Mother’s Day is the day that’s set aside to honor the women in your life who are mothers. It’s a day intended to show the emotions in your heart through acts of kindness, expressions of love and by giving gifts that they’ll treasure.
Being a mother is a twenty-four-seven job that’s often spent in the middle of the night, walking the floor with a sick child or waiting up for a teen that’s just started driving. It’s a job that’s peanut butter and jelly handprints on the table and toys scattered on the floor – but it’s a job that mothers gladly undertake because of the love they have for their children.
You want to take the time to show your appreciation and gratitude for these women and you want that person to know how much they mean to you through the gift you give. That’s why not just any type of gift will do.
These mothers are all unique and their tastes and interests are all different. You can show a lot of thoughtfulness by getting them a gift that means something to them. Don’t just watch commercials and grab whatever advertisers are recommending.
What’s Your Mother’s Day Budget?
First, of course, you’ll have to look at what you can do for the special mother in your life, based on the money you have to spend. The gifts you can buy range from inexpensive curio keepsakes to expensive jewelry.
You want to show how much you care, but at the same time can’t spend what you don’t have. If you’re on a very limited budget, know that mothers still love to get handwritten and handmade things from their children – even their adult children – because they know this comes from the heart, and you can’t buy that at any store.
If you have very little funds, one idea that you can do is to get an inexpensive journal – you can find these for less than $5 – and using scrapbook letters and other scrapbook embellishments, you can create a one of a kind Mother’s Day gift.
You can start on the inside cover by gluing down letters that spell out “Love” or “Mother” or any other sentiment you want to say. On the first page, write a heading titled, “My Special Mother’s Day Message for You.”
Then write a short note like you would in a Mother’s Day Card. For the next page, write, “What I Love About You” and write what you love about your mom. Include special memories or funny family moments that you both treasure.
Write different headings for the following pages such as, “The Best Advice You’ve Ever Given Me,” “My Favorite Childhood Memory With You” and, “You Taught Me To…” or come up with some of your own that you know your mom would like.
The journal will be a gift that she’ll treasure.
Knowing What That Special Lady Would Treasure
Knowing what the mother in your life will treasure will depend on how well you know her tastes – what she likes to do, wear, places she loves to go, etc. The gifts that mean the most are always the ones that require a little effort.
To keep from spoiling the surprise about what you want to get her for Mother’s Day by simply asking her, you can do a little spy work and easily find out what she likes.
Perfume – Don’t just head to the store and pick out any kind of fragrance, for example – look around on her vanity counter and read the label of her perfumes. Which one has the most amount of perfume missing? This is the one that she’s using regularly.
You can surprise her with a bottle of her favorite fragrance when you know what she likes. Around Mother’s Day, the department stores will regularly have complete sets for fragrances that include little gifts with purchase.
Pay attention to the magazines she reads and the items for sale in the magazines that she’s talked about. Has she expressed any interest in a particular product on a television ad? Is there a movie she’s gone to see repeatedly that she just sighs over whenever she talks about it? Those are all clues she’s giving off and if you pay attention, you can surprise her.
Women will sometimes say, “Oh! I love that!” when out walking or shopping so listen to what she says whenever you’re together if she’s looking at something and says how much she’d like that.
Books – If the mother in your life loves to read, books are always a big hit. Look at her “to-be-read” or “already read” pile to see what types of books she loves to read and then pick something out in that genre.
If you know she has a favorite author, you can contact that author (most have websites allowing fans to contact them) and ask for a signed bookplate that you can place in a book. You can send in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to get the bookplate back in time for Mother’s Day.
If your mother’s taste in books is eclectic, you can get her a gift certificate to her favorite bookstore. Since many bookstores have a coffee shop with all sorts of beverages and sweet treats, you can add a certificate for that and give her a relaxing day of book browsing and sipping her favorite latte.
You can even buy book certificates for mothers who own eReaders and prefer electronic books over bound ones. Some women prefer audio books, especially if they travel, but don’t buy audio books if she’s never expressed an interest in them.
Flowers – Bouquets of flowers are always a good idea, and roses are flowers that are the national symbol of love. If you don’t know what your mother’s favorite flowers are, check around her house outside for the types of flowers she has planted.
Inside, look at artwork on the wall to see if there are any particular flowers featured in the artwork. You can often pick up clues for flower preferences that way.
Food – Food is always a big hit with mothers – especially the chocolate kind – but there’s a right and a wrong kind of chocolate to buy. You don’t want to get nuts or nougat or caramel if she doesn’t like any of that.
You’ll want to find out what her favorite chocolate is and buy some of that. You can put the chocolate in a lovely basket filled with other goodies or in a basket lined with rose petals – just little things that go the extra mile.
Jewelry – Jewelry is another great idea for a Mother’s Day gift and it’s hard to go wrong with jewelry unless you get her something she doesn’t wear. Many moms don’t like to wear a certain type of jewelry or a certain style. You want to find out what she does like by looking through photographs of the jewelry she has worn.
Necklaces and earrings are always a good idea, and you can get jewelry that speaks about her interests. You can also get a beautiful mother’s ring inscribed with a special message and containing each child’s birthstone.
Diamonds are timeless, elegant jewelry that mothers will enjoy, especially if you search for the piece that’s special to her. You can find diamond necklaces in the shapes of music notes, hearts, dolphins and more.
You can also find replicas of jewelry worn by your mother’s favorite actresses.
Artwork – Artistic presents are a great idea if you know her taste in art. Many moms love famous paintings – and you can check out art shops for smaller prints that can be framed. Framed pictures are also a good idea for Mother’s Day gifts and you can frame special photographs or images that are special to the two of you.
Gift Certificates – Gift certificates are always a good option if you know what she likes. Online shopping is fun for moms and she can find a huge selection at places like Amazon. You can also give certificates for her favorite restaurant, for movie tickets or certificates for her to download music.
Spa certificates can give your mom a day of sheer relaxation and make her feel pampered. Massages are a good idea, but only if you know that your mom will appreciate a massage – because not everyone is comfortable with one.
You don’t want to give her a certificate she wouldn’t use. This all goes back to finding out what your mom or the woman in your life who’s a mom would like. A salon certificate for a hairstyle is something a mom would appreciate. Tickets to see her favorite musician perform is something she would also love.
Food – Let’s not forget the food! Go all out on her special day. Don’t make the special mom in your life cook on her day of honor. You can never go wrong with dinner reservations out at a nice restaurant.
Make her breakfast in bed and make sure you take care of making the lunch. Let her have the entire day to get pampered and ready for her dinner out.
If you want to really make it special and have the budget for it, you can rent a special car-anything from a new, snazzy sports car to a classic ’57 Chevy.
Don’t Repeat Each Mother’s Day the Same Way
Mother’s Day is a special time, and even if you determine what your Mom’s favorite perfume is, don’t give it to her year after year.
Instead, mix things up a bit!
One year, buy her favorite fragrance, but the next year, get her the spa gift certificates, followed by a family outing the following year.
You want to keep her guessing and showing her that you’re paying attention to her every need. She’ll love bragging to her friends about how much TLC she was shown by the very grateful children and grandchildren.
