Mother's Day Gift Guide

My mom is my hero, plain and simple, so celebrating her and the women who have made me who I am today brings me so much joy. Since the passing of my grandparents in January 2021, Mother’s Day has been tinged with sadness as we miss the presence of my angel grandma, Glo. As we celebrate my mom, I know she is also mourning and remembering hers. I wanted to start out this article with that acknowledgement, and a virtual empathetic hug to those for whom Mother’s Day might be hard for a variety of reasons.

Since I’ll be in Europe for Mother’s Day and will celebrate from afar, I wanted to find some special items that I could ship to my mom and mother figures along with a personal note. When picking out gifts for someone, I try to think about what the person might like but would never indulge themselves in, and if I can upgrade any daily moments that have fallen into a monotonous rut. If your mom, aunt, grandmother, or maternal figure is anything like my mom, she probably makes sure everyone else is taken care of before checking in on herself and her own needs. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to shower the special mamas in our lives with some love and much needed self-care and relaxation.

I used the European jetlag to our benefit and pulled together a Pick 10 shopping list of the items and experiences I have my eye on to gift to my mom and the special mother figures in my life this year. Let’s get to it!

1) GOLDE - GOLDE is a self-care wellness brand focused on superfood lattes, elixirs, and other remedies. The company was co-founded in 2017 by Trinity Mouzon Wofford and her partner. In 2019, Tiffany became the youngest Black founder to ever launch at Sephora, per this Fast Company profile. This gift ticks a lot of boxes for me - it supports a Black-owned, female-owned business, it helps mom focus on her health, and it’s a chic upgrade to a morning routine.

2) Telfar Bag - I own several colors and sizes of the Telfar shopping bag. Your mom can fit her whole life in these bags and feel like the coolest person at her book club. These bag drops sell out in minutes, so that extra effort you’ll need to put in to *ahem… literally* secure the bag will earn you some extra brownie points. If you’re lucky, maybe mom will let you borrow the bag from time to time.

3) Estelle Colored Glass - Talk about vibes. This luxury hand-blown colored glass company will brighten up your mom’s evening glass of wine or your next family gathering. Stephanie Summerson Hall founded the company in honor of her grandmother, Estelle, who would always go antiquing in South Carolina and arrange gorgeous tablescapes filled with colored glass pieces. Nothing brings people together like good food and good company.

4) Candles - I did an entire Pick 10 on candle brands back in October. Candles are always a winning gift and can inspire such a range of emotions. I even travel with mini candles so my hotel rooms always feel relaxed and special. Once the candle burns out, I often repurpose the jar by planting a little succulent or using it as a storage jar for makeup brushes. Every time mom lights the candle or does her makeup, she will think of you.

5) Black Girl Horoscope - I came across Shinobi, aka Black Girl Horoscope, on Instagram a few weeks ago and think a taro or astrology reading would be such a fun gift for mom, or even a gift to do with mom. The Black Girl Horoscope community was designed “to create space for BIPOCs and their allies to promote “Cosmic Wellness”...[by] encourag[ing] and cultivat[ing] healing and self awareness through Astrology Readings and content.” I know some moms are more “experience over things” people, so this could be a really fun activity, and might even help you get to know each other better.

6) Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 - I often share photos and videos of my recovery routines with my various Hyperice products, and I think the launch of their Hypervolt Go 2 is perfectly timed for Mother’s Day. It’s TSA approved so mom can pack it in her carry on, and the massager can help mom undo all that tension from dealing with your drama all year.

7) Aspen Apothecary - This is a luxury fragrance brand founded by two sisters to honor their mom, a Jamaican immigrant, who first introduced them to “the power of scent.” The fragrances are infused with CBD, so each spray helps promote a sense of calm. I loved this InStyle feature of the sisters, as it talks about the challenges they’ve faced when entering an industry with such large incumbent players and how they use fragrance to create self-care rituals. Go on, ladies!

8) Willo Farm - I’m a proud ambassador for Willo Farm, the world’s first personalized vertical farming experience. A customizable assortment of super fresh greens can show up to mom’s door. Willo Farm was the official greens blend of the Screen Actors Guild Awards, so she can feel like a full-fledged celeb from the comfort of her own home.

9) Major's Project Pop Popcorn - Continuing with the edible gift trend (clearly I’m writing this Bulletin while hungry), Major’s Project Pop Popcorn is a vegan, organic, non-GMO popcorn company based in Orlando, Florida. Chauniqua Major-Louis started the company after reading about all the extra ingredients in a lot of widely available popcorn brands, and wanted to find a kettle corn that she could feel confident in feeding to her nieces. Talk about a founder’s story rooted in love!

10) Loved fellow Bulletin writer Hillary Kerr’s suggestion of making a thoughtful donation in your mom’s name to a mother and child-focused organization like Baby2Baby. Per Hillary, “The work they [Baby2Baby] do is extraordinary, truly. The Baby2Baby team provides children in poverty with diapers, clothing, and all the basic necessities every child deserves.” Another organization I love (aside from the Sloane Stephens Foundation, of course) is The Loveland Foundation, which provides financial assistance to Black women and girls seeking therapy throughout the US.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing moms and mother figures out there! I’d love to read some of your family’s traditions and gift ideas in the comments below.

Had to leave you with two final images of me and my twin!