The Best Free Gifts for Mother's Day - Gifts for Mom

Looking for the perfect gift for Mom? Moms, young and old, deserve something special on Mother's Day, birthdays or Christmas, but finding that perfect gift isn’t always easy. You might think she’d like clothes or jewelry or tickets to a Broadway play. Or perhaps you think big, and you think she’d like a new car or a cruise to a tropical island.

Give Your Time, Talent and Thoughtfulness

While many moms would love any of the gifts mentioned above, you don’t need to spend a fortune to make Mom happy. Most mothers will be thrilled to receive some free gifts that only you can give her. Give her the gift of your time, your talents and your thoughtfulness. These are priceless! and these are free!

Here are some of the best free gifts for Mom that you won’t find in stores. They’ll make her day and they’ll make her smile.

The Gift of Time

• Visit Mom. If you seldom see your Mom, then a visit on Mother’s day is sure to light up her face. It’s her day, so focus on your Mom by remembering to ask her how she’s feeling. Ask her about her growing up years. Talk to her and really listen. Let her know that she has something interesting to say.
• Call Mom or, better yet, Skype her. If you won’t see your mother on Mother’s Day, don’t make her wait all day to hear from you. Call Mom early in the day. Tell her that you are thinking of her and that you love her. Tell her thanks for the things she does for you or for the things that she has done for you in the past. Reminisce about some special times you shared or the things that you learned from her. Tell her how often you use her recipes or the skills that she taught you. She will treasure your words!
• Do a chore for Mom. This works no matter what your age. Very young children can make their beds and dust and put away toys. Older children can do the dishes, weed the flower beds or clean the garage or do the laundry. Adult children can fix a squeaky door or a drippy faucet or mow the lawn and mulch the flower beds. If you have elderly parents, just look around – there’s something that needs to be done: clean the oven or wash the windows. Do a chore that is difficult for your elderly parent to do. Gift them with a day of your time and effort.

Give a Gift of Your Talents

• Invite Mom to breakfast or lunch at your house. Just the two of you. Remember her favorite foods and prepare something pretty and tasty. Be sure to use your prettiest china and put flowers on the table to make it special.
• Bake a beautiful cake and have a tea party. Invite a few close friends or some favorite relatives. Serve coffee, tea, some pretty cookies and a beautifully decorated cake. Decorate your cake and table with your garden flowers for a festive touch.
• Make a photo album for Mom. Collect photographs of you and your mother and make a photo album of the two of you. Take a photo of the two of you today and add it at the end. If she has a digital picture frame, put these photos into digital form on an SD card.
• Make a homemade Mother’s Day Card. Kids of all ages can make homemade Mother’s Day cards that will please Mom, especially if you express appreciation for something special that she does for you.
• Paint a picture. Mothers love their child's art work, and what better gift than a picture painted by one of her kids. Frame it so that it can be hung in a place of honor. If you paint or do other arts and crafts, give her a piece of your artwork.
• Make a collage of her favorite places, flowers or people. Make a collage, mat and frame it for a pretty and decorative wall hanging.

Give a Gift of Thoughtfulness

• Load free songs onto Mom’s MP3 player. Or make a CD of songs for her. Search for “Free MP3 Downloads” on Amazon.com for hundreds of songs that you can download for free. Or, take some of her favorite CDs and transfer them to an MP3 player.
  
• Give Mom a manicure and pedicure. Bring everything you need for a pedicure and manicure, and give Mom a few hours of pampering and special attention. Don’t forget some fancy tea and homemade cookies to enjoy afterwards.
• Give her a bouquet of flowers from your garden. If you have access to wildflowers, why not bring her a bouquet of wildflowers for Mother’s Day or her birthday? A bouquet of flowers is beautiful in a vase or even a mason jar!
• Check local museums for free events. Moms might enjoy a day at the zoo with the kids or an afternoon at an art show or museum. Some museums and libraries have free craft days if you preregister.
• Get the family together for a family portrait. Even if you have a friend take pictures, she will love having all her family together for a family picture. It’s also something that every member of the family will love.
• Make Mom a slide show. Wouldn’t Mom love a slide show of pictures from her childhood to her wedding and then of her family growing up? This can be loaded onto a CD or a card for her digital photo frame to be enjoyed over and over.

Give a Gift of Love

• Cater a dinner for Mom. And while you’re at it, make extra and fix up some TV dinners to freeze that she can make when she’s too busy or just doesn’t feel like cooking. This is especially nice for working Moms or older Moms who might not have the inclination to cook every night.
• Make bath salts. Very inexpensive bath salts can be made from a few simple ingredients that you have around the house. Package in a recycled glass jar decorated with a pretty ribbon, and you’ll have a perfect gift for Mom.
• Write a poem. Write a poem for Mom on pretty paper. She will treasure it. For really special touch, you can write or type it neatly on colored paper and have it framed for her. This is a great idea that even young children can do. Frames from the dollar store are all you need to make the poem a treasured gift.

These are just a few of the many things that you can give to Mom for Christmas, Mother's Day or any day that will cost you very little or nothing. The gift of time and thoughtfulness is the most valuable and appreciated gift that you can give to you mother or to anyone you love.

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Copyright ©2012 Stephanie Henkel