Minnesota gifts for your Minnesota mom
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Posted: 2018 | Updated: 2019
Shopping for a Mother's Day gift can be tricky, but you can narrow down your choices, and support local businesses, by choosing to shop for Minnesota-made and Minnesota-based products.
Your proud Minnesotan mother will thank you. Here are a few suggestions:
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The gift of Minnesota's natural beauty
If your mom is an outdoorswoman, you might want to head over the DNR website for a few fitting options. If she enjoys hunting or fishing you can buy her a lifetime license, as long as she's a Minnesota resident. They can get a little spendy, and it takes about three weeks to process so it'll be belated, but never again will your mother have to worry about reapplying in time for her favorite season.
If she's more into communing with nature rather than trying to catch it, the DNR also offers gift cards. I know, it sounds like a cop-out gift, but these cards can be used for reserving campsites, entering state parks, equipment rentals and other gifts and apparel at Minnesota State Parks gift stores — so really, it's the gift of an adventure.
Some Minnesota treats
If your mom has a sweet tooth, there are a few well-known chocolate shops dotting the land of 10,000 lakes. St. Croix Chocolates, located on the St. Croix River northeast of the Twin Cities, offers handmade, artistically crafted chocolates. And if you don't live anywhere near the St. Croix, you can still order chocolates by the box — they currently have Mother's Day and spring specialties.
If you live in the metro area, you can find Legacy Chocolates in downtown St. Paul. There you can buy chocolate as well as coffee, cocoa and baked goods. They also offer a variety of products for online order.
Want more than just chocolate? You can throw in a little variety by grabbing a gift basket from The General Store of Minnetonka. They have a Taste of Minnesota Gift Basket that includes wild rice, coffee, and yes, some chocolate too.
If your mom is more interested in making her own meals, consider some Minnesota-made spices. Minnesota Nice Spice offers locally made blends that are sold individually and as gift boxes.
Wayzata Bay Spice Company also offers a wide-variety of Minnesota-centric spices, including custom blends.
If your mom only wishes she could cook, maybe it'd be a good idea to sign her up for a cooking class at Cooks of Crocus Hill with locations in Stillwater, St. Paul and Minneapolis. You can also stock up on cookware while you're there.
A Minnesotan garden
While having a garden that is composed of completely native plants can be a very difficult task, giving your mother one or two of the easier to manage flowers can make a great gift and addition to her garden or home.
Prairie Restoration Inc. has a lot of terrific resources for what native plants do best in certain climates. They even offer kits for sale tailored to the area you're hoping to plant. Otherwise, check for garden shows near you or the garden section of your local hardware store. Many have whole sections dedicated to native Minnesota plants.
Minnesota fashion
If your mom is into Swedish fashion, look no further than Sven Clogs, located in Chisago City. Offering handcrafted clogs, boots and flats in a variety of colors and styles, the company has been making footwear in Minnesota since 1974.
Again, if your mom is a fan of the outdoors, consider buying her something from Duluth Pack. Specializing in canvas and leather products since 1882, the Duluth based store has a variety of products for the outdoors, as well as bags, shoes and accessories for everyday life.