This Mother’s Day, skip the mass-produced bath sets and big-box bouquets. Celebrate the moms in your life — or yourself — with gifts created by other mothers who turned moments of challenge into creativity. These NYC-based businesses are powered by maternal resilience, cultural pride, and community, offering something special for all kinds of moms.
For the mom who needs help unwinding
Moodie Vibes
For Aminta Freeman, a Staten Island mom of two, candle-making started as a personal ritual during the early pandemic — a way to reclaim peace after long days juggling a full-time job, divorce, and remote schooling. Lighting a candle became her time to reflect and reset. That self-soothing practice bloomed into Moodie Vibes, a growing brand of intention-driven candles inspired by music, memory, and self-care.
Launched in 2021 with cash from a tax refund (and through late-night experimentation), Moodie Vibes now includes bestsellers like “In a Sentimental Mood” (patchouli-forward and meditative) and “Red & Black Lumberjack,” a wintry Brooklyn nod to Biggie.
One on-theme gift: the lemony “Self Care Mama (Savage Up).”
Freeman’s pop-ups and workshops across the city also offer safe spaces for moms to show up, exhale, and feel held. Learn more.
For the mom with a sweet tooth
Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats
Brooklyn mom Celeste Sassine didn’t set out to start a bakery. In 2018, when her teenage daughter Cheyenne wanted to join a church mission trip to rebuild homes in Texas, Sassine prayed for a way to cover the $1,700 cost. The answer came in the form of cookies. One spontaneous bake turned into a church cafeteria frenzy — and soon, the family was baking dozens of vegan treats nightly. They sold out every time.
Today, Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats is a family-run business known for its cinnamon sugar donut holes, zucchini bread, and blueberry cake donuts. They’re all made without dairy or confusing additives. Sassine’s passion for scratch-made baking is generational (her mother was famous for her pound cake), and her daughter is now her executive assistant and co-baker. What started as a fundraiser is now a scrumptious legacy. Learn more.
One on-theme gift: a dozen red velvet cookies
Shop Sassy Sweet Vegan Treats here.
For the mom who loves her fur babies
Black Kat Krochet
When Bronx mom Monica Martinez noticed her cat shivering in a cold apartment, she picked up her crochet hook and got to work. What began as a DIY pet sweater became Black Kat Krochet, a joyful side hustle full of hand-crocheted cat outfits, bags, earrings, and kitchen textiles — each one stitched with love, color, and cultural pride.
A mother of three and immigrant from Mexico, Martinez first learned to crochet as a child but turned to it more seriously during the pandemic to soothe anxiety and express creativity. Her immigrant mom friends encouraged her to sell her wares, and now she shares her pieces — often modeled by her cats Chorizo and Paco — with a growing online following. Learn more.
One on-theme gift: a knitted “Mom <3 Me” sweater vest for mom’s cat or dog
Follow Black Kat Krochet and order via Instagram here.
For the mom who starts her day with a pour-over
Buunni Coffee
When Sarina Prabasi became a mom in Washington Heights, she and her husband Elias Gurmu co-founded Buunni Coffee to bring the communal spirit of Ethiopian coffee culture to their neighborhood. Since 2012, their cafés have served responsibly sourced beans with a side of community care, and their journey has become a love story steeped in coffee and connection.
Buunni’s house blend has Ethiopian and Latin American beans, honoring their roots and their neighbors’. During the pandemic, they mobilized to get coffee to frontline workers, powered by locals who understood what Buunni stood for. With drip coffee starting at $2.50 and giftable bags and subscriptions online, Buunni is more than a caffeine fix — it’s a ritual, a relationship, and a reminder of the power of gathering. Learn more.
One on-theme gift: a gift box with some of her favorite blends
For the fashion-forward mom
Maui x Lolita
Lolita Malone and her daughter Maui launched Maui x Lolita in Manhattan, drawing on Lolita’s lifelong passion for fashion and Maui’s business savvy. Born from a need to create something beautiful with limited resources, their designs are bold, unique, and designed for the “fly girl” — a daring woman who embraces fashion risks and individuality.
What began as a pandemic project turned into a thriving business that blends bold styles like hyper-flared pants and grommet details with a sense of rebellion and confidence. The mother-daughter duo crafts pieces that embrace size inclusivity, offering options for both curvier and petite figures. Learn more.
One on-theme gift: a statement piece from the “Modern Rebellion” collection
