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Experts' Choice Slideshow: The Best Gifts for Mom

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Make Her Day

She's cleaned up countless messes, soothed bruised knees and egos, and turned multitasking into an art form. Mom has more than earned her one day of pampering a year. Our panel of expert moms — Keri Glassman, WebMD wellness expert; Amy E. Goodman, beauty and fashion writer and Today show contributor; and nutritionist Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD — share their top picks for Mother's Day gifts that are good for the body, easy on the budget, and high in "mom appeal."

Winner: Best Dark Chocolate

With its "perfectly sweet, cocoa-y finish that blends bitterness and creaminess in one bite, Theo Jane Goodall 70% Organic Dark Chocolate ($4) is the consummate dark chocolate experience," Goodman says. Each bite packs antioxidants called flavonoids, which research shows helps keep the blood vessels pumping. And when you give mom one of these bars, you'll not only be helping her heart, you'll be benefitting the small farmers and tropical rainforests Theo supports around the world.

Honorable Mention: Best Dark Chocolate

When you hand her the elegant thin black box of Norman Love Black Ultra Premium Dark Chocolates ($15), mom may be expecting diamonds. "But then you open the case to reveal five gorgeous chocolate sculptures," O'Neil says. Each handcrafted piece is made with beans from a different cocoa growing region of the world and is airbrushed in rich hues. And with hints of dried plum, black currants, hazelnut, and coffee, these indulgences are meant to be savored slowly.

Winner: Best Body Scrub

As heavenly as the name suggests, Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper Sugar Scrub ($36) lets mom escape for a spa getaway right at home. "Bliss just screams, 'Mom, go enjoy some time to yourself,'" Glassman says. The sweet and spicy blend of orange and pepper makes it seem almost edible. While the scent energizes and the tiny grains invigorate, sunflower oil leaves the skin feeling softer and suppler. "Its medium grain lathers to perfection and exfoliates without overdrying the skin," Goodman raves.

Honorable Mention: Best Body Scrub

The recipe of brown sugar, almond oil, and macadamia oil in Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush ($16.99) scrub makes it smell divine, and it "really, really works," says Goodman, who notes that it even sloughed her feet smooth. Glassman says the decadent scrub's coarse, but not-too-rough feel made her skin feel luscious.

Winner: Best Tea

You've probably heard that green and black teas are packed with antioxidants that may protect against cancer and heart disease, so why not help mom drink to her health with Teavana's Tea Lovers Tea Gift Collection ($59.95)? "Any tea experience that includes self-brewing and steeping enhances the drinking process tenfold for me," Goodman says. This boxed set has a selection of four premium loose-leaf teas: white tea pearls, sweet green tea, an herbal blend, and a handcrafted artisan oolong, each in a reusable tin.

Honorable Mention: Best Tea

Each delicate green tea bloom in a box of Adagio Jasmine Bloom ($10) is as lovely to watch as it is to drink. The flower infuses the hot water with a scent and a flavor so authentic that it took Goodman right back to tea she sampled in Taiwan. Glassman calls this "a special way to consume green tea, which I recommend everyone get daily."

Winner: Best Nail Polish

Make a toast to Mom's nails—and her health—with Nailtini ($12) polish, which steers clear of such questionable nail polish additives as dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde. This fun line of lacquers, with names inspired by cocktails, "makes you want to have your friends over for some manicures and martinis." Glassman says. Finding the perfect color for mom is a lot like mixing up her favorite cocktail with the polish "flavors," which are meant to be layered to create a custom color.

Honorable Mention: Best Nail Polish

Essie ($8) has long been one of the most popular nail polishes, favored by both pros and home manicurists for its huge palette of vibrant colors. "There's a reason so many salons use this brand—great colors and great coverage," O'Neil says. This salon staple's polishes are also free of DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde—making mom's hands extra safe for wiping noses and feeding kids.

Winner: Best Pedometer

Research shows that clipping on a pedometer can help mom boost her physical activity, shed pounds, and lower blood pressure. And the Timex Ironman Fitness Tracker ($89.95) can help her do that—and more. This two-piece, pedometer–watch combo will track her steps, distance walked, and calories burned, but first it will calibrate her rate, speed, and steps so that her readings are always accurate. "I like that you can clip the measuring device to one body part and check the watch for a readout," Glassman says.

Honorable Mention: Best Pedometer

The Omron's Go Smart HJ-303 Tri Axis Pedometer ($44.99) is ideal for the mom who is easing back into a workout routine, Glassman says. With its built-in seven-day memory, this easy-to-use device can track mom's steps throughout the week to make sure she's taking the recommended 10,000 steps (5 miles) a day. "It's a pedometer that actually holds you accountable, step by step," Goodman says.

How Our Experts' Choices Were Made

To select our WebMD the Magazine Experts' Choice Best Mom Gifts winners, our three experts considered hundreds of products. Their mission? To find the healthiest – and most appealing – gifts for mom on her special day.

About our experts:

Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN, and president of Keri Glassman, A Nutritious Life, a nutrition counseling and consulting practice.

Carolyn O'Neil, MS, RD, is a dietitian and author of The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!

Amy E. Goodman, MS, is a beauty and fashion writer/editor and a frequent Today show contributor.

Watch for more Experts' Choice winners in future issues of WebMD the Magazine.

Note: WebMD Experts' Choice reflect the opinions of the editors or experts only, not of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.