Out of the Box Mother's Day Gifts

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC. As we go into Mother's Day weekend, maybe you need a last-minute gift idea. Now we'll open up the phones to moms or mom figures and ask, what is the most creative, most out-of-the-box gift you ever received that someone could scramble up at the last minute?

What is the most creative, most out-of-the-box gift you ever received that someone could scramble up at the last minute? Even go out in the rain right now and find it if it's a bought thing? Maybe it's not a bought thing. If you ever gave your mom a creative gift worth saying on the radio, give us a call now and give those last-minute scramblers your tip. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. You can also text it.

Maybe it's out of the box, literally. Have you noticed more and more people are giving experiences as gifts? A new survey from the National Retail Federation shows that shoppers are continuing to prioritize thoughtful gifts this holiday as a continuation of a trend that started during the pandemic. Not just stuff, but something reflects some particular thoughtfulness.

Nearly half of consumers, it said 48%, say finding a gift that's unique or different is most important to them-- that means 52% who don't say that, but still-- and 42% who say finding a gift that creates a special memory is important to them. Listeners, what was an experience you received or gave the that you loved? Maybe your family took you to see an awesome play or something like that, moms, or you could be the gift giver too.

212-433-WNYC. As we're looking for creative out-of-the-box gifts that you've ever given or received for Mother's Day, that somebody could scramble up at the last minute if they're just getting to it now. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Sometimes it's classes, you know, pottery-making, loom weaving, quilt-making, woodworking, new type of plant maybe or tree that inspired a hobby. I'm thinking of bonsai trees as an example. Maybe your family got you a scooter so you get around faster and now you're really into it. Careful out there, mom. Give us a call. 212-433-WNYC 212-433-9692.

Moms and Mother's Day gift-givers, help those last-minuters find something to give to mom on Sunday. 212-433-WNYC. We'll take your calls and text right after this.

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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC with your out-of-the-box, last-minute Mother's Day gift suggestions. Jennifer and Montclair, you're on WNYC. Hey, Jennifer.

Jennifer: Hi, Brian. Thanks for allowing me to tell one of the best gifts I ever received. My daughter, who is now in college double majoring in English and theater, when she was in high school, prepared a cabaret just for me on Mother's Day, which she called a Mamaret. She did three performances.

She did a monologue from Shakespeare's As You Like It that she'd been working on. She did one of my favorite songs. She did a song and dance We're a Couple of Swells from Easter Parade. She did one other song which was incredibly moving. She worked on these. It wasn't just something she did in five minutes, but she'd worked on it in the last day or two, I think. It was absolutely wonderful. No one else could possibly have given me that.

Brian Lehrer: That is so sweet. A Mamaret. She didn't bring in a band or anything, but she sung to you.

Jennifer: [laughs] Yes. Do you know, you can use your phone to get all sorts of background music? She just cued them up and had them ready.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] Yes. Don't tell the musicians' union. Jennifer, thank you very much. Janelle in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Janelle.

Janelle: Hi, Brian. Longtime listener, longtime caller. I was just going to say a few years ago, I was in a weird place financially, and my mom had gotten really into Game of Thrones but kept having trouble watching it. I saw an opportunity where I kind of gifted her part of my account, like she could be another account on my HBO streaming, so we could then connect over talking about television shows. I just changed my password to "I love you, Mom." It was kind of like a cute thing.

Overall, it may be one of the most expensive gifts I've ever got her because I've been now paying for that for years. Even when I want to cancel it, I feel bad for cutting my mom off. I've had to change the password to things like pizza, sex420, and stuff, but, we're still we bond over talking about all of the shows we love. It's a really nice way to connect since we don't live in the same place.

Brian Lehrer: A cheaper version of that might be instead of signing up for a streaming subscription, just share your password.

Janelle: Yes, I know. I was already paying for it. I was like, oh, I could change my password to "I love you, Mom," then, I could save a couple hundred dollars on flowers that would die in Kansas. Now, over time, we've connected a lot from it.

Brian Lehrer: Janelle, thank you. Great story. Let's see. Elise in Brooklyn has a class that could be a gift. Hi, Elise. You're on WNYC.

Elise: Oh, Brian, I love you so much. Thank you for getting me through COVID and everything else.

Brian Lehrer: Aww, glad you're on.

Elise: First-time caller. I started a company called Fleur Elise and I teach in Brooklyn. I just taught at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. I can say that people who come with their moms have the most extraordinary time because as your-- What do you call the person who answered the phone said?

Brian Lehrer: Screener.

Elise: You get to spend really quality time with your mother. You're making something together. They have a life skill now. They also know how to take care of the flowers. If somebody gives them a really ugly bouquet, they know how to turn it into a beautiful bouquet. I have gift certificates if anybody's interested because I'm booked this weekend because people come with their moms.

Brian Lehrer: Fleur Elise not For Elise. That is so cool. Right?

Elise: It's Fleur Elise bkln. Yes, I'll be doing [crosstalk]--

Brian Lehrer: Really, the extra mile in the gift, as I'm hearing you, is not just that it might be a cool class for your mom to take, but you're saying do it with her, right? That time commitment.

Elise: Yes. Oh, yes.

Brian Lehrer: That's an incredible--

Elise: You can do it with your kids. It just can be a really lovely family affair. Everybody leaves happy because they have flowers.

Brian Lehrer: Thank you very much. Good. Good luck with Fleur Elise. Let's see. Somebody wrote, if your mom is a gardener, give seeds. Another easy, delicious gift is homemade berry compote. Then they give a little recipe that I don't have time to read. A slideshow for her phone. For my mother-in-law, I put photos of her son and us, and of the grandchildren,n and a slideshow for her phone. Ben in Brooklyn, you're on WNYC. Hi, Ben.

Ben: Hey, Brian. Thanks for taking my call. Big fan. My mom is somebody who can be very forgetful. Loses things like her phone or her wallet, and her keys. One year, I went to the locksmith or the hardware store, rather, and got 10 copies of our front house keys. She loved it, thought it was super cool.

Brian Lehrer: [laughs] 10 copies.

Ben: Surely, within a year, she had lost all of them.

Brian Lehrer: Oh [chuckles] really? She lost 10 keys in a year? Anyway, Ben, that is a very, very creative and very particular gift. How about Audrey and Kingston? You're on WNYC. Hi, Audrey.

Audrey: Hey, Brian. First of all, thank you. You're a national treasure. You're one of the few things that are getting me through all these days. Thank you.

Brian Lehrer: You're too nice.

Audrey: No, I'm not. Today is my mom's 94th birthday.

Brian Lehrer: Oh, wow.

Audrey: Almost 20 years ago, on her 75th birthday, my two brothers and I and the four grandkids all submitted to my brother things that we love or remember about my mom, things she said, or a song she taught us, or some goofy thing that we always remember. My brother just made up a one-sheet thing that he printed out. It was like 75 things we love about mom, grandma, nanny. It listed everything. She still talks about it. It sits in a frame by her recliner. For 20 years, she's been looking at it and crying tears of joy. It was the easiest, most loving gift we could have put together.

Brian Lehrer: Very sweet. Let's see if we can sneak Rebecca in SoHo here. Rebecca, can you do it in 10 seconds?

Rebecca: 10 seconds. We're opening a sculpture in Grand Army Plaza called Monuments to Motherhood. The artist is Molly Gochman. The opening is going to be Mother's Day, noon to 4:00. We have activities at the park. It'll be a great day to bring your mother or the caregiver in your life. Hope you enjoy that.

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Brian Lehrer: Grand Army Plaza, Prospect Park. Nice one. One more listener writes out-of-the-box gift for my mom's 80th birthday, not Mother's Day. Eighty helium balloons. Neat.

Listeners, thanks for all those great suggestions. I know you've helped somebody out there, a person or 2 or 3 or 100. Have a great weekend, everybody. Happy Mother's Day, Mom, and all your moms.

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