Mother's Day Gift Ideas

There are so many ways to tell Mom this Sunday how much you love and appreciate her, but this year many of us are more budget-conscious than we have been in the past. Here are a few ideas on how to show her that you care without going into debt to do it:

Give her a spa day.
Every one deserves a little pampering now and then, and every mom would appreciate a massage, a pedicure/manicure or a facial. This can become a pricey package at some places, especially if you're getting "the works," but you can purchase individual services or just a dollar-amount gift certificate and let her choose what services she wants when she gets there. (Had to spell it out for some of the guys that may not even know what really goes on at a spa.)

Order her a subscription to her favorite magazine.
If you didn't plan this in advance, you may have to buy the current issue from the newstand so that you have something to give her now. Then tuck in a card to let her know she won't have to buy the magazine herself for a year (or two).

Make her dinner and do all the clean up afterward.
Use a recipe you've already tested and mastered, so there are no surprises - such as a last-minute pizza order, or worse, her having to take over the cooking. And clean up means make the kitchen as spotless as it was before you did the cooking, or even better - make it cleaner than it was before you got there.

Get her tickets to her favorite artist's concert or show, a dinner and a show package, or a comedy club.
Mom may not get out much - it's not that she doesn't want to, she just has so much else going on, like taking care of the home and family. She's likely to appreciate an evening out - it'll give her a chance to let her wild side out for a night.

A photo of the two of you in a pretty picture frame.
Or even better if you want to spend a few bucks - a digital picture frame, and load it up with great photos of Mom, you, and the rest of your family and loved ones.

Clean her house.
This can be an all day job for Mom by herself, but you can knock it out quickly with the help of Dad and your siblings. She'll be truly grateful for a clean house that she didn't have to tackle herself, even if it doesn't stay that way for very long.

Fix things for her.
Take care of those little projects around the house that she doesn't have time to complete, or home maintenence that has been neglected. Painting, caulking the windows, squeaky doors, fixing ripped screen doors or windows, changing air conditioner filters. Hey, I know it's not a glamorous gift, but she'll appreciate it nontheless.

Give her glitz.
Jewelry is always a nice gesture, and it doesn't have to be diamonds and pearls to be a winner. Costume jewelry - the stuff that isn't made with pricey stones but still looks cool and sassy - is affordable and she'll wear it often if it complements her style and her wardrobe.

Gift cards work when you don't know what else to do.
Give her a gift card to her favorite store or her favorite restaurant, or give her one of each. It may be pretty impersonal, but an excuse to go shopping or to go out and eat without doing any cooking or cleaning is always a good thing.

Give her flowers.
This is the traditional Mother's Day gift, but a bouquet of cut flowers or an arrangement really doesn't last very long. But if Mom enjoys the garden, consider buying a flowering shrub such as a rose bush, hydrangea, peony, or any other pretty perrenial that she can plant (after you dig the hole for her) that will come back year after year - and she'll be able to cut her own bouquets year after year. Cover the ugly growers pot with wrapping paper or burlap, and tie it up with ribbon or twine to make it beautifully gift-worthy.

Things to avoid giving Mom, especially on Mother's Day:

• Clothing or shoes, unless she has the exact item and her size circled in a catalog, or she outright asked for it. There's nothing worse than receiving an article of clothing you feel obligated to wear just because it was given to you by someone you love. This applies not only to Mom, but a good gift-giving rule altogether.

• Wrinkle cream, a gym membership, a subscription to a weight-control program, or anything else that may make her feel like she's getting old, less beautiful, or less in shape than she once was. But, of course, any of those would be a perfectly wonderful gift if she outright asked for it.

• An appliance, a vacuum, or anything else "for the house" - it will remind her of all the work she has to do, and her never-ending role of keeping up with the cleaning and cooking for the whole family. Let her know you think more of her than "the lady who takes care of us." As usual, those things are great if she outright asked for it.

• A headache, complaints about other family members, or any drama that's best left for another time. No matter what you give as a gift, the one thing Mom wants is to enjoy a happy day with the beautiful person she's loved since the moment you were born.