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Presents for busy mums. ‘Busy’ mums! Are there any other kind?! Well, here is a big list of 20 gift ideas that will delight all mums, but particularly mums who don’t have the time to stop and think about themselves very often.
Whether you’re looking for a gift that is unique, unusual, clever or just to shows you care, for Christmas, a birthday or Mother’s Day, this list has got you covered.
Why am I so confident? Because I’ve asked all the mums I know to tell me what they would love to receive as a gift… and because this list has been put together by a very busy mum. Me!
20 PRESENTS FOR BUSY MUMS
1. A USEFUL PERSONALISED NOTEBOOK
This little notebook is perfect for keeping recipes in. Plus you can personalise it. What a lovely idea for a gift from a child to their mother.
2. CREATE A PHOTO ALBUM
Busy mums have little to no time to create photo albums with actual printed out photos. So why not do it for her to create a truly unique and personal gift.
Perhaps curate an edit of family photos from the past year, get them printed out and then pop them in a personalised album like this lovely leather bound album.
This is super perfect for documenting the first year of a new mum's life as a mother with her child.
3. ENGRAVED JEWELLERY
Jewellery with family names engraved on are a modern classic for mums. This beautiful silver necklace is spot on as a gift from children to their mum or from a partner or husband/wife to the mother of their children.
4. SOMETHING TO KEEP BUSY MUMS HYDRATED
5. FOR MUMS WHO LOVE BOOKS AND PODCASTS
Does your mum love listening to podcasts on her commute to work? These wireless airpods are the perfect upgrade for mums still relying on earphones from years ago.
Audible is the audiobook brand from Amazon. If you have a mum who loves reading, but just never has the time, an Audible audiobook membership could be just the gift. Audiobooks are a great way to squeeze in a literary snack on the go.
I've had an Audible membership for a while now and I love switching on when I'm out walking or on the train.
The monthly membership gives one credit, which can be used to download an audio book or podcast to listen to and keep.
As a busy mum who works and parents and does a whole bunch of stuff to help run the household, I find the only time I have to read is last thing at night. So I absolutely love my paperwhite Kindle, because I can read without disturbing my husband with a nightlight, but don't find myself wired from reading a screen. If your mum loves reading, but doesn't get much chance, this is a great enabler gift for her.
6. FOR BUSY MUMS WHO MISLAY THEIR KEYS
It makes me cry with happiness when I think of the joy of being able to find stuff that I can't call!! We've all been there! There are four air tags in this pack, team them up with an airtag keyring to make sure that the mum in your life can always find her keys.
If one thing is pretty much guaranteed, finding keys when you've mislaid them is stressful, especially if you're rushing to get out of the house for the school run or to get to work. So this keyring for the Apple Air Tag would be a welcome gift for mums who always need to find their keys quickly.
7. FOR WORK FROM HOME MUMS
I have this wonderful atomiser, it sits on my desk and when I'm working from home I pop it on to keep me calm whilst I bash away at my keyboard.
I love that it is ceramic, so it looks beautiful as well as dispersing a micro-fine mist of essential oil. It often helps me keeping feeling a calm whilst I'm racing to meet a deadline.
This is another little calming wonder that I have sitting on my desk when I'm working from home. This elixir is just about the most luxurious, divine scented face mist I have ever used. It's a gorgeous pick-me-up when I've been staring at my workscreen too long.
8. PAMPERING TREATS
I was given a set of these self-heating eye masks for Christmas and I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. They are the most amazing way to switch off from the world and relax at the end of a long day.
You just open up a pouch, pop the mask over your eyes and relax as it begins to heat up. It's all-natural stuff... oxygen molecules in the atmosphere cause the mask's iron particles to warm.
They are literally bliss-inducing. Just the gift that every mum needs!
Hot air brushes are an absolute life-saver for mums who don't have much time to spend on themselves, but who want to have their hair looking like they have spent time on it! I have a Babyliss hot air brush, it took me a quick minute to get used to it and I turn to it now whenever my hair needs a quick zshush.
This is probably one of those gifts that you'll want to research, as there are many hot air brushes out there, but this is a great entry-level brush that won't cost a fortune, if you just want to get that gift bought!
I have this Sarah Chapman steamer and I absolutely love it. As a busy mum who loves a bit of pampering, but doesn't have much time to get to the spa, I love that I can grab this on a Sunday morning and spend a few minutes giving my skin a facial. It really is the perfect at-home spa gift for mums of all ages.
Dry heels are the bane of many women's lives and if you are a busy mum without a minute to herself, they are one of those things that can get you down everytime you look at them. So gifting a moisture foot mask like this is a lovely pampering gift for an overworked mum.
Now bear with me on this one... I know they look really fuggly. BUT. They are having a bit of a moment (don't believe me, check out this in InStyle August 2022) and also happen to be the. most. comfortable. slides. I. have. ever. had. As a busy mum, what I love about them is that I can shove them on either on bare feet or over a pair of socks and race out of the door to my yoga class, no laces to deal with, easy on, easy off.
9. FOR BUSY MUMS WHO LOVE COOKING
Clongs tongs by Dreamfarm are absolutely genius - as are several of their other kitchen gadgets. I have had a pair for several months and they are just the best tongs ever. The real genius is that the bit that touches the food doesn't touch the kitchen work surface, so you have less to wipe up and don't need to worry about hygeine issues when cooking. These are a brilliant gift idea for mums who love to cook.
I love my Chopula so much that I now have two of them. This is another genius invention from the DreamFarm team.... a spatula that has a side that can slice food as you cut it, plus the spatula end doesn't touch the kitchen worksurface, so it's less messy.... and it is so flexible it is really easy to use. Any mum who loves cooking would love this clever, unusual take on kitchen tongs.
TIPS FOR BUYING THE PERFECT GIFT FOR A MUM
Mums can be tricky to buy for, not least because mums are simply women with kids and there are so many women in this world, each one wonderfully individual and unique.
But luckily, there are some common gift themes that tend to work well as presents for busy mums. Women who don’t get much time to think about themselves day to day, who would love and appreciate a thoughtful gift that shows you love them.
So if you want some tips on how to choose the perfect present for one of the mums in your life, whether you are a grown up and she is your own mother, the mother of your children, your mother-in-law or if you are a child looking for the perfect gift to buy for your mum, here are some simple tips on choosing the perfect gift.
Think about who she really is
- What are her hobbies?
- Does she work full-time – and if she does, does she have to commute?
- Does she work part-time or do shift work that makes her schedule tricky?
- What does she enjoy doing when (if) she has time to herself at home?
- Does she enjoy yoga or pilates or exercise?
- Does she cook for pleasure as well as cooking family meals?
- Does she enjoy having time to pamper herself?
- Does she enjoy the great outdoors?
- Is she super glam?
- Is she a bookworm?
- Does she love music? If so, what kind…?
- Does she have a pet she loves dearly?
- Is she retired?
- Does she love a practical gadget for the house or garden (DO. NOT. BUY. HER. CLEANING. EQUIPMENT)
You get the picture. Basically, stop thinking of her as ‘mum’ and start thinking of her as a whole person, with likes and dislikes and see what picture you build of her.
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Luci is the founder of Mums Make Lists (Est. 2011). Over the last decade or so, she has used her experience as a mum to create useful guides to organising family life. During that time, she has found the most joy in creating lists of ideas and inspiration to make it easier for busy parents to plan and host kids’ parties and find great gifts. Read more.