Try Service Instead of Gifts This Mother’s Day

Only a couple of weeks remain before Mother’s Day, and, as the popular meme attests, “Shopping for your mom is hard when she deserves an island and you can afford a candle.” This year, why not do something cheaper and more memorable than buying a candle? Here are 10 fun ways to serve your mother that she will truly treasure.

Clean. By “clean,” we don’t just mean to finish the chores that you’re supposed to do anyway. Instead, listen for the next time your mom says something like, “I need to make time to clean out that storage closet.” Then do it yourself. She’ll be thrilled to see a job well done that she won’t have to worry about anymore.
Put your talents to good use. Your mom didn’t pay for those art classes or piano lessons for nothing. Take some time to write her a poem, paint her a picture, or record yourself playing an original song. She’ll cherish it forever because of the time and thought you put into creating something just for her.
Send her on a day trip. Does your mother love to explore or have a favorite park to visit? Drive her to a lovely spot and let her have some alone time in nature. If you leave her with a good book, a favorite snack, and plenty of water, she’ll be able to enjoy herself for hours on end.
Cook dinner. Lots of families make their moms breakfast in bed. If that pattern has gotten stale for you, bump things up a notch by preparing a full-blown dinner. You don’t have to be a master chef—just make something your mother likes and do the dishes afterward. Bonus points if you pull out a nice tablecloth and candles!
Add to the family scrapbook. You’ve got plenty of photos on your phone; get a few printed and put together a couple of pages in the scrapbook your mom never has time to work on. Don’t forget to write down some details about the events shown in the pictures, and have fun making the pages as appealing as possible.
Create a spa day at home. Moms have plenty of stress in their lives. Help them take a load off by creating your own spa in her bathroom or the back patio! Light the candle you bought her last year, turn on some relaxing music, rub her shoulders, and give her a mani/pedi. She’ll feel like she’s gone to heaven!
Plant some flowers. A bouquet of roses is always lovely, but it doesn’t take long for them to dry out. Why not clear a patch in the garden or put an empty window box to good use? Planting some hearty blooms or even some oft-used herbs will give your mother something beautiful to look at for longer than a week.
Set up her tech. Do you get tired of your mom constantly asking you for help with her smartphone or computer? Be proactive. Upload her CDs onto her laptop, download some free books into her Kindle app, or get her a Dropbox account for all of her pictures and recipes. Then she’ll be happy and you’ll be off the hook for a while!
Make a gratitude video. First, gather some of your mom’s family members or close friends. Then put your phone or camera to good use by recording your mom’s loved ones talking about the reasons they’re thankful for your mom. Don’t forget to have someone else take the camera so you can take a turn to express your gratitude in the video!
Arrange a visit with a family member or friend. Is your mom always talking about people that she hasn’t seen for a while? Take a peek at her schedule and invite one of her loved ones to stop by. Whether you plan a lunch with one of her friends or a surprise visit from your older sister who’s away at college, your mom will be so excited!