Mother's Day Finds: Steal vs. Splurge
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Sweet Splurge: eCreamery
Four pints of custom ice cream and/or gelato, $49.95
Maybe you can tell from the picture that this is my top pick this Mother's Day. eCreamery lets you choose your own flavors (and they've got dozen of delicious ones), countless mix-ins, packaging, and your very own ice cream name to put a personal touch on everyone's favorite dessert. Forget Haagen-Dazs, this is the only frozen treat worth letting mom risk a spike in cholesterol.
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Sweet Steal: Dylans Candy Bar
Time Capsule, $35
Bring back happy memories by giving your mama a box filled with retro candy from the decade you were born.
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Top Chef Splurge: Le Creuset
2 Qt. Signature Round French Oven, $165
Made in France, Le Creuset's colorful enameled cast iron casseroles are the cream of the crop when it comes to cookware. You don't need to be a top chef to taste the difference when you prepare a meal with one of the brand's pots. Go the extra mile and make your mom a stew or bouillabaisse, which taste particularly fantastic when cooked up in the Signature Round French Oven.
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Top Chef Steal: Damian Evans and Anthony Joseph
Stainless Steel Index Cutting Board, $80
Mundane tasks take on new life when everyday objects get a high-design makeover. To that end, these cutting boards not only look aesthetically appealing, but they're color-coded so mom won't have to worry about cross-contamination if she regularly cuts meat, seafood, vegetables, and cooked foods.
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Sunny Day Splurge: The Mark Hotel
Bikes and Jean Georges Picnic, price upon request
Located just steps away from central bike, The Mark Hotel has bikes that you can rent for the day and picnic basket lunches prepared by Jean Georges's restaurant, The Mark.
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Sunny Day Steal: Picnic at Ascot
Eco Picnic Cooler for 2, $59.50
Have a mommy and me day and put together your own picnic lunch, which can easily be packed into this divided cooler.
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Splurge Fragrance: Prada
Prada Candy Eau de Toilette, 1.7 oz, $80
Though it's sweet thanks to notes that includes caramel, Prada's latest scent has a sophisticated lingering scent of sensual woody notes including musk.
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Steal Fragrance: Ralph Lauren
Big Pony for Women, 1.7oz, $55
Given the success of his Big Pony fragrance collection for men it was only a matter of time before Ralph Lauren launched a women's version. Find out which scent suits your mom best with this quiz.
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Beauty Splurge: Kat Burki
Whether it be bathrobes, candles, or lotions, everything Kat Burki touches oozes sophistication and luxury. This streamlined delicately scented lotion will add a lush touch to any vanity.
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Beauty Steal: Tocca
Crema da Corpo, $20
Tocca just revamped and reformulated its Bath & Body products, leaving their lotion looking more enticing than ever. Available in three of their most popular scents — Giulietta, Cleopatra, or Stella. My personal favorite is Stella, the same one favored by celebrity mommy Sarah Jessica Parker.
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Pampering Splurge: La Prairie
Energy Enhancer Treatment (90min), $285
Every woman can appreciate being wisked away to the Ritz-Carlton. Uplift your mama's senses with the hotel's latest spa treatment courtesy of La Prairie. The treatment includes a gentle exfoliation, energizing body wrap, and massage using their Cellular Energizing Body Lotion. Feeling 10 years younger after 90 minutes? Priceless.
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Pampering Steal: VMV Hypoallergenics
Coconut Hydrating Body Wrap (50min), $50
Tucked away in the back of the sun-drenched boutique, even the most allergy-prone mother can enjoy one of VMV's mid-range pampering treatments, all of which use the brand's allergy-tested products.
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Kitchen Splurge: Kitchen Candy
Almost too cute to use, this set comes with four chocolate-themed kitchen towels — think: "The three major food groups: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and truffles."
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Kitchen Steal: Donna Rollins
Healing Stone Mugs, $22
Available in four iterations, each of these mugs are hand thrown by artisan potter Donna Rollins, who infuses the clay with various minerals during the firing process. To finish, she crowns each mug with one of four healing stones...hey, it can't hurt to have some zen healing power when you're running on four hours of sleep.
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Home Splurge: Frederic Malle
Room Spray, $145
Malle has been creating fragrances for three decades. Now, just in time for Mother's Day, he has expanded his collection of home fragrances with five room sprays bottled in “perfume guns.”
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Home Steal: Good Home Company
Sheet and Clothing Spray, $20.50
Keep your mother's abode smelling like a beach day everyday, with Good Home's Beach Day-scented spray.
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Jewelry Splurge: The 1884 Collection
Trevi Bracelet, $240
Inspired by the Trevi fountain, this piece features a sterling silver coin charm and was designed to "represent the youth in all of us." What mom wouldn't want that?
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Jewelry Steal: Jules Smith
Sophisticated but youthful, this set of five jelly bracelets features antiqued, gold-plated bar details.
