My Mom Hates Clutter, so I Got Her This 2-in-1 Kitchen Gift She’ll Use Every Day

I cannot tell you how many questionable presents I DIYed for my mom when I was growing up. Every year my sisters and I would turn into mad scientists; we’d fill emptied-out spice jars with a mixture of baby oil, various extracts from the kitchen cabinets, and pieces of lilac (her favorite flower). On Mother’s Day we’d proudly present this “perfume” to her and demand that she put it on right then and there to prove she really liked it (sweet, and not at all scary!). 

These days I just want to get my mom something she’ll really love and use fully of her own volition. And this year I feel confident I’ve landed on a lovely solution: the Paint & Pour Gift Set from Brightland. 

Brightland’s limited-time Paint & Pour Gift Set pairs two Brightland olive oils and packages them in a floral box, along with a paint brush, set of acrylic paints, two blank bottle labels, and two pouring spouts. Unbox it and you’re ready for your own paint-and-pour night: Use the paints to decorate the blank labels and even the white bottles themselves, let it dry, and then put the spout in the bottle. Now you’re ready to pour that olive oil over some salad, bread, soup, or whatever else you fancy.

The set comes with a 12.7-fluid ounce bottle of Brightland’s Alive Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is ideal for drizzling over a bowl of greens, dressing up some store-bought hummus, or even topping a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I love doing this). The second bottle is the Awake Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which is a cold-pressed oil that’s perfect for frying up some crispy eggs, roasting a batch of veggies (one of my mom’s favorite uses), or dipping some bread. 

To be fair, I’d love to receive this olive oil set for any occasion — it’d be such a fun way to make a simple night of catching up at home with a friend feel special. But when I first learned about it, the first idea that came to mind was how much my mom would appreciate it. She has been in a major decluttering mode for the past few years, so my rule of thumb for buying gifts for her these days is that it must be something she can use up. 

On top of that, I know one of her main love languages is quality time, so gifts that involve hanging out together or that I’ve spent time looking for or making mean a lot to her. Rather than mailing her the box for Mother’s Day, I decided to open it when she came to visit me in April. We made a paint-and-sip night out of it by whipping up some martinis (with Veso’s anchovy vermouth — can’t recommend enough) and some snacks.  

Having ambled around the Brooklyn Botanical Garden earlier that day, we were feeling inspired by flowers. I painted my bottle with some abstract purple shades to represent a bouquet of lilacs (her aforementioned favorite flower), and she painted hers with a gorgeous scene of tulips on a sunny day (just like the ones we’d oohed and aahed over at the gardens). 

When we were all done, we swapped bottles. Not only was it the cutest way to spend part of our evening and get a little crafty, but now I also have a bottle of olive oil sitting on my counter decorated with my mom’s design. We live a few states away, and it genuinely makes me smile and think of her every single time I reach for the olive oil, which is pretty much every day. Even sweeter is knowing she’s probably doing the very same thing. 

Buy: The Paint & Pour Gift Set from Brightland, $95