I’ve been working on this holiday gift guide mentally since the last holiday season when I was less than six months into the journey of motherhood.

I didn’t have it together in any way to write this post then. But I’ve been looking forward to it ever since! Many people are clueless about gift ideas for new moms. I’ll be 100% honest: until I became a mom, I was too. The presents I give to new mamas have changed so much over the last 18 months. As we approach another holiday season, I’m excited to share my favorite gift ideas for new moms to help you shop for all of the awesome mothers in your life.

Pajamas

In my first baby favorites post, I talked about how I upgraded my entire pajama collection after Tommy was born. Like many women, I had been rotating through a small set of really old work out pants and shorts and t-shirts from college. Many nights, I sweat through at least one set of pajamas or they got spit up on or peed on. I put them through the wash constantly. Now at least a few nights a week, I’m wearing real pajamas, and I don’t have to run laundry loads for pajamas so often.

When you’re gifting someone else pajamas, Victoria’s Secret is my top recommendation. Watch for their holiday sales this time of year, as I wouldn’t ever pay full price for their clothing. I’ve had a pair of Victoria’s Secret flannel pajamas for a few years now and love them in the winter.

When you’re shopping for moms for Christmas, slippers and robes make great gifts, too. Victoria’s Secret almost always offers a free slippers with pajamas purchase promotion around the holidays, which I’ve used a couple of times. My current pair of slippers are moccasin slippers (similar, you can always find more styles in store) from Target. They’ve held up better than anything I’ve ever owned and are so comfortable. I also have a pair of Target bootie slippers, which are perfect for really cold weather.

Stainless steel water bottle

Having cold water easily accessible at all times is so important for new moms. A large bottle or tumbler will keep you going for hours and hours, and the water stays ice cold. Most stainless steel bottles and tumblers work for hot drinks, too. I have two go-to stainless steel water bottles/cups these days. The first is the Hydro Flask. I have the 18 oz size in pacific with the separate straw top. The second is the YETI tumbler, also with the separate straw top. I have the 20 oz in the basic stainless finish.

Personally, I love the straw tops because it’s so much easier to drink on the go in the car, at the zoo, while running errands, etc. Also, the 18/20 oz size range is perfect for me because they fit in the car and stroller cup holders and are still plenty big enough for long days of travel or errands or during day trips.

Slow cooker

A slow cooker is such an embarrassingly basic kitchen gift in 2018. But there’s a reason that it remains a kitchen essential and a must-have item on wedding registries. I know that instant pots are all the rage right now. However, moms with newborns don’t want to spend time learning how to use an instant pot. They want meals that take very little time to prep. Enter the slow cooker. I have a (much older) version of this basic slow cooker. If I were to splurge on a new slow cooker, I would get this Cuisinart Multi-Cooker, which Jessica of How Sweet Eats has been raving about for a few years now.

When you’re gifting a new mom a slow cooker, provide a few of your favorite slow cooker recipes, too! The slow cooker recipes that I make the most often are chicken and dumplings, ground beef chili with corn, white chicken chili, and Creole chicken and sausage.

Kindle

A Kindle is perfect for new moms because it allows you to read in the middle of the night without keeping the rest of your family awake. I don’t love reading on a Kindle, but I do love this flexibility that it offers, especially for library books and cheap book purchases. (I don’t ever pay full price for digital books, but I will pick up $1-2 titles.) Of course, the portability of a Kindle also offers flexibility for checking email, using social media, watching videos, and doing a ton of other stuff online with a bigger, better screen than a phone, which is nice and also ideal for new mamas.

Audible subscription

An Audible subscription is the only item on this list I don’t have myself. But I would definitely use it if I received one as a gift! I just got into audiobooks a couple of years ago. Now I don’t know what I would do without them. I’m not a fan of all media in digital form, but digital audiobooks are the best. It’s so convenient to have an entire book loaded on your phone or Kindle. Spending all day at home with a tiny human can get tedious. Audiobooks help a lot. Audiobooks are great for long car trips with a little one, too.

Manicure/pedicure supplies

Taking a few simple steps each week to stay put together goes a long way toward making you feel like yourself. Giving your new mom friend a few manicure and pedicure supplies will help her stay motivated to keep nail care in her regular routine. Pick up high-quality base and top coats, a few fun colors (I love turquoise and deep purple), new toe separators, and a glass nail file.

Makeup essentials

Stock up on your new mom friend’s favorite makeup supplies. When you’re sleep deprived and not leaving the house as much as you did before kids, you don’t want to learn a whole new makeup routine. Limit makeup gifts to familiar items that you know she already uses and loves, such as foundation, a basic eyeshadow palette, eyeliner, and mascara.

Skin care products

Similar to makeup gift items, skin care gifts for new moms should be low maintenance and quick to use. The first months of motherhood are not a good time to start a time-intensive skin care routine. One skin care item that has been great for me the past year and a half is a Burt’s Bees Hand Repair Gift Set. I already have dry skin. My hands took a beating during the newborn months with tons of hand washing after diaper changes and cleaning a lot of bottles. Caring for your hands takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference.

My other go-to skin care item recommendation for new moms is this Kopari coconut crush scrub. It is amazing, by far the best sugar scrub I’ve ever used. It’s pricy but well worth it because one container will easily last you all year.

Letter board

I’m not one to jump into all of the latest trends immediately, but I love letter boards. As a new mom, they offer so many fun possibilities for baby and kid photos. A letterboard displayed in the entryway, living room, or kitchen is also a simple way to switch up your home decor for different seasons and holidays with very little effort. Don’t feel limited to the letter board I’ve linked here. Keep your eye open for boards and letter and word sets at Target, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and any other store that carries home decor.

Essential oil diffuser

Let me be clear that I have not jumped on the essential oil train and started using oils in every aspect of my life imaginable. I like to switch on the diffuser for a while at bedtime. I also use it as an occasional alternative to candles, especially during the colder months of the year. A basic diffuser unit and a few standard oils, such as lavender, orange, and lemon, is plenty to get started with oil diffusing.

Adult coloring book

Adult coloring books are another trend that I actually love. Coloring is such a simple, relaxing activity. It’s so easy to pick up and put down again when you’re chasing little kids. Coloring is also perfect when you only have 10-15 minute chunks of time. There are so numerous coloring books out there with something for everyone. Choose a book with a theme that you know your friend will love and designs that aren’t too intimidating (coloring shouldn’t be stressful). Pick up a large set of high-quality colored pencils as well.

Laptop

I know that a laptop is well above the price point of all of the other gift ideas for new moms in this guide. However, if you’re looking for a higher end gift idea and know Mom is in need of a new laptop, go for it. I absolutely love working at my desktop computer. But I love the flexibility of working on my laptop and know that the same is true for many moms. It isn’t always practical/realistic to sit at a desk with a little baby, and you still want to write blog posts, edit pictures, shop online, etc. Hello, laptop. It’s so nice to have that flexibility on the go, too.

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