From sneakers to spa treatments
By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids
Don’t you love it when you’ve chosen exactly the right gift?
To me, that means giving something I love to someone I know will love it too. It’s not as hard as you might think, especially if there is a particular brand you favor and you can get gift cards. (Great for Moms and Dads Days!)
For example, m y husband and I love our MBT sneakers, which we wore all over Egypt touring temples and tombs without our feet hurting. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, they have rocker bottoms with a curved sole and a lot of cushioning to evenly distribute weight, making them supremely comfortable whether you are a runner or someone who likes trekking through new cities. A gift card is guaranteed to be appropriate.
Moms of young kids certainly would appreciate an IOU to enable them to sleep late on vacation or for the kids to clean up their toys in the vacation rental or hotel room. What would the moms in your life appreciate – someone else provisioning for a camping trip, perhaps, or food shopping and cooking at the vacation rental? A promise to babysit so they can have time for themselves? What irks them the most on vacation?
For moms who have flights in their future and aren’t flying business class, gift entrance to an airline club where there are free eats, drinks, easy spots to recharge phones, take a shower and even indulge in a spa treatment in some places. (You can also gift a Priority Pass (starting at $79 for the year) that offers entrance to more than 1,700 airport lounges around the world.
Whenever I travel, I take my Vera Bradley cross-body Original Zip Hipster, which keeps me hands- free and organized with its zip compartments. I love the featherweight material that is made with recycled nylon exterior fabric. It is also lightweight and water repellent. (Starting at $60 on sale it comes in purple, cayenne and a print, as well as black and off-white.)
Especially for the campers and outdoor enthusiasts, Royal Robbins now has an entire line with mosquito-protection technology, as well as protection from the sun. MPT has no toxic chemicals and is a tight weave engineered fabric, as well as being lightweight and cool. I love their Wilder Shirt ($95) that is also wind and water resistant, quick drying and is made of recycled nylon. It stretches too. Another favorite of millions is their pucker shirts – over a million have been sold – with carbon-neutral fabric that is breathable, lightweight and moisture wicking. They come in long- and short-sleeves for men and there are now women’s desert pucker short-sleeved shirts in pretty colors (think light pink and pale green) ($70) Again, a gift card would be appreciated by any traveler in your family.
REI, of course, is the go-to for outdoor gear that works well for travel because technical fabrics don’t wrinkle, dry quickly and often protect you from the sun. They are celebrating the 45th anniversary of its Half Dome backpacking tent (their #1 seller) with a collection that includes apparel, the tent, sleeping bag and a 2-for-1 transparent bear canister ($79.95) with a two-step closure system that kept the bears at Washington State University’s bear testing center baffled. I’ve become an instant fan of their new Xero Cloud 3L long rain jacket ($199) that is lightweight, packable, stretchy, breathable and comes in a longer length. If you’ve ever been caught in a drenching rainstorm, you will appreciate that the jacket offers three-layer waterproof/breathable protection. Again, if you aren’t certain of size or color, your favorite outdoors lovers will appreciate a gift card.
On our recent trip to Egypt, a New York family introduced me to Quince, which keeps quality high but prices low for linen (a great bet for touring in hot climates) and cashmere. Their top picks for Mother’s Day include a Mongolian cashmere crewneck ($50) a European linen scarf ($29.90) and a European linen pajama set ($59.90).
If the favorite moms in your life despair at how much clothing ends up in landfills (73 percent), get them a gift card for ThredUp, the online consignment and thrift store with 55,000 brands. (Use the code First50 to get 50 percent off your first order and free shipping. Buying and wearing one used clothing item equals a cut of 25 percent emissions, 24 percent reduced energy and 32 percent water saved. I really liked that you can search by brand and size and that returns are easy. Great for moms-to-be.
For road trippers, a gift subscription to Audible.com for audio books – and suggestions of some books you have recently loved – will be appreciated. The same goes for a gift card for books. Perhaps you have a favorite cookbook you would like to share or one from a region they have recently visited or plan to visit this year.
These days. many travelers would prefer an experience, especially if they can connect with locals. You can gift something you’ve enjoyed (a particular spa treatment, a walking tour, wine tasting, meal … the list is endless ). Withlocals is one platform that offers such opportunities around the world. (Top five destinations with kids, incidentally, include Magical Paris, Ancient Rome and Creative Barcelona. You can also sign up to be a host.)
Happy shopping, and Happy Mother’s Day.
(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)
©2025 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.