11 ways to celebrate mom in style
On Mother’s Day a few years ago, Blue Springs mom Lori Driskell received a vase from her husband and children. Her husband had helped their kids write out some of their favorite memories and stories with her. He then rolled the papers up and put them back in the vase. Now Lori can take these tangible memories out of the vase, read them and put them back in to read again later.
“It's something that could be started one year and then added to over months and years to come,” Driskell says. “It was a sweet idea and super inexpensive.”
The vase is definitely a keepsake. Something that is both sentimental and a tangible way of capturing memories is just one idea for a Mother’s Day gift this year.
Do you struggle to come up with new ways to express your gratitude for Mom? Have you found yourself stuck doing similar things year after year for the moms in your life?
We all could use a few creative suggestions on how to celebrate Mother’s Day, so consider these 11 ideas:
- Write a heartfelt handwritten note. In our society that communicates through texting and social media, we don’t often value the significance of a handwritten note. Taking the time to write such a personal letter to your mom about what she has done for you will be something she will cherish, and it’s meaning will undoubtedly surpass that of a standard greeting card.
- Let her choose dinner. Moms are always trying to make everyone in the family happy with the meals they prepare, and sometimes in an effort to please everyone she doesn’t always make her favorite dishes. Provide her with her favorite meal and don’t complain if you don’t particularly care for it. Instead, try enjoying what she enjoys. You might find you like it after all.
- Let her go on a walk. Taking a walk can help one de-stress, clear their mind and provide some much-needed time to themselves. For a mom, this can often be therapeutic, and the physical benefits of walks are just as significant. Let her go for a long walk away from everyone so she can enjoy the outdoors by herself.
- Take her for a picnic in the park. Enjoying some time in the park on a nice day is another method of de-stressing, so pack a meal for the family and take her to the park. Going to the park together is a simple and low-tech form of family bonding.
- Enjoy her favorite leisure activity or hobby with her. Everyone appreciates having company when participating in their favorite pastimes. If your mom is a fitness buff, try working out with her. If she likes gardening, dig into the soil with her. It doesn’t matter if it’s not your favorite activity. The point is relating to her by doing things she enjoys—and while you are at it, you might discover a new hobby.
- Appreciate her work. Mom’s influence expands outside the home. Is your mom a teacher? Why not have some of her students write out the ways she has impacted them? Does your mom volunteer at a food pantry? Volunteer one week in her place and see the significance of her work. She likely touches many lives on a daily basis, so find those people she impacts and have them explain what she has done for them. Report their meaningful words back to her.
- Create something for her. Do you sew? Knit? Or perhaps you like building things with wood? Make Mom something with your hands if you can. If you are a musician you can write her a song, or if you are an artist you can paint her a picture. The thought put into such a personal gift will be meaningful to her.
- Make a list of all the sometimes overlooked things she does. The truth is we don’t often recognize every significant thing a mom does. Make a point to look around every day for the things she quietly does that you have never praised before. Present the list to her and make sure you talk to her about each of the actions you noticed and why they are important.
- Allow her time to go out with her girlfriends. Let Mom enjoy some adult conversation and time with friends. Allow her to have a moms night out and not worry about what’s going on at home for an evening.
- Plant flowers together. May is a great time to begin planting flowers in the yard, so why not do some gardening together with Mom? Lee’s Summit mom Jessica King says planting flowers with her mom has always been a Mother’s Day tradition and it is something she has begun doing with her young kids as well. She says the kids love getting their hands in dirt and mud and having little scoops and shovels to use. These things help get them excited about doing the task together and creating some memories while they are at it.
- Take some sweet family pictures. Unless it’s a selfie, Mom can sometimes be absent from the pictures because she is often taking them. Provide her with an opportunity to actually be in the pictures with the kids. She will cherish a mini portrait session for years to come.
Whatever you do to recognize the significant mom in your life this Mother’s Day, remember to showcase her personal interests and how she had made a difference in your life.
Capturing the memories
Lori’s decorative vase is just one idea of how to capture memories with mom in a tangible way. Here are a few other simple and sentimental projects you could make and present to Mom this Mother’s Day:
- A scrapbook
- A t-shirt quilt representing activities you have done together
- A collection of small souvenirs from places you have been together
- One of your most sentimental photos blown up into a large wall mural
- A written book of memories and stories of your times together
Allison Gibeson is a Lee’s Summit mom and writer whose favorite Mother’s Day memory so far has been playing at the beach with her husband and son.