If your mom is like mine, she's pretty great and deserves to be remembered and honoured on Mother's Day! Looking back, my mom was always gracious with every gift I ever gave her: from the stringy bean plant I grew her when I was in kindergarten, to the book of coupons good for a free hug and an overcooked breakfast-in-bed. I remember buying her a box of chocolates one year, and she never complained as the box "mysteriously" got lighter. Many years have passed since those days, but what remains unchanged is that my mom would be happy to receive no gift whatsoever -- as long as I remembered to write her a heart-felt note.
Check out this list of Top 10 Gifts for Mother's Day 2013! Whether you say it with flowers, chocolates, a laptop, or a letter of appreciation, you can't go wrong--just set some special time aside for you and your mom to make her day complete!
1.Laptop Computer & Printer! For this year's Mother's Day I'm giving my awesome mom the HP Envy x2 touchscreen laptop, which converts into a stand-alone tablet! My mother's previous computer was a dinosaur with a memory in the kilobytes, and a total console weight like a baby elephant. Contrast that to the Envy, which weighs 3.1 lbs like a kitten! I'm also giving her the HP Envy 120 e all-in-one wireless printer which will allow her to print from her smartphone or new tablet. Pretty cool!
2.Netflix! My mom's all about movies, so I decided to get her a Netflix subscription too. If you think that I'm such a generous daughter, I have to admit that the first month is free. After that Netflix costs $7.99 per month, and will allow her to watch unlimited shows and movies. She'll be able to watch from her smartphone, tablet or laptop, and of course her tv. All that's missing is the popcorn!
3.A Day at the Spa! Here's a fantastic gift idea for moms that love to relax and be pampered: Ste. Anne's Spa in Grafton, Ontario. It's a scenic drive from Toronto, and a typical itinerary will include a Swedish massage, 3-course lunch, access to their pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna, as well as an afternoon tea! Not for the faint of wallet.
4.Jazzy Jewelry! Jewelry is an excellent present for Mother's Day, if you know mom's taste. Take a look at what type of jewelry she wears everyday, and you have a window into her soul. Try Pretty Thingz of Unionville, Ontario, who carry beautiful and inexpensive costume jewelry. For a personalized touch, Etsy sells birthstone pendant necklaces, with stones symbolizing each of mom's children.
5.Fresh Flowers! Giving flowers to mom for Mother's Day is a bit of a cliché, but they do brighten up the house, smell beautifully, and show that you remembered her special day. Select your mom's favourite flowers, and display them in a glass vase (you can buy an inexpensive vase at the Dollar Store). If you're not sure what kind of flowers to buy, roses are a safe choice, (just don't buy white ones, which are for funerals)! If you live far away from mom, you can have flowers delivered to her. Just Google "Flower Delivery" and 4.8 million choices pop up!
6.Mother's Day Brunch! It's not Mother's Day without a Mother's Day brunch! Many upscale hotels host such a brunch, often with multiple seatings from which to choose. Try Essence of Unionville restaurant, located inside Hilton Suites in Markham, Ontario. It offers a high-quality buffet including lobster, shrimp, sushi, carving, omelette and waffle stations, sausages, eggs benedict, high-end desserts and more. Just like buying a wedding ring, budget 3 months of pay to dine here (kidding)!
7.For Bookoholics! If you're mom is a bookaholic, an e-reader would make a great Mother's Day gift for her, even if she's a low-tech mom (there are many choices)! However, if she already owns a tablet, she can download a free e-reader app from either the Apple or Android store. Load your mom up with an e-gift card from Amazon or Indigo, and she can enjoy the latest books beamed directly into her device. The virtual gift card is perfect if you're looking for a last minute gift, and can be e-mailed directly to mom!
8.For Chocoholics! Nutrition is so important, but shouldn't chocolate be in a food group of its own? If your mom loves chocolate like mine does, why not get her a special box of chocolates all for herself? The Ultimate Truffle in Thornhill, Ontario carries many different flavours of truffles, including rich and chocolaty ones. My mom loves the "champagne" flavoured ones the best!
9.Mom Makeover! Moms are great, but they have a tendency to put themselves last. So why not get her a mom makeover? Inquire at a local salon about a cut, style, and make up session to complete the look. Gauge mom's interest to see if she'd also like a colour or perm! Don't forget to tell mom how ravishing she looks!
10.Family Portrait! For the mom who has everything, arrange a family portrait to commemorate Mother's Day. Have the picture blown up and mounted in an elegant frame. We moms love marking the growth and progress of our beautiful families, and this gift is like gold to us. Wal-Mart has decent portrait packages à la cheap.
How are you celebrating Mother's Day this year? What characteristics do you think make a great mom?