This year, the day of celebration and appreciation for our mothers is March 27th (I bet you’re glad I reminded you!). It can be difficult to get or do the right thing. For starters, it takes a long time to understand her taste and know what she’d appreciate. Buying presents can be tricky, and for young people the trouble is often being financially dependent (sometimes on the mother herself!). Fear not. Mother’s Day presents are ultimately about the thought and research you put into them. So, even if they are handmade, the fact that you spent hours on it shows how much you love, care and appreciate her. Every mother’s taste is different, but here are some ideas of how you could possibly treat her!
- Learn a creative skill and make something for her. If you learn this skill specifically to treat her, you get bonus points! It can be knitting (something I learned to do in lockdown – trust me it sticks with you), painting, real-life drawing, tie-dying, photography, speaking a language she speaks, or scrapbooking. Doing something creative does require thought, as you put time and effort into it. Plus, it doesn’t cost a dime!
- Book an experience. You can find loads on virginexperiences.com or similar. These are definitely pricier, but I like to team up with my older sibling who is far richer than I am and buy it together! In the past, we have bought her tickets for a foraging and cookery course in London and a murder mystery experience. All you need from her is a date she’s free. If you’re older and feeling really adventurous, you could get assistance from your other parent (or a trusted adult!) to go away for a night. You can find very cheap flights, or book a train journey, whatever works.
- Flowers. These are an easy and classic win, and I like to treat my mum to them randomly from time to time. They are a sweet gesture, cost very little, and bring unexpected joy. If you’re buying flowers for Mother’s Day, it’s best to pair it with another gift – something like her favourite chocolate or sweets, or something alcoholic if your mother would like that.
- Baked goods. It’s especially exciting if you make her something she’s never had, or something of a national cuisine she likes. For instance, you could make her some Pastéis de Nata, or Baklava, or Tiramisu. It is a sure way to show her you are making an effort, and it’s something that can enjoy for more than just Mother’s Day!
- Make a photo album. My birth-giver and I made quite a few of these last year, and they’re relatively easy to do, but is also time-consuming. What might go above and beyond a general photo album of her and dotted memories could be a book about a trip, experience, or holiday. If you ask everyone who went to pull together their camera roll and decorate it with stickers and embellishments, it can look excellent. If you’re not so creative, you can also do this on Snapfish or a similar site!
- Organise a day for her. This is similar to the experience day, but it can be much cheaper and just in the local area. If you cannot afford travelling far, you can go to a nice town nearby that is rarely visited. You can speak to other family members (or your mum if you spend the day with your maternal family) and see if they would like to celebrate together. It’ll be the end of March don’t forget, so you could go to a park, see a museum, have cream tea, see a local show, and maybe include a surprise treat like getting a pedicure, manicure, or cocktail.
I hope this helps. Sticking to chocolate and flowers is nice, but it’s worth going the extra mile to thank your madre!
