Mother’s Day is fast approaching. We all want to shower mom with all the love and gifts she deserves, but sometimes gifts can seem extremely expensive. My mother always said it’s not the cost but the thought that counts. And being the perpetually frugal chica that I am, I took that to mean that Mom knew I didn’t have lots of money to spend on her, and that she would appreciate any thoughtful gift. If your mom is the same way, I have some great gift ideas for Mother’s Day that are certain to put a smile on her face!
Custom Gift Baskets
Gift baskets can be a popular gift for any occasion (like my Baby Shower Gift Basket with over 7,000 re-pins and counting!), but especially Mother’s Day. There’s so many possibilities! What does mom like to do? Is she a reader? Get make her a customized gift basket with a new novel, some bags of popcorn and her favorite candies. Is mom a coffee junkie? How about a bag or two of her favorite brew with a cute, inexpensive mug, some tasty creamers and accompaniments? Or a spa day basket, filled with lotions, bubble bath in her favorite scent with a scented candle, and some rag mags? The possibilities are endless, and can be completely customized to whatever mom loves. Don’t forget, you can often use coupons on the items to put in your basket, and wrap it decoratively for maximum impact!
Daily Deal Vouchers
Sites like Groupon, LivingSocial and Amazon Local all have fantastic deals on things moms will LOVE. Think: massages, maid service, spa treatments, dinners out, wine tastings and more. You’re sure to find something that suits mom’s fancy at a price you can afford! You can dress up the voucher by putting it in a fancy envelope, rolling it like a scroll or adding it to a bouquet of flowers for an added touch. This is especially nice if you can find a great deal that would normally be well out of your budget, so you can afford to spoil mom a little more than you normally would!
Dinner Date In
Instead of braving the crowds, dealing with the headache of reservations and tons of people…why not make mom a lovely dinner or brunch IN? Invite her over, or bring the meal to her (don’t forget to do the dishes!). Mom will love being treated to a nice meal by her kids for a change! Whip up some of her favorites, or try a new recipe you think she might like. You can fancy it up with candles, her favorite tunes, and dress nice and serve her dinner to make up for all the meals she cooked and served YOU growing up! As a bonus, if you’re cooking at her place, leave the kitchen CLEANER than when you started! Mom will love getting to put her feet up, and you can use the time while cooking to chat!
Nest Necklace
If you’re feeling crafty, and mom is the jewelry wearing type, you can make her a nest necklace for relatively cheap. Just buy thin wire, a plain chain, and one bead per child. You can make the beads all the same color, or the colors of corresponding birth stones, or whatever combination of colors mom might like. You will also need some kind of pliers or wire snips. Simply string your beads on, and begin wrapping around and around in circles, then also wrap around the outside edges to hold it all in. Make a small loop at the top, and then tuck in the ends of the wire, and use the pliers to wrap it so that it doesn’t stick out and snag clothing (or worse, scratch skin!). Swoop your chain through the loop (yes that is the technical terminology) and VOILA! You have an adorable necklace that any mom will LOVE. Oh, And I added a little charm on mine, which you can do too. All the supplies above I purchased at Michael’s for under $20 and it made two adorable necklaces (one for my mom, and one for my future mother-in-law!)
Maid-For-A-Day
If all else fails, and you’re REALLY broke, offer mom your maid services for a FULL day. Be at her beck and call. Scrub toilets, dust ceiling fans….and do a REALLY good job. Make sure you clean with a smile–this woman birthed you for cripes sakes, the least you can do to repay her is squeegee some mirrors and beat a few rugs. If you’re really feeling adventurous, you can shampoo the carpets too! The more you do for her the better, as this is the day mom really needs to feel appreciated! If you absolutely positively can NOT give mom an entire day of your time (tsk tsk) then at the very least, do the one chore she despises the most. Like ironing, or washing the windows. Give mom a break!
What other creative/frugal gift ideas can you think of for Mother’s Day?