3 Simple Tips to Make a Mother's Day Present Unforgettable

There are some small things you can do that make a big difference on Mother's Day. These are three tips that are sure to make a Mother's Day present shine.

Make it Personal

Beware of the Mother's Day clichés: scented candles and bubble-bath have been done. Many times. "Stock gifts" take little time and effort and make you look unappreciative of everything your mother has done for you. Remember, this is a time to honor her and thank her.

If you do insist that your mother will absolutely adore candles and bubble-bath - like mine will - then at least do something to make it special. Pick a candle that matches your mother's décor or bath salts that are her favorite scent. My mother claims that, to date, one of her favorite Mother's Day gifts was a basket that I made for her full of freshly-cut flowers, bath salts, home-made soap, all-natural bubble-bath all in scents that I had researched that claimed to help calm and relax.

Make it Yourself

Your mother went through ___ hours of labor for you (which I'm sure you've heard many times), the least you can do is put forth a little extra effort in a gift for her.

I discovered this gem of a gift idea one year when I was a mere starving college student and didn't have money at the time to buy my mother a present for her birthday and Mother's Day (conveniently, they were a week apart). I bought some melt-and-pour glycerin soap in her favorite colors and spent almost an hour poring over the soap molds at Michael's picking something she might enjoy. The entire process was extremely easy, smelled lovely, and made a very nice-looking present for Mom.

Some other ideas include hand-picked wildflowers in a nice vase that will compliment her décor, a hand-painted picture frame personalized with her favorite picture of you (bonus points if it's a picture of the both of you), or maybe a nice collage of pictures of your childhood. Mothers like to see what a nice job they did.

Make it Seasonal

Mother's day is in May. May - at least in my native Texas - is very hot. Don't go and do something silly like I did one year and spend months hand-knitting a lovely, soft scarf that she won't be able to use until winter. Mother's Day is a lot like Christmas: the instant-gratification gifts usually go over the best.

May is better suited for day-lilies and roses than wool and winter-wear. If she enjoys accessories, then make her a nice necklace or bracelet (local bead shops have professionals who would love helping you make fantastic jewelry). Keep in mind: Mother's Day is a lot like Christmas; the instant-gratification gifts usually go over very well.