Five of the best: Alternative Mother's Day gifts

Surprise mum with some non-traditional Mother's Day gifts this year. Photo / 123RF

Flowers, choccies and breakfast in bed — all standard Mother’s Day goodies which go down a treat. But we want to think outside the box this year and give mum something a bit different on her special day. Here are five options that will make mum feel super special.

1: Float tank session

Float therapy would be a special treat for your mum.

Imagine mum blissfully bobbing silently in a tank of warm, shallow, salty water. Okay, sounds a bit wacky at first, but I've done it and can safely say it's one of the most relaxing activities you can sign mum up for. She will relish the time out, plus floatation therapy has been said to ease muscles and align chakras. Grab her a one-hour session for $75 at Float Culture in Grafton, or, if you're feeling generous, the three float special for $225. You can buy vouchers online at floatculture.co.nz, so it's also a great last-minute idea if that's the way you usually roll.

We tried it - read more here: Floating in salt water - the blissful benefits

2: Cook dinner for the family

Make it easy to whip up a special meal by calling on your fresh friends at Farro to deliver one of their new Foodkits. There are oodles of good-looking meals to choose from online, but we reckon mum would appreciate one of the family classics. Farro has 14 recipes on offer, starting at $30 for a cottage pie with mozzarella potato top. Place your order by Friday, May 8 and request delivery for the next day and you will be cooking up a storm for Sunday. Only available in Auckland.

Cook dinner with the help of a Farro foodkit.

3: Stack of handbaked cookies

You may be too far away to give mum a hug but you can still deliver her a heartwarming pressie. Gifted Cookies will bake mum a stack of delicious biccies in flavours such as White Chocolate and Orange or Salted Caramel and Peanuts. They will wrap eight of them for $40, attach a cute card and deliver anywhere in the country. Get your order in by Friday and they will arrive to mum on Saturday.

Get some fresh handbaked cookies sent straight to your mum's front door.

4: Sign mum up for a charity half-marathon

It's not for everyone, but if mum is into her activities then the Walking Stars twilight half-marathon is perfect. Sign her (and yourself) up for $49 each (early bird registration) and get training together. The easygoing event is happening on November 28, finishing in the Auckland Domain. You'll both have a blast bonding and raising funds for the Cancer Society and Look Good Feel Better.

Walking Stars twilight half-marathon.

5: Take her out for brand new brunch

It's a classic, but mum is always stoked if you take her out for a meal. Make it something special and try the brand new Sunday brunch offering from Auckland's best Japanese, Masu. The menu includes a selection of salads, sashimi and maki rolls to start, a main dish and shared desserts. Kids are accounted for with a special bento box and a whole room dedicated to keeping them entertained. We suggest booking ahead, but some tables will be saved for lucky walk-ins. Costs $58 for adults, $26 for kids, and under-5s are free.

Try the new brunch menu at Masu.