My mom just turned sixty-five last month, which pretty much makes her officially un-shoppable for. Truth be told, I’ve had a hard time for almost a decade now. Gone are the days when a box of Corelle dishes, a new toaster, or a gaudy knickknack would cut it as a gift.
She has moved twice since my Dad passed away, paring down her belonging each time. I know, because she has told me wholeheartedly, that the last thing she wants is something to stick on a shelf and dust.
When she needs something she buys it. When there is something she really wants, she likely buys that too. Sure there are wishlist items out there that she only dreams of, but they are all out of my price range.
I love you mom, but I’m not buying you a new car.
So I am left with two options:
First, anything from the grandkids. Anything my girls pick out, she will love unconditionally. Weird ornaments? Things made out of macaroni? Airdry clay creations? Handmade books? All fantastic.
Second, I have to find things that she wants, but that she doesn’t even KNOW that she wants.
Which is why this year I gave her a toothbrush.
Okay, not just any toothbrush, a super fancy, pretty in pink, electric Oral-B toothbrush.
(And yes, this post is sponsored by Oral-B. But as always my words an opinions are my own.)
Up until now, my mom has pooh-poohed the idea of an electric toothbrush. Her normal one works just fine, thank you. Why change?
But… I know if I give it to her as a gift she will try it out, and I am certain if she tries it out that she will love it.
I’ve had an Oral-B electric toothbrush for several years now, and I found a noticeable improvement in my oral health when I started using it. A “Hey, my dentist noticed the difference!” sort of improvement. (The box for my mom’s new toothbrush promises “Up to 100% healthier gums and more plaque removal (vs. a regular manual toothbrush).” and I totally believe it).
The one that I gave my mom is an Oral-B Genius Pro 9600. Shiny. New. Top of the line. Super high tech. It has Bluetooth so it can connect with your phone or tablet, and there’s an app which you can grab in the Apple App Store or via Google Play, which helps you to track your brushing habits.
The app uses “New GumProtect Technology with innovative pressure mapping and gum self-assessment tracking to guide your brushing in real time.” (I’m actually really curious about how this works! I may just hang around in my mom’s bathroom and watch her brush her teeth so I can check it out. That’s not weird, right? Ha.)
It’s definitely the prettiest toothbrush I’ve ever seen. It actually comes in different colours. I got my mom the Sakura Pink version, but it also comes in Orchid Purple, White, Black and even Rosegold.
It has a special sensor so if you brush too hard it will light up to visually alert you, and it will also automatically reduce the speed that the brush is spinning at.
The travel case has a charger built in! The smart travel case charges both your toothbrush and your phone with one plug!!
The battery on my Oral-B tends to last pretty long. I’ve taken it on several week long trips and it’s always managed to last the whole time. But, a travel case that doubles as a charger?? That is just so cool!
My mom wants to travel more, now that she’s semi-retired, so I know she is going to get a kick out of this feature. Plus the charger is multi-voltage, for round the world usage. While I don’t think my mom is planning on jetting off to Europe anytime soon, It’s still cool to know that if she were, she’d be set.
Overall, I feel pretty confident that this is a gift that my “so darn hard to buy for” mom is going to love.
What about you folks? Have you tried out any of the Oral-B electric toothbrushes? Would you ever give a toothbrush as a gift?
Want to grab one for yourself (or your mom)? The suggested retail is $289.99. Amazon has it for way less than that, cheapest I’ve seen it so far: Amazon.ca | Amazon.com (Those links to Amazon are affiliate links. If you do make a purchase I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks guys!)
This sounds like a great electric toothbrush and I’m sure your mum loves it already. 🙂