This guide was made possible through a partnership with BAYSHORE.
If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you haven’t yet found a gift for your mom for Mother’s Day. That’s OK. I spent my Sunday afternoon perusing some of my favorite shops at BAYSHORE, 5800 N Bayshore Dr., and I’ve got a collection of great ideas that you can use as inspiration for great gifts for the moms in your life.
Brunch & shopping
The gift of your time is among the best gifts you can give your mom or mother-in-law. And if that person loves to shop, there’s nothing better than treating her to brunch, lunch or dinner and a day of perusing shops like Aversa, Barnes & Noble, JJill, H&M, Lane Bryant, Loft, EverEve and more.
On Mother’s day you can treat your mom to the brunch buffet at Mallards, 5689 N. Bayshore Dr. Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and features offerings like made-to-order omelets, pancakes and fresh pastries, a ham carving station, fried chicken and mac & cheese, oysters, smoked salmon, peel-and-eat shrimp and more. Bottomless mimosas are on the menu and moms is entitled to her first mimosa for free. Cost for the buffet brunch is $39.99 for adults and half-price for children 12 and under. Reservations can be made online.
If you’re like me, you might prefer to take her out on another day. It’s less busy and you’re more likely to be able to give her some one-on-one time. If that’s the case, Mallards offers lunch and dinner daily and brunch on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Other options include Thai fare at Thai Boat Noodles, 430 W. Silver Spring Dr.; healthful and delicious bowls at Freshfin, 5734 N. Bayshore Dr. or Detroit style pizza or pasta at Backlot Pizza + Kitchen, 5800 N. Bayshore Dr.
You could also pair any of the above with a movie at ACX Cinema, 5750 N. Bayshore Dr. (just above the rotunda).
Paper Source
Paper Source is one of my favorite places at BAYSHORE. I love to peruse the journals, pens and beautiful craft supplies. It’s also among the best spots in the city to buy greeting cards or the paper and markers or paints to make your own. They’re currently running a buy-four-get-one-free sale, so I bought both my Mother’s Day and Father’s Day cards there over the weekend, along with a thank you card.
It’s also my favorite spot to purchase amazing sheets of beautiful wrapping paper (they’ll even wrap your gift for you, if you ask) and unique gifts. I found a number of fun new adult Lego releases, including their Bouquet of Roses set ($59.99), which includes a set of long, modern-looking green-stemmed red roses, including four in full bloom, four blossoming, and four in bud, along with delicate sprigs of baby's breath with small white flowers. Once together, they can be added to vases or displayed in a variety of ways. They can also be combined with other Lego botanical sets for a more diverse bouquet.
If your Mom is a fan of Anthony Bourdain and loves to travel, they also carry “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” by Bourdain and Laurie Woolever ($45). Published posthumously, the book contains a collection of Bourdain’s commentary on some of his favorite places around the world, in his own words. That includes how to get there, what to eat, and (in some cases) what to avoid. To supplement his words, there are also essays by friends, colleagues and family members that augment his memorable advice.
Among their hundreds of quirky gift items, Paper Source also stocks fun self-care items, including these beautiful spring-inspired make-up bags ($24.99), which you could fill with any number of fun items for mom (including an IOU for a future shopping day at BAYSHORE).
Experiential gift for artsy moms
Paper Source also offers extremely affordable virtual workshops that make great gifts for creative folks who’d enjoy a relaxing art lesson. Current workshops include Meditative Marbling and Hand Lettering for Journals. Purchase access to the class and recommended supplies or a gift card with a listing of upcoming creative sessions.
Sur La Table
As someone who loves to cook, I also love perusing the aisles (and the clearance aisle) at Sur La Table. If your mom is a whiz in the kitchen, you can bet you’ll find something for her among their selection of kitchen supplies, gourmet foods, dishware and cooking supplies.
Not sure what to get? They carry a great selection of kitchen towels (among kitchen items that need to be replaced). No one likes spending money on towels, and Sur La Table’s are both pretty and of high quality. So they also make great gifts, especially for the mom who has everything. These terry cloth towels are $21.95 for a set of two and they come in a variety of colors.
Another item that mom could probably use a new set of is spatulas. These Flex-Core spatulas ($15.95) are both rigid and flexible, so they work for scraping and scooping and flipping. They’re also dishwasher safe, heat-resistant to 600 degrees F, and they come in a variety of colors. Match them to her kitchen or buy her a set of them and present them as a “bouquet”.
Kitchen scales are everything in the modern kitchen. If your mom bakes and doesn’t have one, it would make an amazing gift. This OXO scale is $55.95 and has great features like a large, pull-out, backlit display for easy reading, the ability to measure in grams and ounces and a removable platform for easy cleaning. I have one at home, so I can vouch for it. It’s also recommended by “Cook’s Illustrated”.
Pretty baking dishes also make great gifts for cooks. These 3.4 quart oval stoneware bakers ($39.95) are the perfect size for baked side dishes or casseroles and they look pretty on the table. They also come in green.
Of course, you could splurge and buy her one of these 3 1/2 quart Le Creuset Buffet Casseroles. They are on sale for $199.99 (normally $339.99). The size is great for everyday use, and it’s great for searing, braising or baking in the oven. It’s pretty too!
Experiential gift for moms who cook or bake
Sur La Table also offers in-store cooking and baking classes. Upcoming baking classes include bread, croissants or macaron-making. Cooking classes include grilling steak, pasta making and Thai cooking. Give mom a gift card and let her choose her own adventure or buy a pair of tickets and make memories by attending a class together.
Ulta
Every mom deserves a bit more self-care in her life. And ULTA is among the easiest spots to find fun, affordable items that will give her glowing skin; shiny, healthy hair or a personal spa-day at home.
Among the items I love from ULTA is the Le Monde Gourmand line, which includes whipped moisture mousse ($28), body oil ($28) and perfume ($25). Not only are the products great for layering, making the scent last longer, they smell amazing. Created by world-class perfumers, the line is also high quality, but affordable. It's also cruelty, paraben and sulfate-free.
Lait de Coco is one of my favorite scents for year-round wear. It has top notes of bergamot, vanilla in the middle and base notes of creamy coconut. It’s a bit tropical, but the coconut is complex, so it doesn't smell like sunscreen.
I also like the Crème Vanille. Unlike vanilla scents that smell like bakery, this incorporates creamy apricot, jasmine petals, brown sugar and amber. More of a floral vanilla, it’s a great scent for spring and summer.
If mom would appreciate something cute and fun, treat her to a collection of TonyMoly sheet masks ($3.75 each). Don’t be fooled by the adorable packaging. Among the pioneers of the Korean skincare movement, these masks are made with innovative, high-quality ingredients, including plant-extracts with proven benefits. They are friendly for sensitive skin and certified cruelty-free.
Some of my favorites include Coffee (depuffing), Rice (clarifying), Honey (nourishing) and Aloe (moisturizing). They all smell great, but don’t carry a strong, overpowering or artificial odor, and they leave your skin feeling soft and resilient (my husband also loves them!).
Oh! And if you decided to buy that make-up bag at Paper Source, you could also fill it up with a fun assortment of mini skincare, sample-size perfumes or cosmetics from the front aisles at Ulta.
Trader Joes
Sure, you can pick up ingredients here to make your mom dinner. But, it’s also a great spot to grab a last minute bouquet of flowers or – better yet – a living plant that will remind mom of you every time she sees it.
Currently, they have a number of cute picks from which to choose. There are glass vases filled with living tulips. They’re just $5.99 each, so you could buy her a few. If she has a garden, she can plant them outside this fall and they’ll come up next spring!
They also have beautiful pots of Spanish Lavender ($16.99). While this variety of Mediterranean lavender won’t survive the winter in Wisconsin, it’s beautiful grown as an annual outdoors or in pots that can be over-wintered inside. It’s long-blooming with beautiful, unique dark purple flowers and a strong, sweet scent.
And these KangaMama pots featuring a variety of “mini foliage” plants and succulents would make a great gift for a mom-to-be ($9.99).
I also like the idea of adding some sweet treats to the mix. Trader Joes Dark Chocolate Almonds are also delicious, and they come in a 16-ounce plastic box for under $10. I’ve been known to repackage them in a beautiful glass jar for gifting!
Their Cocoa Truffles are just $4.49 for an 8.8 ounce box. They’re rich and delicious and they make a great gift alongside a bottle of sparkling wine.
Mani-pedi time
If your mom is the type who never seems to have time for herself, giving her the gift of an afternoon out at the nail spa might be just the thing.
BAYSHORE offers two locations for nail services: Ly Ly Nails & Spa, 490 W. Silver Spring Dr. (park in the lot next to Trader Joes and walk through to Silver Spring) or Magical Nails, 5724 N. Centerpark Way (across from the Apple Store). Both offer manicures and pedicures, acrylic sets, dips, gel, manicures and pedicures with a variety of design choices available.
Treat yourselves to a boba tea at SereniTea when you’re finished!
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
