Do you have a new (or not-so-new) mom on your holiday shopping list?  Oh, man, then do I have some ideas for you!  Listen, the best thing you could get the moms in your life is the gift that keeps on giving: a clown to entertain them during those 3:00 a.m. feedings.  Hear me?

I kid, I kid.  I meant a magician.

Okay, but seriously.  If you are shopping for a mom, especially a new mom, here are some of the things that have made my life better, easier, or just plain nicer in the months since Peanut was born:

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Yoga pants.  For the mom who is afraid to try on her pre-pregnancy jeans.  (Holla back, ladies.)  I’ve been rocking the sweats from Target most days, but there are some days when I just want to look nice, dangit.  Like those days when I was just plain burnt out on the NICU, and I wanted to appear somewhat polished if only to make myself feel a wee bit better.  (Pretty scarves are good for that too.)  Or just days when I feel like looking pretty and I think nice yoga pants will distract from the bags under my eyes after a night of rocking and shushing (Peanut, not me).  Every mom will have her own preference; personally, my go-to is the Perfect Core Pant from Lucy Activewear.  It’s like wearing a hug.

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Hand lotion.  With all the scrubbing I do to keep the ugly germs away from Peanut (especially now that flu season is underway) my hands are permanently reptilian.  I’ve taken to keeping lotion in strategic places throughout the house – I have a tube in the family room, one in the diaper bag, one in my bedroom, and one in the master bathroom – and I am constantly applying it.  Now, hand lotion doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to work.  I learned that when I became addicted to the stuff that Peanut’s hospital stocked all over the NICU.  But nice, scented lotion in a pretty container makes me feel a little less like a zombie and a little more like a lady.  My favorites are the Organic Hand Cream from Oliviers & Co. (a gift from R) and Aveda Hand Relief (my sister-in-law turned me on to this stuff last year), or anything lavender scented.  Bonus points for would-be Santas if you can find a lotion in Mom’s favorite scent.

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Food!  My in-laws had a catering service deliver meals to us after Peanut came home from the hospital, and it was in.cred.i.ble.  If you like to cook or bake, moms love home-cooked food (this is something I generally do for my new mom friends as part of their baby shower gifts), but catered meals are just as amazing.  I can’t tell you how nice it was to have several days where I didn’t have to think about what to make for dinner because there were fresh, healthy meals already prepared in my freezer.  I’ve gotten into the swing of motherhood now and have made the time to prepare some freezer meals, and I am generally more organized and more able to put meals together than I was in those early days.  But darnit, that catering delivery sure was appreciated that first week.

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Babysitting services.  Here’s a great, FREE gift that I guarantee a mom will appreciate!  (And more than a lot of expensive items you might be thinking of getting, probably.)  Don’t get me wrong, we love those kiddos to pieces.  But any mom would appreciate a night out with her guy, or even just an afternoon “off” to go to yoga, read, or do whatever she likes (nap!) without worrying about the wee ones.  Especially for moms of young ‘uns, the idea of trusting the offspring to the neighborhood teenagers might not be the most appealing.  (And I say this as someone who spent almost every weekend of my teenaged years babysitting, and made a ton of money that way – there actually are responsible teenagers out there who will play with the kids instead of letting them watch TV and then clean the house after putting their charges to bed.  I was a very in-demand sitter.  And also a super cool person with tons of friends, okay???)  But most moms would probably be a bit more comfortable leaving the baby to a family member or trusted friend.  My Peanut is a little young to be left at all right now, but for moms of older babies, toddlers or school-aged kids, I would think this would be a great gift.

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Sentimental Jewelry.  It’s no secret – we moms are a sentimental bunch.  (Well, most of us are, anyway.  I think.  We’re also a diverse bunch, so I’m sure there are plenty of non-sentimental moms out there too.)  But for those moms who get all giddy over any mention of their kids – guilty, although I hear the infatuation drops off sharply after they hit age 13 or so – cute sentimental jewelry can make a great gift.  I have the above necklace with Peanut’s name (her actual name, not “Peanut”) in sterling silver, although it’s also available in 14k gold.  There are thousands of cute name necklaces out there – pick the style that most appeals to the recipient.  Or you could go with an initial necklace (not gonna lie, I’m in the market for a gold “E” pendant – still looking for the perfect one) or a picture locket (hey, they’re not all frumpy).  For moms with multiple kiddos, there are necklaces that can be customized with more than one name or initial.  I love Etsy for cute, personalized jewelry, but there are plenty of other options too.

I’m a lawyer and we like to wreck everything, so I’m just going to unnecessarily remind you that this post wasn’t paid for or perked.  I’m recommending the above items because I honestly have found them useful or nice, and everything on this list I bought with my own money, or received as a personal gift from someone else who bought the item with their own money.  If I fulfilled my long-held dream of moving to Canada tomorrow, not one of these companies or sellers would care.  Peace.

Friends, what are you buying for the mamas on your shopping list?  (Not me, I like to be surprised.)  Mamas, what items can’t you live without?