Mother’s Day can be challenging to prepare for. What can you do to make someone who gave you life, nurtured you, and helped you turn into the person you are today feel extra special?
If you’re struggling for a way to uniquely honor the mothers in your life, don’t throw in the towel just yet. Here are some suggestions that go further than flowers and a clichéd Hallmark card. They take some thoughtfulness, energy, investment, and a dash of creativity to go above and beyond as you make the mothers around you feel extra special this year.
Prioritize Your Mothers
Before you start brainstorming ideas, consider which mothers you’re prepping for. This is important. If you want to hit this out of the park, you need to make sure you give the proper attention to every important mother in your life.
Start with a list that includes:
- Your mother
- The mother of your children
- Mother figures in your life
- Friends with children
Now, you may not love the idea, but there is going to be a natural hierarchy of importance for each of these individuals — at least as far as their motherly influence in your life goes. Create your list and then arrange it by priority. That way you can make clear decisions, such as getting a smaller gift for a friend who just became a mom while pouring a bit more time and effort into something for your mother or spouse.
Consider Logistics
Next up, think through the logistics of shopping for each mom on your list. Ask yourself a few questions to ferret out the unique aspects that make each woman tick. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
- What kind of personality do they have?
- Do they prefer items or experiences?
- Should you try to surprise them?
- Would they prefer to do something in person or at a socially acceptable distance?
- Do they live close by or half a world away?
As you go over these questions, you’ll start to get a clearer picture of the ideal way to honor each mother.
Get Planning and Go Shopping
At this point, you’ve got your list of moms as well as a good idea of their interests and proclivities. It’s officially time to start figuring out what you’re going to do for each person. Most of the time, this will boil down to either an activity or a gift.
Here are a few unique suggestions for both options. Again, as with the questions above, use these as a starting point to get your creativity flowing. Don’t just look for canned activities or gift ideas that you can easily reproduce. Find something that you think will fit well with one of the moms on your list and then tailor it to their likes and desires.
Pick a Good Activity
There are many unique and special activities that you can do, even on a budget. You can set up a coffee buffet with some unique brews and a handful of the best foods to enjoy with coffee, such as eggs, berries, and homemade granola. Here are a few more time-intensive options, too:
- Do a load of laundry or run some errands for a new mom friend.
- Clean the house from top to bottom while you send Mom away for a spa day.
- Institute an utter and complete quarrel ban in your home for the entire 24-hour duration of Mother’s Day.
- Host a budget-conscious party that doesn’t leave Mom scrambling to put food on the table when the money runs out next week.
- Set up a Zoom call for far away moms or even host an online movie night using Netflix’s party option.
If you use a little creativity, there are endless one-of-a-kind activities that you can do specifically with a mom in mind.
Choose a Thoughtful Gift
If you’re looking for a physical gift idea, you don’t have to fall back on flowers. Many other gift options can speak directly to each individual, such as
- DIY projects like repainting the smallest room in the house to make it look bigger.
- Personalized items like engraved jewelry or a personally designed bookmark.
- Beauty and fashion items that reflect personal beliefs, like purchasing from a sustainable company or buying quality outdoor gear.
- Getting a tech gift that helps ease Mom’s life a bit, like a smart thermostat or a smartphone projector.
- Send a friendship bracelet, a good book, or even a gift card to her favorite store.
No matter who the mom is, where she lives, or what she likes, there is always a unique gift out there.
Making Mom Feel Extra Special
Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be daunting. On the contrary, with a little up-front planning, you can dominate the day for every mother in your life.
Start with a list of moms. From there, consider each of their likes and interests. Then figure out a gift or activity idea for each and put a little thought into personalizing it. If you can do that, you’ll be able to make each mom you interact with feel extra special not just on the holiday itself but for a long time to come.
