As a working mom who has travelled the world for both leisure and business–and as someone who absolutely loves giving gifts–I’ve come up with a list of gift ideas that I know most globe-trotting moms would appreciate. Here’s my Mother’s Day gift guide for the travelling mom.
1) E-reader
As much as I love the smell of a paperback book, I must admit that the lightness of a space-saving e-reader has completely won me over. For women (and men) who travel frequently and love to read, I highly recommend investing in a good e-reader. I personally love the Kindle Paperwhite–you can adjust the font size, highlight text within pages, adjust the backlight, lookup terms you may not know, and download thousands of books–all in one compact, glare-resistant device.
Tip: Set it up for your mom before you give it to her and download a few books you think she might like–this will add a personalized, unexpected touch to your gift.
2) Pandora Travel-themed Bracelet & Charms
From sterling silver passports to airplanes, cameras, globes and more, Pandora has beautiful travel-themed charms for every travel-minded mom! Visit the Pandora website to start building your custom bracelet.
3) MyTagAlongs Packing Pods
For those of you who haven’t already heard of this incredible brand, MyTagAlongs is a Canadian lifestyle accessories company that makes stylish items for everything you need to stay organized.
If you’ve got a mom who prioritizes organization (or a mom who really needs to get organized), check out the MyTagAlongs Packing Pods. Made of lightweight nylon with mesh windows, these washable pods are perfect for keeping outfits organized in suitcases. They also have memory foam neck pillows, earbud cases, luggage tags, and more.
4) Tile
For those who haven’t heard of this awesome little piece of tech, Tile is a small, square tracking device meant to help people find things they might lose. Mom can attach it to her keys, phone, or slip it into her luggage. If she happens to misplace her phone or if her luggage gets lost in transit (and if that were to happen, I’d hope she’d have baggage insurance!), she can open up the tile app, which will show her exactly where it is. There’s even an option in the app that allows you to activate a ringing sound so that mom can find whatever it is that she has misplaced if it’s nearby.
5) Travel Magazine Subscription
Sign mom up for a subscription to a travel magazine! Now that most magazines can be read online, it feels special and somehow indulgent to hold and flip through the glossy pages of your favourite magazine. Some of my favourite travel magazines include Travel & Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Canadian Traveller, and Afar.
6) Obakki Foundation Scarves for Water
Vancouver-based philanthropic designer, Obakki, has a suite of fashionable scarves that make beautiful gifts for any woman. Not only are they great for travelling, they also have a charitable component you can feel good about–100% of the net proceeds from each scarf goes toward different Obbakki Foundation projects, which help villages in South Sudan, Cameroon and Uganda become more self-sustainable. Find the perfect travel scarf for you mom here.
7) Canadian Traveller’s Experience the World Box
If your mom would appreciate hand-crafted home décor, cooking ingredients and authentic clothing and accessories from around the globe, this is the perfect gift for her! As the Canadian Traveller website explains, this unique subscription box “delivers a collection of specially curated items for curious and adventurous people who have a genuine interest in bringing more of the world into their home”. As a bonus, all box subscribers will get the latest issue of Canadian Traveller Magazine with each delivery.
8) Push Pin Travel Maps
My husband bought me one of these Push Pin travel maps last year and it’s a gift I truly cherish. You, mom, and your entire family can display your global expeditions on a wall by placing coloured pins on destinations you’ve been to together or separately. Even better, mom can dedicate a set of coloured pins to destinations on her bucket list!
9) StashBand Money & Running Belt
While fanny packs have made an unfortunate comeback, I can confidently say that most women my age and older would prefer a more discrete, less 80s-looking option.
I originally bought the StashBand for running and it’s great for that, but it’s also awesome as a money belt for travelling—I used it on a trip to Vietnam and it was perfect for preventing pickpocketing.
The StashBand is made of high-quality spandex and is incredibly comfortable to wear. The wide, stretchy pockets can hold passports, cash, cards and more.
10) S’well Bottle
Think about all the plastic bottles we end up throwing away while we travel. We buy them at the airport, on the plane—and when we arrive at our destination we buy even more! Help mom reduce the amount of plastic she wastes by giving her a stainless-steel bottle she can easily pack around with her and reuse. S’well Bottles come in a variety of beautiful designs and sizes that suit every traveller’s style, and they keep drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 24. I personally recommend the standard 17oz size bottle because it holds plenty of water without adding too much weight to a handbag.
11) Calpak Silk Travel Set – Rose Gold
This is a great gift set for any mom. As Calpak’s website says, this soft, silk travel pillow and eye mask make “sleep on the go as easy as 1,2, ZzZz”.
I hope I’ve provided you with some Mother’s Day inspiration in this gift guide for the travelling mom. If you have any other ideas, please share them in the comments below—I’d love to hear from you!
P.S. Don’t forget the most important part of Mother’s Day—give your mom a big hug (and a card is a nice touch, too)!
