Everyone knows that the hardest part of being a mom, aside from the exhaustion, is prioritizing yourself. Now don’t get me wrong, I have it easier than most. I split caregiving duties. That’s a big deal! But it’s still not totally uncommon for several days to go by without my doing a single thing truly for myself.
I’ve seen a lot of gift guides about what to get a new mom for the holidays this year, and honestly— most of them suck! If there is one thing most parents do not want, it’s Etsy trinkets with their kid’s name on it. It’s a nice thought, but just remember that moms are so often forgotten (even by themselves.) That said, I did just buy an “S” necklace from James Michelle… (now 40% off!)
Here is what she (I) actually wants this holiday season.
YES— Luxurious cotton/silk pajamas with buttons. It might be weird for you to ask someone if they are nursing their baby, so maybe just lightly-assume and go for the pajamas with buttons. Cozy Earth (45% off using MACKINSTYLE45) are definitely on the pricier side, but you can get J.Crew pajamas for ~$50 on sale during the holidays. (one, two, three)
NO— to anything flannel. Because of the hormones, I have never been so hot in my life. Seriously, I am SWEATING right now in November. Anything meant to keep me extra warm will probably not get worn. Also, please don’t give me a size medium because you want me to feel skinny. I would so much rather you guess a size or two up. That is what drawstrings are for!
YES— Chic embroidered tote. My bestie gave me an LL Bean tote bag that said “HotUESMom” when I had my baby and it made me feel SO seen and special. The medium size is perfect for being able to carry what I actually need to bring with me on a 4-5 hour outting with my baby. I love it because my actual diaper bag is HUGE and not usually necessary. Personally I love the ironic-boat-n-tote vibe for myself, but if your friend is classier than me, maybe go with their initials. LL Bean (1) is definitely the most cost effective option here, Stoney Clover (2) is probably the most aspirational, but personally I am drooling over the Mark & Graham (3) Italian leather bag, which I featured in the main image. (one, two, three)
NO— Personalized stuff with my baby’s name on it. He literally had a whole ass shower to collect gifts back in July. Also, you can’t exactly donate hyper-personalized trinkets from Etsy and I’d feel really guilty trowing it out.
Other sh*t we’d actually love:
L’Occitane products, primarily the hand cream. If everyone’s hands are cracking from the cold, know that a new mom’s hands are in horrendous shape. Not only is she likely washing her hands 4x more than usual, she’s also changing a lot of diapers. For $13 you can help the co-worker you really like, but don’t expect a gift back from. Personally I’d pair this with a $10 gift card to her favorite coffee shop and call it a day. Speaking of which…
Gift cards to places we can’t buy things for our baby. I think I speak on behalf of all new moms when I say I’d really rather you give me a gift card to Sephora to buy some fancy skincare than a nice framed photo of the son I see everyday. A Target gift card will inevitably get spent on more sh*t for Sebastian, but DSW? That’s going towards a good cause. Also most moms are not fitting into their old jeans anytime soon, so a trip to Madewell (or a gift card) could make all the difference in her self esteem (provided she wears straight sizes.)
Ember mug. Trust me. I consider myself somewhat of an expert on mugs. For years we had an annual father’s day competition called Mug Wars in which my sisters and I competed for my dad’s love. Each year I put in an enormous amount of effort and every year I won. Shoutout to the Le Creuset Vancouver Mug which I strongly recommend for your wedding registry, or whatever. Obviously spending $150 purely out of a desire to wreck my sisters was unhinged, but when my parents moved out of their house and onto a boat the mug that made the cut was the Ember. One simply cannot keep their coffee hot with a small child, and I would really like to change that. I think it’s time my karma came around and someone hooked me up with an Ember mug.
Petite Power pin (or any cute hair accessory) I want to look cute, but washing my hair on a consistent basis is out of the question. These pins used to retail for a loooot and it looks like there is now a cost effective version! I’m all about this.
Kiehls Vitamin C Eye Serum is one of the few skincare products that has ever truly blown me away. I NOTICE when I forget to apply this. It’s pricey at $55, but despite originally being gifted it by the brand, I will undoubtably repurchase in my own time.
Libro.FM audiobook credits You know what’s depressing? Not being able to read a physical book. You know how I am passing all of my days? AUDIOBOOKS! I recommend Libro because it supports indie bookstores. My suggestion would be a Libro gift card with a few suggestions of books she might like. For recommendations, checkout 2 newsletters back where I list my top 50 of all time.
Cute loungewear I have wanted the Ralph’s coffee sweatshirt for a million years. I haven’t bought it yet because the price tag ($170) is steep— but this is great for the NYC rich girl who has it all. Let me know if you want a whole newsletter on cute lounge options.
New Slippers have I mentioned nothing fits anymore? SO MUCH needs replacing and things like slippers are just at the bottom of the list. Go with the slide ones to make sure they fit (this would also be a great gift for a pregnant girlie.)
Food Baskets Cheese/charcuterie plates are something i’m making myself pretty often with a newborn baby. I can eat them one handed and they make me feel luxurious, even when i’m covered in puke. You could totally make one of these yourself using Trader Joes products and a basket you can find on Amazon if you don’t want to shell out for Harry & David. This is especially nice for new parents who have to opt out of most holiday activities this year because their baby is so small. If you’re feeling extra generous— give them some (Petrossian) caviar to ring in the New Year with (since likely they’re a party of 3 in bed by 11 this year!)
Flower subscription this is one of the ideas I saw on a few gift guides that I was actually really fond of. I love receiving flowers! There are a few options for this and a variety of price ranges, but obviously this is best if you’re working with a decent budget. Would be a great gift for your mom (if she doesn’t live on a boat like mine.)
We’d rather not….
Scented candles. It’s not you, it’s not me, it’s the baby! Babies can’t do scented candles, or perfume, or anything like that. Unfortunately it’s a skip this year.
Perfume. We literally cannot :(
If you’re on a parent, don’t let them take my word for it— what do you want this year?
Vancouver Mug 👌
This is super helpful! One of my besties is having a baby end of January and I’ve been trying to think of some ~treats~ I can get her for afterwards