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So, Mother’s Day is THIS SUNDAY!!  I repeat, Mother’s, Mom’s, Maw’s, whatever you call her, it’s her day on May 10th!!

Did you forget?  Of course not!  But you ran out of time, didn’t you?  That’s OK!   Here is a list of ideas to do in a short amount of time with not too much effort, but still make her feel special (and not realize you almost forgot).

• Plan a picnic at your local park, the beach, her favorite quiet place or your own backyard.  Yes, a picnic!  Go all out, make PB&Js or whatever her favorite food may be, pack a basket, take a blanket and sunscreen, then enjoy the outdoors!  If it’s poor weather, move it indoors and sit on your living room floor!  She will think you had this intimate, fun time planned and enjoy it.  

• If a picnic is not up your or her alley, then cook her a nice breakfast, lunch or dinner–or all three!  Make the day completely about her!  Let her stay in her pajamas all day, even at the dinner table!  How often does she really get to lounge like that?

• Of course, you can always buy her flowers and jewelry–neither take long to order and can be delivered.  Most places are used to last minute orders, but don’t wait until the last minute (for the record, you are darn close to the last minute now).  Hey, don’t forget to check out Groupon or Living Social before buying at full price!

• Is your mom artsy?  Or does she think she is?  If so, check out your local craft stores, paint shops and art places to see if they have anything special going on for Mother’s Day.  If not, but they are open, take her for a painting class, pottery, jewelry making or whatever class is available.  You can find this type of thing by doing a quick Google or Bing search for “painting class” and your location.  (Change the activity to fit what you want to do.)  If there isn’t a place open, but the offer gift certificates, buy one for your Mom to use at her own convenience.  

• Go for a walk in a local nature park or on the beach.  A lot of state and national parks are open on Sundays and offer miles of trails to stroll down.  You can revert back to the picnic idea with this one.  Don’t want a sandwich?  Pick up fried chicken. Cluck, cluck.  On second thought, you may want to steer clear of the chicken–your Mom may think you’re calling her an old hen.  Just go for a walk. 

• If your Mother likes flowers and plants, instead of giving her plain ol’ flowers that are going to die in a few days, give her a rose bush or some sort of plant she can enjoy for years to come!  The gift that keeps on giving!

• Write your Mom a ‘love letter’ of sorts.  Yes, really.  Write her a handwritten letter that tells her how much you appreciate her, love her, some funny memories, etc.  Tell her all of the things we think she knows because no matter if she knows it or not, she will love reading it.  You can never tell her those things enough. 

• Go see a movie, and do it right! Pick a movie SHE wants to see (even if it is a sappy love story or 50 Shades of Grey), get popcorn, a big drink, candy and whatever else she wants.  How often do you take your Mom to see a movie anyways?

• Photo album–this won’t take as long as you’re thinking.  Go through your digital photos and head on over to CVS, Walgreens, Walmart or anywhere that does photos locally.  Drop off your CD or thumb drive and come back in a day or so to pick up your photo album.  They will do it all right there for you!  Some places even allow you to upload your photos online, select the format, style and book without going to the store until the book is ready for pickup.  How much easier can it get?  And your Mom will LOVE it!  

• Gift certificate for a spa day or to her favorite salon.  Something to give her a true day off from her responsibilities.

• A tried and true popular idea is to write down (you can even type this one) a bunch of memories, thoughts, quotes and meaningful sayings on small pieces of paper to give her to pick from daily, weekly or monthly.  Stick the papers in a nice bag, bowl, box or whatever neat container you can find and put something cheesy on it like, “All of the reasons I love you” or “To Make You Smile Daily.”  You get the picture.  Hey! That’s a great idea, too!  Put a picture of you and your Mom on the container!  

• Gift certificates from… YOU!  Yep, do her laundry for a week, detail her car, wax her floors, clean out her refrigerator.  You get the idea.  She will love not having to do some of these not-so-fun chores.

• No Netflix?  Buy your Mom a monthly subscription of Netflix!  Better yet, by her a 6-month subscription!

• Make an award and frame it that says, “World’s Greatest Mom” or “The Best Mom in History!”

• Is your Mom a reader?  Go to a thrift store and buy her a bunch of books to read.  If she likes audio books, give her a subscription to Audible.

• Netflix  all of her favorite classic movies and have a movie day at home.  Those are the best because you can pause the flicks for bathroom or popcorn breaks.

• Two words:  Homemade Card

So, these are just a handful of ideas to make your Mom’s day as special as ever, but on the fly.  Do any of these and she’ll never know you almost forgot!  No matter what you decide, just make sure you tell her how much you love her and appreciate her!  Good luck!

What are you doing for your Ma this Mother’s Day?  Share your ideas!