Mother’s Day gifts.
Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Did you buy your mom a gift yet?
Will your mom end up giving you a better gift than you give her — again?
(Is my mom the only one who does this? Ever since I became a mom she gives me a Mother’s Day gift — preposterous but so sweet.)
Even if you’re on top of your Mother’s Day game, after that there are likely graduations, wedding showers, baby showers, and you didn’t forget about Father’s Day, did you?
We’re entering the other season of giving, and if that gives you hives, remember there’s one thing that’s appropriate for almost anyone: a gift basket.
Several Wisconsin companies are taking gift baskets — and boxes and buckets — to the next level with carefully curated, locally made products tailored to a variety of occasions. They make it easy to send your loved ones a little piece of Wisconsin, wherever they may be.
WiscoBoxes, which launched in March, offers a dozen themed gift boxes including Culinary Mom, The Graduate and Enticing Vices.
The boxes feature products from 43 small Wisconsin growers, artisans and manufacturers, including food, wine, bath products, ceramics, textiles, metalwork and baby powder (you’ll find that in the Hey Baby, Baby box).
Even the box itself is made in Wisconsin, by Wright Brothers Paper Box Co. in Fond du Lac. “The box is part of the gift,” said Sarah Botham, founder and president of WiscoBoxes.
“I know that Wisconsin is a place unlike any other and the people who live here love Wisconsin and love its products and love to share the true spirit of Wisconsin,” Botham said. “We believe the growers, artisans and producers really embody the spirit of Wisconsin.”
Botham’s husband owns Botham Vineyards, which is the only wine featured in the boxes.
WiscoBoxes brand manager Megan Madsen said she scouted Etsy, craft shows and shops in Milwaukee and Madison to find the right items for the boxes.
WiscoBoxes.com also has a call out for referrals for high-quality, locally made items.
Each box comes in three sizes to accommodate a variety of price points, from $33 to $130. You can also build your own box with up to five items of your choosing. Botham said they handwrite a message from the gift giver to include with every box.
A Father’s Day-themed box is coming soon. If you’re shopping for Mother’s Day, ensure the gift arrives in time by ordering at WiscoBoxes.com by Monday if it needs to be shipped across the country or Tuesday for shipping to the Midwest.
From Milwaukee With Love was founded by lifelong Milwaukeeans Paul and Lori Fredrich, who believe “the best way to get to know a city is by tasting the food and using the products which it produces.”
The couple choose high-quality, locally made items to include in food- and drink-themed gift boxes.
A new Ice Cream Lover’s Box ($65) comes with handmade ice cream bowls and locally made ice cream toppings.
The Bloody Good Morning Kit ($45) has everything you need (except the vodka) for a made-in-Milwaukee Bloody Mary. With Milwaukee-made sauces, spice rubs and screen printed flour sack towel, the Light My Fire Grilling Box ($50) is perfect for a serious grillmaster.
Prices for gift boxes range from $40 to $70, and subscription box options are
available, too. Choose expedited shipping at frommilwaukeewithlove.com to ensure delivery by Mother’s Day.
Fromagination is a European-style cheese shop in Madison with a robust online shop offering artisan cheese gift sets. In addition to highly rated cheeses from central and southern Wisconsin, some gift sets include locally made crackers, preserves, charcuterie and other cheese complements.
The online shop offers cheese accessories, artisan foods and a few home décor items.
Gift sets start at $50 and go as high as $500 for the “Wisconsin Feast” basket.
To customize a gift basket, call the shop at (608) 255-2430 or leave a note in your online order at fromagination.com, which the store will follow up with a phone call. All gift orders include a handwritten note from the giver. To ensure Mother’s Day delivery, order by Monday.
WisconsinMade opened its online shop in 1999, showcasing Wisconsinmade food, art, apparel and books. Want to send someone an O&H Bakery kringle or some Neuske’s bacon?
How about a set of locally made bath and body products? They’ve got gift baskets for that and much more. The site features more than 2,000 products made by artisans from Wisconsin.
A breakfast treats gift bucket ($63.30) includes maple syrup, two kinds of pancake mix, coffee and maple candy. The Nueske party basket ($47.95) was a top Mother’s Day seller last year and includes three kinds of summer sausage, honey mustard, three kinds of cheese and wheat crackers.
There’s a basket for every occasion, including graduation, housewarming and sympathy, with a wide range of prices. Order at wisconsinmade.com by Sunday with expedited shipping for delivery by Mother’s Day.
Some last-minute, perishable items will be able to be shipped in time if ordered by 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Wisconsin Cheese Mart offers an array of cheese gift baskets at reasonable prices.
The Wisconsin Sampler Cheese Gift Basket ($38) comes with four types of cheese and a small jar of honey in a Wisconsin-made wooden box.
The Cheddar Flight Gift Crate ($38) is an adorable small wooden crate filled with five Wisconsin cheddar cheeses, aged from one to seven years. The Wine Connoisseur Collection Gift Crate ($48) is full of award-winning cheeses that pair well with wine.
Find gift baskets with cheeses paired with locally made sausage, pretzels and other accompaniments. The Cheese Mart also has a cheese of the month club and a cheese and sausage of the month club. Order by Tuesday or Wednesday at
wisconsincheesemart.com for delivery before Mother’s Day. You can select what date you would like the gift to be delivered if ordering in advance.