Perfect Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Acknowledging mothers around the globe, Mother's Day is now celebrated across more than 46 countries of the world.  The day is an event to honor the contribution of mothers, acknowledge the efforts of maternal bonds, and the vital role of mothers in our societies. Although, different countries celebrate the occasion on different dates, it is typically celebrated in spring, during either the months of March or May.

Mother’s Day in the United States
The American incarnation of Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914 under Woodrow Wilson. While Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spend the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar, celebration of the American Mother continues to be a strong tradition. Celebrated in the US on the second Sunday in May, it traditionally involves presenting our mothers with gifts such as flowers, perfumes, luxury soaps, cards, jewelry, and special teas and food or, of course, chocolates.  It is also typically accompanied by a “day of rest” for our mothers from other familial ‘obligations’.

Perfect Mother’s Day Gifts for Every Mother
Like fathers, mother’s come in all colors, shapes, and sizes. So, we asked our staff to recommend various gift ideas from our store that would delight the fashionable mother of any “shape, size, and color!”

For the Mom with the Sweet Tooth!
Just as “Paris is always a good idea”, equally Chocolates are always a great gift idea. To that end, we suggest any of the elegant Louis Sherry Premium Chocolate tin. These chocolates in either their solid color tins or designer tins contain high quality Belgian truffles and trefoils.  These collectible hinged tins, after the chocolate is gone, make a wonderful addition to any nightstand or dressing table reminding the woman of who gave her this thoughtful gift.  Louis Sherry chocolates are available at Au Bon Goût Boutique in either 12 piece or 24 piece tins.

If chocolates aren’t your mother’s cup of tea, consider a gift of French Pastilles or French honey.  Imported from France, these honey candies can be enjoyed any time of day. Made with natural flavors and colors, and no preservatives, these hard candies are sure to delight both the young and the old, and everyone in between.

Famille Perronneau, Honey Pastilles, Assorted 

Famille Perronneau, located in the Provence region of France, is considered by many to produce the world’s best honey. Harvested at maturity in a natural way, without using any chemical products, this 100% pure and natural honey will allow you to taste it as it is in the hive.  We carry several different flavors of honey are available, all imported from France, made in Provence by La Famille Perronneau – giving you many honey choices, including lavender, raspberry, orange blossom flavors, if your mother wishes to add the honey to her hot tea or cereal.

For the Mom Who Likes to Look Pretty!
Giving a scarf to someone you love communicates a deep affection; to a close friend it means you appreciate their friendship. To that end, consider any one of our many scarves from The Metropolitan Art Museum Collection this Mother’s Day.  All have style, class, and wonderful designs that will complement any outfit, any season.

                  Metropolitan Museum of Art Morning Glories Magnolia Vase

For the Mom that Likes All Things French!
Ever consider purchasing a French-made “pouchette”? A pochette, which translates from French quite literally to pouch or envelope, is the small and slender purse.  All woven in France by the famous French tapestry company, Art de Lys, these pouchettes are ideal for carrying small articles when travelling, use as a cosmetic bag, or use as a small carry purse when doing errands.

Art de Lys, Fleurettes Broché Aubusson French Tapestry Pouchette

For The Mom who Likes to Smell Pretty
Perfume is like a new dress, it makes you quite simply marvelous, and giving an authentic French perfume is never a bad idea.  One suggestion – always go for quality. To that end, we recommend any of the Lubin Paris perfumes.  Any one of the three Lubin’s Portraits de Femmes Collection (Portrait of Women Collection) perfumes are especially appropriate given Mother’s Day.

Lubin Paris, Anna is floral fresh and has the fragrance of rose, in a sea breeze. For the woman who likes something less floral, consider Lubin Paris’s Eva -- a wonderful citrusy-floral fragrance of passion fruit, petitgrain, lemon, orange blossom, neroli, white ginger, amber, musk, sandalwood.  Lastly, Lubin Paris’s Magda. Brand new, this scent has quickly become a new favorite of many with its floral tuberose, irresistibly fruity fragrance.  All are available in 100 ml size bottles and come gift boxed.

For the Mom Who Loves the ‘Spa Treatment’ at Home
If unsure of the le cadeau parfait, you can’t go wrong with quality lotions, soaps, liquid hand wash, creams, and bath and shower gels. Sold at only the finest stores, they are excellent for home use with enriching formulas that are carefully put together to ensure skin hydration and add a touch of luxury.  To that end, we suggest any item in the Antica Farmacista product line—soaps, liquid hand washes and hand & body moisturizers.

 

Antica Farmacista Luxury Diffusers, Hand Wash & Body Moisturizers

If your preference is for a luxury French soap, we suggest Apis Cera. All Apis Cera soaps are hand-made in the south France by a single workshop in Provence. There, they make a limited number of the loveliest signature honey soaps and lip balms all packaged beautifully and made from natural beeswax and honey.

No chemicals, no additives or coloring is used in the process for making their soaps and their honey soaps will leave your skin feeling clean, soft, and moist.  Apis Cera presently only makes two types of luxury soaps:  Majestic - a beautiful handcrafted and cold-processed soap with organic honey and lavender from the Provence region in France. These organic soaps are elegantly boxed in groups of 3 in boxes that are custom-made to ensure their safe transportation and good conservation. Each soap is delicately wrapped in Apis Cera’s bee monogram paper.  And, Imperial - an organic soap made from amazing argan oil and beeswax. Like the Majestic soaps, it is handcrafted and cold-processed.

                              

 Apis Cera, Majestic Soaps with Honey & Lavender 

For a broader selection of French soaps and lotions, we suggest any of the wonderful soaps, lotions etc. from the French Prè de Provence Collection. These luxurious soaps are all 100% made in France and are available in different sizes.  When buying them, consider adding a French “gants de toilettes” –a French shower mitt made by Garnier-Thiebaut.

For the Mom Who Likes Her Cup of Tea!
To quote C.S. Lewis, “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.”  A gift of tea is quite widely considered as a gift of good health. Tea at its best is a truly personal gift and a way into one's heart making it an ideal gift for Mother’s Day. Consider combining it with a French tea towel with a “tea” theme or a tin of French “galettes” (cookies), or a box of molded French sugars all shaped like little teapots by Canasuc Paris!

These all natural molded sugars are the  perfect gift for the tea-lover.  Each "window box" has 32 molded "tea pots" (16 white / 16 amber).  All have an unlimited shelf life.

Nina’s Marie Antoinette Loose Tea                         Biscuiterie Dunkerquoise

       Samuel Lamont, Tea Time                               Canasuc Paris, La Bonne Heure Pur Sucre

For the Mom Who Likes a French Kitchen!
For this group of moms, our staff suggests a French kitchen / tea towel from either Beauvillé or Garnier-Thiebaut, or a tablier (French apron) by Garnier-Thiebaut. We carry the largest US selection of French towels in stock from what we consider to be the two best French manufacturer’s, Beauvillé and Garnier-Thiebaut.  Both are 100% made in France.  Beauvillé now makes “gift sets” of their hand silk-screen towels made of 82% cotton / 18% linen.  Garnier-Thiebaut’s kitchen tea towels are typically the classic French jacquard damask cotton.

Garnier Thiebaut French Jacquard Kitchen Tea Towels

Beauvillé Gift Box, "Marché d'été”
Beauvillé, "Dégustation" Gift Box

For the Mom Who Knows the Power of a Handwritten Note!
For the woman who believes receiving a handwritten note on a quality, notecard or correspondence card is not only special but a personal gesture in our day and time of social technology, then any set of boxed notecards from our The Metropolitan Museum of Art Collection or vintage reproduction notecards made by Cavallini & Co on their signature Italian paper is for you. These boxed notecards sets are for the woman who cares to sit down with a card and write a special note of “thanks” knowing that people always appreciate them. Handwritten notes are warmer and more personal than a phone call or email, and only second best to thanking someone in person. So, send a little joy your mother’s way with one of these boxed notecards.

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 19th Century Teacups

For the Mom Who Calls Her Cat Her Baby!
Cats:  they’re affectionate when they want to be, entirely honest, and often dramatic. For the woman who loves her cat unconditionally, and understands completely what Charles Dickens meant when he wrote “what greater gift than the love of a cat”, then any of our special “cat-themed” items would be purrfect for her.

Beauvillé, “Felix” French Kitchen / Tea Towel
Metropolitan Museum of Art, “The Favorite Cat” Tote Bag Towel

Yapatkwa Belgian Tapestry Pillows

           

Thé Héritage de Lyon, Le Chat Tea Bag Sachets 
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cats of the Met Notecards 

Final Words
Regardless of the environment in which we are raised, there can be no doubt that mother’s play a key role in helping us to become the person we are. They comfort us, encourage us, care for us, and provide for us in more ways than most of us can possibly name. In doing so they help to teach us what it means to be a strong, caring force of love and support for those around us.  Mothers have been called the glue that holds the family together, although the glue is often underappreciated.  Celebrating Mother's Day allows us to reflect on who we want to be as a family and how we're all connected to one another—a gift any mother is sure to appreciate no matter how it's packaged.