Do you love your mother? Of course you do. We all do, and yet Mother’s Day sneaks up on some of us, despite our best intentions, leaving us to frantically dial 1-800-FLOWERS or scour the picked-over racks of greeting cards at the drug store at the very last moment on Mother’s Day. But just because you waited, (or forgot about it) doesn’t mean that you can’t get your mom a fantastic gift. You can pick out something thoughtful, without having to spend a fortune; because as every mother knows, it really is the thought that counts. So here are some ideas to help you, if you are having trouble coming up with that perfect gift to let your mom know how much you love her!
1. Gift Certificate to a Day Spa – Let Someone Take Care of Mom for a Change!
Day spas can be found all over the place these days, so chances are there is one in your area that can be found with one quick trip to Google Maps, or your local yellow pages. Even if there is no local day spa, most beauty salons these days offer various spa services, and have an esthetician on staff. You can pick from a variety of services, ranging from spa pedicures and facials, to body wraps and massages. The great thing about spa services is the ability to order services “a la carte” or to put together a deluxe spa package. If you are looking for something relatively inexpensive, go for a massage or spa pedicure. These tend to run from $35 -$60, and though they don’t cost much, will still make mom feel like a new woman when she’s finished. Massages, body wraps, and combined services cost a bit more, but are well worth it, when your mother gets to feel like queen for a day!
2. Netflix Subscription – Make Every Night Movie Night
Netflix has really come a long way, in the last few years. They have been around for quite a while and have steadily improved their features so now they are the top online movie rental service. They offer subscriptions in a variety of tiers, that range from $8.99 a month to $16.99 a month, and you can purchase a gift subscription online that lasts anywhere from one month to twelve months. In the last couple of years, Netflix has begun offering an ever-expanding library of instantly available movies to watch as well, that appeals to the instant-gratification side of all of us! If you really want to treat your mother to something special, you can purchase a box that hooks up to any television set that streams movies just like a cable box, or satellite receiver. Netflix even streams movies throw video game consoles, like Nintendo Wii or Playstation 3. Now your mom can actually use the video game that gathers dust when the grandchildren aren’t around for something that she would enjoy! There are tons of classic movies that she can enjoy, along with the newly released movies that are just hitting the stores. The best part of course, is that she never has to go any farther than her mailbox to get a movie, or tv show to watch!
3. Flowers From a Plant Nursery – The Gift That Keeps Giving
Flowers are always a lovely, special choice for Mother’s Day. They look beautiful and smell divine, but their one flaw is their impermanence. After a few short days, they wilt and get tossed out. How about something that your mother will be able to enjoy for months? Go to your local greenhouse or nursery, and pick out a few flats of annuals, that will bloom all spring and summer long. When you bring them to your mother’s house, you can help her plant them; and boom, you’ve given her something beautiful, that she can enjoy for a long time. Bonus, you have spent quality time with her, which is almost certainly what she really wanted, in the first place!
4. Ipod – ‘Cause Your Mom is Cooler Than You Think
I remember coming home from college one weekend, and borrowing my mom’s car to run an errand. When I got in the car and turned on the radio, the volume was nearly maxed out and the song playing nearly blasted me into the next county. I assumed that my mom had bumped it accidentally, because she would never ever listen to Neal Diamond that loud, would she? I mentioned it later in passing, and was surprised when she blushed and began to laugh. When I asked her about it, she said “Oh you know, that song was on that’s so popular right now, and it’s really very catchy.” Upon further questioning (and some humming on her part) I was able to figure out the song she was jamming to. Are you ready for this? Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit. I was simultaneously impressed and horrified. (Impressed that she knew the song, horrified that my mother and I apparently listened to the same music.) That was one of the first times it really occurred to me that my mother was an individual who had her own musical likes and dislikes. Turns out, moms love music too! Ipods have their coolest gadget reputations for a reason. They come in a variety of sizes, offering a number of features that will fit nearly any budget. From the teeny-tiny iPod Shuffle that is perfect for the lady who just wants some tunes while she jogs, to the iPod Touch with it’s touch-screen and bajillion downloadable apps, the iPod will please anyone and everyone. I am a mom, and seriously use mine ALL the time. From listening to it while I run errands in the car, to playing on the dock, while I make dinner, to using it with headphones, while my kids play at the park, it is never far from my side! Trust me, even if she doesn’t know it yet, when you give it to her, she will love it.
5. Chocolate – Step Away From the Whitman’s Sampler
For the lady with a sweet tooth, it is hard to go wrong with chocolate for Mother’s Day. Gourmet and artisan chocolates are much more accessible now than they used to be, so definitely consider this as an option for your mother. If you are unfamiliar with brands of the top chocolate companies, here are a couple that will get you started. These are all brands that can almost certainly be found in any decent-sized grocery store or supermarket, so creating a delightful, delicious gift basket for the special woman in your will be easy-breezy!
6. Scrapbooking Supplies – Walk Down Memory Lane Together
If your mother is anything like mine, chances are she has photographs that are not being displayed to their best advantage. They might be in some dusty photo albums, or in boxes in a closet somewhere waiting to be sorted. If you want a gift that is not only practical, but that will really touch your mother’s heart, spend Mother’s Day with her, creating a scrapbook of your most cherished memories. You can stop by any Michaeal’s and Joann Fabrics, and find more scrapbooking supplies than you even knew existed. Any hobby store, or even Target and Walmart also have great scrapbook and crafting sections, where you can pick out everything you need. When the two of you get finished reminiscing over family photos, and remembering all of the good times that helped to create them, you and your mother will have spent some really precious time together, and she will have an incredible remembrance that will bring back the memory of a very special Mother’s Day, any time she looks at it!
Bottom Line? Don’t stress if you still haven’t picked up a gift for your mother. Most of these gifts can be found locally (or online) in the space of a few minutes, to an hour or so. Any and all of them will absolutely thrill your mother. If you want to make sure that your mother goes to bed on Mother’s Day marveling at how lucky she is to have the sweetest kid, this side of the Mississippi, then don’t delay. Treat the lady right; chances are you probably owe her one!
