Technologies

13 Mother’s Day Gifts for When You Can’t Be There in Person

Don’t let distance deter you from celebrating your mom on Mother’s Day. Here are some of the best gifts to give your mom when you can’t be in person.

Mother’s Day is the one day of the year dedicated to the woman who dedicates all her time to you, so make sure to celebrate her this year, even from oceans away. If you don’t live close enough to be there in person for Mother’s Day, there are still so many thoughtful gifts at your disposal to make your mom feel special. It might not be the same as physically being there, but it goes a long way towards letting your mom (or Grandma) know how much she means to you.

Sure, there are the old standbys like flowers and cards, but how about a sweet gift for the sentimental mom, or something practical that will make your mom’s life easier? To help you find just the right gift for your long-distance mom, we’ve created a list of the best Mother’s Day gifts for when you can’t be there in person. These thoughtful and unique gifts will demonstrate your love can truly go the distance.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Disney Plus

For the mom who’s a kid at heart

If your mother loves Disney but hasn’t tried Disney Plus yet, give her the gift that keeps on giving: all the Disney she can watch. Your mom can watch popular shows like The Mandalorian and finally see what all the fuss is about with Encanto. We rated Disney Plus as the best streaming service for kids at heart, so if your mom loves nostalgia and wants to stay on top of the latest releases, she’ll love Disney Plus.

$80 at Disney Plus

Mixbook

For the sentimental mom

When you can’t be with your mother in person, a personalized photo book of all of your moments with her can fill in the gap. Mixbook, one of CNET’s best photo books, allows you to create the ultimate gift by uploading photographs from your phone, computer or social media sites like Instagram and Facebook, and from there build your book, calendar and more with just a few steps.

See at Mixbook

The Sill

The Sill «Easy Care» Bundle

For the plant-loving mom

The Sill is a plant marketplace with a wide variety of fantastic plant choices for plant parents of all kinds. The Easy Care bundle is the best present for a mom who enjoys plants, but prefers a low-maintenance option. In this bundle, she’ll get the pet-friendly peperomia obtusifolia and a drought- and low-light-tolerant ZZ plant.What’s more, as one of CNET’s best places to buy plants online, your mother will adore this present’s quality.

$60 at The Sill

Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite

For reading on the go

The Kindle Paperwhite is our best all-around ebook reader for a reason. It features warm light settings, a longer battery life and is completely waterproof. For a better viewing experience, this edition of the Kindle Paperwhite sports a 6.8-inch display, perfect for a virtual book club.

$140 at Amazon

$140 at Target

$140 at Best Buy

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Cuddle Clones

A cuddly reminder of her favorite pet

If you have a mother who adores her pets, consider getting her a plush animal to provide a constant reminder of her affection. You begin the Cuddle Clones process with the pet’s name, then you follow up with the type of pet and finally the breed. After that, you go through a sequence of simple questions and picture uploads, and voila your mom will have a fuzzy version of her pet in eight weeks.

See at Cuddle Clones

Amazon

ArtPix 3D Crystal Photo

A 3D photo to treasure

This ArtPix 3D Photo Crystal is another cool way to preserve a special picture, but in 3D. This is accomplished through the use of laser engraving that brings any photograph to life. You can fully customize this gift by font, size, background and more. And this present can be enhanced even further by including a base and LED lights, but the crystal itself is plenty to convey your affection.

$80 at Amazon

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Homesick

Homesick ‘Thank You Mom’ Candle

Fancy candles are a mom staple

There are a variety of ways to express gratitude to your mother, but a candle (together with a handwritten letter) is a wonderful touch. This candle is 13.75 ounces and will burn for around 60 to 80 hours. Created with a natural soy wax blend that includes notes of bergamot, lavender, sage, jasmine and other fragrant aromas this candle will brighten her day.

$38 at Macy’s

Etsy

Handwriting Bracelet

A personalized bracelet will make her day

Does your mom love jewelry and keep all your old handwritten papers from childhood? Why not combine her two loves with this customizable, handmade bracelet made from gold, rose gold or silver. Once you decide how you want it engraved, you can write the message and choose an image matching the way you want it to look.

$42 at Etsy

Uncommon Goods

Long Distance Friendship Lamp

A sweet way to let Mom know you’re thinking of her

If you want to let your mom know you’re thinking of her in real time, this is the gift for her. No matter where you are, this lamp will work like a charm by lighting up and transmitting a colorful glow to her when you touch it.

$125 at Uncommon Goods

Amazon

Eufy RoboVac 25C

Make Mom’s life a whole lot easier

The Eufy RoboVac 25C is rated CNET’s best affordable robot vacuum. It has a powerful suction that is effective on both hardwood and carpeted floors. Pet hair and other little dust piles are easily picked up by it. And while it isn’t the most advanced robot vacuum, it is more than enough to allow your mother to relax while something else cleans up the mess.

$96 at Walmart

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Amazon

Oxo Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker

For the coffee-loving mama

2020

Making coffee should be as simple as possible, but to accomplish it properly, you’ll need the perfect coffee maker. The Editors’ Choice winner, the Oxo Brew eight-cup coffee maker, is our favorite drip brewer. This machine will make your mother a cup that will rival any coffee shop. The Oxo Brew has a single-cup filter basket, precision settings for better water temperature, a double-wall vacuum and it’s small enough to fit on your mother’s kitchen counter.

Read our Oxo 8 Cup Coffee Maker review.

$199 at Amazon

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the million roses

The Million Roses

Long lasting florals to show your long lasting love

Show your mom how much you love her with a box of long-lasting roses. These real roses can last for up to three years! Although they can be pricey, these beautiful flowers are well worth the money. They come in a variety of colors and bouquet sizes.

$103 at The Million Roses

On Holiday

On Holiday Pickleball Set

For the active mom

Give your mom the gift of America’s favorite pastime — that’s right, a custom pickleball set. On Holiday’s custom pickleball set is great for any active mom or mom looking for a new hobby. For $144, you can pick two paddles, a set of balls and a bag. All of the paddles have unique designs, so you can pick the one that best suits your mom’s personality.

$144 at On Holiday Pickleball

More for Mother’s Day

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, July 21

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for July 21.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

My favorite Mini Crosswords are ones that take me on a little journey. Today, I learned something new about Hawaii and also basked in a nostalgic moment while thinking about a childhood board game. Need an assist with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Ceremonial band
Answer: SASH

5A clue: First official state hand gesture, following a 2024 Hawaiian bill
Answer: SHAKA

6A clue: Deck with the Major and Minor Arcana
Answer: TAROT

7A clue: Just love
Answer: ADORE

8A clue: Boardwalk has the highest one on a Monopoly board
Answer: RENT

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Cool place to be on a sunny day
Answer: SHADE

2D clue: Name that might come first during an alphabetical roll call
Answer: AARON

3D clue: Hybrid athletic garment
Answer: SKORT

4D clue: Just loathe
Answer: HATE

5D clue: One whose name is in lights
Answer: STAR

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for July 21, #771

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for July 21, #771.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Hey, Seinfeld fans, today’s NYT Connections puzzle is right up your alley. That makes the blue category fun, but that purple category got me, as always. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Top it off.

Green group hint: Liquid can change forms.

Blue group hint: Big salad, puffy shirt.

Purple group hint: A certain symbol.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Additional perk.

Green group: Phase transitions for liquids.

Blue group: Concepts from «Seinfeld.»

Purple group: What ‘ can indicate.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is additional perk. The four answers are bonus, extra, gravy and icing.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is phase transitions for liquids. The four answers are condensation, freezing, melting and vaporization.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is concepts from «Seinfeld.» The four answers are Festivus, regifting, shrinkage and yada yada.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is what ‘ can indicate. The four answers are contraction, foot, possessive and quote.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 21, #301

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 21, No. 301.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Golf knowledge is a weak point for me, so I struggled a little with today’s Connections: Sports Edition. It’s nice to see an appearance from one of the best team names in minor league ball. Hello, Yard Goats fans. Stuck? Check out our hints and get the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Don’t skip this step.

Green group hint: Par for the course.

Blue group hint: Constitution state.

Purple group hint: Not bored.