For most people, moms are everything. Whether your mom carried you in her body to bring you into this world or adopted you, making the conscious decision to bring you into her household, she did so out of love.
That’s the great thing about moms. No matter what, they love you unconditionally. That’s why finding the perfect gift for your mom is so important.
It’s hard to repay your mom for everything she’s done for you, but still, you have to try. One way of doing that is to buy her a gift she’ll love and cherish for the rest of her life. You can do this by buying her a great, memorable experience rather than something material.
30 Experience Gift Ideas For Your Mom
Give Her Some Stress Relief: Deep Tissue Massage, Glendale, CA
Ask just about any mom out there, and she’ll tell you that a massage is one experience that’s pretty much unbeatable. That’s especially true of this invigorating massage that gives special attention to the manipulation of deep tissues.
This helps relieve stress, get rid of muscle tension and alleviate aches and pains, not to mention how well it’ll help your mom unwind and relax. The massage therapist will use a combination of slow, deep strokes and cross fiber work to help break up the lactic acid in your mom’s muscles and provide her with all the numerous benefits already mentioned.
This is one gift your mom is sure to love.
A Delicious Treat: Exclusive Crepe Making Class at Sofi’s, Baltimore, MD
When it comes to moms with a sweet tooth, there’s very little that beats crepes as a sweet treat. The bad news is that very few people know how to make them correctly. Help your mom change that by giving her private access to a night at Sofi’s, where she’ll learn to make one-of-a-kind crepes, both sweet and savory alike.
She’ll learn about pairing ingredients for unique flavors, as well as a little about Sofi’s and the history of crepe-making. She’ll even get to create her own signature dish.
A Little Bubbly with a Show: Champagne Tasting & Sabering, San Francisco, CA
If you’ve never heard of Cathrine Fallis or “sabering,” look her up. You’re in for a treat. If your mom has never heard of her either, then this is definitely a trip the two of you should take together.
In addition to being a Master Sommelier, Fallis is also a master of sabering, which is the act of slicing off the top of a champagne bottle in one swoop with a saber. It’s amazing to watch, and considering Fallis is one of only 219 Master Sommeliers in the entire world – and the fifth female to ever receive the title – you guys are in for one super unforgettable experience, not to mention a delicious one.
A Day in the Water: Snorkel and Paddle, La Jolla, CA
If your mom’s always been a bit like a mermaid out of water, she’ll love this snorkeling and kayaking experience in La Jolla Bay, California. If she’s a kayaking newbie, don’t worry. She’ll have a totally experienced guide to help her figure it out quickly and efficiently.
She’ll head out to the La Jolla Ecological Reserve in her kayak, and then she’ll hop out of the vessel and for some amazing snorkeling in gorgeous water teeming with colorful sea life. She’ll wrap up with a cruise to La Jolla’s sea caves where she’ll have a chance to see all kinds of local birds and sea creatures.
Let Her Go! Let Her Go!: Ice Castle Sleigh Ride, Salt Lake City, UT
This is definitely one of the most unique experiences on the list. This package sends your mom to Salt Lake City to visit the exquisite Midway Ice Castles in a horse-drawn sleigh ride like something straight out of Frozen.
She’ll feel like an Ice Princess when she takes in the breathtaking views of Heber Valley and the gorgeous ice castles, which are made of thousands of icicles and look more like works of art in a fairy tale than anything found on planet Earth.
A Shopping Extravaganza: VIP Shopping Experience, Los Angeles, CA
Most moms love to shop, and those few who don’t would probably love it if they could do it like this all the time. Pair your mom up with her own personal assistant/stylist, Alyson Sakin, who has nearly 25 years worth of experience in the fashion industry.
Together, the two will visit the hottest, chicest boutiques in Los Angeles, including a few spots that aren’t known to the general public. Sakin has close, personal relationships with the stores they’ll be visiting, ensuring your mom will receive the five-star, A-lister treatment as soon as she walks through the doors.
Also, don’t worry; Sakin will take your mom to shops that fit her lifestyle, sense of style, body type and budget.
For a Unique, Artistic Experience: Private Glass Blowing Lesson, Seattle, WA
If your mom’s less interested in fashion and more interested in creating something beautiful, consider giving her these private glass blowing lessons. She’ll learn a lot about the history of glass blowing, how it works and why it’s such a delicate and intricate art.
Additionally, she’ll receive one-on-one instruction tailored exactly to her skill level and get to make her very own unique, personal paperweight, bowl, cup or something a little more intricate, depending on the package you buy her.
A Little Pampering Never Hurt Anyone: Manicure and Pedicure, San Diego, CA
If there are two parts of a mom’s body that seem to hurt more than any others, it’s her hands and feet, probably because those are the parts she’s always using the most. Help her take care of those by giving her access to a luxurious, rejuvenating spa manicure and pedicure treatment.
She’ll get these done at the popular San Diego Bayfront Spa, which has received numerous awards, titles and accolades over the years. She’ll look and feel wonderful after leaving this deluxe treatment, and she’ll appreciate you for making it happen for her.
A Day of Deliciousness: French Quarter Food Tour, New Orleans, LA
There’s so much happening in New Orleans that it’s pretty hard to decide what to do once you’re there. However, one thing that’s always worth trying is the food. Let your mom experience authentic New Orleans cuisine with this French Quarter Food Tour, which will take her to six different restaurants in the French Quarter and delight her taste buds with the rich deliciousness that is New Orleans food.
The guide is also a native of the city and will treat your mom to all kinds of local history, legends and traditions while they’re walking. She’ll also have the opportunity to see sights like Jackson Square, the St.
Louis Cathedral and more.
Like Living in a Fairy Tale: Waterfalls & Rainforest Hike, Maui, HI
This is one of the most beautiful experiences on this list. With this gift, your mom will spend the entire day trekking through some of the most gorgeous rain forests in Hawaii. She’ll also get to visit some of the most extraordinary waterfalls and clear water pools on Maui.
Her guide has over 35 years experience leading tours in the area and will give her a lot of great history and information on the hike, which covers about two and a half miles. She’ll visit up to five different waterfalls, and she’ll have the chance to swim and/or shower in them.
If she has a wild streak, she can even jump off some of the volcanic ledges into the water.
Give Mom the Night Off: Personal Chef for the Evening, Norfolk or Virginia Beach, VA
One of the best experiences you can give any mom is simply a night off to relax and enjoy life. Do that by hiring a personal chef for the evening to come cook for her. Chef Noemi Gonzalez is a highly experienced chef, as well as a member of the American Personal and Private Chef’s Association.
She’ll come to your mother’s home with all the ingredients needed to fix a delicious, four-course meal for your mom and her guests. She’ll set the table, serve the meal and even clean up afterwards. Your mom won’t have to do a thing except go over the menu with her and enjoy the meal.
Take Care of Her Beautiful Face: Custom Facial, San Diego, CA
This is another “pamper mom” type of gift, but that’s okay because moms deserve a lot of pampering. With this custom facial, she’ll have a relaxing day lying back while a unique facial is customized for her skin type.
It’ll help revitalize, uplift, heal and refresh her skin, and she’ll come out of the San Diego Bayfront Spa looking and feeling several years younger than when she first walked through the doors.
Add a Little Spice to Her Life: Little Ethiopia Food Tour, Washington, D.C.
This is a unique experience that’ll take your mother to the second largest Ethiopian community in the world, located in historic Washington, D.C. She’ll be guided through the Little Ethiopia Food Tour by a knowledgeable tour guide who’ll give her a little history and trivia about the area.
They’ll stop into four different eateries for tastings, which could include any combination of the following: traditional Ethiopian breakfast, Italian-influenced desserts, the official national dish of Ethiopia and much more.
She’ll get to see and taste all the different colors, textures and flavors that make Ethiopian food so special and appetizing.
A Taste of the Great Outdoors: Nantahala River Overnight Yurt Stay, Bryson City, NC
If your mom loves the outdoors but isn’t really keen on “roughing it” in a sleeping bag in a tent on the ground, this gift is the best of both worlds. Rent a gorgeous yurt beside the Nantahala River. The yurt is completely pre-furnished with the most luxurious of modern amenities, such as a queen-sized bed, soft linens, a kitchenette and more.
All around her are numerous activities in which she can take part. There’s ziplining, rafting, swimming, hiking and more, or she could simply choose to sit back, relax and enjoy her time in nature.
The Total Package: Aromatherapy Massage, Miami, FL
Experts say that certain smells can trigger all kinds of feelings and emotions in a person. They can even take a person back to a whole other experience in his or her mind. Entice your mother’s sense of smell and help soothe her aching muscles with this combination aromatherapy and Swedish massage.
She’ll be able to handpick her favorite essential oils for her massage, and the therapist will then gently massage the oils into her skin and muscles. Like all Swedish massages, the strokes are light to medium, so there’s nothing too invasive or hard that’ll make her sore the next day.
Instead, she’ll leave the spa feeling rejuvenated with better circulation and less stress.
For the Aspiring Musicians: Private Guitar Lesson, Somerville, MA
Help your mom achieve her hidden dreams of being a rock star by buying her these private guitar lessons with a talented instructor who has over 26 years of musical experience. It doesn’t matter if she’s never picked up a guitar before or if she’s nearly a pro herself, these one-on-one lessons will be customized to her skills, talents and interests.
She can bring her own guitar, or she can practice on the instructor’s guitar. Either way, she’s sure to improve her skills, and she’ll leave the lesson ready to start “a’pickin’ and a’grinnin'” like a true musician.
Make Your Beautiful Mom Even More Beautiful: Makeover with Lesson, Alexandria, VA
Whether your mom is the type who loves makeup and always looks her best or if she’s the type who never really got the hang of doing her own makeup, she’ll appreciate this fun and lighthearted makeover with a professional makeup artist.
The artist has over 15 years of experience and has worked with journalists, prime ministers and even presidents. The lesson will take place in the comfort of your mom’s own home so she doesn’t feel pressured, overwhelmed or nervous, and the artist will use your mom’s own natural hair and eye colors, skin tone and more to create the perfect look for her.
She’ll also teach your mother how to do the makeup herself so she can look that good anytime she wants in the future.
Send Her Touring in Style: GoCar Tour, San Francisco, CA
This is a fun, relatively inexpensive way for your mother to experience all the best parts of San Francisco. A GoCar is a tiny little car that also happens to be the world’s first GPS-guided, storytelling car.
It’s a new and truly innovative way to take a tour of the city, with TIME calling it “The Most Amazing Invention of the Year!” It has an on-board GPS and computer that completely runs the car for her; all she has to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.
Pictures or It Didn’t Happen: Arkansas River Photo Safari, Leadville, CO
If your mom’s the type who loves taking photos of everything, give her the opportunity to do just that. This experience pairs her up with legendary Colorado photographer Jon Sheppard, who’ll take her on a guided tour of the Rocky Mountains, the Arkansas River and Leadville.
The tour is so much more than that, though. It’s also a photo safari. She’ll receive private, one-on-one lessons on how to take the most stunning, postcard-worthy photos possible. Then Sheppard will lead her to some of the most gorgeous areas in Colorado and guide her in taking those pictures for herself.
She’ll see historic Leadville, abandoned mines, snow-capped mountains and more.
For the Off-Roader: Private Jeep Tour, Ojai, CA
If jeep riding is more your mom’s thing, this private jeep tour of the beautiful, picturesque Ojai Valley might just be the perfect adventure. The tour company is family-owned and operated and has been giving tours since 1999.
They’ll take her in a sporty jeep through many California neighborhoods, landscapes, valleys, ranches and more. The sights on this trip are unbeatable, and the ride alone will be worth it to your mom.
However, she’ll also get to finish off the day with a wine tasting and a sampling of local olive oil, which makes it even better.
For the Renn-Faire Queen: Private Blacksmithing Experience, Providence, RI
This gift is the perfect one for moms who love Renaissance Faires, shows like Outlander and all other things medieval-related. With this gift, she will actually get to be a blacksmith for an evening.
She’ll learn all about the art of smithing, and she’ll receive hands-on instruction from a highly esteemed, well-known blacksmith who’s actually been featured on HGTV. In addition to learning about smithing, though, she’ll even get to create something of her very own, and she’ll have control over it every step of the way.
She’ll learn a variety of forging techniques and can take her pick between them when making her own metal bowl. She can even bring along her own mead (or beer or wine) for a more authentic experience.
Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Fun: Pirate Dinner Adventure, Buena Park, CA
If your mom’s a huge fan of Captain Jack Sparrow or pirates in general, she’ll love this pirate dinner adventure. It’s an interactive dinner, and she’ll soon get caught between wanting to enjoy the delicious food and wanting to watch every second of the show.
This particular package ensures that she’ll have “Captain Seating,” which includes the first three rows of seats. She’ll also receive a beaded necklace and a pirate bandanna to make her feel more authentically “pirate.
” The show is great and fun for all ages, so if you decide to make it a whole family affair, that’s okay too.
Her Own Signature Scent: Custom Perfume Design, Manhattan, NY
his is another one for the moms who have super developed senses of smell. Everyone loves smelling nice, but not everyone can find a scent that suits her as much as she’d like. Help your mom design her own signature scent with globally recognized fragrance expert Sue Phillips, who’s worked with such big names as Zendaya, Katie Holmes and more.
This experience gives your mom a private, one-on-one session with Sue, and together they’ll work to create your mom’s “signature scent.” She’ll receive a small bottle of the perfume to take home, and it’ll even be officially licensed.
The Peacefulness of Country Life: Southfork Ranch Tour, Dallas, TX
This is a nice, peaceful tour that’ll excite any mom, especially those who loved the show Dallas. This ranch is the Ewing family home from the show, and your mom will get to tour it, hear some cool trivia facts about the show and the ranch and just enjoy the gorgeous estate and the scenery around it.
It’s definitely a unique and pleasant experience.
Send Her Underground: Houston Tunnel Tour, Houston, TX
Another one for the mom who lives in or is planning on visiting Texas, this tour will give her a chance to get out of the hot Texas sun. It’ll take her underground to explore the intricate system of tunnels beneath the city of Houston.
She’ll learn a lot about the history of the city, and she’ll have a chance to see a lot of the artwork – both commissioned and the street art – and architecture for which the city is famous. It’s a two-hour tour, and along the way, she’ll see some other fun sights, such as the tallest building in Texas and a well-known Houston bakery.
For the Escape Artists: Escape Room, Richmond, VA
Escape Rooms have become pretty popular over the last several years, so your mother may or may not have already taken part in one. Whether or not she has, though, she’s never experienced one quite like this.
With this package, your mom has her choice of three different rooms, and all of them are equally unique and challenging. There’s “Vanity,” “Cake or Death?” and “The Genie’s Lamp.” Each one presents its own set of unique challenges, puzzles and codes, and your mom and her teammates will have to work together to crack the codes, solve the puzzles and escape the room before the time runs out.
She’ll have one hour to make it out alive! (Okay, she’ll live either way, but it’s so much more exciting to think of it in those terms.)
For the Mom Who Appreciates a Good Beer: Ultimate Brewery Tour, Washington, D.C.
This trip will take your mom behind the scenes of some of the most popular and well-known breweries in all of Washington, D.C. Her tour guide will give her a lot of info on the history of brewing and the alcohol scene in D.
C. She’ll also get the VIP experience at four different breweries, where she’ll taste 16 different beers. She’ll even have a delicious beer-paired meal before she heads home.
For the Activist: Bites, Sites & Civil Rights Tour, Nashville, TN
Nashville is a city rich with history, much of it having to do with the Civil Rights Movement. If that’s something your mom is interested in, she definitely needs to take this tour. She’ll experience the joys, triumphs, heartaches and pain of long-gone Nashville residents while getting a taste for the city’s food, music and history.
She’ll also get a lesson on southern food and its importance to familial life and traditions. She just might go home inspired to “make good trouble.”
A Field of Flowers: Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Food and Wine Tour, Seattle, WA
Although last on the list, this final gift certainly isn’t the least of the experiences. Send your mom to the absolutely breathtaking Skagit Valley, where she’ll see fields of flowers in full bloom.
The tulip festival is one of Seattle’s most exciting, memorable festivals, and it’s certainly one of the most beautiful. In addition to taking in all of the beauty of her surroundings, your mom will also get to take part in several tastings of both local wines and local cheeses, and her included VIP access will ensure she doesn’t have to wait in any lines.
This truly is an exciting adventure for all of the senses as she takes in the beauty of the flowers, the delightful aroma of the tulips, the deliciousness of the wine and cheese, the sounds of the bustling crowd around her and the feel of everything Seattle has to offer.
Finding a Memorable Experience for a Mother
Go around and ask several different people, “Who is the hardest person for you to buy gifts for?” Almost all of them will usually answer, “My dad.” Whether women are just more open about what they want or whether people just feel like they know their moms so well, most of the time, people don’t have too much trouble finding gifts for their moms.
Moms are easy to buy for because, first of all, they appreciate anything from their kids. Beyond that, though, they’re just easier to please. You can always pick your mom up some beautiful flowers, a nice quilt or a unique top, and she’ll be quite content with it. The trouble, though, is that moms end up getting a lot of the same things over and over again.
The next time you need to find a great gift for your mom, why not try something new and give her an experience rather than just another thing? This’ll ensure you aren’t getting her the same stuff as last year (and the year before that and the year before that, etc.). Also, experiences just mean more to people than things. There’s actually science to back that up.
If your mom has been stressed lately, get her a relaxing spa day, massage, facial or manicure and pedicure. If your mom’s the type who loves to try new things and is always keeping you on your toes, give her an experience that’s exciting and fun. If there’s somewhere your mom has always wanted to go, buy her an experience in that city as an excuse to send her on her dream vacation. If you can afford it, make sure you go with her. Things done with loved ones are always more fun than things done alone.
Conclusion
What’s the best trip you’ve ever taken with your own mother? Do you guys regularly do things together like spa days, shopping trips or dining out? Is there an experience in your city or state that you think should have made our list but didn’t? Let us know all of that down below in the comments section, and be sure to like and share our post with others.
Come back and see us again soon!
