Ma Mere, Mon Ami (My Mother, My Friend)
Holy homemade handkerchiefs! Mother’s Day is right around the corner! I have been so busy, that it hasn’t really been on the top of my priority list. The time has come to start thinking of ways to make this Sunday special. I need to think of a gift or an act of kindness to show my mother how much she means to me. Unfortunately, I’m bad at this kind of stuff, so I’m relying on all of you. I smell a contest!
Okay, here’s the scoop. I need Mother’s Day ideas…good ones, silly ones, even slightly odd ones will do. Submit your ideas in the comments section. Each idea needs to be a separate comment and here is why: I am going to select one individual comment to win this bouquet of flowers to send to the woman of their choosing on Mother’s Day. You may even send them to yourself! The contest starts now and ends on Friday at 8am PST. You may submit as many as you’d like, as long as they are submitted as individual comments. The more you submit, the greater your chances of winning are! Good luck!
flowers by: www.proflowers.com
write her a poem. you did a beautiful tribute to her awhile back. Hannah sent it to me. love aJ
I love the thought of a flowering tree or bush. She can plant it in a special place and enjoy it for years.. I’m asking for a hydrangea bush this year – my grandmother had a huge blue one beside her back steps for years and it sticks out in my childhood memories. It was in a nice, cool, shady spot and I just loved it. I will always think of her when I look at mine.
Make photo collage magnets for your mother. Take head to toe pictures of each kid, you, hubby and all your pets. Be creative…. dress in silly outfits, etc. Then print them on photo paper and place them on sticky magnet sheets (you can get them from a craft store). Cut out around each person. Don’t forget to create a magnet that says “Happy Mother’s Day from the _____” or something similar.
That way your mom has something creative, something practical, something unique and something very special that the whole family can get involved in.
I will post this as a separate idea…
For a card, round up all the kids, grab the camera, and find a blank wall (or carpet space). Have the kids take turns using their body (or the bodies of 2 or 3 kids) to spell out the letters in “Happy Mother’s Day”
Then load the pictures on your computer, crop the pictures down, and line up the words.
My kids have a blast spelling out letters and my parents love seeing the kids having so much fun, and know it was a time investment to create something so special.
It’s also cheap, yet chocked full of love.
A wallet size digital photo album(Bed Bath and Beyond for under $30) loaded with pics of yourself and the kids, and some older pics of you as a child! Put this in a new wallet with a gift card to a store she likes to shop at!
If sending flowers feels done, try Pajamagrams! I love those!
A handmade coupon book with coupons from each child! For the little kids you can make their’s for them for things like a kiss, or a game of peek a boo… the older kids can make their own and offer whatever they want (a car wash, dust the house) The last coupon in the book would be from you for a massage or a spa package!
How about a day out just you and your Mom, mani, pedi, lunch. I love spending time like that with my daughter.
A gift certificate at a massage parlor would be great.. Every mom can use that.
If you have a photo of your mom with you(and sisters) when you were all very small, and another photo taken recently with her and you(and sisters) You can frame them together with a simple saying like “Strength, Love, Courage, Beauty is a Mother” or whatever comes to your heart.
You could leave all your kids WITH your mom and leave!! Grandparents are always saying what a joy it is to “just be with them”. That way you get to give to your mom her quality time (ha!) with the kids and you get your Mothers day gift in the same package! Saves gift wrap too!
Homemade stepping stones (You can get the kits at most craft stores, we get ours from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby). Divide the kids up in groups (Or try to fit them all on one, but that would be tough!) and have them make stepping stones with their hand or foot prints on them. For handprints attach a card that says A grandmother holds her grandchildren’s hands for a little while but their hearts forever. For footprints attach a card that says Grandchildren leave footprints on your heart. We did it for my mom a few years ago, and she said it was her favorite gift ever.
I am giving my mom the freedom to *not* feel like she has to get together with us on Mother’s Day, so she and my Dad can see Les Miserables together. She is a musical theater freak, and this makes her day.
You could re-do a room for her in her house. From what you said, a room overhaul might be a really usefull gift. You can either paint, or buy a new focal point pice of furniature (a new picture/shelf/anything) and organize the hell out of the room. Move the existing things around to look all new. It’s caring, creative and it give you a reason to spend time over there. You could send her off for the day 9here’s chance to pawn off your kids for a matinie…just kidding) or do it with her there. Maybe take a break for brunch together? I did this for my mom once when she went away with my Dad. I did a themed room in the extra bedroom upstairs and turned it into a red hatters tea room. My Mom is a red hatter. It was a big hit.
I don’t know if you’re mom’s a cook, but you could compile a book of favorite recipes- let your kids add their favs.
You could go to Michael’s and get 7 terracotta pots (in descending sizes- one to go with each kids’ size.) Let aech put their handprint and name on their pot and then put a seed or a little flower in each. I did something similar at Christmas and it was a big hit.
Buy your Mom a nice t-shirt and have all your kids put their handprints on it and sign their names in different color paints.
I did this for my mom this past Christmas. My mom has alzheimers and I pray it sparks her memory every now and then and she remembers.
Buy a digital picture frame and add all the special pictures you have. You can make it a slide show and add sayings. Add pictures of your mom with each of the kids, holidays, special occassions. The possibilities are endless.
A friend of mine was given this as a Christmas gift, a friend of hers had taken profile shots of all three of her kids, printed them in black & white and framed them in a black frame, I think it was beautiful!
I’m actually leaning towards doing that myself…since I’m at a loss too!
Does your Mom like crafts? Has she always wanted to learn how to sew, make jewelry, scrap, ceramics? make her a basket with starting supplies and/or sign her up for a class.
MAKE A VIDEO OF YOU AND YOUR MOM ( AND GRANDKIDS) . YOU CAN MAKE IT ON MOTHER’S DAY. THEN YOU CAN ADD TO IT EVERY YEAR MOTHERS’ DAY COMES AROUND AND YOU WILL HAVE THOSE MEMORIES LONG AFTER MOM IS GONE AND SOMETHING TO PASS DOWN TO YOUR KIDS. HAVE ONE OF YOUR KIDS OR ANOTHER ADULT MAKE SURE YOU AND MOM ARE IN SEVERAL PICTURES TOGETHER. YOU WILL TREASURE THIS VIDEO FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
HAVE A PROFESSION PHOTOGRAPHER (OR SOMEONE WHO IS REAL GOOD) STOP OVER AND TAKE A FAMILY PHOTO WHEN YOU HAVE EVERYONE TOGETHER AND TELL MOM SHE WILL GET HER OWN COPY WHEN THE PICTURES COME BACK
IF YOU ARE HAVING MOM OVER FOR DINNER HAVE EVERYONE TELL MOM OR GRANDMOM WHAT THEY LIKE MOST ABOUT HER AND THEIR FAVORITE MEMORY BEING WITH HER . START WITH THE YOUNGEST AND END UP WITH YOU.
PLAN A GETAWAY WITH JUST YOU AND MOM. YOU CAN MAKE A GAME OUT OF IT BY GIVING HER CLUES THROUGH OUT THE DAY. AND BEFORE HER SPECIAL DAY ENDS YOU CAN TELL HER WHERE YOU TOO WILL BE DOING. IT DOES’NT HAVE TO BE A OUT OF TOWN TRIP. MAYBE TO A FAVORITE PARK FOR A PICNIC OR TO A FAVORITE PLACE MOM LIKES.
Buy her one of those musical cards, or better yet get one that you can record your own message. They last forever and there are cute as can be.
Give her gas gift cards. I know gas is much cheaper now but I still hate to pay for it. It’s much easier to fill up when I have a gas card.