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Mother’s Day is coming up quick this year! We have been so busy that I didn’t realize it is next weekend until last night when my daughter asked me what we’re doing for Mother’s Day. Honestly, I was planning on being at our cottage in Michigan getting caught up on yard work (it’s been freezing up there!) but now I guess we’ll be in Illinois celebrating my big day. 😉
I always feel guilty having my kids spend money on me. They are young adults, 20 and 24, so money is tight for them. I have been trying to give them some direction with my gifts lately, because then they won’t over spend and I can keep the total under $30. I don’t feel *too* bad about them spending $15 a piece on me. 😉 When they were little my husband always made sure I had gifts, flowers, breakfast in bed, something to do for the day- the works- for Mother’s Day and I loved every minute of it! He is always so considerate and since it was “our money” I didn’t mind. Now that it’s the kids’ money, I kind of mind, lol!
I thought this would be the perfect time to put together some creative and inexpensive Mother’s Day ideas, so here you have them!
Give Mom the gift of your time.
Most years all I wanted for Mother’s Day was help in the yard. That is the day we would clean out all of the flower beds, straighten the flagstone, rearrange plants, plant new perennials and spread mulch. The kids were always surprisingly helpful! Some years it would be so hot we would turn the temperature way down on the hot tub and use it as a pool after a hot day in the gardens! I’m not sure if the kids think this is a great memory, but I do!
Spend time outdoors.
With over 10,000 state parks in the US, odds are you live within an hour or two of a natural wonder right in your state! Pack a lunch and hit the trails! Some of our favorite Mother’s Days were spent at Starved Rock State Park and Matthiessen State Park in Oglesby, IL. The kids loved hiking and the waterfalls and canyons (yes, in Illinois!) were always beautiful.
Breakfast in bed.
You have to eat, so you might as well go all out and make all of Mom’s favorites! (Hint: Check out her recipe or breakfast boards on Pinterest- it will be something she’s been wanting to try and show you put a little extra effort into what you decided to make! Mom doesn’t have Pinterest? No worries! Check out our Breakfast- Wake Up Happy! board for hundreds of ideas from great bloggers!) Don’t forget to clean up the ENTIRE mess. Trust me, she does not want to see a dirty kitchen on Mother’s Day!
Do what Mom likes.
What does your mom like to do? Does she enjoy walking, movies, board games? Plan something around what she likes. If she enjoys neighborhood walks, go to a new neighborhood with amazing old houses or gardens and take a stroll. If she loves movies, ask what she’s been wanting to see and download it for movie night. If she loves board games, play a round of Cranium (or Cards Against Humanity if you have a Fun Mom) and make a few appetizers. Your mom will love that you went to the trouble of arranging something to do as a family based on what she likes to do!
Complete a task on her “To Do” list.
You know she has one, and you know it is mighty long! If it’s posted somewhere, pick the task (or tasks) that has been there the longest. Maybe it’s cleaning out the garage, folding baskets of laundry or making the bathroom glisten. Whatever it is, do it and she will be so grateful!
Focus on the details.
The details of your mom’s car, that is! Everyone loves a clean car. Treat your mom to a personalized detail without spending $100+ to have it professionally done. Be sure to do a great job- who knows when she’ll have time to do it again!
Ain’t she sweet?
Does your mom love dessert? If so, make her favorite dessert. (Or check out our Pinterest Dessert board to find something amazing!) Odds are, if your mom makes a dessert it’s what someone else likes and not necessarily her favorite. Treat her with a special treat just for her!
Plant a garden.
Not a huge garden, a container garden! But not any old container garden, a container garden with a purpose: Bruschetta or Salsa! How fun is that?! For the bruschetta garden, plant cherry or plum tomatoes and a few basil plants. For the salsa garden, plant plum tomatoes, cilantro and jalapeno peppers. Yes, it’s a gift that essentially makes your mom cook, but it’s fun food to cook! Here is a great blog post on planting a salsa garden:
How to Grow a Salsa Garden from Grow a Good Life
Send Mom to the spa…at home.
Give mom the gift of a relaxing evening by creating a spa-like experience for her at home. First, clean the bathroom until it sparkles, playing close attention to the bathtub. Make sure the fluffiest towels in the house are clean and folded neatly. Put together a spa basket with things she likes to relax: a bottle of wine, a candle, some chocolate. Finally, find a podcast you know your mom would love if she just gave it a chance and download it for her so she has something to drown out household noises during her relaxing tubby time. If you have planed in advance, treat mom to a luxurius spa basket like this, filled with everything lavender.
Take a class.
Check with your local library, museums, flower shops, and even Groupon, to see if there are any classes you can register for with your mom. If you have siblings who are local, make it an outing. Our local distillery has martini making classes on Groupon all the time and they are totally fun! (That might be what my mom is getting this year….) Take a look- you may be surprised what local offerings Groupon has that your mom would love!
There you have it- 10 creative and inexpensive ways to show your mom some love this Mother’s Day. After all, she deserves it!
Need more ideas? Take a look through our Mother’s Day board on Pinterest with tons of ideas from other great bloggers!
Be sure to take a look at our other great posts in the Holidays & Seasons section of Looks Like Happy!
Happy Mother’s Day!
Allison
I love your ideas! These are the types of things I treasure more than purchased gifts and I know my mom does too. I’m passing this post on to my kids. 😉
Aww- thank you! I tried to put together some different ideas to share. I’m glad you like them! I sent this to my kids, too, lol!