Top 10 Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

Mother’s Day is more than a day of celebration. For most of us husbands, it is a reminder of how much we procrastinate but are still able to pull it off at the last minute. I can wake up Sunday morning, sneak out of the house and run down to the local Von’s to pick up a nice bouquet of flowers, a card, some small stuffed animal, and I am good to go for another year. Oh wait a minute, that’s Valentine’s Day.

Mother’s Day is definitely one day you need to prepare for. You have to realize that if you mess up, your child gets the blame. This week’s Top 10 list is going to take a lot of the hard work out of getting the right gift for Mom that not only will leave her satisfied, but your child will love you and you might just get some free time of your own on Father’s Day, June 21. Here is my Top 10 list of Special Mother’s Day Gifts:

1. Breakfast in bed. Sure, it sounds difficult, but the key is to serving Mom’s favorite items which usually can be picked up at the local Starbucks. First of all, you need to know her favorite coffee style (grande, extra hot, non-fat mocha with whipped cream for example) and which type of pastry she prefers. Serve it on a tray with a single long stemmed rose, fresh squeezed juice, and you are golden. Extra bonus points if you make her an omelet. Once your task is completed wake up the kids and have them serve it to Mom, then stand back and bask in the glory of your accomplishment. Warning: Pop tarts in the toaster does not really qualify as an effort.

2. Create a personalized stepping stone with your kids for Mom. These are available at Michael’s, Target, or most supermarkets that have a Mother’s Day Gifts section. She will love the fact that you thought enough to do a project with the kids before the actual big day, and you get to have fun with the kids as well. Double bonus points.

3. Create a personalized Mother’s Day Gift Basket. Does she like coffee or tea? Get her a gift card to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or Starbucks, some pampering products from Bath And Body Works or Bed Bath & Beyond, and toss in gift cards to the shops she spends most of her Mad Money in. Add in a nice card and have the whole family sign it.

4. Send Mom on a Spa Day Retreat. Mira Mesa has at least 14 different places for you to choose from, so she can get the red carpet treatment while having her nails done, a relaxing massage, hair styling, or more! I would recommend Boston’s Salon & Day Spa on the corner of Flanders and Mira Mesa Blvd., so you can drop her off for her Day Spa treatment, and you can have a few cold ones in their sports bar right next door. That is perfect planning.

5. Take Mom’s car in for an auto detailing. Sorrento Mesa Auto Spa & Lube can get her car sparkling clean inside and out, and if you want to kill two birds with one stone you can have them do the oil change at the same time. We even have coupons on our website to save you some money. We share because we care.

6. Make a personalized CD or DVD for mom. Creativity goes a long way into telling her how special she is. Fill a CD with special songs from your dating days, to your wedding day, or the songs you used to sing to the kids when they were little. Even better, record your kids saying special things to mom and include them in the mix. DVD’s are a little more work, but it will be something she will treasure forever.

7. Pajamas or Bath Robe for Mom. This is the equivalent to the Father’s Day Tie or Soap on a Rope. Moms just love bath robes and pajamas. It is up to you whether it is a Victoria’s Secret field trip, Bed Bath & Beyond, or Marshall’s.

8. Visit the Mira Mesa Farmer’s Market for creative Mother’s Day Ideas. Tuesday, from 3-7 pm in front of the Mira Mesa High School you can find special one of a kind gifts for Mom, and help raise money for the High School Foundation at the same time! Bring your kids with you and they can pick out something special for Mom.

9. Team up with other Dads to watch the kids for the evening and let the Moms enjoy a Moms Night Out together. This takes a little work, but it can be done. Call the husbands of 3-4 of your wife’s best Mom friends, and get them to commit to watching the kids together for a few hours. Buy gift cards to the Edwards Cinemas Movie Theater, Buca di Beppo, and Starbucks and divide the cost up among the participants. Just tell the Moms that they are having a Mom’s Night Out, and when they all show up to drop the kids off, you give them the envelope with everything already paid for in gift card form. Make the reservations at Buca di Beppo for an hour prior to the show time, and print out the movie listing showing movie times. Everything is in the same mall, so they can carpool in one mini van. After the movie, they can relax and enjoy a mocha at Starbucks before heading home. That is a great way to top off the perfect Mother’s Day.

10. Go the traditional way with flowers, take Mom out to her favorite restaurant, and give her what she wants more than chocolate: some alone time. Mom’s love the personal touches like picture frames with photos of the kids, #1 Mom coffee mugs, and even personalized calendars with all the important birthdays and anniversaries printed on them, but a lot of those take pre planning. If you are reading this article looking for clues then you are already too late to create a calendar on snapfish.com. Red envelope is always there for you with creative ideas and 2 day shipping.

Make sure to allow yourself 2-3 days to purchase flowers through local vendors for Mothers Day Delivery, but realize this is their busiest day of the year. Same goes for restaurants, so make reservations early. Expect slower than usual service due to the restaurant being at full capacity all day long. Be patient, don’t ruin the day for Mom because everyone in town decided to go to the same restaurant and your reservation is 15-20 minutes late.

Most of these ideas are for the working fathers with small children. Teenagers can modify some of the ideas with a personal touch, such as the CD or DVD idea. I hope this list helps you to find the perfect gift, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there. Enjoy your day, you deserve it!