Yup! It’s that time of the year again- Mother’s day. If you’re anything like me, you completely forgot and are now running helter skelter trying to put some scraps together to make a decent gift for your mama. As a mom now myself, I have to lay the guilt on thick: Your mom devoted herself to you her entire life, how dare you forget her on this ONE day a year?!
Now that that’s out of the way, we’re here to help. Here are some ideas for thoughtful gifts that will warm a mother’s heart without breaking the bank.
1. Sign Her up for a Fun Class
Instead of giving Mom flowers, why not sign her up for a flower arranging class? Classes make great gifts, especially for mothers who need a little encouragement to do things for themselves. You can give a gift certificate for a learning experience, sign her up for a class or (even better) take a class with her. Maybe your mom would enjoy a wine tasting or cooking lessons, or maybe an online foreign language course. Whatever her interest is, encourage it with a learning experience.
2. Create a Stylish Photo Album or Framed Images
Why not offer Mom a celebration of family memories? Online services and even drugstore photo chains will create beautiful hardcover books from your photos and captions. You could simply bind up some of the favorite family photos for her, or create a “This Is Your Life” scrapbook just for her.
You could also have one or two of your most beautiful candid family shots printed on stretched canvas, coffee mugs, or a cozy throw. Not sure which photo to choose? Look for a vintage photo of your parents’ wedding ceremony or a multi-generation snapshot from your last family reunion.
3. Take her out on a Mum-Child Date
Sometimes the best gift is an experience. Take her out for an evening of dancing or go watch a movie together, just leave the house.
Grab tickets for a nostalgic concert or take her to a play. If you don’t live in the same city, you can research local experiences online and send her two tickets or a gift card. Experiences make the most memorable gifts.
4. Make her life easier
Even if you don’t have a special skill or talent that lends itself to gifting, you can give your time to make something in her life easier. This is an opportunity to handle all the nagging projects that she wishes she had the time and energy to tackle herself, like deep clean the kitchen, tend the garden, run errands or fix broken stuff. Who doesn’t love free labor?
Gift certificates often gather dust in a mother’s purse, so if you decide to give a massage or restaurant gift certificate, go the extra step and make a reservation. She can always change it if she needs to, but it’s harder to deny herself the pleasure of using the gift if you’ve already scheduled it.
Hopefully one of these last-minute gift ideas work for you this Mother’s Day. The old adage is really true; it’s the thought you put into the gift that counts. If you’re my husband and reading this, don’t play yourself, I’ll know.
