The Sunshine Citrine Green Tara Necklace from Satya Jewelry is adorned with a symbol of unconditional love.

How do you express gratitude to someone who’s always given you unconditional love and support? A single day isn’t nearly enough to thank mothers for everything they do for us. But we don’t stress out too much on Mother’s Day gifts — after all, this is the woman who once cooed over our hand-outline turkey made in grade school and graciously thanked us when we presented her with a handful of dandelions.

Still, we’d like to think our gift-giving skills have improved over the years. Following are a few of our picks for Mother’s Day, coming up May 9.

• In For You Mom, Finally (Penguin, 2010; $13), former Gourmet editor-in-chief and New York Times restaurant critic Ruth Reichl examines the life of her mother, Miriam or “Mim,” through a box of letters and papers. Originally published in 2009 as Not Becoming My Mother, feedback Reichl received from the subsequent book tour led her to add one more lesson and write a new afterward in this edition. This is not only a story about a mother who sacrificed so that her daughter would have the chances she never had, but also a reflection on the changing role of women.
• The Sunshine Citrine Green Tara Necklace ($268) from Satya Jewelry has three strands of citrine beads and a pendant made of 14-karat gold vermeil. Green Tara is the Buddhist avatar of compassion and unconditional love, so it’s perfect for moms. Place an order totaling $150 or more through May 31 and enter the code “vivmag” to have a free Satya stretch bracelet sent to you.
• If cards and flowers seem a bit cliché, why not try both in one for a unique take? After your mother reads a personal note from you on a Grow-A-Note Greeting Card, she can plant it in her garden for blooms that will last well beyond Mother’s Day! Green Field Paper Company offers a variety of designs embedded with seed options. Some of our favorites include the Woodcut Sunflower set of four ($15.95), which grow miniature sunflowers, and the bird on a watering can set of four cards ($14.95) that sprout wildflowers.
• If it’s pampering your mother needs, SpaFinder gift certificates — accepted at more than 5,000 spas throughout the world and redeemable for any treatment — are popular choices. Available for delivery by mail or email, they’re also great last-minute gifts.
• Giving Mom a goat or water buffalo may sound ill-advised — unless, of course, it’s a gift from Heifer International. While she probably will be relieved at not having to tend to a flock of chicks herself, families in Cameroon or the Caribbean will be happy to have a donation in her honor that produces life-sustaining eggs. The nonprofit, which aims to end hunger and poverty, has a variety of gifts that go to people in need throughout the world, with cards you can print yourself.

For more Mother’s Day gift ideas, check out “Best Gadgets for Mom and Dad” and “New Scent-Sations” in VIVmag‘s May/June issue. What gift do you think your mother would appreciate most?

Tags: Cameroon, Caribbean, Citrine, Color, editor-in-chief, Gift, Giving, Heifer International, Human Interest, Mim, Miriam, Mom and Dad, Mother's Day, Mother’s Day! Green Field Paper Company, New York Times, restaurant critic, Ruth Reichl, Satya, SpaFinder, Tara Maclay, The New York Times Co, USD