One doesn’t need a special day to celebrate the moms in our lives, and it’s not always easy to decide just what to get to celebrate all that they have done for us. For some moms, they’re so generous with their time for others they forget to make sure they’re taken care of! For those special people in your life, we’ve collected a list of great gift ideas that may brighten their day any time of year.

A new television set!

While certainly an extravagance, it’s never been easier to get a powerful, affordable television that truly can be a centre for all kinds of media. Modern sets are perfect for watching programs, but the latest smart TVs incorporate apps for streaming videos from a variety of services like Netflix, Prime, and Disney, displaying photos from your mobile device, or even streaming music. Modern sets from the likes of LG, Samsung, Sony, VIZIO and the like may be flat mounted on the wall with a bracket, while some “gallery models” mere millimetres in thickness lay even closer. This means rather than the big, bulky boxes of old, newer, sleeker sets are often no more obtrusive than a picture frame. Thanks to wireless transmission so much of the clutter can be removed, making it even more a seamless integration into just about any décor. If your mom has been holding onto an older set, this may be the best treat to bring an entire world of entertainment to her life in one device.

A new smartphone!

Modern smartphones are truly magical devices, a supercomputer held in your hand that is faster and more powerful than some big, bulky computer boxes from only a few years ago. Whether you go for the latest iPhone, ideal for those already embedded into the Apple ecosystem, or the wide range of exceptional and easy-to-use Android phones from the likes of Google, LG, Samsung and others, you’re gifting mom with the latest in tech as well as a multifaceted device. Whether it’s for booking travel plans, taking photos that are adjusted thanks to powerful AI to ensure the perfect pic, setting up a video chat, texting incessantly to check in or even, to be old school, receiving a call from you, it’s always a good time to check in to make sure that this most important of modern device is up to snuff for the important people in your life.

New kitchen stuff!

Just about everyone loves cool kitchen gadgets, and there’s so much trickle-down technology that makes everything from fridges to dishwashers high technology appliances. Still, these are gifts, and we should focus on things that mom wants for them, not one of those times where what’s best for the household is best for one! Instead, let’s be indulgent, selecting something like a premium espresso maker from the likes of De’Longhi.

If I can make a suggestion, perhaps something like the rice maker shown above from Zojirushi to unleash their inner sushi chef. Anyone can make boring rice with a pot and boiling water, but with these amazing devices from Japan you get perfect rice every time, with it even singing a pleasant tune when it’s done. It may seem a simple, maybe even unnecessary tool to have in the kitchen, but once you’ve tried one of these devices you’ll love both its simplicity and its performance, upping your rice game to restaurant levels of quality, and exactly the kind of quirky gift that our moms may not buy for themselves, but that they’ll use all the time!

Music means life

We live at a time where just about every song ever made is at our fingertips, and life is definitely too short to suffer with poor sound reproduction. Thankfully, it’s a golden age for small, powerful, powered speakers that use the latest wireless technology to bring audio joy to just about anyone. You can select tiny, portable speakers that you can take with you outdoors, or more robust models that can fill your room with pleasing sounds that belie their small footprint. Don’t forget personal audio as well, as there are loads of exceptional earphones and headphones that deliver class-leading sonic bliss from a myriad of your devices. There are whole-house systems like those from Sonos or Denon that even allow multiple speakers to all be controlled from one location, making everyday a time for a musical party!

Fujifilm Instax Mini 12

Perfect pictures at any time!

Sure, most of us are snapping oodles of pics on our portable phones, but in a world where we’re so often exploring virtual spaces sometimes there’s a real joy in being able to hold a photo in your hands. Luckily, thanks to devices like the Fujifilm Instax, you get a chance in one easy-to-use device to both capture and print these precious memories to last for years to come. The cameras come in a wide range of playful colours, and unlike the instamatic devices of yore these really are powerful, hybrid devices, allowing you to select your perfect pic and add on special message or filters before pressing print. These all-in-one photo solutions make for a fun, engaging form of modern photography, and what better gift is there but to encourage creativity and to allow mom to capture those moments precious to them.

A gift for any occasion

Every mom is unique, and no matter their taste, and no matter what time of year, there’s never an excuse to celebrate all that they do to make our lives that much better. Whether they’re tech savvy or not, a generous gift from Best Buy just may be something that they’ll cherish no because it’s some fancy product, but because it was given with thoughtfulness and care from someone important to them. For all those moms out there deserving of some love and celebration, you’ll hopefully find something on this list that will bring a smile to their face because it’s something they’ll really adore, but also because it came from you.

Jason Gorber
Jason Gorber, M.A., is a film, technology, and media journalist and member of the Toronto Film Critics Association. He is the managing editor and chief film critic at That Shelf and a regular contributor to POV Magazine, SlashFilm, and CBC Radio. Jason has been a Tomatometer-approved critic for over 20 years, is an avid collector of music, movies, LEGO and many other aesthetic and technical treats.