You open Facebook and suddenly see “Happy Mother’s Day to the best mom in the world.”

Then another post. Then another. Then panic.

Because, despite all the tarpaulins, FB reminders, text promos, and the ubiquitous advertisements splashed on EDSA billboards, you just somehow missed that it is Mother’s Day today. (Or that it’s Mother’s Day every second Sunday of May.)

What to do, what to do.

Here are ideas for still-great super last-minute gifts that won’t seem rushed or thoughtless, and won’t give you away to your very perceptive Mama.

The problem with panic flowers is that they often look panic-bought. Please, please don’t buy that tired-looking bouquet from the nearby grocery that’s been in the bin since last week.

Instead of defaulting to giant Valentine-style bouquets, think about your mother’s actual personality.

Quietly elegant mama? Give her minimalist dried flowers or tulips.

The drama queen in your life? Ecuadorian roses will be Stories-worthy.

Mamas who think you’re wasting money a.k.a. “ibili ng bigas na lang ‘yan?” Something potted or alive she can keep for much longer.

Happy cheerful mama who appreciates flowers but isn’t the type to obsess over them? Sunflowers.

Same-day services like Flower Chimp, FlowerStore.ph, and Dangwa-based online sellers you can find on Marketplace can still save lives this late into the game.

But the real gift is the note that comes with it. Not “Happy Mother’s Day” the florist wrote for you.

Write something oddly specific: “Thank you for buying that Sega Game console even during the years when things were hard.”

That’s the thing she’ll appreciate most.

Many mothers feel guilty for spending on themselves because they’d rather use their money on their children. She’d rather buy her daughter new eyeliner or her son new sneakers than get a little me-time—which is why booking the appointment for her matters, so she can’t say no.

A facial at Luminisce (we recommend the Luxury Facial, and maybe up the experience a little bit with a Baby Skin treatment, or even an Ulthera Prime session!). A massage. A salon day. So call the clinic. Book it ASAP, or give her the voucher. Don’t take no for an answer.

A day just for herself, where she emerges looking rested, is true luxury for any woman.

Many people buy objects because they panic under pressure.

But one of the best super last-minute gifts a mother can get is a printed ticket for a destination she’s always wanted to go—Hanoi, Palawan, Tokyo, Seoul, Davao, Paris. A confirmed reservation for even a date that’s still six months away (or a year away if you really need to save)—is something she’ll appreciate.

Your mother has spent years organizing everybody else’s milestones, so it’s truly special if her children planned something for her instead.

Many mothers will never buy replacements for themselves.

They will continue using their worn-out underwear, a towel that’s yellowed and frayed, a comb with missing teeth, a bag with stains.

One underrated but very much needed Mother’s Day gift is simply upgrading something she uses every single day. Small useful upgrades you can easily buy or order off FB marketplace for same-day delivery: A nice satin pillowcase she’s always looked at that promises smoother skin, a new towel, a new office chair for the mom who WFHs, a good electric toothbrush she admires but would never buy herself.

The best gifts are often the ones that will quietly improve her daily life.

Filipino mothers delay their own needs. From new glasses to that executive checkup she keeps postponing, rack your brains for one really practical gift to take one burden off her.

Pay for the new glasses. Schedule the executive checkup.

It may not look Instagrammable, but she will know you really “see” her. But as we all say, to be seen is to be loved.