Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 13th and we should all have it on our calendars and have some special plans!! Mother’s Day is not just for honoring our own mothers (though that is, of course, very important). It’s also about honoring the other important women in your life, including grandparents, stepmoms, sisters, aunts and any other woman who has had an impact on you. Not sure how to best celebrate this day? Here are a few ideas!
Time
If your mom is like most, she really only wants one thing: to spend as much quality time with her children as possible. As we get wrapped up in our own busy lives, we sometimes forget how important it is to spend time with those we love the most. This can be especially true if your mom doesn’t live nearby. Make it a priority this year to spend some time with your mom. If she lives close, arrange to take her out for lunch or dinner or out to a movie on the 13th. If she lives further away, make plans to visit sometime soon for part of her Mother’s Day gift and find a way to fit it into your schedule.
Here are a few ideas for making that time extra special for Mom:
–Plan an outing with the kids. If you have kids, it’s a pretty safe bet that your mom wants to spend time with them as well. Why not arrange a day with the whole family? An outing to the zoo, a trip to the park complete with picnic, a matinee at the local movie theater or even just a homemade dinner at your house followed by family game night would all be highly appreciated.
–Take her on a ‘staycation’. You don’t have to take Mom out of the country or even out of town to treat her to a nice vacation. Why not take her on a ‘staycation’ this year at a local hotel? Even though she won’t even be leaving the city, she’ll feel like it as she’s pampered in a nice hotel. Add on some spa services, a nice dinner at the hotel or a restaurant nearby and hang out by the pool with her and you’ll both feel like you’ve had a vacation without the travel time!
–Plan something around her favorite hobby. What does your mom love to do? Does spending time in the garden make her happiest? Does she enjoy visiting craft shows or antique shops? Is 18 holes at her favorite golf course the way she’d most like to spend her time? Sharing in her favorite hobby is a great way to spend time with her doing what she loves the most.
Clothing and Accessories
Does your mom love fashion? Or do you find that she enjoys nice clothing and accessories but rarely buys them for herself? If you answered yes, then you have the perfect gift idea! “Most moms spend all their time doing for everyone else and they don’t do or buy those special things for themselves,” explains Kelly Merklein with Blu Velvet. “I think looking at her wardrobe and what she likes to wear and trying to find a fun new way for her to accessorize would be a really thoughtful thing to do. First, look through some magazines and try to find some looks that seem to fit her style. Then take some accessory ideas and look for something special to really make what she has look even better!”
“We have some really great things, including scarves to make any outfit look new,” continues Kelly. “There are so many styles of scarves that make the possibilities endless. Even tying a scarf to a bag updates the bag! We also have some new perfumes that are just fun and fresh and many of them come in rollerballs, which is such a great way to carry your perfume with you for touch-ups throughout the day. We also have some great travel items that are so affordable. The cosmetic bags and travel accessories come in great prints like leopard and polka dots, so it’s something fresh and different!”
Cherie Travis with Rachel’s Boutique says, “We have Brighton charm bracelets that can be added to all year around as well as Pandora Mother’s Day bracelet gift sets that can be added to. Both of these make great gifts! We also have Vera Bradley printed/quilted handbags, travel bags and small accessories that would be perfect for Mom.”
Customized Gifts
Nothing tells Mom ‘I love you’ like a customized gift. When you get a customized gift, you are telling her that you took the time to really think about what would make her happy and went to the effort to create it. “Hallow Candle Co. can make any of our products in any fragrance with any color,” explains Sarah Allison, owner of Hallow Candle. “KD Designs Jewelry, inside of Hallow Candle, can put a picture, message or anything you can think of into a customized necklace pendant. Customized gifts are special and always loved!”
If you have artistic talent, why not make your mother something? Whether it’s a painting, a sculpture, a hand-made piece of jewelry, a quilt or something entirely different, she will know it came from the heart and that you put a lot of time and energy into it. If you have children, this is also a great opportunity for them to make something for Grandma. A finger painting, handmade card or anything else they may want to make will be cherished for years to come.
Gifts for the Home
Most women love gifts for their home, whether it’s something to make their home look better, smell better or just make it a more pleasant place to live. “Hallow Candle Co. carries a wide range of 100% soy candles in a variety of fragrances, so there is always something for everyone! Hallow also carries a wide variety of artwork, jewelry, accessories and more, so no matter what your mother loves, we have something for her here.”
Plum Creek Gifts also has a number of gifts for the home that Mom is sure to love. If she likes to be out in the yard, consider some statuary or outdoor signs that will brighten up the landscaping. If she’s more of an indoor person, consider a wall-hanging, gift for the kitchen or a decorative rug. There are rooms and rooms to explore at Plum Creek, so you’ll not have a problem finding a gift that exactly what your mom would love.
“My favorite Mother’s Day gift to give is from our Lollia line of body products,” adds Ashlie Hadden with Embellish. “They feel so luxurious and it is a special treat for Mom every time she uses it. The line includes everything from hand crème to perfume to body wash in a variety of scents. I started giving this line as gifts before I even had a store and it is just so wonderful that I knew Embellish had to have it. Another favorite is one of our ‘Mom’ themed books. Some of them have beautiful mother-related quotes throughout the book filled with gorgeously designed pages. Others are journal-like, where your Mom can fill out a diary of questions about her life. I gave one to my mom and she’s working to fill it out and re-gift it—back to me! This way I can have all her special memories in one little book to look back on and share with my future children. I don’t think a gift can get more special than that!”
Flowers
What mother wouldn’t enjoy a beautiful flower arrangement for Mother’s Day? If you live far away or won’t be able to see Mom on her big day, have some flowers sent to her. If you will be able to see her, swing by Abloom to pick up something beautiful to brighten up her kitchen table or to set on her dresser in the bedroom. Do you know your Mom’s favorite types of flowers? If so, order ahead so you can customize a bouquet that includes her favorite types and colors of flowers.
Spa or Salon Services
Moms rarely take the time or opportunity to pamper themselves as they are usually trying to take care of everyone else and their needs often come last. Why not help Mom relax and treat her to a gift certificate to a spa or salon so she can get a new cut and style, a relaxing massage or a facial. You can get her a specific service or you can get her a gift certificate that she can use on anything she’d like. If you really want to pamper her, get her a half or full spa day. You can even book yourself with her so you can spend the day relaxing together, catching up and bonding.
Other Ideas
We asked our experts some of the great gifts they’ve seen given or personally given for Mother’s Day. Here are their ideas!
“My mom loves jewelry and handmade things, so I love stocking up on her favorite jewelry that she can’t get in Tennessee (where she lives) and making her custom soaps and candles from Hallow!” –Sarah Allison, Hallow Candle
“I think one of the most special things we can do for our moms is spend time with them! Planning a special outing or even just a lunch date means so much to them. It’s more about your relationship than all the wonderful things you can buy them—even though I think it is really fun to spoil her with gifts!” –Ashlie Hadden, Embellish
“Every year my brother and sister and I buy and plant my mom’s flowers. We let her sit back and supervise! Also, because Mom works with me at the store, I am able to pick up on the items she likes and try to pick something out for her.” –Cherie Travis, Rachel’s Boutique.
“I really like the idea of paying attention to the way they dress, or what they may need to update their look, and bringing the picture or magazine to the store to find a way to bring that look to your mom or someone you love on Mother’s Day. Be her personal stylist!” –Kelly Merklein, Blu Velvet
Don’t miss this opportunity to show the women in your life how much you care about them! Think about Mom on this very special day and do something that will really make an impact.