Meredith L. Jacob's: Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to ShabbatHello there thirty-is-the-new-twentysomething! That's right, I'm talking to you. Do you have a friend, sibling, cousin, or co-worker who recently procreated? Perhaps a girlfriend with a young family who could use a kid-friendly, modern guide to Shabbat? You do? Just as I expected. Well, here's something to consider: Mother's Day doesn't only have to be about your own mom. If you're looking for a gift to let the young moms in your life know you appreciate how hard they're working, consider Meredith L. Jacob's The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat. In addition to thoughtful and creative guidance on how to prepare the house, the table, and the family, Jacobs offers projects, recipes, and summaries of the weekly Torah portions with family discussion questions. There's even a chapter on how to keep Shabbat interesting and meaningful for teenagers.

If you're in search of a last minute gift for your own mother this Sunday, here are a couple of foolproof ideas:

Sabon: means 'soap' in hebrewJewcers in New York, Boston, Chicago, New Jersey, Toronto, or Montreal should seriously consider making a visit to Sabon, an amazing bath and body company that was founded in Israel in 1997. Their lotions, massage oils, soaps, cleansers, and serums combine aromatherapy oils, Dead Sea extracts, herbs, and flowers from the Israeli countryside. In addition to delicious products that are stylishly packaged, Sabon's soaps are made on an agricultural co-operative Moshav in Northern Israel, they use boxes made from recycled materials and fully biodegradable packing material, they never test on animals, and they support Dead Sea conservation via Friends of The Earth. US and Canada locations can be found here. Sabon also has an Israeli site.

ahava: as close as mud gets to loveFor those who can't get to a Sabon storefront, Ahava is another good bet for Mother's Day. Described as the "only cosmetics enterprise indigenous to the Dead Sea region," their rich, mineral-based products are available all over the world. Any number of their cleansing, exfoliating, hydrating, and nourishing solutions would be a welcome offering. For more traditional moms, try something along the lines of the Mineral Body Lotion or hand and foot creams. For more adventurous mamas, pick up a tube of the Energizing Body Mud Mask with fresh essences of mandarin & cedarwood.

Obviously I don’t count Mother’s Day as a Jewish holiday, but neither do I feel comfortable ignoring it. I know it was invented by Hallmark, but I also know I better be nice to my mom on Mother’s Day—or else. And part of the stress of Mother’s Day is finding the right gift. Here are some Jewish-themed options for your Jewcy mom:

25 Questions: for your Jewish mother There’s a new book coming out on Mother’s Day called 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother. It looks fun and funny and smart, but beware that you’ll have to preorder and then pick it up at the bookstore on Mother’s Day if you want to deliver your gift on time.

If your mom is as much of a wizard in the kitchen as mine is, she probably doesn’t need another cookbook. Then again, Adventures in Bubby Irma’s Kitchen is a great collection of recipes. Easy and tasty ideas with cute anecdotes. And hey, if you give your mom a cookbook, consider getting her some ingredients, too. Specifically, check out the Community Supported Agriculture website where you can search for farms in your area who will sell you shares of their crops. Every week your mom can get a huge crate of fresh organic produce. Saving her time and money on groceries will definitely score you big points.

If your mom spent all of your childhood impressing a deep sense of guilt on you, then consider The Modern Jewish Girl’s Guide to Guilt. It’s an anthology, and I found it to be a little scattered, but it’s very fitting for lots of Jewish moms I know.

If your mom is musical, try Mayim Rabim by Ayelet Rose Gottleib. It’s a CD of traditional Jewish liturgy sung in jazzy and interesting new tunes. Very sophisticated and funky. Not for a Debbie Friedman fan, but if your mom has adventurous musical tastes she’ll probably enjoy it.

If you feel strongly about going with the standard flowers and chocolates, check out Ideal Bite for tips on where to buy organic bouquets and sweets. Helping the earth and treating your mom—double points!

And if your mom swears up and down that she really doesn’t want anything, consider making a donation in her name to A Package From Home. APFH is an organization in Israel that provides care packages for Israeli soldiers with no family in Israel. So basically, all those young guys and girls who made aliyah alone get boxes of sweets, plus important extras like warm socks for cold nights, and personal hygiene products in travel sizes. Your money goes towards a mom-like gesture for people whose moms are far away.