Gifts For Mom

Mom's can be tough to buy for. They often have all the 'stuff' they want or need, so a gift has to be speical and meaningful. Here are a few ideas that I hope will solve your 'What can we give Mom?' dilemma.

If your Mum is older, you worry about her health and safety. A remote starter for her car really helps on those frigit winder days or during the rainy season.

Does your Mom like a particular scent like rose, lavender or Jasmine? Make up a little goodie basket with soap, lotion, a sachet, or bubble bath in it. One year we added a Rubber Ducky just for fun.

You can buy a very nice photo frame for ten dollars, especially if you use store coupons or specials. Moms never seem to have enough of these. Put your photo or your kid's photo in it, or let her choose a picture and then have it enlarged and frame it for her. If you have a little more to spend, consider a photobook. There are several sites that offer these, I use Kodak and love it. Upload your digital photos, select a fabric, vinyl or leather binding, add the photos and captions and your done! I usually get mine in less than ten days.

Crossword puzzle or Sudoku books and a few pencils make a nice gift if she likes that kind of thing. Or a couple of the latest issue of magazines on topics she enjoys are fun. Magazines are expensive these days, so they are often a special treat. A subscription to a food, gardening or travel magazine might be the perfect gift and she will think of you each time one arrives, so it's a gift that keeps on givine.

Make a small basket of special treats - like her favorite tea, some candies, hand made cookies, mints, whatever she especially likes. We lived in Detroit when we were growing up and Saunder's Hot Fudge topping was her favorite. I sent her two jars one year, fudge and Caramel and she said she love having a sundae on special occasions. Maybe there's a local treat or something she used to love but can't find anymore locally.

If she knits or crochets, give her a couple of skeins of fun or fancy yarn to ‘play with', or a book of patterns.

Go to sites like Zazzle and upload a photo and make just about anything you can think of; mugs, aprons, shirts, cloth bags, mouse pads and much more. You can truly personalize your gift and the prices are quite reasonable.

Does she garden? If so, gardening books or gloves are welcome. Or search the net for special heirloom or unique packets of seeds. One year we gave her funky gourd seeds in her Christmas stocking and they were her favorite gift!

If you like to make crafty items, decoupage a box or pencil holder, whatever you like. Use copies of old family photos or vintage ads from old magazines. You can also cover switch plates with photos or fun magazine ads from the past.

If she's a reader, books are fun and there are often lovely, hard cover books on mark-down at book stores. Or give her a clip-on book light or even one of those head-lights. My friend's Mom uses one when they go camping and loves it.

Other ideas are warm no-slip slipper-socks, a scarf to match her coat, a holiday lapel pin or gloves. Or try a special pen with an angel on it, a box of note cards, stamps, a flashlight for her car, or a key-ring flashlight.

A special ornament. You don't have to spend a lot. Go to a craft store and there are dozens of ornaments that you color with markers or decorate yourself. Our favorites are the kind where you put a photo in or on them with decoupage. Be sure to put the date on them and sign them. Mom's tree was so much fun to look at because of all the ornaments with photos that went back decades. You don't have to ruin your original photos. Scan them in or have a copy made and use that for your ornament. Better yet, have a couple, just in case you have an oops with the glue.

Time with you is probably the best gift. Invite her over for tea, take her for a drive in the country if she doesn't get out much, or a matinee (we can still get movie tickets for five dollars each for the early shows). Rent a video you know she'll like, bring some microwave popcorn and spend an afternoon or evening with her. Have fun!