Wondering what gift you can get your mom that a) she will like, and b) won’t break your budget? I’ve got 8 ideas for you, all tested and proven to make Mom happy, leave you feeling good about what you gave her, and don’t cost an arm and a leg.
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Find the perfect gift for your mom
Getting the perfect gift for your mom doesn’t have to cost a ton of money. In fact, she probably wouldn't want you to go into debt for her Mother's Day or birthday gift. Here are my eight affordable gifts for mom, and each one comes from the heart-
- Build her a garden.
Provided you don’t live across the country from your mom, this is one that’s based more on your sweat efforts than your wallet. (You will need to buy supplies, though.) My mom always had a garden when we were growing up. I remember my dad tilling up the soil and all of us building up those rows. But in their last house in the suburbs, that kind of space just wasn’t realistic. Also, I’m pretty sure that rototiller died years ago, long before that move.
Enter a square foot garden box! My sister and I split the cost of the lumber for the frame and the soil mix, and I brought seeds from the packets I had just used in my own garden. On Mother’s Day, my sister and I showed up with our husbands, built and filled that box, and had seeds planted in about an hour. My mother was so happy she cried, people! I learned everything I ever needed to know about Square Foot Gardening from the book by Mel Bartholomew. I highly recommend it!
- Do something together.
Get pedicures together, go for a walk or a bike ride, or use a Groupon to get a cooking, sewing or other class somewhere. Some of the fancier grocery stores do cooking demos now. It's a great way to learn something new and spend some valuable time together.
- Make her a meal
Mom was always cooking for you growing up, and chances are she’s still cooking every day. Why not give her a break and serve her? Take a meal over, invite her to your place and cook, or arrange to have a favorite meal delivered if you can’t see each other in person.
- Put together a gift basket
Gift baskets don’t have to be giant and expensive! Heck, they don’t even need to be baskets. Think about hobbies or treats that she likes and fill a basket, bucket or some other kind of vessel with related items. I once did a spa-themed gift for my own mother, using an apothecary jar with a lid that is readily available in the housewares area of many stores. Fill it with bath bombs, Epsom salts, a scented candle, a loofah or heel scrubby, and a magazine. Relaxation in a jar!
- Make a photo book
Discounts for online photo services like Snapfish, Mpix, Shutterfly and more are readily available. Upload some photos from when you were growing up, and then transition the book into pictures of the two of you and of your family today. It’s a gift that will be treasured because it came from the heart.
- Take her out to breakfast
Breakfast out is usually less expensive than dinner out, unless you’re looking at a fancy restaurant’s brunch. Get some one-on-one time and treat her to a meal that she doesn’t have to either cook or clean up.
- MAKE her something
From sewing, knitting or crocheting a scarf to making simple jewelry or even some painted pottery, Mom will surely love getting something that came from the heart.
- Send her a card with a story
Sometimes you get to the point where you're trying to find a gift for the mom that doesn't need anything else, or prefers experiences and thoughtfulness instead of "stuff." In those cases, maybe the best idea is to get (or make) her a card, and tuck in a memory of a favorite day or thing you once did together. After all, sometimes a gift isn't necessarily a thing, but a feeling.
I hope one of these things turns out to be a great gift for your mom!