View Full Version : Mother's Day
I'm curious what everyone is doing for their Mothers for Mother's Day this year? I'm trying to do things for little-to-no money and not buy a bunch of junk that they don't really want. Between DH and I, we have 2 mothers, 2 step-mothers, 1-ex mother-in-law (she's the Grandma of my two girls so the kids need to do something for her), 1 ex-wife (step-daughter needs to do something for her), and 3 grandmas to do something for. Not to mention my Sister and Mom both have birthdays within a week of Mother's Day...lol.
This year I have decided to make simple scrapbooks for most of them. I'm using construction paper for the pages and punching two holes to tie ribbon through for the binding. There will be a page for each of the kids' hand prints, and a few pages of pictures taken within the last year. I think the Great-Grandma's will really love these since they don't get to see the kids very often. I also got a really great deal on some Arbonne products (up to $200 worth of product for $29) that I plan to spread out amongst the moms.
Usually I would be going broke buying stuff for each of the moms, but this year I wanted to do something more meaningful that wouldn't cost so much. I'm really interested in hearing what everyone else is doing.
We are making a special brunch for my MIL. We are getting my mom an itunes card (sounds weird, but she is a techy and will like it). Bought cards for both at the dollar store and am making a homemade bookmark to tuck into each one, too.
We live 5 hours from my mom and 2000 miles from my DH's mom.
My kids will likely take me plant shopping after church - that's what we've done the past 14 years. My yard always needs one more bush or tree.
IshbelRobertson
5-3-11, 8:55am
The UK's celebration of Mothering Sunday (which greetings card suppliers have tried to rename 'Mothers' Day'!) has been, and gone - it is held in mid-Lent each year - and predates modern MD by a fair way!
Traditionally it was a day when servants were given the day off to visit family and attend church services with them to give thanks for all their mothers had done for them.
I usually cook a really nice spring time lunch, leg of lamb, roasted with garlic and rosemary, rosemary roasted potatoes, 2 green veg and honey glazed carrots. Small gifts are usually given to mothers - flowers, for instance.
I bake an Easter simnel cake for the pudding as my famiily love it!
My mom and DH's mom live far away. I'm going to embroider them some dish towels, which I should probably start soon. :) I have no idea what my kids are going to do for me. Probably homemade cards and macaroni necklaces. I'm good with that. Sometimes my mom sends me a mother's day gift too, which I find amusing, but I appreciate.
For my mom, I got a magazine subscription she had wanted, through DD's school fundraiser - the school gets 50% of the money and the cost was the same as if I had purchased it elsewhere (so there is a huge markup on magazines, if you didn't already know that!).
For my mother-in-law, I had flowers sent. I ordered the flowers 2 months ago when I had a coupon for no delivery fee (which is usually $14). And when I was helping my mom, who is visiting, order flowers for her mother a few days ago, I found that the days around mother's day currently have a delivery premium, but they did not when I ordered flowers 2 months in advance.
My mom usually gets me something for mother's day too, Stella. And my brother's wife usually sends me a card. Mother-to-mother, I guess!
DD usually makes something for me at school. Last year it was a huge card filled with adorable things she wrote on her own. I told her it was the best mother's day gift ever. And it was.
I wish my mother was still living; she used to enjoy the unique flower arrangements we sent each year. I get flowers from my sons and truly enjoy them. Happy mother's day to all.
The tradition I have with my Mom - nearly 84 & very active - is to help her plant her spring containers. We go plant shopping, and because she has a comfortable retirement, she buys the plants she wants, and we design and plant her patio containers. It's lots of fun, and we get to spend the day together.
Being a stepmom, I get a hug from my husband, and that's about it...
my fella and i are going away this weekend (to a yurt in the blue ridge mountains!) so last weekend we went out to brunch with my grandma, got her some flowers, and took care of some chores around her house -- flipping her mattress, fixing her tv. she just got a new cable box so that's been a little confusing for her!
my mom died when i was little and i'm not super close with my stepmom -- i will probably just send her a card. speaking of which, i better get on that!!
Mother's day has never been a big deal with my mom-my parents don't celebrate much of anything. Dh's mom is dead so nothing there either. Ds and dh usually buy me flowers and sometimes we go to dinner.
At work we will supply all the mother's that come in with a carnation that day-it always seems to make them feel special.
most moms, especially me, would like to have a good pedicure this time of year. If you can arrange it, do it yourself, if not, what about a gift certificate?
ApatheticNoMore
5-3-11, 9:13pm
I will probably get my mom flowers because that's pretty much what I always do. I'm not very creative, and she's not very easily pleased with most gifts (or with anything maybe ;)) But flowers are always good.
We took our moms out to brunch for years, but last year we did brunch at our house and it was a big hit - a bit less expensive too, so we're doing that again this year. DH is a great cook; he baked bread and quiche and cinnamon rolls. I made a berry bowl and a tossed salad. We did the table up nice with a table cloth and pottedmini roses (which we gave to our moms), and we had bellini ****tails. We're lucky because our moms are in good health, love us, and are very fond of each other, so it's a happy get together.
I just printed off some old photos I aquired of each of us as babies with our moms and mounted them on cards. Makes a very simple card with a lot more meaning than a $6 Hallmark card. Going in the mail tomorrow with a heartfelt note for each mom.
We've already had mother's day here. I used to go home for it, but my mum says it's not a real holiday so it's not necessary... I recently took a drawing class, so I drew some flowers from a photo and made it into a card. Voila!
Gardenarian
5-4-11, 7:24pm
I adopted a coral reef for my mom through the Nature Conservancy. I'm not really close to my mom, but she likes something to acknowledge the day, and this won't add any more stuff to her hoard.
Here's a link: http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=holidaygiving_xx_hgg
I never liked to celebrate Mother's Day; my own mother was nothing to be proud of but always demanded to be treated like a queen...or else! I felt that if it took an Act of Congress to make your children appreciate you, you weren't much of a mother. Luckily my own children seem to feel better about me than I did about my mom, so I usually get cards and/or phone calls, which touch me deeply because they are sincere.
So I guess my suggestion is...loving mothers don't care what you give, as long as you remember them with affection.
Very well put Tweety! Thank you everyone for your replies! I think I got a little too ambitious and made the little photo and handprint books for all the mothers (all 8 of them). It took me most of the day yesterday and I was exhausted by the time I was done. I think it was a step in the right direction though. Last year I spent twice this much. I really like honoring all the mothers in my life, even those that weren't the best. My Grandma and I didn't talk for about 10 years and just started a few months ago. I figured I would kill her with kindness and then realized that it actually made me happy to do nice things for her even though I know she's not a very nice person. She'll probably only be around for a few more years anyway (she's 83) so I can at least suck up my pride until then. My Mom wasn't the greatest either (seems to be a trend on this side of the family), but I know that she meant well and she had to put up with a lot of crap from me when I was growing up so I still appreciate her intentions.
My kids usually make me something at school and sometimes they make me something at home too. I have pipe-cleaner hearts and handprint paintings, that I've saved from past years, hanging on my walls at home and at work. My step-daughter's mom is very thoughtful and always makes sure SD makes me something too. My kids seem to love me a lot, but they are still little so that could all change when they hit teenage years :)
I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day this weekend!
Here's a P.S. to my above post.
This morning one of my DDs wrote on her Facebook wall,
"I wish I could get something for nothing. Oh wait! I did! Mom loves me!" She then went on to wish a happy Mother' Day to "all of those Moms who do so much for love."
That was worth a million to me!
http://www.mothersdaymovement.org/Mothers_Day_Movement/HOME.html
A fabulous fundraising movement...
AlreadyHere
5-6-11, 5:11am
Tweety, thank you for sharing those precious words from your daughter, a treasure of sincere appreciation.
@Tweety--aw, that was so sweet of your daughter!
The little booklets I made with the kids turned out to be a big hit! All the mother's loved them.
My gifts...my 8-yo DD got me an African violet that is planted in an old coffee can that she painted beautifully. My 11-yo DD made me a beautiful beaded necklace. Our church gave out a small bouquet of flowers to all the women. And the kids brought me lunch in bed which was a pb&j sandwich :) I don't think Mother's Day will be nearly as fun when the kids are all grown, so I'm living it up while they are still young and make me cute things.
Happy Mother's Day too all you Mothers!!!
Happy Mother's Day to you too Bugeah! And to all!
Nothing fancy here. Supper at home, a nice bouquet of flowers from DH and kids, and a selection of cards. I'm grateful.
we don't celebrate this one. so, we might say "happy mother's day" to my mother, and that's about it.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.