4 cool cheap gifts for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is just around the corner (May 13, to be exact), so it's time to start giving some serious thought to gift ideas.

I have a few -- and they're probably not what you're expecting. Nope, no drones, 3D printers or thumbprint-activated padlocks for Mom this year. Instead: Flowers, salt lamps and other stuff she might actually want!

Flowers for months

What's better than flowers on Mother's Day? Flowers that keep coming, of course. That's the idea behind Enjoy Flowers, a subscription service that keeps Mom in blooms for months after her day.

And here's an exclusive from me to you: For a limited time, and while supplies last, you can get a 3-month Enjoy Flowers subscription package for $114 (or $121, depending on which bouquet you choose) with code MDAYRICK at checkout. That's 15 percent off the regular price.

The first delivery will arrive on May 10 or 11, with the next ones coming in June and July. The subscription ends after that (unless you decide to extend it, of course); it's not auto-renewing.

Needless to say, it's easy to spend $50-60 at a bare minimum to get flowers delivered (especially when you factor in the inevitable taxes and shipping fees). Here you're getting three deliveries for around $40 apiece -- and two extra months of reminding Mom why you're the best child.

Everything's better with salt

I honestly don't get the whole salt-lamp craze, especially this pseudo-science about "negative ions" and improving your sleep. That said, they look cool and emit a soft, pretty glow.

So, for a limited time, and while supplies last, Arovast (via Amazon) has the Levoit Kana Himalayan Salt Lamp for $18.99 with promo code MOMCNETQ. Reg. price: $26.

The lamp consists of a 5-8-pound hunk of salt atop a 15-watt bulb (with two spares included in the box). There's a touch-powered dimmer switch embedded in the power cord. Some 1,600-plus buyers collectively rated this 4.7 stars out of 5, so I think it's a pretty safe bet Mom will like it.

Off-brand Instant Pot FTW

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Let's be honest: Handing Mom a gift that says "This will help you with the housework!" just isn't cool. But this particular kitchen appliance is a major exception to the rule: It's an off-brand version of the Instant Pot that Mom -- or anyone who even dabbles in cooking -- will definitely want.

Seriously: The cooker is the hot appliance right now. Last year, on both Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday, the interwebs went nuts over deals on this thing.

Right now, the Instant Pot Duo will run you $100 pretty much everywhere. But here's a less-expensive alternative: The Cosori 6-quart 8-in-1 cooker for $65.95 with promo code MOMCNETW.

I guess I can see why these are so insanely popular, because they can cook about a zillion things with the press of a button. It's a pressure cooker, a slow cooker, a yogurt maker, a saute pan and on and on. (Psst. Don't tell Mrs. Cheapskate, but I think this is going under the Mother's Day tree.)

Tangential bonus deal: This is a little harder to gift, but I say snag it anyway. For a limited time, Amazon has the Kindle edition of "Instant Pot Cookbook: The Ultimate Guide Plus 101 Delicious Recipes" for free. The paperback edition sells for $8.99.

Tangential giveaway: As fate would have it, CNET is holding an Instant Pot giveaway right at this very moment! You've got until May 6 to get your entries in and three lucky folks will win.

A smart fix for Mom's battery-starved phone

Mom can't be an effective mom if she's always scrambling to find a charger for her phone. A mobile charger would help, of course, but it's hard to actually use the phone while it's plugged into that bulky, unwieldy thing.

What about a battery case? That's an option, too, but it adds full-time weight and bulk to the phone. That's why I'm kind of digging this two-pronged approach: a slim protective case with a removable magnetic power-pack.

Here's the deal: Get the Torbre Pop Case Magnetic Extended Battery Case for $13.49 with promo code BBPQ99Z7. Reg. price: $27.

The slim, wraparound plastic case is compatible with the iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus and 8 Plus. It's a pretty standard protector, right up until you connect the 4,000mAh battery pack, which magnetically clamps onto the rear -- but with a nice, rounded, meant-to-be-there shell. A two-prong Lightning dongle connects the two -- and I find it awesome that the battery pack also recharges via Lightning, not microUSB as with most battery cases.

If Mom has a compatible phone, this is really a great accessory -- and for a pretty sweet price, I have to say.

Bonus deal: In case you missed it last week, Walmart once again (or still?) has the Apple Watch Series 1 on sale for just $149. It's the more Mom-friendly 38mm size; the 42mm version is available for $179.

That's the version with the sport band, which is great for sporty moms. But if you want something a little more interesting (and colorful), hit up Amazon or Ebay and search for "Apple Watch Band 38mm." You'll find about a zillion options, many of them priced in the $10-15 range.

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CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on PCs, phones, gadgets and much more. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Find the answers on our FAQ page. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and follow the Cheapskate on Facebook and Twitter!