So the message here is be creative and really put thought into gifts don’t blow money it IS the thought that counts!

As we know holidays can propose a huge dilemma for our finances and Mothers Day is no different. However, there are several ways to incorporate free or inexpensive gestures of appreciation into your traditions.

Reflection & Appreciation

 Sometimes the most treasured and memorable gifts are those that require no monetary involvement.Perform a skit, give a toast, or a scrapbook or letter outlining some of your  most cherished memories with your mother or the qualities you admire and respect about her.

Don’t let your praises be the only ones heard-videotape,record, or even write down the views and memories that other relatives and friends have of her.

Bring nostalgia back from taking her to a place that shares a special meaning to your relationship with each other or by revisiting an activity you once shared together.

Entertainment

Price Is Right: Mother’s Day Edition: Have motherhood or your mother specific items and add the spin of guessing the price of the items from the years that you,your siblings,and mother were born! And of course for the final item  “A Mother’s Love”-“Priceless”.

Gather a group of mothers and sons or daughters to partner up in sets against each other to play a spin off the  Newly Wed Game.   Make sure to make question cards in advance.

Treat your mother to a home spa with the help of homemade or bought face and hair masks, a back/hand/foot/head massage.  Use hot pads or cold packs. Don’t forget that ambiance is half the fun-light some candles or burn incense, have water with cucumbers, and relaxing music.

 The most important thing to remember is to not let any  environmental, financial, or familial factors or setbacks get in the way of celebrating your relationship with your mother and having a good time.

1. Buy a plain white flowerpot. You can get these for under $5 at any craft store. Using paint, decorate the flower pot. If you have a young child, have them put their hand print on the pot in paint. Plant some beautiful flowers inside your new pot and give to mom. She will absolutely love this.
2. Bake mom’s favorite cookies and write little messages on them in frosting such as ‘I Love You Mom’ , ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ etc. Be creative with this one! You could even dye the cookies a fun color using food coloring.
3. Make mom a beautiful bookmark using any fun crafty things you may find around the house. Tie some ribbon on it. Buy mom a book you know she would love and pair it with the bookmark. Any mom who loves to read will simply adore this
4. This gift is great if given by younger kids to their moms. Make mom a coupon book with coupons for a free hug, a day where the child will make dinner, a day where the child will wash dishes etc. Decorate and tie it together with some beautiful ribbon.
5. Organize a basket themed with mom’s favorite things. For example, bath things, baking utensils, painting materials etc. Any mom will love this.

Always top your presents with some flowers or chocolate and a card. Have a great Mother’s Day!

“I was taking a nap upstairs and I woke up hearing my parents screaming and yelling.” Their 16-year-old son Lamont commented.

“And what did you do?” I asked him.

“I went down stairs, quietly and then I saw mom and dad yelling at the top of their lungs, about which Christmas tree lights to put on the tree. My mother wanted the blinking lights, my father wanted the lights that didn’t blink.”

“Strange.” I said. “Go on.”

“Then, I saw my mother bite her fist and stomp on the lights. Over and over again. My father looked helpless while my mother was biting her fist, stomping on those lights.”

“Oh.” I said.

“You see, my mother has a problem with mental illness. But she doesn’t want to get help for herself. I actually find it hilarious that my parents would argue about Christmas tree lights the way they did. I find it to be funny.” The boy started to laugh.

“Yeah.”  I said.

“My father isn’t mentally ill like my mother is, but he has a terrible temper.”

“Does she do this frequently?” I ask.

” Yeah this is typical about my mother, I mean she does a lot of weird stuff. Like the time when I bought a remote control car. Well, she took the car and smashed it on the floor, ten times. I just stood there feeling angry. I mean my mom DOES NOT want to better herself by getting help for her illness. It is affecting me and my dad badly.”

“I see.” I said.

“I don’t think she will get any better.”

“You don’t?” I asked.

“No.” Said Lamont.

“I hate to say this about my mother, but she is nuts.” Lamont turned around and walked down the street. Wow what a scoop! I thought to my self as I put my mini tape recorder in my pocket and headed home.

Mother’s Day takes place the second Sunday of May. Retailers make sure everyone knows about it and offer up their wares as a way to “let mom know you love her.” How do you thank mom without spending tons of money on things she can’t or won’t use and has no space for? There are a few gifts from the heart that may count for more than any store bought gift.

Call Her

Let’s face it, not all families live in close proximity to each other. So you may not be able to do some of the other things that require spending physical time with mom. If this is you, then a phone call may have to be the next best thing to spending time with your mother. Don’t worry about minutes on your cell phone or the cost of a long distance call on your land line (does anybody still have these?). This is your mom we’re talking about here. She’s worth the time and the cost of a phone call. Make sure to tell her you love her.

Flowers from Your Garden

In my yard I grow a few flowers. Some were planted by the previous owner, some were planted by me and my husband. I have gardenias, climbing roses, and some bulb flowers in my back yard that I don’t know the name of, but they are beautiful. I like to give them to others. They make cheerful gifts for all occasions. And women love them because you are sharing some of the beauty from your own garden rather than running to the store to purchase some bundle of unidentifiable flowers that you put no thought or time into.

Cook Her a Meal

So you’ve learned to cook, and you’re pretty good at it, if you do say so yourself. Do you use your skills to feed your husband, children, friends? Do they rave about your meals and can’t wait to get to the dinner table? If the answer to these questions is yes, then perhaps it’s time to return the favor to your mother for all the meals she prepared for you by cooking one of your best meals for her. If not on Mother’s Day, then schedule the grand meal for another day that works for both of you. Either cook at her house or invite her over to yours. Set the table with the good china, linen napkins and candles. Don’t forget the wine and background music. And let her know that clean up is included.

Take Her Out for Dinner and a Show

What if you can’t cook? No problem, there’s still her favorite restaurant or that restaurant she’s always wanted to try. Be sure to get there early or make reservations if you plan to take her on Mother’s Day. The good restaurants are always packed and have long waiting lines on such important days. If you mom doesn’t mind eating out on another day, why not take her out on those days?

For the show, take her to a movie that’s just come out. We have one community theater not far from my mom’s house that puts on some wonderful productions and has fantastic actors.  If you have a community theater, buy tickets and take her to see their latest play. No matter which show you take her to, coordinate it with the dinner so they both end up on the same “date.”

If she lives out of town and you be with her, then it may be acceptable to send her a gift card for the restaurant and show. But if at all possible, be there with her, in person, to share the meal and show because, really, it’s spending time with her children that she values most. Which brings me to my final point.

Spend Time with Mom

Spending time with mom is the biggest and best gift from the heart for any mother. Just ask one. What you do together during that time doesn’t have to be fancy, extravagant, or expensive. It could simply be spending the afternoon playing cards or building a puzzle on the card table. Or taking her on a picnic to the local park and grilling hot dogs, with all the fixings. Bring watermelon and potato salad or any other picnic foods you liked as kids. It’s the time that matters most.

What if your mother is no longer with us? – God rest her soul – maybe there is another “mother” you’d like to honor. Perhaps you know of a mother who won’t be able to spend time with her children, for whatever reason. There are always mothers in nursing homes who don’t have someone to spend the day with them. Choose a surrogate mom and celebrate her for a day. Trust me, your mom will be looking down on you and smiling.

Here are some simple ways to show your mother you care and she’s on your mind:

• If you’re short on cash, instead of showering her with gifts, help her with all the daily chores she does. It is more effort than deliberating over what to buy and putting a few twenties on the counter, and actually benefits her.
• When you’re in a disagreement, instead of being defensive, explain like a lawyer your side. Mothers hate fights with their children so this takes away some stress for her day.
• If she always asks you to do the same thing, do it before she asks. 
• Know her let peeves and avoid them at all costs.
• Make it a habit to say thank you after she does something for you, because she will never know how thankful you really are for all her hard work
• Include her in your conversations and let her know what’s going on in your life. My mom felt detached and upset when I wouldn’t tell her anyting, or bother to ask her about her day too. 

Whatever you do, make it genuine, and not something to do because it’s social conduct. I’ll never get to take back years of being hateful to my mother, but I can make the ones we have left a good time.

Your Mother

        This one is simple. If you don’t know this than I am not sure how you are still alive to be reading this.

Your Wife’s/Girlfriend’s Mother

        Do not let your partner know you are doing this. Just do it. It’s an awesome way to get some kudo points with your lady and she will also be excited that you, more than likely, remembered her as well.

Your female counter-part

        Ok, although this seems like common sense, I need to explain. Say your wife or girlfriend is pregnant and has not given birth yet. She could only be a few months knocked-up, it does not matter! Her hormones are going bonkers and her body is changing and she feels this way and she feels that way and frankly she does not even know what she’s feeling. BUT, I bet that if you don’t acknowledge her on her first “pre-mother’s day” that your going to hear about it either immediately or 2 years down the road when your in the middle of an argument about chewing too loud!

Close family members and friends

        This one isn’t a requirement but it’s a nice way to show you care. If your are close to anyone that has given birth, adopted, or raised children in any way then let her know that you notice.

What do I get her? She already has everything she needs. Will a generic card from wal-mart and half-dead flowers work?

        Don’t be a cheap-ass and don’t waste your money. This is not valentines day or her birthday. It’s actually something very important to her.
   
        If you have the cash to go buy her some overpriced jewelry or a new car and all of the over the top things that money can buy, then go do it and stop reading this. But if you’re here looking for unique, and truly thoughtful, ideas or inspiration on what to get the Mothers in your life then follow along.

1. Manicure and pedicure for her and her BFF.

2. Her favorite movie and breakfast in bed.

3. A gym membership to an all girls gym… use caution. If she has been mentioning this then it’s a good idea. The “all girls” gym maybe a nice sales pitch.

4. A romantic evening out, free of the kids, just you and her. Make it fun and be original. Do dinner at her favorite place and then skip the traditional movie and head out sight seeing or to a coffee shoppe for some dessert. Try to find something local and outside, weather permitting of course . Maybe even rent a decent hotel room to go back to and have some much needed alone time.

5. “It’s the little things that matter the most!” Yes it is cliché and your significant other has said it a million times… that’s because it’s true. Think of little things that she has said in passing such as “oh that’s neat” or “I could really use”. Something that she said in passing, while she thought you were not listening, is always a must have item.

6. Surprise her with tickets to her favorite band in concert. It doesn’t matter if the concert is on the day of or after Mother’s Day. Guaranteed she is posting a picture of the tickets on Facebook to brag to her friends that her “husband just got us two tickets to go see ADELE!!!! ZOMG!!!” And please do not get embarrassed by this, your lady is happy right?

7. Girls love to feel like you are uber-attracted to them and they love to shop! Gift card to Victoria’s Secret or any similar stores. And go with her…. ah, the catch. Females love your input on these things. Sometimes they use it, sometimes they don’t, but when it comes to lingerie does it really matter?

8. Accessories for her smart-phone. A cute bedazzled case, a wristlet made for her phone, a hands-free call system for the car, etc. The phone is an accessory to her and in some ways is more important than her favorite purse. They will not admit it, but girls are the nerds when it comes to their smart-phones.

BE THOUGHTFUL OR CRASH AND BURN

        At the end of the day you just want your special lady to know she is an awesome person and that you admire how great of a Mother she is. Remember women pride themselves on their role as a Mother, not on getting older, so this is the most special day of the year to her. You do not have to go crazy and over-spend to show your appreciation, and in no way should you. Make a plan, make a budget, and make it heartfelt. Stick to these three rules and create the best Mother’s Day gift you can offer to the woman (or women) that make your life go round.

This study proves what parents already know oarng over the years,the baby’s mother’s tone of voice they understood not the words. To find out, researchers conducted a game using the English word’whoops’ and ’there’, then the same process is repeated in Greekwith the same tone of voice.

The academics found that infants reproduce the same reactionregardless of whether they know the language.

Study leader, Merideth Gattis of Cardiff University’s School ofPsychology said, ”This research shows that children can have access to an understanding of just using the tone of voice.”

‘whoops’ and ’there’ in two different languages ​​showed similar results, either in Britain or Greece. Though none of the kidsunderstand, ”said Gattis, as reported by the Telegraph, Thursday(16/02/2012).

Research published in the journal Cognitive Development was conducted with 84 infants, aged between 14 and 18 months. Gattisis said, that children respond to the instructions ’tone’ in theconversation of their parents from an early age.

According to him, the pitch is a very useful signal to what someone is thinking. ”We never have access to the minds of others, exceptthe signal in a language that we provide,” he added.

Gattis said, the results of this study means that what parents say is not so important but rather how they say something. Then theconclusions of this study suggest that parents should not be tooworried and confused about what to say, but more attention to his tone.

This article will help you to think about some of the things that you could do to make your Mother feel special. There are some things that you could do even if you don’t have money available to you, as it is more about making her feel as though she means a lot to you rather than feeling as though you’ve just spent a lot of money on her.

• Spread things out throughout the day. Don’t just give her presents in the morning and then forget about it for the rest of the day. Have something planned for every couple of hours, whether that’s a present, or one of the other ideas which is explained in this article.
• Get some flowers. If you can afford to get her some flowers delivered, then this is an amazing way to show her that you care, but even doing something like getting some cheap boquets from the local shop can look nice in the lounge and brighten up the room for your Mum. Every little thing that you do will show her that you care, so make sure that you do your best to do this.
• Make her breakfast in bed. This is good way to start the day, and it will mean that she has a little bit of extra time to relax at the start of her day. You could try and add a little something that she doesn’t normally have, for example an egg, or maybe a few small chocolates in the shape of hearts to show her that you care about her.
• Take on responsibilities. If your Mum has things that she normally has to do on a Sunday (for example ironing, washing, etc) tell her that you are going to do these for her today. You might want to try and get everything like this done while she is relaxing in the bath after breakfast, as it means that she is doing something that she is going to enjoy, and you don’t have to miss any quality time with her while you’re working.
• Cook her a nice meal. Of course, you could always go out for a meal, but this can be very expensive and there is often no need to do so. Cook her some of her favourite foods, and make sure you do dessert as well. If she is still lucky enough to have parents, this might be a chance to invite them over to make sure that she is able to see them. Never underestimate the effect of a nice table setting. Maybe make placemats, or put a small flower next to each place setting, just to make things a little bit more special.
• Make the most of the weather. If you are lucky enough to get a sunny day, make the most of it and take your Mum for a walk in the afternoon. It is a good chance to have a nice chat with her, and the sun will make you both a lot happier and more relaxed. If you aren’t lucky enough to live within walking distance of somewhere that is nice to walk in, you could drive for anything up to around half an hour to try to get to somewhere that you could walk. 

No matter which of these tips you decided to take, this Mothers Day is sure to be great for both you and your Mum. We should never forget just how lucky we are to have our Mothers, and this day is the perfect one to be able to show this to them. 

Mom’s Story

Christopher P. Hurtubise

The cold dark machine gun barrel was pressed into her slender throat once again. Arrogant, powerful, and soulless, the Nazi questioned one of the four sisters;” Are you carrying papers? “. The sisters were an integral part of the Resistance. Only teenagers, their youthful innocence robbed by the war machine, they played an important role in the lives of Jews and stranded Americans.

The dark red brick home and local pub was situated at an important crossroads in Veltem, Belgium during the Second World War. While the sisters and their parents went about their daily lives, bombs were being sent overhead and into their village. Rumors floated amongst the lips of neighbors that there were resistance fighters right in their own backyards. Most were joyous at the thought, but there lurked others eager to turn in their neighbors for a favor from the occupying force. Word reached the sister’s home that the Nazis would be doing a search, looking for a particular pub described to them by a treacherous informant. The four sisters’ father happened to be a skilled carpenter. He worked throughout the day and into the next morning. The old pub didn’t exist anymore, in it’s place was another pub, but not as the one described. The Nazi search proved fruitless.

Time came for one of the sisters to be ‘questioned’. She spent her endless days without leave in a closet too small to sit in, too dark to see, and too far removed from her innocence. The Nazis learned nothing. The other sisters were more determined. The papers flowed.

Being too crucial to leave alone, the Nazis occupied the sister’s home, forcing the family into a few rooms. While searching for the resistance and occupying the crutch pin of that same resistance, Jews and Americans were ferried right under the stench full noses of the Nazi war machine. It was all too blatant to be recognized. The ruthless destruction of the sister’s home and country went on. Father died. Having been denied medical attention, he suffered and was buried without a headstone in the local church’s grassy backyard.

Liberation. So much damage on so many levels. Multiple continents united in a fight for freedom. Dad meets Mom. Mom’s violated home is now occupied by the determined Americans. Nazi papers are found. They had scheduled the sister’s family for elimination in ten days. Close. Now powerful American antiaircraft machine guns are placed in the basement of the sister’s home.

In the dead of night, piercing lights would be aimed at the drone of the engines from retuning Nazi fighter planes. The house would rattle under the fire of the machine guns. Sisters would shake. Cry. Pray. Night turned into day.

Four years later my parents were in a double wedding ceremony. Two of the sisters were saying vows that wouldn’t be broken. Decades later, my dear sister would perish from cancer, like her mom had just a few years earlier. In the bright family room of a large hospital, I met with my sister’s oncologist. We talked about family. Roots. His father had barely escaped from the Nazi regime. It was through the tireless efforts of a few sisters in a small Belgium village.