Mother's Day Gift Ideas

My mother is my best friend, and is one of those people that everyone loves from the minute they meet her. I know there is no subject I can't talk to her about and that she will be there for me no matter what the need is. She might not be able to solve all my problems but she will at least give me love and moral support. I love her more than any gift will ever be able to show, but I still love to lavish her with tokens of appreciation every chance I get!

Here are some of the things I've done for my mom in the past.

Homemade Spa Package. Include bath salts, candles, a home made CD of mom's favorite music, her favorite scented oil, lotion, candles, eye mask, bath robe, and slippers.

Photo collage. If you have brothers and sisters and you all have kids of your own, then get the clan together and have some photos taken. Take some with just you and your siblings together, then some with all your mom's grandkids together, then take some with each family unit together, then take group shots of everyone together. You can assemble the photos in a nice photo album, on a photo CD, or even have some of the best shots printed on a t-shirt for her to wear! We did this one year and mom still wears that shirt five years later!

Book of poetry. I like to write poetry, and my mom likes reading poetry. So one year I put together a collection of my poetry over the years for her and laminated each page and hole punched them so they fit inside a cute notebook. I decorated the outside of the notebook by hand while different sayings that mean something special to both of us. I also bought her a book of poems from some of her favorite poets.

Video journal. If you have a lot of family videos, use a video editing program and cut out special snippets to make a montage of the most special and meaningful moments of the lives of family members.

Gift of time. Sometimes the best gift doesn't involve money, but rather time. Sit and talk with your mom and rehash the "good old days". Childhood memories, hopes and dreams, whatever comes to mind. Remember to ask her questions about her past and then write it down in a journal, this is a great way to get started on a family tree and trace your genealogy!

Along with the gift of time, you can give your time to others. If your mom like to give to charity or volunteers her time to help others, then get in on the action with her! Pick a charity and donate in your mom's name, go with her to a local shelter and volunteer your time. Seeing that she has instilled her charitable values in your heart will mean more to her than material things!

Plants or seedlings for her yard or garden. Buy an inexpensive planter at a dollar store, or use something you already have at home as a planter, and decorate it using her favorite colors and images. Then put a plant or small seedling in it. This will be a gift she can enjoy and nurture over time.

Recipe ideas. My mom loves to use her crock pot but doesn't have a lot of recipes and tends to cook the same thing over and over. One year I looked on the internet and printed out about 30 different recipes that I knew she would like, then laminated them and put them inside a hand decorated folder for her. She loved the gift and I got some free meals out of the deal. ~grin~

Charm bracelet. What mom doesn't love jewelry! Charm bracelets are very popular and fairly inexpensive. The charms themselves come in all shapes and sizes, so just think about the things your mom likes and buy a charm to represent that activity. My mom used to love skating, so I bought her a charm that looked like ice skates. She likes to read, so I got a charm shaped like a book. She lives on a farm and loves animals, so I got a chicken, dog, cat, and horse charm as well. You get the idea, right?

Coffee, Tea, and Cocoa basket. Decorate a cute basket with fun "mommy" sayings and words of love and fill it with her favorite flavors of coffee, tea, and cocoa. You can put an oversized drinking mug and a novel in the basket as well to make a complete ensemble gift.

If you do nothing else, don't forget to call or write your mom and tell her how much you love her and appreciate her! You should do this every chance you get, but especially on mother's day!