Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day (while staying at home)

Hello, friends! I think it’s safe to assume that most of us will be spending Mother’s Day at home this year due to “Rona”. Yes, we are all getting sick of it, and hopefully our lives will be back to normal soon.

This Mother’s Day is going to be a bit different. There will be no hand crafted pottery or tissue paper flowers from our children’s schools, and there will be no taking our mothers (and grandmothers) out for a nice meal. There will also be no mother/sister/girlfriend shopping trips while the husbands wrangle the kids at home. No, this year we are forced to be a bit more creative!

While we are being creative, there is also starting to be some food shortages out there. So even if you think you can just run to the store for a gift, or for chicken, think again.

Also, if you think you can just order something online, well, good luck with that! Shipping has slowed down to a crawl.

Now, most of us mothers don’t want or need or ask for anything. We are happy as long as our children and spouse are happy. My children could put their arms around me and hug me and it would be the most precious gift I’ve ever received. Every one of their hugs is priceless, and every time they say, “I love you”, I just want to burst into tears. It’s all I want.

That being said, we still want to honor our mothers and show some appreciation to them. There are ways to do this, even with the limits currently placed on all of us.

So I’m here to help you by compiling a list of interesting things for you to think about doing for your mother, wife, girlfriend, etc.

Gifts of Service for Mother’s Day

I’m going to start with the basics. These are obvious everyday suggestions that you could do for your wife or mom for mother’s day, or any day you would like to do something nice.

• Make breakfast in bed. My siblings and I used to do this for my mother on Mother’s Day. It’s a nice way to start the day. Have the younger kids make the easy stuff like toast and coffee.
• Run a bubble bath. Some women love baths, others, not so much. If you’re like me, though, you love them! Pour some bath oil in the water, light some candles. Make a soft, romantic place for the mother of your children.
• Prepare her favorite meal for dinner. A no brainer! You know what she likes, and taking the time to prepare it for her is such a sweet thing to do.
• Do all the household chores. Just do them. Trust me, that will always be appreciated.
• Create a personal video. I love the funny videos my kids create. Most moms would love a video of their kids proclaiming their mom to be the best mom. Grandmas, too!
• Give her car a detailed cleaning. Inside and out! Do this for your mother or wife.
• Please make sure to Face Time, Zoom, or Google Hangout with the grandmas! If your mom is older, offer to cut the grass, trim hedges, or any other outdoor work.
• Send your aging mom a special lunch or dinner. Many local restaurants are offering special Mother’s Day menus. Take advantage and send your mom a delivery of something she will enjoy. Support your local restaurants during stay-at-home orders.
• How about a massage for your wife? Physical touch may be your wife’s love language. If so, this will be a nice treat.

You all knew about those suggestions, right? Ok, good, now we are getting into the “gifty” section of this post.

We still have time for some creative homemade gifts. Now, while we are all mostly still under stay at home orders, I’m giving a friendly reminder that craft stores are still open for business. Order online, pick up in store.

I can also bet that there are some things in your home that can be repurposed into gifts. Some of the following suggestions include things found in most homes. Think creatively and use your talents!

Homemade Gifts for Mother’s Day

• Paint a mason jar, fill with flowers. Or, roll your kids’ hands with paint, and have them make hand prints on the jar.
• Instead of a mason jar, have the kids make hand prints on paper, then frame.
• I love the idea of hand prints or a free hand design using paint or markers on clay flower pots as well. These pots can be found at most craft stores. Grab a bag of flower seeds to plant, or fill with a succulent.
• I wrote a couple posts about making sugar scrubs here and here. One of my favorite gifts to give and receive. Decorate the container with ribbon or fabric, or have the kids glue strips of tissue paper to the mason jar for a “stained glass” look (not recommended if jar sits in shower stall).
• Do you have an old 8X10 picture frame laying around? Paint it and decorate it using various odds and ends like buttons, shells, fabrics, beads, faux foliage, etc. Have the kids list their favorite mom memories or “mom-isms” on a sheet of paper for the frame.
• If you’re able to grab some strawberries, dip them in melted chocolate, and serve in a basket or tray along side chilled champagne and glasses for an evening treat.
• Cut up strips of paper and have the children write down what they love about mom, roll them up, and place in a jar.
• If your wife/mother needs toiletries, consider grabbing a few color themed items and fill a basket (like an old Easter basket?). This is stuff that can be found at Target, Walmart, and other open grocery stores. Keeping it a color theme makes it easy. Think body wash, bath sponges and bombs, soaps, lip balms, nail polishes and tools, mugs, etc. Don’t forget her favorite chocolate (that would be Lindt Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt for me!)
• Make birdseed “ornaments”. Kids love to make these and they are great gifts, especially for the grandmas. See how here.
• Make your wife or mom a small container of hand sanitizer. I made a video for this here. Small squeeze bottles can be found in the travel sections of stores, or in craft stores.
• Is your mom a foodie? Make some homemade pretzels, easy blender salsa, or a batch of chocolate chip cookies. Place in a lidded container and add a ribbon, twine, or a bow for decoration. Food gifts are sometimes the best gifts!

So those are just some suggestions on how to thoughtfully celebrate Mother’s Day while we are social distancing. I hope this helps get the creative juices flowing! Moms are easy to please, so don’t stress too much. What other suggestions do you have? Tell me below!