgrade to the conventional house shoe, these straw slippers from Pearl River Mart pair just as well with pajamas as they do with gauzy skirts and dresses. $18; pearlriver.com


Bath Soak
Give this gentle, aromatic Daughter of the Land bath soak—containing a hint of CBD—to someone who could really use a little stress relief and thirty minutes totally to themselves (that would by any mom). $33; daughteroftheland.com


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