Flowers and chocolates are your typical Mother's Day gift fare. But today's mom, perhaps more than ever before, is busy, practical, and technologically savvy. Rather than giving her something humdrum and expected, let's think a little outside the box this year and indulge her with some new tech.
And this doesn't mean you have to spend a fortune. For $100 or less, there are plenty of products and accessories that are perfect for gifting. From a scale that makes cooking easier to a pastel-hued turntable, these are every bit as practical as they are fun.
Click through for wearables, chargers, and more great presents for your mom. (But if you decide to indulge yourself, too, we certainly won't judge.) Now, can we have that Mother's Day brunch, already?
If your mom constantly gets her wires tangled.
Cord tacos solve the problem of tangled earbuds. Just wrap your headphones around your hand, like so, put them in a leather taco, toss it in your bag, and you're good to go. These special Mother's Day designs are made extra fun, featuring moms from iconic TV shows, including Marge Simpson and Morticia Addams.
This Is Ground Mother's Day Cord Tacos, $11 each, available on thisisground.com.
Photo: Courtesy This Is Ground.
If your mom loves to cook.
The Drop kitchen scale connects to an app full of recipes for drinks and food. The best part of using it is that it doesn't matter if you have too little of an ingredient: Drop measures what you put down and makes the necessary recipe changes (or suggests a substitute). Think of it as a not-so-subtle way to hint that you want mom to make you chocolate chip cookies.
Drop Kitchen Connected Scale, $100, available on fab.com.
Photo: Courtesy Fab.com.
If your mom's phone is constantly dying.
You needed your mom to text you back, but she couldn't, since her phone died. Sound familiar? Mophie's Power Reserve is super light, small enough to fit in a purse, and provides a full charge.
Mophie Power Reserve 1X, $35, available on mophie.com.
Photo: Courtesy Mophie.
If your mom needs some help mastering 21st-century communication.
It doesn't matter how tech savvy your mom is: there are so many social platforms that everyone can use some help. That's where tech company Enjoy comes in. Just for Mother's Day, you can book a standalone session: one of Enjoy's tech experts will come and help your mom navigate social media, video chats, and more.
Enjoy Standalone Session, $50/hour, available on enjoy.com.
Photo: Courtesy Enjoy.
If your mom is up on her style.
This pretty leather tassel provides the link to a boost of energy. The charging cables connect to iPhones, iPods, and iPads, so that it's easier to charge on the go.
Chic Buds Tassel Power Cable with Lightning Connector, $30, available on chicbuds.com.
Photo: Courtesy Chic Buds.
If your mom wants a low-key tracker.
Misfit's Shine 2 (which just came out in rose gold) is a nice activity tracking option for someone who doesn't need to see their stats all the time and wants to wear something that looks a bit more like a traditional watch. Shine's lights correspond to your progress towards your daily goal and can also show call notifications and the time.
Misfit Shine 2, $100, available on misfit.com.
Photo: Courtesy Misfit.
If your mom constantly talks about "the good old days."
This portable turntable lets you play vinyl or digital music, so your mom can put on her first Beatles record or play a song from her phone. There are built-in stereo speakers and the player folds up like a briefcase, making it easy to take it on the road.
Crosley Cruiser Portable Turntable, $80, available on bestbuy.com.
Photo: Courtesy Best Buy.
If you wish you could take your mom on a vacation.
Yes, this VR headset is slightly futuristic, but it's a way more cost-effective way for you to let your mom visit the pyramids than paying for a trip to Egypt. She'll have to have a Samsung phone for the experience to work (check compatible models, here), but once she does, she'll be able to go to the Oscars, surf in Tahiti, and more. The 360-degree panoramic views bring every "trip" to life.
Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus, $100, available on samsung.com.
Photo: Courtesy Samsung.
If you procrastinate on buying your mom a gift.
Giftagram makes sending a gift so much easier for you. Choose from the app's selection of gifts (which start at just $15) and select your recipient from your phonebook or Facebook contacts. Your mom will get a text asking for the best address to send the gift to (work, home, vacation house), and will know that her present is on its way (gifts arrive in three to five days).
Giftagram available on the App Store and Google Play.
Photo: Courtesy Giftagram.
If your mom really is the bees knees.
You know that something coming from Reese Witherspoon's clothing company is guaranteed to be cute — and this case delivers. Plus, the bright colors are perfect for the summer months.
Draper James Bees Knees iPhone 6 Case, $40, available on draperjames.com.
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