Top Five Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Finding the right gift for Mother’s Day doesn’t have to take a long time or even break the bank. Here are some unique ideas for this mother’s day. All you have to do is NOT wait until the last minute:

1. A completely different gift idea is the “message in a bottle.” For the sentimental and romantic mom, this is a fun idea. TimelessMessage.com will write your sentiments on parchment and place them in a bottle that is shipped directly to your mom. The Oprah Show calls this the “most romantic gift to give.” Many moms love this idea that harkens back to time when people threw bottles with mysterious messages inside, into the sea, hoping for a response. Starting at around $35 plus shipping, TimelessMessage.com will also help you write out your feelings or you can choose from their selection of poetry and prose for different occasions and recipients.
2. You know your mom better than we do, and some moms like wacky gifts that make them smile. If your mom is like this, take a gander at Baron Bob’s website filled with novelty gifts, all sorted for common holidays. While not all of his stuff appeals, there certainly are a lot of twists on common presents to keep things interesting.
3. In that same vein, we like the unique, more stylish choices at uncommongifts.com. Take a look at their Fruit and Vegetable Parchment Cuffs, a new take on the hot vases made of that material a few years ago.
4. Instead of a material gift, give her an “experience.” It’s amazing the kind of wild adventures there are available for sale these days. Hire a jet fighter, fly in a dirigible, take flying lessons. There’s even a place in San Francisco that gives indoor parachuting lessons, where you can give her the sensation of jumping and flying without risking his life in the process. Other ideas are rock climbing, glider rides, and race car driving. Click here to brainstorm other experience gifts.
5. If you’ve tired of photo gifts but the mom in your life still likes to fill the house with happy family pictures, consider PhotoFiddle.com. Not just an ordinary photo site, PhotoFiddle prints out your photo on canvas in a variety of styles from oil painting to watercolor. Even if you don’t buy, it’s fun to upload some favorite photos and see them rendered as if a real artist had painted them. Unfortunately, the styles don’t get too strange, so don’t expect Picasso or Matisse. You might have to settle for the Warhol treatment.

Mother’s day gifts

Finding the right gift for mother’s day doesn’t have to take a long time or even break the bank. Here are some old and new mothers day gift ideas. All you have to do is NOT wait until the last minute:

1. A clutch of printed baby photos: If you’re like most people, you now have literally thousands of digital photos hogging disk space on your computer. What you likely don’t have are many prints of these photos. A very thoughtful and very inexpensive gift is to take 25-50 favorite photos of your bambino and get them printed out.

   At the cost of maybe ten bucks, you have a very thoughtful present. For a little bit more ($168), here’s a fun photo charm bracelet from Teaccups and Tadpoles that will likely have her crying if you find the best photos of you and the kids to put in it.

   (There’s a special offer for GreatDad users: 15% off on orders of $50 or more. Enter code GREATDAD15 in the comments box at checkout and your credit card will be refunded 15% after the sale.)

2. Photo mug: Yes, it is corny, but moms can’t resist the picture of a little baby grinning from the side of a coffee mug. You can only hope you get so lucky that someone gets one for you. And, not at all expensive – it just takes time. With this one, just make sure to order early, and get one for both grandmas (and maybe grandpas!) at the same time. We like online photo gifts. Other good options are Photoworks and Shutterfly.
3. Spa certificate: All this takes is the forethought to stop by a local spa or gym and buy a gift certificate. Of course, the catch is that you will watch the little rascals for a few hours.
4. iPod: Maybe by now, everyone in America already has one, but if your wife doesn’t, this is always a hit. She can load it up with kids’ songs to play in the car, lectures if she’s the studious type, or top 40 for the gym.
5. Her own digital camera – hottest little point and shoot.
6. A special craft project. Okay, it’s another time-intensive gift, but this one comes with plenty of time off for mom while you take the kids down to the basement to work on the special project. Here is a site with plenty of projects and stuff you can easily make with the kids for mom. We especially liked the House Keys wood, glue and paint idea.
7. Flowers – sure, it’s an old standby, but they are always appreciated. Guys never understand why and maybe that’s why moms appreciate it when we think of them; because they know it’s a big stretch for us. Whether you buy them at the grocery store on Sunday morning or order ahead from one of these online stores, they never disappoint.
8. If you have a lot of digital pictures and are always frustrated that there are never any printouts, make a picture book. If you have a Mac, it’s very simple right out of iPhoto. Photoworks and Shutterfly also help you make them as well.

Good luck and have fun!

Mother’s Day Cards – Gift Guide for Dads

You can always run down to the drugstore and buy a $3 Mother’s Day card. Few of us are poets and the cards often say in words what we can only feel in our hearts about the special moms in our lives. On the other hand, it’s sometimes hard for moms to feel those sentiments written in someone else’s hand. For this reason, you may want to create your own card. It doesn’t have to look like it came off a printing press. This is truly a case where your effort and imagination will make the strongest impression. Here are a few ideas to get started.

1. In the simplest version, stop at a stationery store and buy a nice off-white card and envelope. You can simply write “I love you Mom” and sign your name. If it’s for your partner, say something like, “I love you. Thank you for our beautiful children.”
2. If the above idea sounds too simple, write or copy of few verses of poetry. While poetry takes a bit more effort, it will evoke a smile for your hard effort. Simple poetry schemes like ABAB are easy to do and can finish in four lines.
   Consider:
   

   Roses are red, Violets are blue,
   You’re the best mom in the world,
   What would I do without you?
   Simple and sweet and from the heart.

3. Take that nice and simple off-white card and paste a family photo on the front and on the inside, write something simple like “I love you and our family.” I guarantee this card will go into a memory box.
4. Search “how to make a Mother’s Day card” on the internet for plenty of Martha Stewart style ideas for cards. I don’t recommend this, but you’ll find thousands of ideas.

Mother’s Day Gifts for All Types of Moms

Here are some great gift ideas divided into categories of moms:

• For the new mom, think of stuff that’s all about comfort: robes, slippers, candles, soaps and lotions are all good ideas for the mom-to be or new mom.
• Working moms need to be super-organized, so find gifts like planners and agendas that add an extra touch of fine leather or theme tied to her personality. Quality items that are meant for work but also show her good eye and taste are always a hit. Think of items like laptop bags, a fancy pen, or a business card case that says she’s all about business, when she’s not at home with you, that is.
• If the mom in your life is eco-conscious, buy her eco-friendly bath goods, or a gift certificate to an organic market. Or go to an organic market and make a custom gift basket for her.
• For the stylin’ mom, don’t even try to pick out the right thing. Here’s where a gift certificate might come in handy.
• If your mom loves music and entertainment, buy concert DVDs. They are an often-overlooked alternative to simple music listening. Instead of listening to a concert, why not let her watch it instead.
• For grandma, think of personalized gifts that include her grand kids. Try the photo sites or consider a Pandora bracelet featuring birthstones of all her grand kids.

The best thing about a lot of these gifts is that you can order them online and have them delivered straight to your mom.

Mother’s Day Cards Gift Guide for Dads

You can always run down to the drugstore and buy a $3 Mother’s Day card. Few of us are poets and the cards often say in words what we can only feel in our hearts about the special moms in our lives. On the other hand, it’s sometimes hard for moms to feel those sentiments written in someone else’s hand. For this reason, you may want to create your own card. It doesn’t have to look like it came off a printing press. This is truly a case where your effort and imagination will make the strongest impression. Here are a few ideas to get started.

1. In the simplest version, stop at a stationery store and buy a nice off-white card and envelope. You can simply write “I love you Mom” and sign your name. If it’s for your partner, say something like, “I love you. Thank you for our beautiful children.”

2. If the above idea sounds too simple, write or copy of few verses of poetry. While poetry takes a bit more effort, it will evoke a smile for your hard effort. Simple poetry schemes like ABAB are easy to do and can finish in four lines. Consider:

Roses are red, Violets are blue,
You’re the best mom in the world,
What would I do without you?
Simple and sweet and from the heart.

3. Take that nice and simple off-white card and paste a family photo on the front and on the inside, write something simple like “I love you and our family.” I guarantee this card will go into a memory box.

4. Search “how to make a Mother’s Day card” on the internet for plenty of Martha Stewart style ideas for cards. I don’t recommend this, but you’ll find thousands of ideas.

No Reservations About Mother’s Day

What could be better than flowers and a brunch in your honor on Mother’s Day?

Children and spouses have been doing it for many decades. Sending the flowers, calling long distance (the biggest day for phone calls of the year) and booking over-priced brunches to celebrate mom or spouse for all she does. And yet, somehow it always rings a bit hollow, like we’re pre-programmed to do one or all three things on cue. We’re like Pavlovian dogs hearing the “incoming message” bell to prod our actions. In an over-stressed, over-scheduled world, Mother’s Day has become a “to-do list” holiday. We order the flowers, pick up mom, eat, thank, kiss, drive home, and check it off the list.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. I’m lucky enough to share my house and kids with a woman who speaks her mind. She’s never content with the status quo. She lets me know that a $9.99 bouquet of Roses from the Safeway doesn’t actually say much more than, “Yes, I was at the grocery store and thought of you while in the produce section.” It’s not that she’s ungrateful for little thoughts like that; she doesn’t even treat mom’s day that seriously, but like most women, she knows when she’s being put on.

So, like many modern families, we spend more prep time for Hallmark holidays thinking about what the honoree really would enjoy rather than what we are told we should do. In some cases, this is a brunch in a fancy hotel at the top of California Street where we can fritter away our children’s education fund in an over-eating frenzy accompanied to the sound of a harp. My mom likes that, but she doesn’t get to San Francisco that often.

For my wife though, who loves the outdoors, almost anything we can do that involves hills, muddy shoes, and the complaints of small children asking “how much further?” is fine for her. No extra expense, no flowers, just a bit of dedicated time sharing the outdoors with the family. We’ll head to Crissy Field and fly kites, or into the Marin Headlands to walk along the cliffs, or into Golden Gate Park to walk the Labyrinth. There are hundreds of places to go that will entertain the kids while satisfying her need to get some time outdoors.

We’re not afraid to break out of the conventions of the traditional Mother’s Day. On the plus side, that means that not getting a reservation doesn’t mean I don’t treasure her as a mom or partner. Not buying flowers doesn’t mean I forgot the simplest of symbols. I can literally wait until right up to Mother’s Day morning when we are setting the tray of burnt toast and orange juice in front of her in bed to give her what she wants most, a little time with the family doing something she particularly loves.

My advice on Mom’s day: forget the card and the lines at restaurants. Do everything from scratch this year. Have the kids make their own cards and make breakfast at home, followed by something mom likes to do, whether it’s a museum, flower show, ball game, or afternoon at home in front of an old movie.

And that goes for Dad’s day as well. But remember, mom, if you’re thinking of golf, you need to know one thing: Mother’s Day is the best day in the year to get any tee time you want, but just try to schedule a golf outing on Father’s Day.

Five Places to Order a Mother’s Day Gift Basket

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. This is an occasion for your kids to express their love for their mom. However, they are not going to do it by themselves – they’ll need a little help from your end.

A Mother’s Day gift basket, though conventional, is still a popular gift option. While you can easily make one up by putting together some goodies such as perfumes, candies and flowers, you may find it easier to order one from an online store.

Here are five good places to order a Mother’s Day gift basket:

Amazon.com: Search for “Mother’s Day Gift Baskets” and you’ll get a range of choice products – from the classic Renewal Spa Lavender Bath and Body Gift Basket Set to the Beautiful Flower Bouquet Chocolate Gift Tote Gift Basket.

Flowerswhisper.com: Say it with flowers – after all, no woman can really resist them. Mom will not only get the message – that she is loved and appreciated – loud and clear, she will remember the gesture long after. Visit Flowerswhisper.com and select one of their special flower gift baskets for Mother’s Day.

Gourmetgiftbaskets.com: Mother’s Day is the one day mom deserves to be pampered. Gift her the lavish Breakfast in Bed basket from gourmetgiftbaskets.com.

Lowcarbchocolates.com: You know women. While they love to indulge the sweet tooth, they are always concerned about their expanding waistlines. The chocolate gift basket from Lowcarbchocolates.com will allow her to celebrate Mother’s Day without the fear of putting on a couple of extra pounds.

Giftbasketscity.com: You know what your wife would like to receive for Mother’s day – or at least you think you do. Help the kids select an appropriate gift basket from Giftbasketscity.com. Their collection includes baskets with chocolates and candies, spa products, candles, and keepsakes.

In the United States, Mother’s Day celebration is on the second Sunday of May each year. This year it’s May 11- so you better red letter that date into your planner.

The Meaning of Mother’s Day

Whoever said Mother’s Day was important only for the mom did not really get the point here. True, Mother’s Day celebrates that glorious ideal of love and sacrifice called motherhood. However, someone is going to have to explain the significance of this day to the kids, and enroll their efforts into making this a day for mom to remember. Who else will do this, if not you, the dad?

Moms have been celebrated throughout time of course, and in recorded events in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. The origins of a specific Mother’s Day go all the way back to the 16th century and the practice of visiting one’s “mother church” once a year.

On that day, dark ages moms would be reunited with their children at church. In the United States, a mother and social activist, Julia Ward Howe worked to create a Mother’s Day for Peace day during the Civil War in an attempt to organize mothers against war.

It was not until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother’s Day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. In some parts of the country, it is traditional to wait until Mothers Day to plant tomatoes.

Since then, Mother’s Day has gone on to become the most popular day of the year to dine out in a restaurant and to make long distance phone calls and May is the biggest month for florists. Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world, though the actual date changes depending on the country.

Mothers Day reminds dads that parenthood cannot be taken for granted and that life gives us an opportunity to celebrate it everyday and make it extraordinary.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Here are five good places to order a Mother’s Day gift basket.

Mothers Day – Great Celebration Ideas

Mother’s Day is considered more of a private ritual between the missus and the kids by most dads: it slips by and they barely notice it. Moms deserve better, and there are things that only a dad can do to make Mother’s Day memorable for the whole family.

One of those things is to help the kids make and/or purchase a great gift for mom. Even if your kids have saved up their weekly allowances, they are going to need your help to make the right purchase. And who’s going to help them “photoshop” that really special hand-made card? Good old dad!

In the United States, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May each year. This year it’s May 11- so you better red letter that date into your planner.

Starting early

• Spin it. Make a good beginning by creating excitement and anticipation for Mother’s Day two or three weeks in advance.

• Get the kids involved. An easy thing to do is to tape a long piece of paper to the wall, write Happy Mother’s Day in big letters with a magic marker and then ask the kids to color it in. Even 3-4- year olds can make a pretty impressive sign this way and it gives them something to do while you read the newspaper.

• Mum’s the word. Arrange for a secret party or take the initiative to reserve a restaurant for mom and the kids. More than just a break from routine, mom will appreciate that you organized it.

• If you’re the forgetful type, order flowers now. It’s easy to forget or run out of time, especially on a Sunday morning when florists will be closed. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting flowers a day early if it’s easier for you.

• And, if your own mom or mother-in-law will be part of the days festivities, don’t forget her!