The best Mother’s Day gift ever: memories

Moms want memories. To know that they are loved, and considered. Why not give her what she wants this year?

We're all about preserving your most precious family memories in the most grand style. From a family history book to a tribute book in honor of a deceased loved one, our heirloom books make the most unique gifts. 

To get you started thinking about the best Mother's Day gift for your mom, we've put together five ideas for Mother’s Day books. Choose one of these to make you the hero this Mother's Day, or be inspired to create your own idea for a tribute book for the most special woman in your life.

1  Taste of the Past: Family Recipe Book

Here's one of our most straightforward book ideas! Handwritten recipes passed down through generations, plus stories of family meals, celebrations, and treats, artfully packaged for a truly sweet gift. The tastes and aromas of our favorite foods stir the memory, and provide an excellent jumping-off point for sharing family stories.

Don't worry, you don't have to do the legwork: Buy your mom (or another beloved mother in your life!) a gift certificate, and we'll lovingly package a beribboned wooden spoon with our “Recipe for a Successful Mother's Day.”

2  Love Letters: Tribute Book to Mom

Let’s get letters­­—written by hand, not via text­­—with notes both funny and poignant addressed to Mom. We will craft a mini­-tribute in honor of the holiday, or spend considerable time perusing old journals and letters to flesh out a more substantive story.

This book is a wonderful option for large or scattered families, and can be put together more quickly than some—so for you last-minute holiday shoppers out there, get on it!

3  Wedding Book Redux

Is your parents’ wedding album dated or damaged? It’s almost certainly not digital. We’ll scan, restore, and color correct their wedding images, then design a modern coffee table book with a digital companion for posterity. Turning your parents' fading wedding album into an archival heirloom book—now that's a Mother's Day idea we bet you hadn't thought of yet.

4  Conversations with Grandma

Wouldn't you love to know your mom's and grandmom's stories? In their own words?! Beyond the few tales you may have heard around the dinner table 20 years ago...? We’ll conduct the interviews, gather memorabilia, and find the narrative thread that resonates. The resulting book promises to be beyond your (and her) dreams.

For this Mother's Day gift idea, we suggest you get your loved one a gift certificate that will get her started on the journey of sharing her stories. Because honestly, it's that journey that your grandmother (or mother) will enjoy as much as the final book: Sharing stories and memories can be wonderfully gratifying, and often healing.

5  Favorite Photos Through the Years

Why let all those amazing family photos and #ThrowbackThursday posts flounder on social media? The flood of “likes” are gratifying, but they lack permanence. A series of nostalgic pictures will be a brag book for the ages, especially for the grandmothers on your list. Check out this Instagram book we did for one New York City mom for inspiration, or gather a random array of old photographs that have been sitting in drawers and boxes for far too long (trust me, they don’t need to have been posted to social media at all!). Honor your photographs and memories of motherhood by preserving them this Mother's Day!

How to get your Mother's Day gift from Modern Heirloom Books

Mother's Day this year falls on Sunday, May 9, 2021.

If you are interested in preparing a book that you can actually gift to your mother, grandmother, or other special mom in your life on that day, it's crucial that you contact us now to get the ball rolling. While we can work fairly quickly, all of our books are handcrafted and take time to create.

A gift certificate with details about the project can be elegantly packaged for a Mother's Day gift that holds the promise of even more to come.

1. Call our founder Dawn Roode to discuss what Mother's Day gift book option you are interested in, learn about next steps, or to purchase a gift certificate now.

2. Or fill out this quick form to set up a free half-hour consultation to discuss your questions, time frame, or project ideas.

I look forward to helping you celebrate the special mothers in your life!

Bonus: More Mother’s Day book ideas—for “special” moms

In addition to the ideas above, which may be appropriate for a wide spectrum of mothers, we've also come up with a few ideas for particular women in your life—adoptive mothers, moms-to-be, and moms of twins.

*The original post was published before Mother’s Day 2017. It was updated for timeliness and accuracy on March 31, 2021.

Your search for “unique bridal shower gifts from the parents” ends here

What did you feel when your daughter announced that she was engaged? Pride, astonishment, an overflow of emotions? Tears of joy? You’re not alone.

And while registering at Crate & Barrel and Bloomingdale’s followed by an at-home champagne toast is a memorable (if exhausting) outing, why not consider a wedding shower gift that will truly move her: our signature “Dear Daughter, on Your Wedding Day,” an heirloom book honoring the girl she was—the one you nurtured and watched blossom—and the woman she has become.

During your daughter’s engagement period, it’s inevitable that you’ll both be reflecting on her journey. Let yourself relish the memories. Pull out those old boxes of photos, the family albums, her baby book. Remember what she was like as a precocious toddler, an awkward tween, a graceful graduate. What characteristics did she inherit from you? What surprised you about her choices over the years?

Designing a Book in Honor of Your Daughter for Her Wedding Shower

Modern Heirloom Books can help you stitch the memories and observations together into a cohesive and emotional narrative. Together we will identify the most evocative pictures and prepare them for print. We’ll even help you identify gaps in the visual storyline and come up with creative ways to fill them in—sending your daughter’s bronzed baby shoes or old lovey to a professional photographer for inclusion in the book, for instance. Or helping you stage your own shots of framed images on your mantel or, say…her favorite comfort food!

Maybe we plan a “secret” get-together with a photographer and your daughter’s siblings and closest friends to take their portraits and record their favorite memories of your daughter as a child.

We’ll select a book style based on your daughter’s personality: Perhaps a Victorian damask fabric cover encased in a matching sheath box for your romantic girl, or a luxurious velvet-covered book with silver foil stamping for your traditional child. An array of rich leathers, Japanese silks, textured fabrics, and other unique design options offers something for every bride-to-be.

So before your daughter walks down the aisle, and before you get caught up in the storm of wedding favors and seating charts, why not embark upon a nostalgic journey that ends with a perfect wedding shower gift from the parents? (It’s an especially touching gift when crafted by a Daddy for his all-grown-up girl!)

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Set up a consultation to see how we can work together.
To have the most efficient conversation, know your timeline (when would you need the book?) and consider where your photos are (you might be surprised that they're not always on hand!). Oh...

...and CONGRATULATIONS on your daughter's impending nuptials!