Any mom is sure to love a kid-crafted macaroni necklace straight from her kiddo’s art class. But while she’ll treasure her starchy statement piece and wouldn’t trade it for all the real diamonds in the world, the Mother’s Day gift giving shouldn’t stop with custom carb creations. Whether she’s at work, at home, or on the go, productivity is her priority — but a modern multi-tasking mama can’t do it all by herself. These Mother’s Day gift picks are perfect for giving a little time back.
Monochef Sunrise Alarm Clock
Any busy mom dreads the blare of her cell’s alarm going off. It’s still dark out, but she has to get up, make lunches, give baths, get dressed, and make sure that everyone is on their way. And that’s before she goes in to work for a full day. We can’t do much about the schedule, but this clock will at least make waking up more bearable. Its gentle glimmer, customizable display, and array of nature noise settings all make it easier for mom to start her day.
Mophie Juice Pack Wireless Battery Case
Between the PTA group text, answering dozens of work emails, navigating from activity to activity, and everything else mom does on the go, her cell’s battery drains at a record pace. This battery case provides that extra burst of power she’ll need to get it all done during her busy day. It’s available for a variety of different models (including iPhones and Samsung phones), and as a bonus, it doubles as protection for the phone for those times when it hits the deck because she’s literally got her hands full.
Anker PowerWave Wireless Charger
When mom does have to charge her phone, she doesn’t want to be tethered to a wall. Help her break free from the clutter of cords with this quick-charging stand (again compatible with a variety of Apple and Samsung products).
Livescribe 2GB Echo Smartpen
This amazing gizmo is a gadget that can help mom remember everything she needs. It records what she says and what she writes, then lets her save the notes and audio recordings to her computer.
Canon Pixma iP110 Wireless Mobile Printer
Between the latest field trip form, the daycare drop-off list, and a few thousand work documents, it’s easy to understand how (and why) a busy mom could forget something. Don’t let her get caught without the document she needs: This handy little mobile printer is compatible with Apple’s AirPrint and a number of cloud services, and it’s capable of printing docs up to standard letter size (8.5″ x 11″).
Viz-Pro 40″ x 30″ Magnetic Dry Erase Board
Forget about emailing and texting mom your lists: Sometimes you need to low-tech it to get the job done. A new whiteboard will make it easy to organize schedules and shopping lists. Beyond that, the kiddos can write cute little messages to her every day!
Elan Publishing Company Indestructible Field Book
Whether she needs to jot down the absolutely brilliant idea she though of when she’s in the shower (let’s be honest — it’s the only place in the house where it’s completely quiet) or write a note in the rain, this waterproof, tearproof notebook makes life sooooooo much easier.
One Potato
Take away shopping for, measuring, and chopping the ingredients for a meal, and mom can adds hours to her week to spend with her kiddo or even on herself. One Potato is a family-friendly meal delivery service that offers both meat and vegetarian options. You tell them the size of your family, pick your preferences (they also have nut-free and gluten-free choices), and then simply wait for the perfectly prepped meals to arrive at your door.
OXO On Barista Brain 9-Cup Coffee Maker
Okay, mom doesn’t need nine cups of coffee to herself, but this cute coffee maker can drip as few as two cups (ideal to get mom and her S.O. going first thing in the morning). And don’t let mom settle for just any cup o’ joe — this model mimics the pour-over method of brewing, regulating the water temperature and flow perfectly.
More From Creativity
Pocket doors are so delightful in and of themselves. They appear when you need them, get tucked away when you don't, and make it easy to define rooms while keeping an open floor plan. Add to the pocket door a joyful patterned wallpaper surprise, and you will be sent right into fits of visual jubilation! Or something ;) Today we're sharing two simple and impactful pocket door makeovers that zhuzh up your space in a jiffy.
Anjelika Temple here, co-founder of Brit + Co and proud owner of several pocket doors! When I moved into my first real grown-up house a couple years ago, I knew I wanted to incorporate wallpaper so reached out to our friends at Chasing Paper to see how we might collaborate. It felt like a total lightbulb moment when I realized I could create a surprise pop of pattern on a couple sets of pocket doors.
Not only is it a whimsical way to bring color into a space, but the doors double as picture-perfect backdrops for all your SFH (selfies from home, obvs).
A few pro tips about install:
- Removable wallpaper is miraculously forgiving! You can take it on and off multiple times without it losing integrity (or mucking up your surface).
- I ordered this adhesive wallpaper installation kit with a squeegee and xacto knife and it worked super well. I also recommend a sharp pair of scissors for cutting longer lines.
- This is a two-person job! Get a friend, put on a playlist, and get ready to bond.
- Wild, organic patterns like Tally are great because it's challenging to spot any imperfections in pattern alignment; keep pattern choice in mind if you've got a lot of corners to match up. More geometric patterns and larger shapes leave less room for error (but are awesome in their own right!).
BATHROOM POCKET DOORS
In our primary bathroom, we chose the wallpaper pattern Tally, designed by Kelly Ventura, in White and Navy. In our space, the navy reads as a soft black, which is perfect for the space. It's easy to combine an ever-rotating collection of linens with the Tally pattern.
I love how the white trim becomes the perfect frame around this pocket door piece of art.
My favorite moment in this space is the fact that you actually get a third pop of pattern thanks to our serendipitously placed mirror!
And yes, this one works pretty darn well as a backdrop too ;)
LIVING ROOM DOUBLE DOORS
This set of doors is definitely a focal point of our home. It separates our living room from our primary bedroom which opens onto our backyard. The doors are pretty much always open, but when they're closed we wanted to evoke a fun, nature-inspired vibe. With that in mind, we selected the Lines and Moons pattern by Thimblepress in Green and Brown.
Earth mama vibes up in here! I love how the shapes and colors echo the ferns you see through the windows and the acorn wood details throughout the house.
Love this pattern moment, and xacto-ing out the door handle is def on the oddly satisfying DIY list.
For a pattern lover like me, I love that now I have this instant photo backdrop!
Thanks to Chasing Paper for providing these rolls of pure pattern amazingness. Head to chasingpaper.com to find our own favorites and start adding patterns to your home!
Share your wallpaper wins with us on Instagram @britandco and find me @anjelikatemple.
(Wallpaper wingwoman: Kayla Haykin; Photography: Kurt Andre)