This Year, Mother's Day in the UK Falls on Sunday 15th March 2026.
Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday) in the UK falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent and is a day to honour mothers, grandmothers, and maternal figures with cards, flowers, and gifts. Originally, servants were given a day off to return to their home parishes ("mother churches"). It later became a day for families to reunite.
Finding the perfect Mother's Day gift can be tricky, especially for the mum who has everything. Of course, you want to give Mum a gift that shows how you truly feel, and how appreciated and loved she is, but what if a bunch of flowers simply won't do?
I'm a mum, and I'm notoriously hard to buy gifts for, so I'm going to help you out and let you hear it from my point of view.
As I grow up (read: get old), I'm finding that I don't need a whole load of stuff- I don't need any more necklaces, earrings, mugs or jewellery boxes. I won't lie, this new urge to throw out all of my belongings and live a simple, clutter-free life has made my long-suffering husband and kids dread the annual "what to get mum for Mother's Day?" conundrum, but I think I'm actually quite easy to buy a gift for.
What Means The Most To Mums
My kids are now 16 and 13. Ooof. I'm not sure where the time went but I blinked and now they are all attitude and independence. Don't get me wrong, they are awesome, and I absolutely love watching them grow into the kindest, funniest young adults. I'm so proud of who they are becoming. But I do really miss the days that they would automatically hold my hand as we walked, fall asleep on my lap or ask me to play with them.
Time Together
So my number one gift idea for Mother's Day when mum is impossible to buy for is the gift of time. Geez, I just re-read that and it sounds so cheesy, but it's true.
My kids had all the time in the world for me when they were younger, but these days that together time is shorter and squeezed in between homework, hobbies and hanging out with friends. And that's how it should be, of course. I'm completely ok with that. But it doesn't mean that I don't miss it.
Smaller Budget Gift Ideas for Quality Time With Mum
It does mean that when they carve out some time for me, it's more meaningful. If your mum is impossible to buy for, give her the gift of a lunch date, a regular coffee and catchup, a cinema trip or a day together. Trust me, she'll love it.
One of the highlights of my week at the moment is a weekly post-school cuppa with my son while his sister has an after school commitment. We go to Costa, drink tea, eat cake and have a good old catch up. Sometimes, we just sit and people-watch, other times he tells me about his day, it doesn't really matter what we do, I just feel so privileged to have an hour of his time.
Bigger Budget Suggestions for Quality Time With Mum
And if your budget is a bit bigger and you want to stretch to more than a lunch date, there are always spa days, weekends away or classes in a new skill - you could take up pottery together, go to a life drawing class or learn to make pastry together. Check out your local Adult Education brochure for evening classes, or take to local social media groups or supermarket noticeboards for ideas in your area.
It really doesn't matter what you do, it's about spending time together- it's worth so much more than any trinket or tea towel.
Reminiscing
Mums LOVE looking back and remember a time when they were their little ones' whole world. Oh my gosh, I'm getting emotional writing this article! Ok, deep breath...
On the odd occasion that I open Facebook, my first stop is always "Memories". I love looking back and getting snippets of things my toddlers said and random days out. As you get older, you start to realise that the things that once felt mundane and normal were actually really special - Hot chocolates on the beach, jumping in muddy puddles and building a blanket fort in the living room- these tiny memories are just so precious, and if it wasn't for the memories that come up in my Facebook feed, they'd be long gone. I'm so grateful to past-me for writing those silly little posts about funny things my kids had said that day.
So my second Mother's Day gift idea for the mum who has everything- the gift of reminiscing.
A Photo Album - Photo albums are, of course, the obvious suggestion here. You could buy a beautiful photo album and fill it with your favourite photos from your childhood. Top tip- don't forget to include photos with her in! Mums are so often the ones taking the photographs, so if you can find any with her in, especially the ones where she is looking beautiful, be sure to include them (maybe don't include ones where she's got panda eyes from yesterday's make-up, dinner-stained clothes and she's pulling a ridiculous face- she won't appreciate that).
Apps like Free Prints let you order printed photographs each month and you only need to pay for the postage. If you start early enough, you can fill an album at a very reasonable price.
Also, your gift doesn't have to just be photographs. You could create more of a journal-style gift and include memories, drawings and mementos.
If your budget is bigger and you have access to examples of your handwriting as a child (this one is niche, I'll admit it), there are artists out there who can make hand-cut jewellery from handwriting.
The Gift of Less Stress
I think I speak for all adults (not just mums) when I say that we are not loving the whole never ending laundry, dish-washing, hoovering cycle that comes with adulthood. Like, no one ever told me that parenting came with so much housework and admin!
So from a more practical, less soppy place, I bring you gift idea number 3 for the impossible-to-buy-for Mother... some sort of practical offer of help, a smaller to-do list and a lighter (laundry)load.
Stress-Reducing Gift Ideas For Mother's Day
A meal subscription plan - perfect for the mum who hates planning meals, visiting a supermarket or coming up with ideas for what to cook.
Help around the house - if you live at home, a commitment to take on one of the household chores is going to be a winner. If my kids are reading this, I'd LOVE a year of not loading the dishwasher or a promise that you'll do your own laundry!
If you don't live with mum and know she'd appreciate a cleaner, that's also an option, but this one comes with a huge warning- if your mum is the sort to get offended by the presence of a cleaner in your home, please do not rush out and employ someone to come and do the hoovering and ironing. I know my mum had a cleaner when we were teens, and she would spend an hour cleaning before the cleaner arrived to avoid any judgement on the state of the house - that is not a nice gift for her, so just don't. Only employ a cleaner if you KNOW for 100% sure that she will take it in the way it's intended, and not as an insult to the tidiness of her home.
Car Stuff - sounds odd, but a practical gift idea for the mum who has everything, and something I know I'd always appreciate is a proper car valet. Give my car a deep clean, check the tires, top up the oil and screen wash and replace the 3-year-old, no longer scented air freshener that's been hanging from my rear view mirror since my husband put it there.
Garden stuff- as above, but for the garden. If mum doesn't love gardening, a good, hard weeding session followed by a pressure wash and general spruce-up will be a proper treat. Combine this with the "time together" gift idea and follow up with a picnic, outdoor meal or afternoon in the sunshine for extra brownie points.
Me-Time
As a working mum with two teenagers and two businesses, I can confirm that 'Me-Time' feels like a myth, a distant memory, something other people do. As such, one of my favourite gifts to receive for Mother's Day (or ANY day, really) is the gift of self-care.
A voucher for a haircut - Possibly one of my favourite treats, and something that I never ever prioritise. I always feel at my best with freshly cut and styled hair, but I always have a gazillion things to pay for above 'haircut' in the list of stuff to pay for.
A voucher for massage or spa day - No explanation needed! Just yes, please.
A subscription - Perhaps there's a box set she's been wanting to watch but she doesn't have a Netflix subscription- erm.. hello... ideal Mother's Day gift idea!
A meal out - Vouchers for a meal at her favourite restaurant are always a winner!
Tickets - Whether your mum loves going to plays, musicals, gigs, the cinema, comedy nights, or even the ballet, you could treat her to tickets for an event that you know she'll love. Tickets are an especially thoughtful gift for the mum who has everything because they show you really know her and have chosen a gift that you know she'll love.
A Meaningful Mother's Day Card
Sometimes nothing beats a genuine, from-the-heart, meaningful card. Go for something personalised, thoughtful and just for her. Hand-write a beautiful message inside- you could tell her how you feel, what you love the most about her, your favourite memory or things that she does that you're grateful for. You could add photos, drawings, or even a playlist of her favourite songs. Take a look at this article for how to add a playlist to a greetings card.
Comfort Upgrades
We're talking luxury version upgrades to things she has but might be old and knackered. Think beautiful bedding, luxurious sleepwear and proper-posh products (skincare, bubble bath, candles). Yes, technically it is buying her stuff, but if it's stuff she'll definitely use, I think that's ok. Every year for my birthday, my mum puts together a thoughtful hamper of all the gorgeous self-care products that she knows I won't buy myself- face creams, hair treatments and posh chocolates. I always look forward to it because I know I've got a few months of treating myself. Pure bliss.
Adventure Time
This might just be my ADHD talking, but I love a random adventure gift! If your mum is the sort to appreciate it, you could book a weird and wonderful adventure day out. Maybe she's always dreamed of being a figure skater and you go for an ice skating lesson (maybe not if your mum is 65 and/or breaks bones easily). Or perhaps she's always wanted to have a go on a Segway, swing from a trapeze, learn to surf or see the northern lights. What dream has she spoken about that was never fulfilled?
Charitable Donations
Is your mum the sort who might appreciate a charitable donation on her behalf? Perhaps there's a cause she feels strongly about, something that she'd love to support. You could make a monthly donation to her favourite charity, sponsor a child or buy a meal for a homeless person.
Summing Up - What to Get The Mum Who Has Everything
So there you go- a plethora of perfect gift ideas for Mother's Day for the mum who has everything. Because she definitely doesn't need another trinket, token or tea towel. Think outside of the (jewellery) box and get her something she'll really treasure.
And if you want a meaningful Mother's Day card, take a look at our collection here. Our personalised laser cut cards are the perfect vessel for a ticket or gift voucher, plus the card is so beautiful that it's a gift in itself. She will probably want to frame it and hang it on the wall...just sayin'...
And to my kids if you're reading, I wrote this list in order of preference, so start at the top, please!
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