Countdown to Mother’s Day

It’s just around the corner: the day to let Mom know that – despite everything you’ve put her through – you really do adore her.

My mom is sure to score big on Mother’s Day… and she deserves it! I wonder what my many siblings have in store for her. I’ve ordered my gift for her and it should be arriving any day. Then there’s the wrapping, repackaging and paying again for shipping. Nice of our pals at the U.S. Postal service to up the shipping rates just in time for Mother’s Day!

This is a great time to give mom the types of things she really wants but might not buy for herself. Here are a few great ideas:

Dress up the table. Recently, when one of my brothers couldn’t find a place to put a stack of bowls, he threw them away. (I don’t make this stuff up.) It’s true that our mom has lots of dishes – enough to feed 40 people at a time and fill up every cupboard in the house – but she loves to entertain. If you do your homework, fancy tableware does not have to cost you a fortune. Check out Sur La Table’s sale section for beautiful platters and serving bowls. Here’s a hint: if you live close by your mom, bring along dinner with the gift and give Mom a night off from cooking. If you stay and wash the dishes, she’ll really feel appreciated!

Make the garden her sanctuary. Brighten up the back yard with a colorful market umbrella or copper fountain from Plow & Hearth. Be sure to help with set up so Mom isn’t left lugging a 10-foot umbrella around the back yard.

Share your technological know-how. One of my goals is to get my mom online. (She just switched over to a push-button phone a few years ago, so I’m not going to rush into anything.) The first day I can afford it, I’d love to buy Mom a fancy little laptop, and set it up for her – cool email name and all. An excellent place to shop for computers and accessories is Dell.

Whether you are shopping for your mom, your partner or your favorite mom-to-be, don’t forget the flowers!

Until next time,

Conna