Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12 and as it is getting down to the wire, some may be racking their brains looking for ideas and suggestions on what to get mom, or the mom-to-be in their lives. Here are 10 simple and mainly free or inexpensive ideas Kiplinger‘s offers to consider.
- Do-nothing day—plenty of moms would love to spend a day not having to lift a finger or spend the day doing just what they want to do. So give your mom a card that tells her she is entitled to a day off—and be sure to honor it!
- Spa day—many spas offer Mother’s Day specials for massages and other services, so call around to find the best deal.
- A clean car—Mom’s car can get downright disgusting after shuttling kids around all the time. So grab the kids and have them help you wash the car.
- Customized necklace—May isn’t a good month to buy jewelry because stores often hike prices in anticipation of Mother’s Day. However, you can find affordable necklaces with charms that can be engraved with children’s names online at Etsy.com.
- Photo mug—plenty of companies create mugs with photos on them for about $11. This gift is ideal for grandmothers who appreciate a creative way to show off pictures of the grandkids.
- Plants and flowers for the yard—rather than a bouquet, buy a potted plant, flowering bush or tree that will last for years. Or let Mom buy plants for the garden and then plant them for her.
- Photo album—most of our photos are now digital and we rarely print them out. So print out your pictures, put them in an album and let mom enjoy looking at them the old-fashioned way.
- A clean house—give Mom a break from her daily chores and do them for her (the way she would want them done). Wash the dishes, do the laundry, sweep the floors and make the beds.
- Frame the kids’ art—Moms will surely get a few pieces of handcrafted art from the kids for Mother’s Day. Make it easy for her to display and store them with a frame that lets you do both!
- Make a donation in Mom’s name—for the Mom that already has everything, make a donation in her name to her favorite charity or motherhood-related organization.
- Bonus idea—Take the time to sit down with your mom and ask her to share family stories that you can record or write down in a journal that can be shared with other family members.
