Every woman has that special mentor she looks to for inspiration, thoughtful advice, and a bounty of wisdom.
Your mentor always has your best interests at heart, is your ultimate champion in the face of any challenge, and is forever a sturdy shoulder to cry on.
She can be anyone. For some women, she is a mother, an aunt, a sister, or a grandmother. For others, she’s a mentor from school, a leader at work, a faith leader, or an activist in your local community. Whoever she is, the holiday season is a great time to give back—to show her how much you appreciate her love and guidance.
We'd bet that your female mentor is thoughtful and generous—and the gifts you give her should reflect that. Each of these gifts offers a reminder of your special bond and/or gives back to a community in need upon purchase.
Before you dive in, be sure to check out all of our gift guides:
- The Ultimate Gift Guide to Shop Women-Owned Businesses
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Favorite Coworker
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Best Friend
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Yourself
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Your Eco-Conscious Friend
- The Ultimate Gift Guide for Self-Care
- The Ultimate Gift Guide to Shop Black Women-Owned Businesses
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The Best Gifts for Mom (or Motherly Figure)
You know her and love her—and sometimes she even gets to your very last nerve, but she means well!
Quintessential "Mom" Items
It's mom—or someone like mom—and she deserves a thoughtful gift because she's the best. Here are a few ideas for the one who always answers your calls, listens to you complain about your boss, and knows you better than anyone else.
- A Good Candle in her favorite scents (like Mimosa, Sandalwood, Fir, Cedar, or Campfire)
- A Laura Berger print about womanhood
- A Cuyana scarf (does everyone's mom love scarves as much as our's do)
- This solar-powered rainbow maker from Kikkerland
- An aromatherapy eye pillow from Bodha (so she can catch up on all the sleep she missed out on because of...you.)
If you want to make your mom an extra-special gift, check out BoxFox, where you can customize gift boxes that are guaranteed to get her misty-eyed. It's also really fun to put these together!
For The Mom Who "Doesn't Do" Digital
If your mom is a lover of photos, especially of the two of you, get one of her favorites framed. You don't even have to go to a frame store. Use Framebridge for custom prints and frames.
If you have too many photos to choose from, that's fine. Consider making her a photo book that she can show off to all of her friends.
For The Super-Sentimental
If you're stumped on a gift, we have a little piece of advice from you. It should work for basically anybody on your holiday shopping list.
- Think about two or three things or places that your mom loves (and, yes, technically, you can be one of those things.) Consider years and events that are important to her
- Navigate to Etsy.com + type one or all three words into the Etsy search bar
- Find the gift
An example from Caileen:
My mom loves Disney. Like, she's one of those Disney people—and it makes her so happy. My parents also went on their honeymoon to Disney World in 1974—it was her first trip. So, I typed in Disney 1974—and I found this vintage brochure + information guide. It'll have the map of exactly what WDW looked like when she went there for her first time with her new husband. Don't tell Liz.
This isn't an ad for Etsy, but there are so many independent crafters, collectors, and artisans making truly special gifts. If you're really stumped, go to Etsy.
The Best Gifts for Your Mentor or Role Model
Support is everything.
This person got you through it this year—and you want to send a reminder of just how thankful you are. Here are some gift ideas to show your gratitude, love, and admiration for a mentor or role model in your life.
Soothing Scents
Scientists are still trying to figure out what makes scents so soothing. In the meantime, you can gift your mentor or role model some of the most delicious scents—as a reminder of you! We love this aroma diffuser and essential oils. It's like returning our home office into a yoga studio.
Reminders of You
We like a gift that reminds your giftee of your love and admiration. Whenever they see, wear it, feel it, or use it, they think of you. To be super symbolic, we love a good living gift, like this one from Urban Succulents.
And everybody loves a classic piece of jewelry, right? We love this classic + understated piece of jewelry from Catbird (which is why it's making its second annual appearance on this gift guide. Finally, if you can give a gift that also pays it forward that's ideal. This ethically-woven tote from Mercado Global does just that.
For The Role Model Who Introduced You to Your Favorite Writer
It's your chance to pay it forward, by sharing some of your favorite books with your role model or mentor. You could always gift your favorite book of all time (here are a few of our favorites, by the way!) Or, you could get a subscription to the Book of the Month Club for a gift that keeps giving.
Happy gifting!
*We want to let you know that some of these links are affiliate links. That means when you purchase some of the items we listed, Career Contessa could earn a small commission at no cost to you. We only recommend items we know and love. Thank you for supporting the brands that help support Career Contessa.
