Life

20 Perfect Gifts For The Hot Mess Mom Who Deserves A Treat

by Yvette Manes

It's Christmastime, and Santa has made his list and checked it twice. Of course, by Santa I mean mom, and by checking a list I meanlogging into Amazon and popping into every Target in the city for the last four weeks. I have found a perfect gift for everyone in my family, and eyed several perfect gifts for the hot mess mom like me that I'd like to add to my list.

Yes, I am a hot mess. I wish I could be one of those moms who has time to shower, and do her hair and makeup in the morning before waking the kids and starting her day. Instead, I am startled awake at an ungodly hour by my iPhone alarm clock and stumbling across the house to get everyone up for school. I then rush to make breakfast and pack lunches before flying out the door just as the sun begins to rise. Sometimes, I change out of my pajamas, but most of the time I sleep in leggings and throw on a long sweatshirt and pray that I don't have to get down at school.

It's hard to keep it all together when you're taking care of everyone else. So, if Santa is reading this, I'd like to propose some gifts for busy moms like me to help make our lives just a little bit easier.

1

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

My friends have been raving about the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker ($100). Unlike a slow cooker that takes all day, you can toss all of your ingredients into the Instant Pot and have a perfectly cooked meal in about a half hour.

2

Roomba

Moms who own an iRobot Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner (starts at $250) swear by it. No more lugging out the huge vacuum. This little guy does all the work for you. Just make sure you don't accidentally let your Roomba run over dog poop like Jesse Newton did. Did someone say "poohpocalypse"?

3

Tile Mate Anything Finder

I would lose my head if it wasn't attached. It's not that I'm absent-minded, but as a busy mom I have a million things on my mind at any given moment. The Tile Mate anything finder ($25) is a life-saver. It's a bluetooth tracker that is linked to your phone and can help you find whatever it's attached to. It's also reversible, so if you lose your phone, you can press the tile and it will make your phone ring. Game changer.

4

Detox Dry Shampoo

For moms who take forever blowing out or straightening their hair, the Drybar Detox dry shampoo ($23) is a game-changer. How many mornings does your hair look decent, but the roots are oily? Instead of washing and drying your hair, you can spritz some dry shampoo on your roots and maintain your style for one more day.

5

Smashbox Color Correcting Stick

Hot mess moms don't actually want to look like hot messes. One of my best friends adores this Smashbox color correcting stick ($23). It comes in four colors — green reduces redness, lavender brightens sallowness/yellowness, and peach and orange conceal dark circles and hyper pigmentation.

6

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation

Maybelline Fit Me shine-free foundation ($7) is great for on-the-go touch ups. A mom can toss it in her bag, and swipe it on as needed. At such a great price, it's the perfect addition to a gift bag of easy beauty products for your favorite busy mom.

7

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow

Another on-the-go beauty product favorite is Bobbi Brown's long-wear cream eye shadow ($28) can be swiped on with one finger and dries quickly. It lasts for up to 12 hours and is water-, sweat-, humidity-, and transfer-resistant.

8

Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tint

Mineral Fusion sheer moisture lip tint ($10) comes in eight colors and is smooth, sheer, and easy to apply when she wants a little extra color on her lips. It's gluten-, paraben-, fragrance-, phthalate-, artificial color-, talc-, and cruelty-free and hypoallergenic. Some of the ladies I know have even picked these up at their local organic food store.

9

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

There are times when a mom just needs to put on some mascara and deal with her day. This Benefit Roller Lash mascara ($24) is said to curl even the straightest lashes and lasts up to 12 hours.

10

Eyelash Extensions

Moms who don't want to deal with mascara swear by lash extensions (starts at around $100). This is a process where synthetic lashes are glued on to your own lashes by a trained technician, to make them appear darker and fuller. The initial process takes about two hours and then touch ups take about an hour every three to four weeks. It eliminates the need for mascara or eyelash curlers and can save her tons of time getting ready. Check your local listings for a reputable salon or professional.

11

Keurig Single Serve Coffee Maker

A mom who is always on-the-go will appreciate that it takes less than five minutes to make a cup of coffee in this Kuerig single serve coffee maker ($99). Even if she doesn't drink coffee you can find compatible pods of tea, hot chocolate, lemonade, and even soup.

12

Contigo Travel Mug

She will never have to drink a cold cup off coffee again if you gift her this Contigo travel mug ($15). It will keep drinks warm for up to five hours. If you use it for cold drinks, they will stay cold the entire day.

13

IMUSA Stove Top Espresso Maker

Sometimes moms just need a tiny cup of really strong coffee. My family has used a version of the IMUSA aluminum stove top espresso maker ($8) my entire life for their "cortaditos" or Cuban espresso. Make sure to add an espresso brick to complete this awesome gift.

14

WeatherTech All-Weather Floor Mats

This may seem like a dad gift, but the hot-mess mom who is tired of having crushed cheerios and baseball park clay stuck in her car mats will love a set of WeatherTech all-weather floor mats ($100). They are customized to your particular vehicle and can be easily hosed off when they get too grimy.

15

Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer

Because moms don't have all the time and energy in the world to primp in the morning, but they still want to look good. That's where the Dyson supersonic hair dryer ($400) comes into play. It might seem like a lot to spend on a hair dryer, but people who've used it, say that it's cut their blow drying time in half and is much more quiet than a traditional blow dryer.

16

Franklin Planner

Most moms have their entire world in their smart phones. But, phones have become distracting, and many people are turning back to actual, physical daily planners to get their lives organized. Your entire year is in your hands with this Franklin wire-bound weekly planner ($31). Maybe it's because it takes us back to elementary school, or maybe it's because according to a study published by the Association for Psychological Science, people have better recollection of notes written by hand than typed into a device.

17

Zella Plank Pants

If your favorite mom is like me and lives in yoga pants, these Zella Plank straight leg workout pants ($69) are just what she needs. They feel as comfy as leggings, but are wider at the ankle and tuck everything in nicely. These are perfect to wear anywhere from carpooling, to soccer practice, to the gym.

18

Shopping List Notepad

Every hot mess mom needs this Lost Marbles shopping list notepad ($5). No more getting to the grocery store and forgetting what you need. Why would anyone make their list on a blank sheet of paper knowing this exists in the world?

19

Shower Wineglass Holder

Two things every hot mess mom deserves is a hot shower and a glass of wine. Give her the chance to do both with this shower wineglass holder ($11) by MG3DDESIGNS.

20

Tervis Wine Glass

And, if she's a true hot mess, she will definitely need this sturdy wine glass ($20) from Tervis. It can even be customized.