Holy macaroni (and cheese), it can be exhausting being a mom! With others to care for — even if they’ve flown the nest — and the demands of life, mama birds often sacrifice their own sanity for the health of their flock. Sound like the lady in your life? You probably can’t talk her out of any of her commitments or extracurriculars, but you can encourage her to slow down and enjoy the moment. Each of these thoughtful gifts was chosen with one goal in mind: to help her relax.
If you’ve never seen a Britta Ambauen design, they are elegant, standalone works with significant range. Think: hand-hammered gold bangles and jade gemstone peapod necklaces. But look closer and many of her pieces offer an inspiring quote, like her River Bangle bracelet, which is inscribed with the Rumi quote: “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving through you, a joy.” It’s her hope that women can wear something beautiful, but more importantly be reminded of something special to them.
“Our thoughts are so powerful that when you revisit one over and over, it can help you manifest your goals,” she says. Currently, Britta is hooked on a necklace she made using a stone found in Arizona at her brother’s wedding last year. She laid a piece of silver behind it and etched, “This above all: To thine self be true,” a Shakespearean quote that she says reminds her to stick to her truths rather than listening to people’s judgments.
Britta’s Mama Bear Necklaces can be customized to feature all of your mama bear’s cubs
She’s one with nature, but that doesn’t mean she’s one to wear a hemp necklace. The distance between hippie life and a boho vibe is as wide as the night sky the all-natural-everything set love to camp out under. The taste preferences between the two crews? Just as different. So if the mother in your life is more chic than unshowered, look no further for gift ideas: We’ve got a heap of goods that strike just the right balance between au naturale and Oh Happy Mother’s Day.
When President Ulysses S. Grant signed the law establishing Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872, he probably didn’t imagine how the parks system would expand or how popular the parks would become. The National Park Service celebrated its centennial in 2016 and welcomed a record number of visitors: 325 million. Yellowstone is still one of the most popular, but the system now includes 59 National Parks in 27 states and two US Territories. Other units in the National Park system add diversity to familiar natural preserves like Yellowstone and Yosemite, meaning you can climb to the top of Devil’s Tower or get your patriot on at Independence National Historical Park. To celebrate these priceless natural and historic treasures, we offer this collection of designs to help you enjoy the recreation and inspiration they offer.
From powdered wigs to Beanie Babies, trends come and go. And when they go, they tend to go in one of two directions. Trends that stick (e.g. blue denim pants) become classics, while trends that don’t (e.g. hunkerin’) are relegated to the quirky realm of fads. Either way, who can keep up? It’s almost like the cycle of trends is constantly spinning. At this point, an etymologist might exclaim, “exactly!”
Since the late 18th century, trend has described popular but fleeting phenomena and, apropos to it’s cyclical nature, the word hails from the Old English trendan—to rotate or spin. Trendan, in turn, is a cognate with the Middle High German word trendel, which came to mean a spinning disk or top. If trendel sounds vaguely familiar, that may be thanks to a classic Hannukah toy: the dreidel, possibly related to trendel through the linguistic mash-up of Yiddish. Both trendels and dreidels may trace their ancestry to the teetotum, a top-like gambling toy introduced to Europe through the Roman Empire. So the term trend itself might be based on a popular diversion that was once all the rage.
Desktop Helicone | $65
One of the things you love about Mom is her discerning nature. And it’s quite charming that, when she sees something she wants, she goes out and gets it. When a holiday rolls around, however, the mom who has seen it all (or maybe even has it all) creates a conundrum. How can you show your appreciation for her with a gift she’ll actually appreciate? We say, go thoughtful or go home. Whether it’s a personalized sign or an in-sync set of lamps, a unique present that comes from the heart means so much more than anything she’s found so far. Behold, our picks for a picky woman.
It’s often said that the hardest life situations can lead to some of the most creative works of art. The idea seems to have rung true for Tom Gauntt. After being dealt a difficult hand when diagnosed with an illness that restricted his physical activity, Tom decided to focus on smaller projects and tried out turning a pen on a lathe. Though his first iteration was less than perfect, he kept at it. Once he refined his technique, he started incorporating driftwood found along the nearby Chesapeake Bay and discovered that it made for truly special writing utensils.
We’re so excited to have Tom’s one-of-a-kind driftwood pens as new additions to our assortment. Settle in and read on to hear directly from Tom about the in-depth craftsmanship that goes into each one.
Without her little bundles of joy, there would be no Mother’s Day celebration. And yet, let’s just say the wee ones — though they may be pros on her iPad — aren’t exactly adept at shopping for gifts she’ll adore. That’s where you come in. But fear not! We’ll help you out, too. We’ve combed our collection looking for the sweetest tokens to help you and your tykes (even the ones who can’t yet talk!) express your love and appreciation for all she does — whether it’s her first Mother’s Day or fifth.
