Spa-Inspired Mother’s Day Gifts

We all know a spa gift certificate is a great Mother’s Day gift but it’s not perfect for every mom or every budget. Let’s face it, you just can’t get much for under $40 dollars at any area spa and even spa gift baskets can be expensive so here are my tips to help you put together a spa-inspired gift that’s under $40 and can be presentation ready in under 40 minutes.
On a recent shopping spree at Target I challenged myself to create 3 luxurious-looking gift sets for under $40 each. This first one which I call: “Tranquili-Tea” began with an inspirational item—a pretty teapot and matching mug. Most spa serve herbal teas to help relax the guest and so the idea here is to plan a moment of uninterrupted calm before bedtime for Mom and serve her some tea and tranquility. After finding the teapot ( a bargain at only $9.08) I gathered together some Yogi Bedtime Herbal Tea, a luxury Sleep Mask, a soothing scented candle in a gorgeous blue cobalt glass by Illume, and “Cloud 9” body lotion.
All the packaging was in shades of restful blue to compliment the flowers on the teapot. To avoid spending money on the container to pull it all together, I took a plain brown shallow box and simply wrapped complimentary fabric around it, folding the fabric in over the sides. The excess fabric actually creates a little nest for the items, so no need for any “stuffing”. Cost: $38.00
The next one, “Bathing Beauty” came together with a sea-side spa theme. I started with an inexpensive tote bag (only $2.50) and then added beach-themed beauty items like: Dead Sea Bath Crystals, Crystal Waters Body Lotion, an Exfoliating Bath Cloth by Bathery and a Salt Water Orchid Soy Candle. Cost: $34.00
My final creation is called: “Petals in Pink” An inexpensive min-hat box serves as the container. To that I add a crushable hot pink hat that also doubles as filling and and some super-feminine items such as a flower-printed mini brush and sunglasses, a floral hair clip, Sweet Petals Body Cream and a pink crystal covered nail file—all in compact sizes for purses or packing on summer trips.
If you don’t’ think you have a flair for creating your own gift basket, then Tonya Tate at Nature’s Bath in Ludlow KY will create something incredibly special for you. Her soaps look like confections and smell like a summer garden. And since her company is local she will do everything humanly possible to get gift items to you in time for Mother’s Day.
Where to Buy: To purchase Nature’s Bath Soaps call: Tonya at 859.835.1616. All of the other items above came from Target except for the crystal nail file which can be purchased at On The Bend Salon in Ft. Thomas, KY. Call Lynn at 513.520.2853