If you still need someone to remind you that Mother’s Day is just around the corner, here I am, probably saving you. No one can blame you. Being caught up in the endless equation of trying to balance work, a social life and an efficient number of sleep hours can sometimes make us forget about our family. They know we love them. Your dad and siblings probably won’t mind that you aren’t around much. But, there’s someone who will cry on the phone for a complete hour if you failed to spend the past weekend with her; yes, your mom. Here are a few ideas on how you can squeeze in a little something for your mom without having to fall too much off of balancing your life equation.
Framed Pictures
Go into your mother’s drawer where she keeps everything in; from pictures of her marriage to Enrico Macias’ cassette tape that she won’t use ever again but is probably too emotionally attached to them to throw them away. Grab a few pictures of your family together or just of her through the years and put them together. Of course you can print out a few post-photographic film pictures, but I know we’re talking about last minute gifts. So, all you need to do is buy the frames and you’ll be ready to go.
Flowers
This is very traditional, easy and never cheesy! Any mother will appreciate some flowers she can use to decorate the dining table, or boast about on her Facebook or her Whatsapp group chats. It’s the kind of gift that you can spend from 20 EGP to 800 EGP or maybe even more. It doesn’t matter what your budget is, you’ll always find the right flowers for the right price. You don’t have to think too much about what kind of flowers to get, leave that job to the experts at the shop.
T-fal Cookware Set
I think the only thing I got my mom that she was happy about, is an orange T-fal pot that she still uses to this day. If your mom enjoys cooking and has time for it, there’s nothing as good as a gift she can use every day. Cookware is something you (probably) can never go wrong with. However, you should ask your mother about her favorite brand so you don’t end up spending a lot of money on a cookware set that’ll probably end it next to the Chinese plates she never uses.
Handmade Gifts
Don’t get me wrong! I know that this is supposed to be a list of last-minute ideas but hear me out. You won’t be the one making her the gift. You’ll always find that quirky person who likes to do all sorts of crafts. If that person is not in your group of friends, you’ll definitely find them at work. Just tell them you’re thinking about giving your mother a handmade gift and they’ll know exactly what to do. I’m always in favor of doing the handmade work yourself but this is an emergency. Just don’t forget to pay your friend/co-worker.
Temperature Control Mug
All you need to have is a picture on your phone and a nearby gift shop. As simple as this gift may sound, this is the kind of gift that every mother will enjoy. You don’t have to go crazy with designing the mug, just choose a picture you know she loves and go with it. You’ll see her drinking in it and just watching the blackness fade away and her family’s beloved faces appear instead.
Scented Candles
The second thing you can never go wrong with; scented candles. You can buy them from almost anywhere, from IKEA to the nearest gift shop to your house and workplace. She will either use them for a decade of decoration or choose to light them and actually enjoy the scent. She’ll probably light them after the first decade so don’t worry if you just find them lying around on the dining table covered in dust.
Get her car washed
If she’s a busy mom who is always on the run and not really free to clean her car, you can do that for her on Mother’s Day. Just ask her to lend you her car, she probably won’t say no. Take it to a good car wash and finish the gesture by adding scented Air Freshner, buy her some chocolates and leave it on the front seat. That will be a nice surprise for her the next time she takes the car.
Book her a spa day
Such an easy and meaningful gift. Yes, meaningful. There’s nothing a mother won’t appreciate more than her children understanding all the pain and trouble her 24/7 work position she never applied for, actually is. Every mother needs a break. Every mother needs to feel like a queen, like her work actually paid off. Of course, she’d love to see all of her children graduating college, having good jobs and good homes. But; she, too, needs some time to herself.
Spend time at home with her
This is one for when you have more time than money. Spending an evening with her could be such a blast. You can take her shopping, go to lunch together or even be her chauffeur for the night. If she is more of a stay-at-home person then you can cook her a good meal and spend the night binge watching her favorite TV series. There’s nothing a mother would appreciate more than her children taking time off their schedule to spend it with her.
P.S: Call her
Don’t let this day pass without spending at least 10 minutes with her on the phone. She’d appreciate a daily or even weekly phone call. Give her update on your life, the friends you meet, your co-workers’ funny quirks at work. I’ll bet she will hang up the phone at the end of the call and just cry (if she doesn’t do that while still on the other end of the line). It’s nice to appreciate the people we have before they’re gone forever, especially the ones who did and continue to do many things for us without asking for anything in return.
