We don’t know how it happened. Mother’s Day will be here soon and the scramble has already begun to find Mom the perfect Mother’s Day present. She certainly deserves it. This woman carried you everywhere for nine long months, cleaned up all your childhood messes, and always made you feel better when you tripped up. And through all of this she’s still your number one fan! There is more than enough reason to pamper moms everywhere on Mother’s Day.

How will you do it? Well, we’re glad you asked! It’s hard to find something practical and sweet and funny and touching–all the things a Mother’s Day present needs to be. So, we’re here to guide you. We suggest you start with thinking about what makes your mom special, what makes her her.

Get her something just right for Mother’s Day!

Does she love to garden?

If your mother has a lively green thumb, get her a decorative pot or planter with her favorite flowers. If you’re an artsy type, you could even paint it yourself. Gloves are helpful, too, but remember this is Mother’s Day, not a garage sale. Those gloves are going to need a wingman. Think daffodils.

Is she super trendy?

Whether her style is ironic hipster or business trendy, clothing is the choice! Obvious hipster choices are a pair of lens-less glasses (can’t get much more ironic than that), a plaid fedora, or on the upscale side of hipster, a pair of handmade moccasins. For the chic Mother’s Day gift, keep it classy but casual: light blazer, gold choker, a pair of her favorite shades.

Do all her friends say she’ll be the next Master Chef grand prize winner?

If cooking is Mom’s thing, go personal. Get her oven mitts with her name or initials embroidered on them, go with her to a cooking class, or even make her a meal yourself. Give it your A-game with the last one, you don’t want to serve the chef anything below her standards on Mother’s Day.

Do you go to her with your computer issues?

Sometimes mom is just more tech-savvy than the rest of us. You know those emails Apple always sends offering free iPad engravings because you bought a MacBook three years ago and had to give them your address? Now’s the time. Get your mom the latest gizmo this Mother’s Day, complete with a special message just for her on the back. Just make sure you show her how to clean out her computer.

Does she love to travel?

Depending on her next adventure, you could go with an alpaca-thread embroidered scarf for Alaska, or a light sun-hat to keep that bright Moroccan sun out of her eyes. Wherever it is make it match, or if she hasn’t decided, she would love a pair of tickets for a surprise Mother’s Day vacation to the Bahamas.

Is she a marathon mom?

If your mother can outrun you on the track it’s probably safe to say she’s a fitness mom. Personalized Nikes or Reeboks in her favorite colors, a heart-rate monitor (if she doesn’t already have one) or a new gym bag are all great ideas. Cheesy matching family headbands aren’t bad either. Throw in a personalized protein mixer with her favorite motivational quotes (or some flowers) and you’ve set new records this Mother’s Day!

 
You know your mother better than we do, so you’re the only one who really knows the perfect gift to get her this Mother’s Day (even if you have to consult your sister or her friends). Mother’s Day is about making her happy and thanking her for everything she’s done for you. You could even consider hiring a professional cleaning service to tidy up her place while you take her out for lunch. Or do it yourself. Either way. She cleaned up after you when you were a kid, after all. And to any mothers reading this, thank you for everything. Happy Mother’s Day!