MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

Greentail Table has soooo many different Mother's Day gifts that it has its own gift guide dedicated to the holiday. One of this season's hottest selling items? New, fun, colorful acrylic flowers which can be mixed and matched for creating custom, everlasting sustainable “bouquets.” There’s a reason Greentail Table is a greater Boston destination for home accents and gifts. Owner Linda de Valpine, with her long history as a veteran buyer and retail merchant, fills her shop with goods that reflect her keen sense of style, interest in sustainability, and love of nature. The result is a shop filled with contemporary housewares and accents for creating joyful spaces and thoughtful gifts for all occasions. With the shop’s focus on home entertaining, its merchandise changes frequently, reflecting the shifting needs of customers during different seasons. The result? There’s always something new and gorgeous waiting to be discovered at Greentail Table. 343 Watertown Street in Nonantum. Hours: 10-6 Monday-Friday and 10-5 on Saturday.

Celebrate this Mother’s Day with something extraordinary. At Forevermark Flowers in Newton Centre, owner Vivian Zhou—a former interior designer and mother of two—creates floral designs that feel like poetry in petal form. Each arrangement is carefully crafted with intention, emotion, and a designer’s eye for beauty. For Mother’s Day, Vivian and her team work to channel the love and strength of mothers into each order, resulting in memorable, otherworldly arrangements. Orders can be picked up in-person or delivered by Vivian’s husband—Forevermark is, after-all, a family-owned and operated business. Place orders now for pick up and delivery. Explore the Forevermark collection online or contact for bespoke arrangements. 562 Commonwealth Ave. (across from Blacker’s Bakery)

If mom has always dreamed of her own vegetable garden, give her one for Mother’s Day by contacting Sully at Edible Gardens by Sully. No project is too big or small for longtime organic farmer Amy Sullivan—“Sully” and her team. Choose from container gardens brimming with vegetables and herbs for the patio, window boxes filled with strawberries, or something bigger, like a raised garden bed for the backyard. Sully can plan and create an edible garden that yields produce all season long. Oh, and if you have an existing vegetable garden that just isn’t meeting expectations and needs a tune-up, give Sully a call, she can take care of that, too! Use promocode AONPROMO25 for 20% off on-site appointments booked now through May 31st.

After 53 years in business, Folklorica remains Newton's go-to boutique for special occasion gifts, and for Mother’s Day it’s one of greater Boston’s top jewelry destinations. Carrying statement jewelry from international artists like Chan Luu, modernist works from designers like Julie Cohn, and on-trend pieces from local artists, Folklorica’s jewelry collection covers a range of styles and price points. It’s also stocked with fashion accessories like gorgeous scarves from Paris, self-care goods, and a curated selection of art glass and ceramics. 61 Union Street. Mon-Sat: 10-6 Sundays in May: 12-4

Just in time for Mother’s Day, there’s a new retail shop in Newtonville, stocked with sweet, affordable gifts. From heart-shaped stones to crystals, candles, teas, essential oils, trendy red thread evil eye bracelets and more, at I-Stone we can find lots of little gifts for Mother’s Day. A focal point of the store is its large collection of different gemstones and minerals, which are said to have inherent healing properties and positive energy. Many of I-Stones’ products promote wellness, soul-centering, and balance, giving the shop a new age feel for those who look for a bit of mysticism in their everyday life. Hours: 11-6 Monday-Saturday and 11-5 on Sunday. 326 Walnut Street.

Beth Kirsch of Beth’s Chocolate, is a Master Chocolatier who trained in France. She handcrafts gourmet chocolates from the world’s finest Valhrona chocolate, adding surprising ingredients inspired by her travels. Each chocolate is a labor of love, resulting from creative recipes that Beth refines until she’s satisfied they’re perfect. Bonbons with Yuzu, a milk chocolate Irish Coffee bonbon made with Writers’ Tears Whiskey, chocolates made with Tonka Beans, and ones with Matcha and other unique teas. It’s no surprise that Beth’s Chocolate has won more than a dozen gold, silver and bronze awards in international chocolate competitions. And she’s right here in Newton Highlands. For Mother's Day Beth is offering $10 off of 25 piece boxes of assorted chocolates ($80 instead of $90). Order online with easy pick-up in Newton Highlands.

Having your own chocolate factory definitely has its perks, like trying out new ideas and experimenting with creative flavors until you get it just right. And that’s exactly what Sweet Dream in Newton Centre does. With a family-owned chocolate Factory in North Billerica, store manager Anton, whose family owns Sweet Dream, and his girlfriend Annabella, have their fingers on the pulse of chocolate trends. A fave throughout Newton? Their version of the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar. Their latest creation? A New England-inspired Fluffer Nutter Bar with marshmallow, peanut butter, and graham crackers (for crunch), covered in milk chocolate. Sunday-Wednesday: 10 AM - 6PM; Thursday: 10 AM - 7 PM; Friday & Saturday: 10 AM - 8 PM.

Step into Derby Farm Flowers and it feels like spring is already in full bloom. Tucked away in Piccadilly Square, this stunning shop has two parts: it’s a full service florist, creating European-style arrangements so special they’ve graced the pages of Vogue. And, it’s a retail shop, stocked with merchandise designed to fill homes and outdoor living spaces with fresh accents and furnishings inspired by nature, including tableware, kitchen items, planters, objets d’art, outdoor lighting, houseplants, seeds, gardening tools, gifts, and even French Fermob outdoor furniture. And while we can always place flower orders by phone, we love stepping inside, browsing, and shopping at this one-of-a-kind store in Newton Centre. Open Tuesday-Saturday: 10AM-5 PM.

Newton's hyper-local, sustainable florist, Susie Margolin, an Auburndale resident, grows her gorgeous flowers from seed (in Newton) and then arranges her home-grown bouquets in vintage vases and vessels, so they look like they were pulled from a fine art painting. Contact Susie for a custom arrangement: lotusandlettuce.designs@gmail.com or message her on instagram.

Make mom feel like a kid again with something fun and unexpected from Henry Bear's Park which has toys, games, and pastimes for adults who are young at heart. Open Monday-Saturday: 10 AM-7 PM and Sunday: 10 AM-5 PM.

Some small businesses have such an impact on the city’s retail landscape that it’s hard to remember what we did without them. The Cork & Board in Newton Centre is one of them. Since opening nearly three years ago, The Cork & Board has become a destination for those of us who love to entertain, enjoy local foods, wines from around the world, and craft beer. According to owner Ryan Gott, as the weather warms up, cool rosés are a great pick for Mother's Day and summer entertaining supplies like the bright melamine pieces from La Cadeux. Tues-Thurs: 10 AM-8 PM; Fri & Sat: 10 AM-9 PM; Sun: 12-6 PM. Closed Monday.

Italian grocery Market-Tiamo recreates the experience of shopping at one of the many small groceries (“alimentari”) found throughout Italy, right in Newton Centre. The market carries a little bit of everything and a friendly staff ready to make recommendations, point us to their favorites, and help us discover exactly the right products to bring the tastes of Italy home with us. Italian meats, cheeses, olives, canned tomatoes, olive oil, specialty foods and, of course, wines from every Italian wine-producing region. It carries a selection of prepared foods like meatballs, lasagna, and eggplant parmigiana from its sister restaurant, Spiga. There is also a collection of gifts from Italy, many by Italian designer Adesso.

A new jewelry store celebrating nature’s beauty is blossoming in Newton Centre. CARLA SHAW Sustainable Fashion specializes in botanical jewelry made from real plants preserved in 18-karat gold or rhodium—a silvery rare metal in the platinum family. Here we can discover leafy and petaled earrings, necklaces, cuff bracelets, and brooches that seamlessly unite the beauty of plants and flowers with a timeless style. Owner Carla Wahnon brings together her love of nature, a keen eye for fashion, and her support of the environment as each piece of jewelry is sustainably sourced and produced with minimal environmental impact. Open Tues-Thu 11-6, Fri 11-8, Sat 11-7 and Sun & Mon by chance.

Independent women’s boutique Sharon Samuels has been a Newton Highlands’ fixture for over 15 years, but for some reason is still unknown to many in Newton. With clothing for the 25+-ish crowd its sweet spot, we find it difficult to walk out of this stocked boutique without something fresh, new and fun in our bag. A bright blouse made in Italy, a funky pieced denim midi skirt, trendy J. Society tops and sweaters, and that’s just for starters. Buyers Shari and Sharon select styles for the shop that are on-trend and wearable, with comfort and value always a top priority. Racks are stocked with casual jeans, pants, tops, and sweaters, along with dressier blouses, slacks, skirts and dresses, including special occasion pieces. Some of Sharon Samuels’ most popular brands are Elliot Lauren, Joseph Ribkoff, Lilla P, Suzy D, and Femme Fatale. The shop carries accessories like jewelry, belts, and shoes, and fashion scarves that change with the seasons. Open 10:30-5 Monday-Saturday.

Designer Lara van Slyke of Lara B. Designs handcrafts (and sells) distinctive leather handbags and accessories right in her working studio at The Mall at Echo Bridge in Newton Upper Falls! Featured in NBC Boston The Hub, British Vogue & Elle, her stylish creations are available in-store and at select boutiques across the U.S. Want a hands-on experience? Join one of Lara’s Designer Handbag Workshops and craft your own unique leather bag! Visit Thursday-Saturday, 12-4, and find your next favorite bag!

Get ready for summer with discounted treatments from the professionals at Newton Medical Aesthetics. Mother's Day specials include discounts on Glo2 Facials, Morpheus8 microneedling, and Sculptra.

Give mom some time to herself on Mother's Day at this wellness center that caters to both recovering athletes and those seeking holistic therapies for improving overall wellness. Sign up for the two-hour Breathwork and Cryotherapy event from 3-5 PM on May 11th. Fee: $99.

It’s no surprise that Elizabeth Home Decor & Design is Best of Boston’s 2023 and 2024 winner for Best Home Accents. After all, it’s a retail shop curated by one of the top interior designers in the greater Boston area—what else would one expect? Designer/owner Elizabeth travels around the world, scouting out eclectic home furnishings and accessories, selling them in her shop at modest prices. For Mother’s Day there is a plethora of just-right tasteful accents for bringing a breath of spring into our homes.