Amanda Newkirk, a 38-year-old from Georgia, took an unexpected approach when deciding what to give her mother, Sherri, 62. Speaking to Newsweek, Newkirk admitted her mom is notoriously difficult to buy for.
“My mom always buys whatever she wants, so she’s hard to shop for,” Newkirk explained. Frustrated, she turned to Google for ideas. A search for “things to get your mom for Mother’s Day” led her to baby footprint ornaments—commonly used to capture a newborn’s tiny feet.
“It mistakenly showed me baby feet ornaments,” she said. “I thought, ‘That would be funny if I used my 38-year-old foot!’”
When Sherri pulls the gift from the bag, she bursts out laughing. The ornament is a mold of Newkirk’s adult foot, made by hand—similar to those typically created by new parents with their babies.
As she turns the mold over, Sherri reads the inscription: “Amanda, 461 months.” Giggling, she replies, “I don’t have one of these!” Then she adds, “Not only is she 461 months, I’m still trying to lose the baby weight.”
Newkirk revealed that she made the footprint with the help of her stepson using air-dry clay. She knew her mom, a licensed clinical social worker with a great sense of humor, would find the joke hilarious.
“My mom and dad are both brilliantly funny,” Newkirk said. “I’m very close with both of them.”
The response online has been overwhelming. The video has garnered over 312,000 likes on TikTok, with thousands of amused comments. One user wrote, “Fallen arches and plantar fasciitis; forever your baby I’ll be.” Another joked, “I’m a size 12 women’s. It’s gonna be a dinner plate hanging from the tree.”
Viewers also praised Sherri’s laugh, calling it “infectious.” One person commented, “Please tell your mom she has the BEST laugh. Her laugh made me laugh along.”
Newkirk confirmed the ornament will indeed be displayed during the holidays. “I’m her only baby, so she will hang it with pride,” she said.
