The founder of Mother’s Day says you shouldn’t send a telegram to Mom on her special day—so damn, it’s back to the drawing board for me. Here, some other ideas …
Tell her you actually appreciate her advice. Moms have reps at butt-inskies, but you know that more often than not, their advice is good, and it’s offered with the best intentions. So tell Mom about the best advice she ever gave you, like Jean Chatzky and friends did. At the very least, you’ll be able to answer every mother’s question: Do these kids even listen to what I say? Yes, we do. And sometimes, we even take the messages to heart.
6 easy at-home brunch ideas. Via the Frugal Foodie at Mint.com. She’ll love that you planned, cooked, and (if you’re smart) cleaned in her honor. You’ll love that you spent one-tenth of what the same meal would have cost at a restaurant.
10 affordable Mother’s Day gifts. Suggestions from a mom at Kiplinger include some classics (customized necklace, photo album, mani-pedi), some near-freebies (seeds planted in a pot rather than flowers that’ll die), and some that only require time and effort on your behalf (wash her car, give her a day off to do whatever she wants).
Give her a personal style makeover. A potentially insulting, potentially much-appreciated gift idea, in which you help Mom lose the mom jeans, redo the ‘do, and pamper her a bit, presented by a WalletPop contrib.
14 DIY ways to make Mother’s Day memorable. In a good way, ideally, like by doing some work in her garden, actually going with her to church (not just dropping her off), or simply doing your darnedest to have a day with no drama—list courtesy of MrFreeStuff.com.
Move her to Norway. Not exactly an inexpensive gift—and worse, one that could really be taken the wrong way. (“You want me to move to Norway!? Why not China? Why not the moon?”) But a “Mother’s Index” study says that the best country in the world to be a mother is Norway, followed by Australia, Iceland, Sweden, and Denmark. The U.S. ranked at #28.
Read more:
Signs the Economy Isn’t a Total Basket Case: Mother’s Day Spending Up This Year