8 Mother’s Day Gifts She Won’t Return
Added on April 11th, 2017
It can be hard to find great gifts for seniors. They already have most things they need and don’t particularly want pretty things that end up gathering dust, even if the sentiment behind those gifts was sweet. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we thought we’d give you a few suggestions for gifts that will be used, appreciated and remembered even after the day is over. (We’ll be back later for Father’s Day ideas.)
She loves to take pictures, but doesn’t do digital: Digital cameras changed the landscape for casual photographers, but they aren’t for everybody. For someone who has enjoyed prints all her life, a digital camera – which requires you to transfer photos to a computer for editing or printing – may just be too much trouble. Instead, think about getting her the Classic Instant Print Camera II. It’s a modern update on the Polaroid concept – point, shoot and get a print in about a minute. Yes, you need to order film, which you may think is a bother. But if it brings back your mom’s love of taking photos, isn’t it worth it? $129.95 at FirstSTREET.
Her arthritis keeps her from wearing her jewelry: If your mom, aunt or wife has necklaces or bracelets that she no longer wears because the clasps are too hard to fasten, check out these magnetic clasp converters that you can replace the old clasps with. All you need is a pair of needle-nosed pliers to remove the existing clasps and attach these. After you have attached one side of the magnetic clasp to each side of the chain or bracelet, all the wearer has to do is put on the jewelry and bring the ends close together; the magnets do the rest. $8.99 for one set, $54.99 for 10 sets at Amazon.
She was a huge Downton Abbey fan: If she loved watching the adventures and perils of the Downton Abbey residents, this Limited Edition Collector’s Set gives double: First, she can watch all five seasons (52 episodes) again at her leisure, and second, the set comes with a 100 percent cotton Castle Collection Market Bag and Tea Sampler, including Lady Cora’s Evening Tea, Grantham Breakfast Blend, English Rose Tea, Bates’ Brambleberry Tea, Mrs. Patmore’s Pudding and Downton Abbey Christmas Tea. $104.99 at PBS.org.
She’s a true bookworm: We guarantee she doesn’t have this book, but you won’t find it at the bookstore. It’s a Literary Scarf – an infinity scarf printed with text from a classic book. At its simplest, it’s a black and white scarf where typography and white space create a beautiful design. At its most complicated, it’s 30,000 silkscreened words from Jane Eyre, Alice in Wonderland, Wuthering Heights or Pride and Prejudice. $48 at Uncommon Goods.
She’s a puzzler: Give her a bit of nostalgia with a Charles Wysocki jigsaw puzzle. Wysocki was an American painter whose scenes of nostalgia and Americana are very popular with people who love jigsaw puzzles. His works typically include lakeside or seaside scenes, old-fashioned homes and barns, farm animals, small towns, beautiful gardens and horses, and buggies. $14.95 at Buffalo Games.
She wishes the type was larger – As we age, it gets harder to read even regular-size type. And for newspaper readers especially, that type seems to get smaller and smaller. This Lighted Full-Page Reading Magnifier solves several nagging issues at once: It’s hands-free, it magnifies a full page of a book at a time, it provides light, the gooseneck is fully adjustable, and the device stays right where you position it. It’s also an ideal gift for someone who does needlework, offering light and magnification but requiring no hands. $79.95 at FirstSTREET.
She loves the feeling of a pedicure: She’s probably seen television or magazine ads for the Amope Pedi Wet & Dry Electronic Foot File. Basically, it’s a simple tool to help remove rough skin from the balls and heels of the foot, leaving them feeling smooth and soft again. They’re rechargeable and waterproof, so you can use them in the shower or the tub. $35.55 at Amazon.
She’s a happy traveler: She’s a worldly wanderer, but she still packs the old-fashioned way? Make her trips (and her clothes) even smoother by getting her a set of packing cubes. There are lots of brands, but this 6-piece set comes in 10 colors – aquamarine, black, canary, denim, eggplant, grasshopper, peony, raspberry, tangerine, and titanium. Once she compartmentalizes her belongings and sees how effortlessly the cubes fit in her suitcase, she’ll never look back. $49.98 at Ebags.