While handmade crafts the kids made at school for Mother’s Day are cute, deep down inside mama may still want a bit more. What she’s looking for may or may not be found in stores. Something a mother could ALWAYS use is more time. And what mom doesn’t love being pampered? A gift would also be nice to give if there’s money in the budget, which could be something that only costs one dollar. I’ve compiled a list of Mother’s Day gift ideas with all budgets in mind. For more gift ideas, check out last year’s post here.
TIME
They say you can’t buy time, but you actually can indirectly. If you pay for services, mom will have more time for herself, and if you’re on a tight budget, do-it-yourself projects are in order.
- Honey-Do List – Perform some tasks on the list to make her life easier, or hire a handyman take care of things around the house.
- Breakfast in Bed – Yes, it’s cliché, but it’s the fact that you took the time to make her breakfast and pamper her. Make mom her favorite breakfast and bring it on a bed tray with her favorite hot beverage. Add orange juice in a champagne flute with seltzer with a strawberry slice on the rim, or a Virgin Mary with a celery stalk in it to make it more special. Place the paper or a magazine and a single red rose on it, and you’ll make her feel like royalty by pampering her. You’ve just bought her 30 minutes of sleep and 15 – 30 minutes after the meal to read while you clean up. Breakfast ideas and recipes here.
- House Cleaning – If you normally don’t pay to have your house clean, make an exception one time. Give her a certificate for maid service to clean your home so she can accomplish other great things, or have fun with her girlfriends. If you’re on a budget, have everyone pitch in to clean the place.
- Shoe Shine – Everyone can help shine all of her shoes with or without shoe polish.
- Cook All Meals – Don’t worry, it’s only for Mother’s Day. If you can’t cook, purchase prepared food from McCaffreys, Bon Appetit, Lucy’s Ravioli, D’Angelo’s, or Wegmans. Another plan is to order take out (Chinese, sushi, etc.). No matter what you do, clean up the mess after the meal!
- DVR – It can be TiVo or from your cable company. A DVR allows her to watch shows on demand, plus skip through all the commercials on previously recorded content. This will save 10 minutes for every 30 minute show. You will spare her 40 minutes for a movie scheduled for two hours, so it adds up!
- Personal Assistant – Concierge of Princeton can provide someone for the day or a few times a month to help her catch up, or the family can be at mom’s beck and call.
- Babysitter or Mother’s Helper – Someone to watch the kids while mom can be productive or needs some “me time”. If you’re on a tight budget, set up playdates, or ask a friend to watch the kids.
PAMPERING
Most women love being treated like a queen. Examples of the royal treatment are massages, spa and salon treatments, and being catered to.
- In-Home Massage – Magnificent You will bring the massage table to her, or dad can do his best to release the tension in her muscles.
- Spa Treatments – Metropolis in the shopping center has great services. AQUASPA offers a wide variety of services, and is having a Mother’s Day promotion. Another option is to have the kids make a facial mask for her skin type, apply it, and add cucumbers slices over her eyes.
- Mani-Pedi – LaJolie is conveniently located downtown, or the kids are conveniently at home waiting to massage mom’s hands and feet and apply nail polish.
- Date Night – Guys, find a babysitter, dress up, bring her flowers and take her out to dinner. Be chivalrous by opening the car door, dropping her off in front of the restaurant or using valet parking, helping her with her coat (if applicable), and DO NOT forget to compliment her. Take her to the Peacock Inn in Dining Room 3 under a ceiling of twinkle lights for three to four-courses of fine dining, to elements for the Chef’s Table of a nine-course avant-garde menu, or to her favorite restaurant whether it be casual or upscale.
- Bath – Draw a bath for her, have candles lit, and soft music playing. Have a cocktail and hors d’oeuvres ready for her to indulge in. Give her a gift basket with bath bombs, a good book, a sea sponge, and body gel. Optionally, you can add a spa towel, waffle robe and matching slippers. A bluetooth speaker will allow her to listen to music from her computer, tablet, or mobile phone.
- A Good Night’s Sleep – If her mattress is over 10 years old, chances are she’s not sleeping as well as she could. Bring her over to Princeton Mattress in the shopping center to choose the one right for her to get the maximum REM sleep to feel refreshed in the morning. If this is out of the price range, consider getting a mattress topper to pamper your queen.
GIFTS
It’s sometime hard to find the right gift. If you listen carefully, you can pick up clues as to what she likes, or figure it out based on her interests.
- Perfume – Purchase her favorite fragrance, or pick up a gift card from Sephora or Perfumania at the Quaker Bridge Mall.
- Chocolate – John & Kira’s is the best chocolate I’ve tasted from the tri-state area. They’re made in small batches from local ingredients, and since they’re fresh without preservatives, there’s a short shelf life. If your budget is smaller, pick up some Lindt Truffles in town.
- Jewelry Box – These come in all sizes and price ranges. Perfect for keeping her jewelry and watches organized and scratch-free.
- Cosmetic Bag – These also come in all sizes and price ranges, and are quite handy. If you have a bigger budget, add airline or cruise tickets inside as a nice surprise.
- Hot Air Balloon – Balloons Aloft can make her dreams come true with a sunset flight.
- Tandem Skydiving – Skydive Jersey is for the mom jumping for adventure.
- Stationery – You can order personalized stationery at Paper Source on Nassau Street, or pick up blank note cards at Target or a dollar store.