Mother's Day Ideas : Queen for a Day on a Tight Budget

Many readers may not remember the old television program (which actually started as a radio show in 1945) called "Queen for a Day." The show was a forerunner of reality TV shows as female contestants had to tell real-life stories to win. The lady who won would be gowned in a red velvet robe, given a sparkling crown, and handed a dozen long-stemmed roses, and she would win other prizes and trips. The "Queen for a Day" program always ended with the words, "Make every woman a queen, for every single day!"

Depending upon your budget in today's economy, you may not be able to give your mother prizes and trips, but here are some ideas for things you can do to make her feel like a queen for a day on Mother's Day.

Give the Gift of Your Time for Mother's Day - The greatest gift you can give your mother for Mother's Day is the gift of your time. Take some time out of your busy schedule to take your mother some place special. It doesn't have to be for a dinner out. Just take your mother some place where she would get to spend some quality time with you. If you are married, with kids, and your mother enjoys your wife/husband and kids, bring them, too, but if there is friction, why not plan something for just the two of you. To make sure your wife/husband doesn't feel left out, make it something only you and your mother would enjoy. Take her to the house where you grew up, or to see the place her parents lived, or to the cemetery to visit the family plots. Spend some one-on-one time with your mother before picking up your family to join you and your mother for her Mother's Day dinner.

Take Your Mother for a Picnic Lunch on Mother's Day - A tight budget might make sandwiches and iced tea out in the country a nice choice for Mother's Day. Pack a basket with inexpensive food, drive to your nearest state park, and enjoy the beauty of a spring day with your mother.

Cook Your Mother Dinner for Mother's Day - Even on a tight budget, you can fix spaghetti or something else inexpensive and treat your mother to a nice, candle-light dinner for Mother's Day. Then spend some time reminiscing about fond memories while you eat your Mother's Day dinner.

Make Your Mother Something for Mother's Day - Do you knit or crochet? Are you handy with woodworking? Do you do any crafts? Make your mother something by hand this Mother's Day. She will probably treasure it all the more because you made it by hand.

Have a Photo Enlarged and Framed for Mother's Day - Is there a recent photo of you and your mother or a childhood photo of the two of you? Consider having it enlarged at any drug store or supermarket and putting it in a nice frame for Mother's Day,

Do Some Chores Around the House for Mother's Day - You say you don't have a penny to your name and you just can't buy your m other anything for Mother's Day? Then do some chores for her on Mother's Day. Wish the dishes, mulch her garden, clear some debris, mop the floor, do s small repair, take out the garbage.

Don't Forget a Great Mother's Day Card for Mother's Day - A great Mother's Day card can cover a multitude of sins, but choosing a great card requires some thought and more than a quick trip to your drug store to grab whatever they have. Give yourself time to find a great card. Find one with a sentiment that is meaningful and/or a picture that reminds you of her. Then write your own message, and do NOT leave off the three most important words: I Love You.

Make Her Queen for a Day for Every Single Day - Now that you have implemented some of these ideas for Mother's Day, why not do them throughout the year? Make your mother queen for a day, not just on Mother's Day, but for every single day!

Other Mother's Day Suggestions:

Picking the Perfect Mother's Day Gift

Mother's Day: When Forgiveness is the Best Gift