Enjoy Mother’s Day With Practical Gifts and Activities

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, you might be scrambling to figure out what to get her. However, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to make your mom happy. As cliche as it might sound, it’s the thought that counts. There are plenty of practical gifts and activities you can organize that will bring a smile to her face.

While you can always go with the tried and true mother’s day card, why not try out some of the ideas below to really brighten her day. Even if you live far apart, you can still do a lot of activities virtually such as happy hours or event painting classes. Whatever you choose to do, know that your mom will feel appreciated and loved, and that’s what Mother’s Day is all about. 

Make a Dish Together

For many people, cooking together is a way to create stronger bonds. If you and your mom love to cook, spend Mother’s Day making a dish together. Now is the perfect time to learn that secret family recipe and, if you have children, pass it down to them. Even if you don’t have a family recipe, making a dish together is a great way to spend time and just chat with your mom.

If you don’t live nearby, you can always virtually make a dish together. Get your mom on a video call and make something together. Do something simple like a virtual chocolate making class or cookie class. A lot of these classes will send you the ingredients so you don’t even have to go to the grocery store.  

Send a Custom Mother’s Day Card

There are hundreds of different Mother’s Day cards you can find at stores, but they don’t really capture your unique personality. If you have some time make a custom greeting card. You don’t have to be crafty to make a great card. Still, if you’re a talented artist, you can always draw the cards yourself. You can also have your kids join in on the fun and draw their own cards.

Of course, not everyone has the time or talent to draw. For that, consider the following options:

• Take a family portrait and send it with a note to your mother

• Create a collage of your favorite photos of your mother over the years

• Write a letter to your mother expressing how much you love and admire her

Sign Her Up For Monthly Book Subscription

Is your mother an avid reader? If so, Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to sign her up for a monthly book subscription. There are dozens to choose from that cover specific genres or topics. If you’re not sure what she likes to read, going with a general book subscription such as Book of the Month Club is a great option as it focuses on the best new reads.

If you want to give your mom more options, you can sign her up for something like an online book subscription, which gives members access to millions of titles, thousands of audiobooks, and up to three magazine subscriptions. It’s a great gift for those who are voracious readers. Just make sure that she has access to the app as she won’t be able to access the books otherwise.

Make Mom A Playlist

There used to be a time when people would use a cassette tape to record songs off the radio. They would then use that tape for themselves or give it to someone they liked. In today’s digital world, it’s a lot easier to make a playlist with services like Spotify.

When creating a playlist for your mom, there’s a couple of ways you can approach it. You can create a playlist of songs that have lyrics about mothers and daughters or, at the very least, express love and appreciation. If you find that a bit too sappy, you can opt instead to make a playlist of all her favorite songs and/or artists. That will be sure to bring a smile to her face. 

Order A Personalized Magnetic Print For The Fridge

There are few relationships in life that are as precious as the one between a parent and their child and eventually grandchildren. Even if you hate pictures, Mother’s Day is the perfect time to step outside your comfort zone. Spend a bit of money and get a professional picture taken of you and your family. Once you get the digital file, you can use it to send a variety of items including magnets, prints of different sizes, a card, and more.

If you can, try to have your mother in the picture as well. Mom’s tend not to have too many pictures with the whole family as they are often the ones taking the picture. Turn these into keepsakes for your mom. These small reminders go a long way in improving people’s lives.

Send a Plant

Cut flowers are nice, but they eventually wilt and die. While you can compost these flowers, why not provide a longer lasting gift such as a potted plant? It’s a gift that will bring joy and a nice splash of color to her home for years to come.

Before you purchase a plant, make sure to do your research. If your mother is a first time plant-owner, you’ll want to give her something easy to care for that doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. You should also carefully consider the lighting and pet situation. There are many plants that are poisonous to cats and dogs if ingested so if she owns a pet, you’ll have to find pet-friendly options.

Once you’ve found the perfect plant, it’s time to send it over. If this is your mother’s first plant, make sure to include care instructions so that she knows how much to water it and the amount of light it needs. For more experienced gardeners, you can opt for a more high maintenance plant. Either way, your mother will appreciate it!

Watch a Mother-Daughter Movie

The average adult spends more than four hours a day watching television. Since most people are already spending so much time in front of the TV, why not invite your mom to join you? Ideally, it would be great to be in the same room to watch the movie, however that’s not always possible. If you can’t be together in-person, you can always do a ‘watch party’ where you go on a video chat and watch the same movie at the same time. 

If you do plan on doing a virtual mother-daughter movie night, go the extra mile and send her a mug, her favorite hot beverage, and a cozy pair of slippers. The best part about watching a movie together is that you can take the time to chat about the actors and discuss the movie. Make sure to choose a movie you both like or, at the very least, one that you both have wanted to watch. 

Gift Her Some Updated Home Décor Accessories

As the saying goes, home is where the heart is. While everyone’s image of what a comfortable home looks like is different, the fact is most people’s fondest memories are centered around their home. While your mother might not live in the same house you grew up in, chances are she still has many home decor accessories that she has collected over the years.

There’s no reason to get her anything too big. In fact, you can combine two gifts into one by gifting her a family picture and a picture frame that matches her decor. Other good gift ideas include quilts, throw pillows, framed artwork, bedside lights, and more. When purchasing a home decor item, make sure your mom doesn’t have a glut of said item. If you’re not sure what to get her, the best thing you can do is ask!

Craft a Photobook

Everything might be digital nowadays, but there’s something to be said about having a physical item. This is especially true with things like photo books that hold important memories. Sure, you can just email your favorite pictures to your mom, but why not spend the time to really create something that highlights how much you appreciate your mother.

One of the great things about photo books is that you can customize almost everything from the layout of the pictures to the text to the cover design. There are several companies that print photo books so if one doesn’t offer the options you want, you can always look for another. When putting together the book, make sure to include siblings, pets, and other family members. You’ll also want to choose pictures that you think are important such as family vacations, birthday parties, weddings, and holidays. 

Take a Flower Arranging Class Together

Why buy your mom a flower bouquet when you can make one together? Spend some time with your mom arranging beautiful flowers into arrangements that she and you can proudly display in your home. An in-person class is great, but if you don’t have any local classes or you live far apart, you can take virtual classes.

There are a lot of different types of flower arranging, so find the one that suits your needs. If you’ve never done it before, definitely stick with a beginner class. Most beginner classes will only require easy to find flowers and basic tools you probably already have. For a different aesthetic, you can try Japanese Flower arranging which focuses more on the silhouette of the arrangement and the play between solid and negative space. Regardless of which style you choose, you’ll be sure to have a fun time. Plus, you get a beautiful arrangement out of it so it’s a win-win situation.

Mother’s Day Is All About Showing Your Love and Appreciation Every Day

Mother’s Day is all about showing your love and appreciation for the moms in your life. With that said, you don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to do something nice for your mom. Instead, the best gift you can give is to show your appreciation every day.

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on gifts to make the moms in your life happy. Being conscientious and thoughtful will go a long way. A phone call, video chat, or even a letter can be enough to make your mom happy. Still, these practical gifts listed above can really bring a smile to your mom’s face so why not try out one or more of the tips?

Lisa Czachowski is a professional social blogger and has worked on several online publications including Citrus Sleep. Lisa is an experienced content writer and copyeditor. You will find many of her works throughout CitrusSleep.com that cover a wide array of subjects including sustainability, natural, sleep products, health, fashion and many more. She is passionate about what providing as much information as possible on products you bring in your home and what we wear.

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