Mother’s Day is one of my absolute favorite days of the year. The joy it brings me is only equaled by its brother holiday, Father’s Day. As an opportunity for brunching, giggles and heaping love on someone who truly deserves it, it’s just a day that I inevitably come out of feeling good. Leading up to this day of all days though, I am racked with anxiety about the gift. In true, humble mother fashion, my mom always say something along the lines of, “Just having you around is my gift” or “Write me a sweet card”. As lovely as those sentiments are, they really don’t help in my quest for that inimitable gift that expresses all of my love and gratitude. Thanks mom. 

With this quandary in mind, I’ve put together a Mother’s Day Gift Guide series. I know there are a lot of these floating around in the blogosphere, but I wanted to take into consideration all the different types of moms there are out there! I mean, not all moms are the same, right? Is your mom stylish? Is she the perfect hostess? Does she love to read, or knit, or go jet-skiing? Every mom is unique, which is precisely why we love them enough to devote a whole day to telling them just that.

So, in honor of my own mother, let’s start with The Outdoorsy Mom. My mom loves to garden, hike, camp, travel, and pretty much anything else that incorporates sunshine and nature. The list has options ranging from less than $50 to over $300 for those of you with siblings who might want to chip in. So here are some options I’ve been considering for the mother in my life, and if your mom is anything like mine, she’s bound to love something here too!

Column 1 (top to bottom): Handy Utility Finger Knife, Gardening Caddy, Hunter Original Pulltab Lightweight Chelsea Boots, Beechwood Paper Pot Press

Column 2 (top to bottom): Folding Garden Cart Bicycle Hitch, Pendleton Glacier National Park Blanket, Leather Knee Pads, Herschel Lunar Rock Offset Heritage Backpack

Column 3 (top to bottom): Opinel Garden Knofe Set, Seamless & Steadfast Enamel Mugs (Set of 2), Polished Brass Watering Can, Audubon Field Guide Series

In my opinion, any of these options would make a fun and unique gift for the outdoorsy mom. As a general rule, I try not to give my mom anything that innately screams “work!”. These gifts are beautiful and special, and although they are activity-based, they are joyful accessories rather than implements to perform drudgery. One of my favorite options on the list is the Audubon Field Guide Series. My mom and dad botg spend a lot of time in the mountains, and they always bring their Audubon bird books with them. Have you guys seen these? They’re incredible. Literally every bird on the planet has a page within one of these field guides. And there are so many other guides I had no idea were even available! From wild flowers, to mushrooms, to fish, to rocks and minerals, to shells, and even one for the night sky! The set is $375 which is, I know, pretty steep, but split between a couple of brothers and sisters? Totally doable.

What do you guys think? I hope this helped narrow down some options for your nature-loving moms! Still to come, guides for The Perfect Hostess and The Culinarian. Comment and let me know if there are any other mom-types you’d like to see a guide for!

Only 16 days left! – Cassie