17 Mother's Day gifts we've given our own moms - from indoor herb gardens to Broadway show tickets

As with many things you buy online, you often run the risk of ordering something that looks amazing on your screen but ends up being less than impressive in person. I took that risk the first time ordering flowers from BloomThat for Mother's Day. To my relief, and to my mom's happiness, the bouquet was as beautiful as expected (and importantly, arrived on time). BloomThat has since been acquired by FTD, but you can still find its gorgeous, full, and reasonably priced arrangements on the FTD site. - Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter

The Bouqs Co. is another floral deliver service we've used to send Mother's Day flowers. Check out additional bouquets from The Bouqs Co. here.

My mom makes a 40-hour day out of 24 hours, and most of her time and energy is allocated to her kids and business. I signed her up for a Birchbox subscription to make sure she had the excuse to spend a little time just for herself every day and figure out new products she loves without a trip to the mall. I loved the idea of a gift arriving at her door one day every month, and more attention paid to just her. - Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter

I love my Breville Smart Oven Pro, and when I heard my mom was thinking about buying one, I was happy to gift one to her for Mother's Day. Since my parents became empty nesters, the oven is perfect for making meals for two — pizza, salmon, cookies, and even a whole chicken (great for leftovers). - Les Shu, Insider Picks Guides editor

Last year, I ordered my mom a huge box of dresses and tops from Loft and sent her the gift receipt to she could return or exchange anything she didn't love. My mom never really spends time or money shopping for herself, so I wanted to remind her that she deserves to feel good and be taken care of, too. She really loved the swingy dresses I picked for her and she wears them all the time now! To this day she still raves about what a fun treat it was to get all those clothes in a surprise delivery. - Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

I bought this ring for my mom two years ago and she continues to wear it every day. Etsy purchases can be hit or miss, but this gift arrived just as described on the website. I ordered the ring in sterling silver with a ruby, two aquamarines, and an amethyst, all of which represent the birthstones of my family members. Even with everyday use, there has been no tarnishing of the metal and my mom finds it comfortable enough to wear every day. - Megan Foster, Insider Picks intern

I usually call a local florist to deliver some sort of live plant to my mother. Neither of us is a fan of flowers, which, as we all know, shrivel up and die. I want something that speaks my eternal gratitude to the woman who reared me, and, apart from diamonds (sorry mom), this is the best I can do.

Then I found UrbanStems. A quick, clean, and easy transaction with some well-thought-out add-ons like Sugarfina candy, chocolates, and candles, this might have been my least painstaking foray into shopping for my notoriously difficult mother. I'll use UrbanStems again. - Owen Burke, Insider Picks senior reporter

My mom loved "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" when I took her to see it as a Mother's Day gift! - Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of editorial content strategy

You can find more experiential gifts that won't break the bank here.

I'm crazy about this cup and have used it for years. Knowing my mother's love for iced coffee, I decided to get her one as well. It allows you to pour piping hot coffee in the chilled barrel, and within a couple minutes, the coffee is cold enough to add ice (without the ice melting). My mom loves it because she is extremely busy and doesn't have the time brew a batch of iced coffee during her chaotic mornings. It saves her time, money, adds a bit of calm to the days she babysits for rambunctious kids.- Megan Foster, Insider Picks intern

As of late, my mom has valued custom/personalized gifts more so than anything else. I've made numerous custom gifts online for her including a Christmas ornament, a photo mug, a tote bag, and so much more. Her favorite by far was this Rustic Ceramic Tile that I customized to include photos of everyone in our family. It's become the focal point in my parents' living room, and she tells me every time I see her just how much she loves this gift. - Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

I recently bought my mom this watch because the one she currently owns needs a new battery every other month. Plus, I knew she would love the blush accents and floral design. This watch is perfect to dress up or down for any occasion. - Francesca Rea, Insider Picks content producer

I got my mom and myself a set of these touch lamps that light up when the other one taps the top. By lighting up our lamps, I can tell my parents hi and let them know I'm thinking about them without actually texting or calling (for the record, I still do that at least twice a week!). It's a sweet way to keep us connected from a distance. You can read my full review of the long distance touch lamps here. - Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor

To me, the perfect gift isn't necessarily expensive but tailored to the recipient's interests and goals. My mother has always been a runner, but after turning 60, she's been on a next-level health kick. This has involved upping her routine to include yoga and generally improve her flexibility. After seeing this article, I knew that the yoga strap and block combination by Gaiam would be perfect for her to stretch on her own or bring traveling. I purchased it in purple to add some color.

Along a similar vein, I sent her a pack of these air-dried, oil-free beet chips. She likes crackers as a snack after dinner, so I thought she might like these. They've become a mainstay in my own snack drawer. - Grace High, Insider Picks commerce analyst

My mom gets a lot of gift cards between holidays, volunteer events, and neighborhood parties. I bought her this organizer so she could easily keep track of every card she owned. It fits perfectly in her purse and she can organize her cards by name or type — she likes to group all her restaurant gift cards in the front and her shopping gift cards in the back. She has used it for a couple years now, and loves the fact that she can access her cards quickly when she's in line at a store. - Megan Foster, Insider Picks intern

My mom wanted a DSLR so that she could enhance her photography, but her skill level didn't go past the automatic mode. So I got her a Nikon D3400, the precursor to the newer (and recommended) D3500, an affordable, easy-to-use DSLR that lets her advance her skills over time. It's small and lightweight, and can transfer photos to a phone for uploading to social media. Despite being an entry-level camera, I've personally used both cameras to take beautiful photos. (There is little difference between the D3400 and D3500 in performance, features, and photo quality, but the D3500 has an improved wireless technology and slightly different design.) - Les Shu, Insider Picks buying guides editor

Mejuri's Zodiac collection was a perfect, subtle way to gift a custom jewelry piece to my mom for Mother's Day. It comes in all 12 signs, and in either a ring or necklace. Find out more about why we love it here. - Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of editorial content strategy

My mom's smart TV became dumb one day, cutting her off from Netflix and Hulu. Rather than buying a new TV, this little device not only brought back the online channels she enjoyed, but introduced her to many new ones, too. These Roku media players are an affordable and easy way to make any TV smart. For more options, check out our guide on the best streaming sticks and boxes you can buy. - Les Shu, Insider Picks buying guides editor