Earrings get lost. Roses die. And a Mother's Day breakfast in bed is nice while it's happening, but, well, it's over in 20 minutes and leaves you not only with dirty dishes but jam on the bed sheets.
If you're like us, you'd rather give your mom a gift she'll use and enjoy. And what better way to say "thanks for raising me, mom" than with the bounty of others' inspiration and handiwork purchased for between $14 and $400?
And don't worry if your materfamilias already has all the latest and greatest gadgets, or if she's less than comfortable with cutting-edge technology. We've divided our gear guide into three helpful groups: one for the tech-savvy mamma who buys new devices the day they're released, a second for your average modern mom who can appreciate a good gizmo, and a third for the mother who prefers her technology to pretty much operate itself.
FOR THE MOM WHO'S GOT IT ALL
Gelaskins ($14.99 and up; gelaskins.com)
She has the phone of her dreams, a state-of-the-art laptop, and the latest, greatest gaming gear. Now she just needs all of her tech to be made a bit more beautiful. That's where GelaSkins comes in. This Toronto-based Internet store makes high quality decals tailored to fit a wide variety of gadgets. Their "skins" are photo-realistic facsimiles of the works of more than 100 artists past and present-examples include Hieronymus Bosch, Caia Koopman, and MC Escher - stamped onto the backs of stickers that press on smooth and leave no residue when removed. Matching desktop backgrounds are available to download for free (assuming the device in question has a screen). Bonus: The decals are thick enough to provide moderate protection from scratches, making them pretty and practical. Our recommendation: Derek Prospero's Loose Leaf design for her Wii remote. His studies of bright green leaves are the perfect Zen compliment for her daily Wii Fit yoga regimen.
iHome iP39SZC Kitchen Timer & Speaker System for iPhone/iPod (US$99.99; iHomeaudio.com)
Any self-respecting, gadget-loving mom already has an awesome alarm clock/iPod dock/stereo in her bedroom. But what about the kitchen? iHome Audio's iP39SZC Kitchen Timer and Speaker System acts as a charging dock and external speaker for her iPhone or iPod, offers dual alarm functionality, and has a back-up battery so she won't need to reset the clock when the power goes out. Multitasking chefs will find its pair of independent timers handy when cooking complex recipes and appreciate the easy-clean surface and crevice-less buttons should the iP39SZC suffer any splatter. The dock slides into the base so that she won't have to worry about getting the connectors greasy when her iPod isn't jacked in, and she can charge her other mobile devices via a USB jack in the back. And with its curved metallic corners and sleek black body, mom may well find it as beautiful as a newborn baby. It's brand new and only available online, so you'd best act fast.
Blackbox C14 Noise-Cancelling Earphones ($79.99; futureshop.com)
Her mobile music player is only as good as the earphones she uses, yet for reasons unknown she's still making do with those substandard buds that came in the box. New Zealand-based Blackbox solves that problem with their enthusiast-grade C14 active noise cancelling earphones. A microphone on the exterior of each bud collects ambient audio, then a speaker on the inside generates a converse sound wave, rendering unwanted environmental noises-traffic, lawnmowers, rustling leaves-almost silent. Medical-grade silicone earbuds push up flush against the skin of her ear canal, creating an additional barrier against offensive outside sounds. The result? Nothing but pure, sweet Anne Murray. Or Lady Gaga (you know your mom better than we do). Just make sure you tell her to look both ways before crossing streets. Also in the box: a soft carrying pouch, blouse clip, three sets of buds in varying sizes, and supplementary jacks for airplane and home stereo ports.