The Mother's Day Gifts She Really Wants
💖 Aside from a day off & not worrying about everyone else's needs, these gift ideas will make any mom smile! I'm only sharing 15 so that you don't get choice-fatigue! Happy Mother's Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! This job isn’t for the faint of heart but being a mom has been my greatest gift, my greatest life’s work, and I am so grateful to have been blessed with my daughter!
And now…onto the gifts! Other than the hair dryer, I’ve personally tried, own, and love everything on this list - or it wouldn’t be here!
Beauty Related Gifts
Dyson Travel Hair Dryer - With universal voltage for international travel! No more carrying all those adapters and worrying if your hair dryer is going to work (or blow up your Airbnb too?). Or actually being dependent on your Airbnb’s $14.99 dollar ConAir from 2002 that who knows how many other heads it’s touched. Love this!
** For the Crown Affair products below, use code AVERIE15 at checkout to save 15%!!!!!
Crown Affair Hair Towel - Shaves so much time off drying my hair. I have one, my daughter has one, highly recommended.
Dry Shampoo - The crown jewel of dry shampoo and takes my day 5-6 hair and transforms it into day 2 hair.
Mini Brush - Has both boars hair AND nylon bristles to really give the best of both worlds. Great for purse, gym bag, travel.
EltaMD Facial Sunscreen - The best I’ve ever used, period. Not greasy, gloppy, doesn’t break you out or turn you white or sweat off easily. After spending thousands of dollars on laser skin resurfacing to help combat sun damage on my face, this is the sunscreen my dermatologist and my plastic surgeon. Get it, you will not regret it!
Patrick Ta Creme Foundation and Setting Powder - I may never wear another foundation/concealer/anything else on my face. Goes on velvety smooth, not greasy, stays in place, doesn’t sink into fine lines and wrinkles, and I love love love it! Discovered a year ago and have never looked back.
Kitchen Items Built To Last
Cosori Air Fryer - Stainless steel, nontox coating, large capacity, looks beautiful on her countertop and something she’ll be happy to see everyday - not an ugly black box.
Caraway Large Saute Pan with Lid - Nontox, safe ceramic that does not stick. I have the white with gold hardware and they all have a light gray interior. Tons of color options. It’s what I use to make everything from Chicken Fried Rice to Asian Stir Frys to Beef Taco Meat. I love this size because I can cook a big batch of food for meal prep and planned leftovers.
OurPlace Always Pan 2.0 - Comes with a lid, steamer basket (great for fish, veggies, dumplings, you name it) and also a safe, nontox ceramic pan. This one doesn’t have quite the size IMO that the Caraway does above but has the steamer basket and also comes in many color options and has a cool modern matte finish.
AllClad Stainless Steel with Lid - This beauty has been in my life 13 years, and still looks perfect and works like a champ. I’ve literally cooked 2000+ recipes in it! From Thai Chicken Coconut Curry to Garlic Butter Chicken and the best Lemon Dijon Chicken, look no further than this AllClad.
I love this exact one because it has surprising depth that ones with more of a curvature at the base don’t, so you can make more food in it than it looks like.
Fitness Mama
Oura Ring - Purchased in November and have worn it every minute of the day except when showering and it’s charging, this little ring has singlehandedly changed my sleep life, my overall life habits (less drinking, less heavy meals before bed), and has made me more cognizant, aware, and just tuned in to what my body is doing all day long, and especially while I sleep.
If you’re a person who’s always slept great, you can skip this more than likely because the workout data is as good or superior on an Apple Watch or similar fitness watch (sidebar I love love love my Apple Watch and can’t be without it not even just as a watch but as a workout device, a business tool to quickly glance at texts and messages).
However, if you’ve ever struggled with sleep, insomnia, waking up and can’t get back to sleep, the Oura Ring gives you clues what your body is doing. Is your temp elevated? Your heart rate? How’s your heart rate variance? Are you tossing and turning a lot? All these “little” things are incredible to know.
Also, if you’re a younger woman and trying to family plan naturally, I think this would be so helpful. If you’re a perimenopausal woman, it helps predict irregular cycles, at least for me it has. It has predicted before I get sick that I am going to get sick so I can double down on vitamins. Just literally love love love.
Buy the sizing guide, wear it for 2 days, then decide. Also, if you’re between sizes, I personally would size down not up because when you wash your hands in a public bathroom or sink, you do not want it sliding off with soap and these rings are heavier/bulkier than normal rings so I just don’t want that weight to help propel this ring and it goes flying off!
I was between sizes, bought the bigger, regretted it after a couple days, returned it, and got the smaller size and am very happy. I have the White Ceramic which doesn’t go on sale because it’s new and I love it and would re-buy it 1000x over. Doesn’t scratch, period.
Lululemon Flow Y Bra - The GOAT (greatest of all time). I have bought it in dozens of colors over the years. The Nulu fabric is buttery soft and I love it. I buy the A-C, it’s tightish, but it holds me in, and this is my base layer for 100% of any workout activities from lifting to yoga to running. I don’t like sports bras that have an actual back clasp (this one doesn’t), and while adjustable straps can be nice, these hit me perfectly and I don’t feel there’s anything to adjust. Sports bras and tops are highly personal but this is mine.
For yoga, pilates, running, walking, or the gym, I only wear the Lululemon Align line because the fabric is buttery soft, the right amount of stretch, it lasts forever, it’s sweat absorbent and wicking, it just works for me!
I machine wash these and hang everything up to dry. I do not put any of these in the dryer.
Lulu Align Short - I always get the 6 inch inseam. My daughter gets the 4 inch inseam, but we’re 30 years apart 😉. I have it in every color, this is all I wear for running, walking, yoga, Pilates, the gym. Basically this is the only thing I wear.
Align 17” Crop Pants - When it’s too cold to run outside in San Diego in shorts, I wear cropped pants. I like the 17 inch because it comes just underneath the knee, but doesn’t go down all the way over my calf. Those are 21 inches.
Align 28” Pants - These are full length pants that come to your ankle, I’m 5’11” and they still come to my ankle. But they do come in 31 inches if you’re really tall AND really long-legged.