5 Free Mother’s Day Ideas
Have you seen a billion Mother’s Day ideas online? Me too. Many include purchasing beautiful gifts (like me & my etsy shop coupon for 30% off MAMA21014) or designing intricate projects. Pinterest worthy. Not realistic for me. Let’s be honest. I’m STILL pregnant at 40+ weeks and motivation is at an all time low. It was miraculous we got to the park the other night (well, that I went along to the nightly ritual of the park).
Gotta admit: Mother’s Day for us is usually so low key at our house. We kids either go in on a gift for our mom, or we all do our own thing, and for me, AA has the kids do some artwork and shower me with extra kisses. It’s a beautiful but, like I said, low key time o’ year.
Right now, sitting at 40+ weeks pregnant, I would love the gift of our son’s arrival, frankly. ARE YOU LISTENING, BABYLOVES?
Riiiight back to your free ideas, for those who’ve run out of time or moolah.
1) Love letter.
You don’t have to be a poet. You just have to be able to either write, or type, and say something(s) nice. They can be trite; they can be deep. Just compose it.
Something like this for my mama:
Dear Mama,
You always put your children first, above your own needs, wants, and dreams in life. And now that you’re older and we tease you about wearing our sweatpants from high school, know also that we treasure all that you’ve done for us, and continue to do. And we want to be as awesome as you are.
Please promise to always keep making fudge and caramels so we can hand them out to our friends. Please keep on being the go-to babysitter/granny nanny, willing to get up with a sick kid in the middle of the night or fly to visit your out of town kids’ kids anytime. Please don’t stop making the same dried chicken for your spaghetti & chicken dinner.
We love you,
Your wretchedly ungrateful children
2) Make a date.
Write on a little card that you’d like to take your mom on a date. Coffee, tea, dinner, movie, whatevs. It doesn’t have to be lavish, but the gift of your time is priceless. Especially because if you’re reading this, you’re an adult with a busy life, and probably have little ones of your own.
Mom, let’s watch Pride & Prejudice together. Or Sabrina, because you love the Julia Ormond version. Or Downton!
3) Share your children.
If you have children, and you are lucky enough to have your mom still alive, share your kids with her for Mother’s Day. Simple afternoon park playdate. They bring the handcrafted marker art hurriedly rushed off the factory shelves (their desks) that morning. You bring a hot beverage (or cold. Here it is still in the 50’s, so make that a hot cocoa for my mom). You stroll to the park and meet up.
Watching my mother with my children has been the most edifying experience of my maternal career. She is five million times the mother I am, and I want to be as loving, patient, and selfless as she is. The kids are so blessed to have her as their NuNu. We’ll definitely have some special NuNu kiddo time Sunday.
4) Call her.
Even if you’re not close to your mom, dedicate 10 minutes of phone time to her. Ask nice leading questions so she can share. Respond lovingly and remember it’s not about you & your issues today; it’s about the woman who raised you.
5) Last, but not least: send/give her a photo.
In the era of smart phones, you can even just snap & email this one. A picture of you two, a pic of your siblings/kids/partner, a pic of the dog. Whatever captures her heart. If you’re lucky like us, you’ll know a really great photographer who periodically takes family portrait sessions of you (Emily Rumsey) and then you can print this off on your 8 year old printer and frame it in a frame you had already around the house. Not that I’m doing that for Mother’s Day. Um. Right.
