Special Ways to Celebrate Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is a day to honor and thank mothers, grandmothers, and just-like-a-mom women in your circle of family and friends for all that they do in raising children. People for centuries have shown appreciation for mothers in one way or another. The ancient Greeks held festivities to honor Rhea, the mother of the gods, and the early Christians gave tribute to Mary, the mother of Christ. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second of May as a national holiday in honor of mothers.

This Mother’s day, treat Mom to breakfast in bed. Serve her muffins, fresh fruit, coffee, and juice on a tray along with flowers and small gifts. Or have a tea party. Invite family as well as friends who are close to your mom. Cover the table with a festive tablecloth and decorate with our ladybug napkin rings and flower stick in a flower pot (check out KidsSoup.com for directions). Fill a fancy teapot with iced tea and serve tea sandwiches (see recipe below for a simple but delicious sandwich to make) and cookies. To make the occasion even more fun, put on outfits from a dress-up box filled with old party clothes, hats, and costume jewelry or dress up in your "Sunday-go-to-town" clothes.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Thinly slice a seedless cucumber. Spread a thin layer of cream cheese or soft butter on one side of two slices of white bread. Lay cucumber slices on the buttered side of bread. Lightly sprinkle with salt, cover with alfalfa sprouts, and top with the other slice of bread, buttered side down. Carefully remove the crusts from each sandwich and cut the sandwiches in half diagonally and then cut in half again, or cut into decorative heart shapes with a cookie cutter.

Things to Do with Mom
With children, make a list of things that they can do with their moms or other special women in their lives (bake cookies, collect seashells on the beach, plant a vegetable or flower garden, play a board game, dance to music, read a favorite book, watch a funny movie, sing silly songs, pretend to be each other, take a walk around the block or in the park, snuggle up together, make a memory album, etc.).

Who’s the Mom? Flannel Board Game
Collect pictures of mother and baby animals. For durability, cover each picture with clear contact paper or laminate. Attach a piece of Velcro® tape to the back of each picture. Allow children to match the mother animals to the baby animals using the flannel board.

Mother’s Day Concentration Game
Using the same pictures as in the activity above, place mother and baby animal pictures face down on a table or the floor. Have 2–4 children take turns matching the mothers to their babies. If a child matches a pair, he/she takes the pictures. If the match is incorrect, the pictures are turned face down again. Children continue until all the mothers and babies are paired. The winner is the person with the most matches.

I Love You This Much
Trace child's hands on a piece of paper and cut out. Attach the two hands with a long piece of yarn or string (about the length of the child’s arms) and put into an envelope with a note that says, "Mom (or Grandma, etc.), I Love You This Much!"

Small Hand/Big Hand
Help show children the difference between small and big. Have children place their handprint on a piece of paper. Then, have their mothers put their handprint next to theirs. Finally, let children draw other little and big things on the paper. Children can give this to their moms as a little Mother's Day gift.

Mother Says
Take turns with your child playing "Mother Says" (instead of "Simon Says"). Start by giving directions for your child to follow, such as "Mother says wave your hands. Mother says touch your nose. Mother says hop on one foot." Explain that whenever you give a direction without first saying "Mother says," your child should not do the action. If he/she does, then have him/her trade places with you and start giving you the directions. Continue the game as long as you wish.

How To Please Your Mom On Mother's Day

Because our mothers do so much for us, we should demonstrate our appreciation more than once a year, but especially on Mother’s Day we can let Mom know what she means to us. Here are some suggestions:

1. Make her breakfast and clean up afterwards.

Here’s an easy breakfast: Get some fruit of different colors. Two kinds of melon—honeydew and cantaloupe would work. Cut it up into chunks and serve with a wedge of lime on the side. If you want to be fancy, add a stemmed maraschino cherry on top. If melon isn’t available, you could use strawberries, which are always in season around Mother’s Day. Buy some cinnamon rolls to go with the fruit. Wrap them in foil and warm them in the oven at 300 degrees F for about 20 minutes. If you must use the microwave, be sure to set it on half power, or the rolls will turn out tough.

With breakfast, give her some flowers. If they are cut flowers, don’t make her find a vase and arrange them; you do it. If the budget is tight, buy a single flower or pick some wildflowers from your garden, or ask a neighbor who has a flower garden if he or she would give you one.

With the flowers, give her a sentimental Mother’s Day poem, like this one:

You Let Me Know You Love Me

You let me know you love me
In so many different ways.
You make me feel important
With encouragement and praise.

You’re always there when I need you
To comfort and to care.
I know I’m in your thoughts;
Your love follows me everywhere.

Thank you for all you’ve done
And given so generously.
I love you, my wonderful mother,
You’re a heaven-sent blessing to me.

By Joanna Fuchs

You can find more mother poems like these at www.poemsource.com. These copyrighted poems are free for personal use, according to the Terms of Use detailed at the site.

2. Take over all her chores for the day. You may not have noticed what those are, but you will now. Every time she starts a chore, you take over. Say to her, "I love you and I want to show you that I appreciate you on your special day." Say it every time; she won’t mind the repetition. She’ll love hearing it.

3. Take her out to dinner or make dinner at home for her and whoever else is there. If others are coming over, ask each of them to bring something.

You’ll need the following:

A green salad. You can buy this in a plastic bag at the supermarket if you want. Some even come with dressing. If the budget is tight, make it from scratch. Wash and cut up some romaine and iceberg lettuce. Add some washed and peeled, thinly sliced or shredded carrots and some washed, peeled, sliced cucumber. Make or buy some ranch dressing. Everyone likes that.

An entrée. You can cook something if you like, or you can buy a frozen, family size entrée, like lasagne, at the supermarket.

Rolls and butter.

Dessert. Make your own. Something really easy is chocolate pudding—NOT instant, but rather the Jello brand kind you cook. It says "Cook and Serve" on the box. Making it in the microwave is really easy; just follow the instructions on the box. Make more than you think you’ll need. Cook it in a big glass bowl so it won’t boil over. Put it into individual servings. You can use little dishes, if you have them, but you can also use juice glasses or wine glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time. Buy a can of whipped cream and spritz some on the top of each serving.

Or you can buy a pie or cake from the bakery. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if appropriate.

If Mom drinks coffee, be sure to make some.

4. After dinner, surprise her with a gift. A personalized gift is nice. You can find some nice ones at personalizationmall.com. They have a special section for mothers. If the budget is tight, go to the dollar store. Or go to a used bookstore and get her a book by her favorite author.

5. Finally, tell her you’re glad she’s your mom. I know it’s hard to express feelings for some people, but it will mean so very much to her. Moms are like that. You cannot know how much time is left with her to tell her what she means to you. She could be around another fifty years or she could be gone tomorrow. Just say something like, "Mom, I just want you to know I’m really happy that you’re my mother. You’re the best." Or whatever feels right to you.

Do these things, or even some of them, and you Mom will have a great Mother’s Day!

Joanna Fuchs writes greeting card poems for poemsource.com. In addition to mother poems, there are anniversary, baby, birthday, Christian, Christmas, father, friendship, get well, graduation, love, New Year, teacher, Valentine and wedding poems. To see the mother poems, go to http://www.poemsource.com/mother-poems.html
Greeting Card Poems
Rhyming greeting card poems for all occasions. Anniversary, baby, birthday, Christian, Christmas, father, friendship, graduation, get well, love, mother, New Year, teacher, Valentine, wedding, more.

Show Your Love and Respect to your Mom with a Mothers Day Greeting Card

It's that time of the year again, Mothers Day greeting cards are everywhere and wherever you look, on the web or in the papers you note loads of articles about the history of Mothers Day. Well, I'm here going to be radical and more than a little provocative in saying, who cares about the history of this special day, it is special but it is and has been a fixed part of our annual calendar for some time, fact, and so let's stop looking into the distant history and just get on with it, and life, after all isn't it the here and now, as well as the future, that matters both for your Mother and you?

Who is your Mum to you anyway? No, I don't mean what do you call her - e.g. Mother, Mum, Mummy, Mamma, Mom etc, but who is she to you personally, is she the one never to have let you down in life? Is she always there to support you when really needed? Is she 'the rock' upon which your life values and even traditions have been built, such that you are doing or will convey those same values and traditions onwards to your own children? Is your mamma your best friend when needed, is she your confidante in difficult times and is she a shoulder to cry on when you feel down or hurt? Hey, she may be none of these! But then again she may be an awful lot more!

OK, know to the heart of the matter, a question you will doubtless have been asking yourself in recent weeks is "how can I show Mum that I really appreciate her that I honour her and value her ongoing involvement in my life"? It will surely be true that nothing in this world can match the respect and love you have for your Mother; however, you will be able express admiration and affection for her in a beautiful personalized card and gift on 'her' special day, Mothers Day. Make her feel treasured and special by sending a card that shows your true warmth and appreciation for the best Mother in the world. Send her some posh chocolate as well, white chocolate with the words "I love you more than Chocolate" engraved onto it.

These days it is a 'piece of cake' to shop for a very special Mothers Day greeting card and that gift 'with a difference'. Mothers’ day greeting cards and gifts are readily available online these days and, at the click of a mouse, without needing to step out of your house or workplace, you can find with ease and select the perfect personalized Mothers Day greeting card. It's so easy these days to locate the huge variety of cards online which includes humorous Mothers Day cards, traditional Mothers Day cards and contemporary Mother’s Day greeting cards to express the best of your love and good wishes for her. One key point to be wary of though; Mothers Day greetings are also available in the form of e-cards, that is electronic Mothers Day cards that can be virtually sent and received through the internet. Mind you, these e-cards are often thought of by recipients to be the result of the sender ‘forgetting them’ and using an e-card as a last minute, better than nothing, option.

Log onto www.sure-card.co.uk for more information on how you can buy online but real Mothers Day greeting cards and gifts including flowers, chocolate, and perfume and costume jewellery.

Mother’s Day Crafts for Kids

Mother’s Day is a day especially set aside to honor our Moms. It’s on the second Sunday in May. Making gifts is a wonderful way for children to show their love for those who mean so much to them.

1. Paper Lilies: Flower Bouquet for Mom

Supplies Needed: white paper

scissors

pencil

green pipe cleaners

stapler or tape

Make a lily by tracing a handprint onto white paper. Cut out the handprint and roll the fingers around a pencil, then tape the sides of the hand together(with the curled fingers facing out). Twist two pipe cleaners together to make a stem and attach with a stapler or tape.

2. Dough Handprints
This is great for making and saving your child's hand or footprint impressions as a keepsake.

2 cups baking soda
1 cup cornstarch(cornflour)
1 1/4 cups cold water
optional:food coloring to color clay
Stir together baking soda and cornstarch in saucepan. Add water and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture reaches consistency of moist mashed potatoes(approximately 6 to 10 minutes). If clay is cooked too long, finished crafts may crack.
Remove mixture to plate and cover with damp cloth. When play clay is cool enough to handle, pat until smooth. If you find the clay crumbles when working with it, add a few drops of water at a time to soften. If you find clay sticks to the hard, smooth surface you're working on, use clay on wax paper.
3.Potato Prints to Make Homemade Gift Wrap Paper
Make edible gifts more memorable by having your kids add their personal touch to the packaging. Put homemade cookies or candies in packages designed by your kids. Give them solid-colored paper bags or boxes and let them decorate with ribbon, bows, glitter and paint. Remember to supervise if scissors are used. Include a special message on or inside the package. Buy small white notecards and have your kids draw on them and add to the packaging.

Adult to do the following: Slice a raw potato in half lengthwise. Place a cookie cutter on the cut side of one half of the potato. Push the cookie cutter into the potato while keeping the potato flat on the table. Break away the potato that's around the outside of the cookie cutter. Push the shape out of the cookie cutter. Dry off any moisture from the potato with a paper towel. Dip in paint and let your child have fun stamping! For more Mother’s Day crafts and other craft ideas for kids, visit www.create-kids-crafts.com

About the Author: Rachel Vince is a busy and happy Mom of two young children who feels blessed at having a second chance at life, seeing through the eyes of her children.

The Meaning of Mother's Day

Whoever said Mother's Day was important only for the mom did not really get the point here. True, Mother's Day celebrates that glorious ideal of love and sacrifice called motherhood. However, someone is going to have to explain the significance of this day to the kids, and enroll their efforts into making this a day for mom to remember. Who else will do this, if not you, the dad?

Moms have been celebrated throughout time of course, and in recorded events in Egyptian, Greek and Roman times. The origins of a specific Mother's Day go all the way back to the 16th century and the practice of visiting one's "mother church" once a year.

On that day, dark ages moms would be reunited with their children at church. In the United States, a mother and social activist, Julia Ward Howe worked to create a Mother's Day for Peace day during the Civil War in an attempt to organize mothers against war.

It was not until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day to honor mothers whose sons had died in war. In some parts of the country, it is traditional to wait until Mothers Day to plant tomatoes.

Since then, Mother's Day has gone on to become the most popular day of the year to dine out in a restaurant and to make long distance phone calls and May is the biggest month for florists. Mother's Day is celebrated around the world, though the actual date changes depending on the country.

Mothers Day reminds dads that parenthood cannot be taken for granted and that life gives us an opportunity to celebrate it everyday and make it extraordinary.

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Here are five good places to order a Mother's Day gift basket.

Paul Banas was looking for a business idea that would allow him the flexibility to spend time with his family. Paul Banas is a founder of http://www.greatdad.com - a leading source of experience, recommendations, inspiration and advice for dads - delivered from the male perspective.

10 Reasons to Spoil Your Mom

Mothers are incredible people. From birthing and raising to teaching and training, a mother's influence and love has a huge effect on her child's life. Mom's deserve recognition for all they do and the love they give. This list gives 10 reasons to spoil your mom on Mother's Day.

Special
Mothers are a special beyond words. There is a unique bond between mothers and their children. You are a part of her and she will live forever in your heart. Her words of wisdom and encouragement will resound through your life. This special relationship calls for exchanging tokens of affection.

Birthright
She brought you into the world. She cared for you gave you all her love and the very best life she could. Because you are here today, spoil her!

Priorities
Being her precious child she put your needs before hers countless times. It was not always easy and you were not always an angel, but you were still her number one priority. Her selfless attitude and the sacrifices she made for you are one of the many reasons to treat her.

Busy Bee
Dropping you off here, grabbing groceries, making meals, picking you up there, doing the laundry, cleaning your messes, scrubbing that floor...on her hands and knees. Let her know that you appreciated all those things that she did to take care of you. Chances are you really miss all those things she did for you!

Teacher
Moms are natural teachers. You could never realize all that you have learned from your mother. From life lessons to valuable tips and tidbits, your mother has had a large influence in your life. You probably notice it in the smallest ways and realize how many ways she has influenced you.

All Ears
Your mother is always ready to listen. Good or bad, happy or sad your mother loves being involved in your life. If you need help, she is there. Whether offering a hug and shoulder to cry on or offering praise and congratulations, she is there through life's ups and downs.

Steady and Strong
When you need her most, she is there for you. She would drop everything to come to your aid. She has tended to you through colds and fevers, bullies and heartbreak, maybe even babies or prison bail. Steady and strong, your mom takes care of you when the world won't give you a break. Have you expressed how much her support means to you?

Support
She believes in you. She supports your hopes and dreams. Your mom sees so much potential in you and she backs you up 100%. She is there when others are not. For her support and love, spoil her this Mother's Day.

The Truth
Although she would never intentionally hurt you, your mother will tell you the truth. As we all know, sometimes the truth hurts. Moms have a way of breaking the cold hard truth, that their children need to hear. To make you better and increase your awareness, your mom tells the truth.

Unconditional Love
She loves you with a strong and deep love. You may disappoint her, but she will never stop loving you. Unconditional love is a wonderful thing. So go ahead, embrace her, compliment her, and get her a gift to express your love in return.

Our list contains general reasons to spoil your mom. Take a minute to think of all the reasons you love your mom. Your mom would most likely love to know about the specific ways that she has impacted your life and shown you love. It's her day, show her how much she means to you!

Creative and Simple Craft Ideas for Mother’s Day!

May is the time to honor and thank mothers, grandmothers, and just-like-a-mom women in your circle of family and friends for all that they do in raising children. We have prepared some special Mother's Day craft gift ideas and fun Mother's Day-inspired activities to share with that special someone.

Thumbprint Note Cards
Cut a piece of paper to desired size (5 inches by 4 inches is a nice size) and fold in half. Have children place thumb or finger in a stamp pad and make 5 or 6 thumb or fingerprints on front of card. Draw stems and leaves with a green crayon or marker. Extension: Make 5 or 6 cards, tie together with a ribbon, and give as Mother’s Day present.

Hugs and Kisses
Provide children each with a small wooden or cardboard box. Have them paint their box. After the box is dry, let them decorate the box with markers, stickers, sequins, glitter, etc. Next, have children shred some paper (use a variety of colors) and fill the box with it. Have them add some Hershey's Kisses, Hugs, or other candy. Finally have children attach the following poem to the box and then give it to their Mom for Mother's Day.

This is a very special box
That’s just for you from me.
It’s filled with hugs and kisses
So you'll always think of me.

Decorative Soap
Cut a piece of felt, decorative paper, or fabric to fit around a bar of soap. Wrap the material around the soap and glue. Let dry. Decorate the top and sides of the bar of soap with small silk flowers, ribbon, lace, sequins, beads, etc.

Heart Pendant
Mix together one cup flour, one cup warm water, one-fourth cup salt, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, one teaspoon oil, and a few drops of food coloring. Roll out dough. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. Poke a hole at the top of the heart big enough to thread yarn or ribbon through. Let dry. Paint heart. Spread a thin layer of glue on heart and sprinkle with glitter. Add sequins or small beads if desired. Thread the yarn or ribbon. Wrap in tissue paper or gift wrap.

Mother’s Day Party
Mother's Day is a great reason to have a party with family and close friends. Get everyone together for a breakfast, picnic, brunch, garden party or barbecue. Include friends who are close to your mom if they are not celebrating with their own family, or combine the celebrations to honor all of the moms, grandmothers and just-like-a-mom women in your circle of family and friends.

Mother's Day activity

Mom and I Booklet
Make a "Mom and I" booklet with your child. On the front cover, glue a picture of you and your child. On the next pages, help your child complete the following: Mom and I like to play __________. Mom and I like to eat __________. Mom and I like to go to __________. Mom and I like to read __________. Mom and I like to watch __________. Assemble the pages to make a booklet.

Mommy’s Little Helper
Mother’s Day is a great day for children to express how much they appreciate what Mom does for them. Encourage children to help Mom by doing things like dusting, folding laundry, watering plants, clearing the table, etc.

Whether the special woman in your life is your mom, grandmother, sister, or friend, I hope you’ll enjoy sharing our Mother’s Day inspired crafts and handmade Mother’s Day cards, games, and activities with that special someone.

Finding the Perfect Flowers for Mother’s Day

On Mother’s Day, sending flowers is one of the best ways to show your love to all the special mothers in your life. Sorting through the endless array of flowers to match the endless array of personalities your mothers possess makes finding the perfect flowers quite a challenge. From the multitude of colors, meanings, and smells each flower conveys, your mission to make sure your mothers get just the right arrangement can become overwhelming. Hopefully, the following guide can help you sort through the petals to find an arrangement that sends the exact meaning you want to convey this Mother’s Day.

The Messages Hidden in a Flower’s Color:

As most people may know, different flowers have different meanings. Pink carnations are acknowledged as the traditional flower for Mother's Day because they symbolize sweetness, purity and endurance. Red flowers are known to represent life and love, hence red roses for Valentine’s Day. White flowers with their sweet fragrance are regarded as the flowers for those who miss their mothers either because of death, or because of distance. The flowers that you choose for your mother should express the love and respect that you have for her. Some examples of flowers that could be given to mom on Mother’s Day are mixed or white lilies, white daisies, gerbera daisies, orchids, and roses. Roses are always very popular flowers to give. And if you decide on roses, the appropriate colors are pink, white, yellow, or orange.

Creativity in the Floral Arrangement

You always have the choice of sending something traditional or getting very creative when choosing your flowers. For example, you can choose to send mom her favorite flower, or select a beautiful array of colors that are sure to make her smile. And if you don’t know what your mother’s favorite flowers are, well now’s the time to get to know mom a little better, now isn’t it?

Look around at her decor and see what matches perfectly with other items in the room. Are there salient shades that the perfect bouquet can bring out even more? Is there a color scheme that she seems to follow? An arrangement that complements the scheme is sure to please her, and let her know that you do notice the "little" things. The delight is in the details when you use your creativity this Mother’s Day. Choosing the perfect Mother's Day Flowers may seem like takes a lot of thought, but the simplicity of it all lies in the fact that no matter whether you send roses, carnations, or tulips, she’s going to be pleased. The look in her eyes as she leans her head in to smell the beautiful freshly cut flowers will tell you that everything you did to make the day perfect for mom was well worth it.

Flowers are always a sign of love and respect, and they have the power to bring a smile to every woman’s face. It is a gift that you can bring to mom yourself or it can be delivered by the flower shop that you purchase them from. So whether she is down the street and around the corner or at the other end of the country, you can always give flowers for Mother’s Day or any day you want her to feel extra special.

Steve Papoulakos is the president of Vogue Flowers and has been delivering Mother’s Day Flowers for more than 22 years. Vogue Flowers has long been the Richmond florist of choice with a large selection of quality flowers. Visit them online at http://www.vogueflowers.com.

Mother's Day and the Atlanta Police

Each night when I get off from work, I stop by to visit my mother. She is in a Buckhead (Atlanta) nursing home now and is still as vibrant, alive and busy as she was when was directing the youth choirs at our church.

I hurry through the routines of cleaning the room and exchanging the freshly washed and ironed outfits for the worn. We exchange pleasantries and church gossip and I'm on my way.

Last week I found myself in a mood most foul and raced through a yellow light at breakneck speed. I was pulled over by one of our highly esteemed Atlanta Police. He shone the spotlight from his car into mine. I had never had this happen in more than 30 years of driving. 'OMG,' I thought. He's going to make me get out and then pat me down. Everybody is going to think I'm a drug dealer!'

Over the loudspeaker he asked me to pull over and I did. I already had my license and proof of insurance ready. I addressed him as sir, old-fashioned I know, but it is the way I was taught.

"Do you know why I pulled you over?" he asked.

"Yes sir. I thought I could make it through that light."

He continued "You know, you can't turn on red back there. And you came through that light like somebody was chasing you? Where are you coming from?"

"Nursecare of Buckhead," I said. "I take care of my mom when I get off from work."

I don't know if he liked my 1970's afro. I don't know if it was the warmth I exuded, the result of fear. I don't know if it was the Federal i. d. badge from work. I don't know if he could somehow relate to the nightly ritual I perform. I didn't know anything except the words to this church song that came to me:

My mother prayed for me, had me on her mind, took the time to
pray for me. I'm so glad she prayed, I'm so glad she prayed, I
I'm so glad she prayed for me.

"Well.....don't let it happen again." And I thanked him mightily.

First Lady Michelle Obama said that 'The security of your parents' love really gives you the foundation to think that you can fly. And then you do.' That theory rings doubly true in the case of my parents, whose constant love along with the religious and academic education they provided, gave wings to my brother and myself. Our seeds have been blessed through our parents and by the God-fearing generation s that preceded them Wherever I traverse, I am already walking in victory.

I am so thankful for my father, who has gone on to glory, and for my mother on Mothers Day and every day.

Historical Significance of Mother's Day

Mother's day is celebrated on different days across the globe. In India, like in the US, it is observed every year on the second Sunday of May and hence falls on May 10th in 2009.

History of Mother's day is obscure and stretches back to the ancient Greek era where Rhea, mother of many Greek mythology deities was honored. Ancient Romans are also believed to have celebrated this day called Hilaria during the spring festival to honor Cybele, a mother goddess. In recent history, Christians began to celebrate Mothering Sunday in England during the fourth week of Lent as a tribute to mothers. Celebrations began with a church service to honor Virgin Mary and flowers and gifts were given by children to their mothers as a token of love.

Mothers day in the US started with Julia Ward Howe who started observing this day on June 2nd around 1870 to promote pacifism and disarmament by women. In those days, it was celebrated by women’s peace groups and a common practice was meetings for mothers whose sons had died fighting the American Civil War. Mothers day is believed to have been first celebrated in Albion, Michigan on May 13th, 1877. Folklore has it that Juliet Calhoun Blakeley stepped in to support and completes the sermon of an emotionally distraught Rev. Myron Daughterty, whose sons were publicly embarrassed by a local anti-temperance group. Blakeley’s sons were extremely moved by this gesture that they decided to pay tribute to her each year.

But the day gained wider recognition after 1907, when young Anna Marie Jarvis started celebrating Mothers day in Grafton, West Virginia, as a private ceremony in memory of her late mother. In the beginning, young Anna sent carnations, her mother’s favorite flowers to the church service. Later, she went on to promote this day to a national and finally an international holiday. On May 14th 1914 Woodrow Wilson, the then US President signed an official declaration stating the second Sunday of May every year as Mothers day.

Today, Mother's day is celebrated all across the world with children sending gifts, cards and lovely flowers to mothers to express their deepest love and gratitude.

Like Abraham Lincoln said, ‘All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother’.

Days and Days

The day will be spent in taking her out for dinner, or for a make over to the nearest salon, making her feel genuinely happy, and then, its back to business. The morning after, the card companies will be laughing their way to the bank, the chocolate manufacturers will be piling up the cash and the salon’s owners will be checking through the brochures of cruise liners…the DAY syndrome has been their best business bet every single month these past twelve months, its now time for the annual vacation, and the most expensive one that is.

I had felt this way on the 14th of February, on 9th of March (or was it twelfth, well, never mind), and am feeling the same way now. It’s a bit like the presence of movie camera during ceremonies like marriage, so the recording becomes more important than the ceremony itself. The same feeling of pretense, as if the entire gamut of emotions is a façade being put up, carefully rehearsed, carefully stage managed. What are all these Days about anyways?

To begin with, they are not about genuine feelings, that are one thing for sure. I son who loves his mother, and I mean REALLY loves his mother, will not just mail order a bunch of roses for a lonely old lady across the continent, because he would instinctively know that the flowers delivered by a complete stranger will never convey his true feelings. It may not be convenient for him to fly down just for a day in the middle of May. So how will he express his love? Well, he could have just as well expressed his love on the first of February, or for that mater, tenth of March, or any other day when he had a little time on his hands. . Does he need to wait for a whole 365 days to send his mother a gift so she knows he loves her? That’s hardly a congenital relationship. I would think such bonds do not need saying, and whenever anything is said, it should be heartfelt, not business-fed.

The same logic applies to Valentine’s Day. Any time is as good as any other to declare your love for another person. Making a caricature at such a fine emotion is not very sensitive. Why would you want to wait for February the fourteenth to declare your love? Why not do it the first time you feel that pang…I love her so. Is that because marketing gurus tell us that love is incomplete if unaccompanied by twelve red roses and a box of chocolate candy? The result is over marketing of the emotion, every Tom, Dick and Harry and his second cousin are waiting for one day in the middle of the second month of the year to approach that woman, it’s the day, so lets do it!

Almost all these Days carry the same logic. Is there a genuine reason why only one day in the year has been ordained for the woman who created you, fed you, cared for you all your life and will always be loving you, never stop caring about you…or thinking about you. Is the ninth of May the only day you will stop to think about her? Is the ninth of May the only day she will expect her children to appreciate her, love her and understand what she’s going through? Does Hallmark have the right to be our spokesperson? Can we wish our mother in a language she can understand and relate to…or does it only have to be an expensive card with the message written by some copywriter who does not me from Adam? Does it have to be how much I can spend on the box of chocolates? Will the box of chocolates take care of her empty heart once her little babies have soared on their new wings and left the home an empty nest? Will any amount of chocolate fill the gap she feels when she cannot make you understand her point of view anymore? How much can you spend to give her back those endless nights of nursing, those long, dreary days of cleaning, cooking and feeding you? Will your card no set right all her anxieties when you did not return from a friend’s party till two a.m? Is that all you think she needs? A card and chocolates, to compensate for the unbearable pain of bringing you into this world and the intolerable sacrifice of bringing up a child who she knows will one day be an adult in his own world … and that she may not be even sharing his world? Will anything change this ninth of May?

Mothers

The Coming of Age for Mothers

When God made women, he placed in everything that a man would directly or indirectly despise, but when he allowed her to become a mother, it’s an amazing fact that she totally metamorphosed into someone who’s loved the world over! Despite being ruled by her passion to make it big in this world, mothers when they become mothers suddenly encompass everything that are required to have, sensibilities, maturity, responsibilities! In today’s jet age, when mothers are more known as working mothers, seem to manage both hearth and careers in the same breath. Today we no longer picture mothers to be the podgy, cute and plump, instead they have been replaced by mothers who are fit, on the move and have this amazing power of balancing all chores and efficiently so!

Surrogate Mothers

Amidst all the other professions that women tend to associate themselves with, surrogate mothers have a new rung of their own. It was once thought that a woman would be empowered with power to cope up with just about everything, baring her emotions. Surrogate motherhood has somehow changed this concept! It’s difficult to part with the same flesh and blood that you had so far associated with, a bond that was created for tending to; for life! Somehow, it became a medley of responsibilities, for a good cause! Though there are still some cultures that do not heartily accept motherhood of this kind, its not new to our culture of accepting this change either! I mean in a world where children were awaited with bated breath (though they still are!), here is a change in society that allows one woman to hold within her the seed of another and gets detached from the child the minute it comes into this world. It was kind of difficult for mothers to digest this fact initially, but then the need for a bouncy bundle of joy superseded the techniques involved.

The Career Mom
Today of course, it’s a different scene, where mothers delve more into their respective careers. With the scarf clad, suited moms taking their stride in the corporate world; its sad but it’s a bit different from the picture of a plump lady at the side of the oven, baking delicious cookies. This has definitely made one profession come to the fore! That of nannies! Nannies today are deemed as being the more important species of humans as they hold the pre-dominant responsibilities of helping out with the upbringing of babies. We still have nannies to look after our little ones, another example of mothers being in demand. Isn’t it funny that we don’t have manservants when it comes to little tots! I think the reason is that instinctively; all women make the ultimate moms, when it comes to handling these toothless wonders. Although men may consider having their upper hand in just about anything, this is one domain area where they could never ever be termed as superior! Hurrah to Woman hood!!

Mommie Dearest! A Tribute to All Mothers

Many Mother’s Days have come and gone, but I don’t feel I’ve done enough to show my appreciation. You’ve always protected me and kept me out of harm’s way. You’ve always made sure I had a roof over my head and food in my stomach. Though I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, you’ve never let me go to bed hungry. You’ve nursed me when I was ill and reprimanded me when I was naughty. But, you’ve never failed to cheer my accomplishments no matter how big or small.

Gee, I don’t know, Mom. You’ve done so much for me, and while Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute, one day out of the year isn’t enough to do you justice.

I was just sitting here thinking about you and decided I had to let you know just how much I truly love you. Actually, it goes much deeper than that. If I could take the air I breathe and turn it into words, then, that would explain how much I respect and honor you. I treasure your friendship. I value your wisdom. I admire your courage. But most of all, I cherish the warmth of your heart and your endless sacrifice for me, just so that I can be.

I don’t want to wait another year to pay you homage because as far as I’m concerned, every day is Mother’s Day.

A mother’s love is a soft peck on the cheek before you go to sleep at night. It’s your favorite bedtime story even if you do know the ending by heart. It’s an extra cookie when Mom’s pretending not to look. It’s a big bear hug when your best friend isn’t your best friend any more even though you’ve outgrown nursery rhymes, teddy bears and those silly old sleepovers. It’s a sweet lullaby when you’re feeling down. It’s patience when a kick in the butt is long overdue and silence when you know I need a good talking to. A mother’s love is irreplaceable, indescribable and immeasurable.

Mother’s Day is a glorious day! Each year, on this very day, the mood really hits me, and sometimes, I feel so wonderful, so at peace with myself. And, as the day wears on, I feel so beautiful, I mean really beautiful. I can’t help it. I just want to give me a great big ol’ hug. I want to pat myself on the back and just appreciate being me. Oftentimes, I actually get the urge to praise myself.

Sure! I know some consider this truly vain, conceited beyond belief. Come to think of it, these emotions do strike me as being anything but modest, so perhaps, I’d better take a moment to clarify my take on things.

Believe me, I am neither too vain nor conceited. I am simply filled with pride, self-esteem, and of course, a bit of bias toward myself. I thank the powers above every day for allowing me to be. And, although I rank myself high, I refuse to put myself on a pedestal.

Hmmmm. I guess all these things would be appropriate for someone as well read as I. But, to be honest, I can’t take the credit. There is someone more deserving than myself. And, that is the reason I transfer all of these feelings, these appraisals and high regards to someone who is far richer in gratitude, grace, talent, dignity and poise.

With this in mind, I have to reiterate that while Mother’s Day is a great way to honor Mommie Dearest, one day out of the year is not nearly enough to show appreciation for all the mothers and grandmothers, alike, the guardians of the torches that keep the fires of life burning in our souls through all the ups and downs and the growing pains as well as the little successes of life’s pageantry of campaigns.

Mother's Day Gift Baskets

There are a number of great gift options for Mother’s Day. You can either buy her a ready made gift or create one. Depending on her preferences, which you would surely know, you can put together a great gift basket for your mother this Mother’s Day. Before you invest in a gift basket for mother, it is better to indulge in some research online and offline and tap various resources that make great gift items available. If she loves cooking, your Mother’s Day gift basket could include a recipe book or two, some exclusive spice boxes, a spice rack and some quality meals-in-minutes.

You could also experiment with chocolate, if she loves baking. You can include some ready made bake mixes or all the ingredients for one great cake and the special recipe for it too. Throw in a customized apron that flaunts her name or favorite quote, a pair of gloves and a chef’s head gear and you have a great gift basket, one that she will love! In case you identify a craze for perfumes, then do not go in for any one deodorant or perfume only. Now, there are a number of outlets that offer some great discounts on an assorted range of perfumes, deodorants and essence oils. You can indulge in some comparison shopping and surprise her with the sheer choice she would now have to indulge in.

An apparel Mother’s Day gift basket is also a hit. If she likes dressing up, through the year you can put together an apparel gift basket. You can personalize the basket by adopting a color scheme. Invest in a great dress or trousers and Tees and throw in some hand-embroidered handkerchiefs and a pair of shoes. The apparel Mother’s Day gift basket is sure to delight her. Depending upon your budget, you could also indulge in some jewelry. Always plan the gift basket over a period of time. This gives you the chance to tap various resources and avail of great discounts announced at different times. You could indulge in jewelry that flaunts her birth stone or a metal she likes, gold, silver, platinum – she is worth it!

When adopting a jewelry Mother’s Day gift basket theme, you could include a pair of earrings, a necklace or simple chain, depending on her personality and social life, a ring or two, a trinket or bracelet and even an assortment of pendant options. However, when putting together jewelry, it is very essential to know her choice, so that your investment is worthwhile. Another great theme that could be adopted for the Mother’s Day gift basket is ‘cosmetics’. There is a wide choice you have and the products are easily available. Get her that great matt finish make up base she saw and wanted but did not indulge in. There is a range of lip sticks, face creams, hand creams, exclusive make up kits and individual components to choose from.

The Mother’s Day gift basket could be planned with aromatherapy oils and natural extracts. If you are planning to gift your mother an aromatherapy gift basket, it should ideally include cotton swabs and cotton balls. The essential oils bought could be accompanied with hand-written descriptions on their individual uses. This is a great way to personalise the gift basket. Depending on the budget, you could indulge in the essential oils tht are easily available with a number of online resources. The basket could be be accompanied by a hand spray of her favorite flowers or a box of chocolates. The goodies in the Mother’s Day gift basket can be hand picked personally or chosen online and ordered from the comfort of your home.

Mother’s Day is every day and you don’t really need an occasion to show this wonderful woman that you love her. She is worth every penny you can set aside and no matter what you put together, you can never really repay her. Books, artificial flowers, curios, gardening tools and automatic massage equipment make great gifts on Mother’s Day.

Mother's Day Flowers and Gift Ideas

A woman completes the family picture, and a house becomes a home only when a woman resides in it. Though the father plays an integral part in a child's life, the mother is the epitome of support in a child's life. Mother's Day is a perfect time for children to express their love and respect to their mothers. Here are some tips for choosing Mother's Day Gifts.

The family is the center of any mother's life. On Mother's Day, one splendid Mother's Day gift idea is a family outing or a picnic. It is always a good idea to discuss with dad as to which place would be best suited for the picnic of dinner. Most probably, you could find out where mom and dad courted each other.

Speaking of memories, another good idea of the perfect Mother's Day gifts is a photo album. One can prepare a collage, or even an entire album of all the family memories put together. Rest assured, that will be a gift that'll remain with mom for years and years to come.

No childhood is complete without broken crockery or broken window panes. It is obvious that children must have broken something or the other that has been irreplaceable in a mother's heart and her memories. Mother's Day is a good time to try to replace such artifacts or personal effects broken during a lively childhood.

Another good Mother's Day gift idea is gifts suiting lifestyles. Depending on the lifestyle of the person, anything and everything can make a good enough gift. Mothers with a religious bent of mind can be gifted a quaint or rare religious book, or something related to religion and God. If the mom is into fitness, some good gifts can be fitness videos, fitness music, fitness apparel or even the newest fitness machine in the market.

Trinkets and personal effects are also good Mother's Day gift ideas. Jewelery is one type of expensive gift to adorn mothers with on Mother's Day. To make the gift extra special, one can add a personal touch to it, for example, a pendant with photos of children or the husband will make give the gift a much more value than it originally cost.

Time cannot be stopped, but the memories it brings can surely be stored. Anything reminding mom of the golden days is an excellent Mother's Day gift idea. There are a lot of old movies which have been digitally remastered, as well as Compact Discs and cassettes of old time classic songs. These remastered copies not only enhance the quality of the music, but are also of good quality and guaranteed to long last, a perfect gift for mom.

Knowledge is power, and information technology is fast becoming a compulsion, instead of a tool or talent. If the children are away from home and it is not easy to communicate via the phone or the mail box, take time off on Mother's Day to get mother on the Internet, so that communication via the Internet becomes possible and easy. While there are a lot many courses available which teach elderly people exactly how to get to the Internet, communicating on the Internet is pretty easy and can be taught by almost anyone who ever accessed the Internet.

Therefore, if the children themselves teach their mothers this important talent, they can not only add to their mother's knowledge but also spend quality time with her.

If diamonds are a woman's best friends, flowers leave nothing else to say to her. Sending flowers on Mother's Day is almost a tradition. The children can be their creative best while gifting flowers, in the sense that they themselves can decorate the bouquet, choose which flower fits the occasion best and so on and so forth. There are many Mother's Day Gift flower shops which have special offers and products during Mother's Day.

Preschool Crafts for Mother's Day

Motherhood is an important phase in a woman's life, and an essential extension of womanhood. A mother sacrifices everything for her child and gives unconditional love to her children no matter what. Mother's Day is a unique opportunity for children to make their mother feel special. Preschool kids can create easy craft work at home which would be a lovely choice of homemade gifts for your Mom. Here are a few ideas to make Mother's Day a special event for your mom.

Bath Salts

What you Need

    * Epsom salts
    * Glycerin
    * Perfume
    * Baby food jars
    * Food coloring

Directions
Pour the Epsom salt, 3 tablespoons of glycerin and 1 tablespoon of perfume in a large bowl and stir. Add red or blue coloring to tint it either pink or light blue. Stir again. Put it into bags or jars and the scented bath salts for your mom are ready.

Book of Kisses

What You Need

    * Papers
    * Markers
    * Lipstick

Directions
This is probably the best gift idea for a Mother's Day gift and a mother will surely love it. Cut out a few 4-inch square papers and, by stapling them together, make a booklet. Ask the child to decorate the cover of the booklet with whatever design they wish. Apply lipstick to the child's lips and ask them to kiss each and every page inside the booklet. Write 'Book of Kisses' on the top page and present it to the mother saying that she can exchange each of the pages for a real kiss. It is advisable to make two copies of the book; one to use and the other to be kept as a memorabilia.

Handprint Dishcloth

What You Need

    * A solid color dishcloth
    * Fabric paint
    * Paintbrushes
    * Trays for holding the paint

Directions
Children should paint their hands with the fabric color of their choice and make a handprint on the cloth. If the dishcloth is dark colored, use a light colored fabric to paint and vice versa. Write your name and date on the cloth using a paintbrush.

Add a poem on the cloth.
"Sometimes I might upset you
Just because I'm small
By leaving fingerprints of mine
On a table, chair or wall.
But everyday I grow a bit
And I'll be big one day
When all my tiny fingerprints
Have long been cleaned away
So keep these prints of my two hands
To help you to recall
Just how big my fingers were
That time when I was small."- Anonymous

This will create a memory of your little hands that your mom can keep forever.

Hug

What You Need

    * A long paper roll
    * String
    * Bingo markers
    * Red paper

Directions
Let the child hug you. Then, measure this hug and cut a length of paper the same size as the hug. (A piece of string can be used to measure the hug.) Trace the child's hands on the sides of the cut paper and then decorate the paper with bingo markers etc.

Add a heart in middle with the poem,
"Here's a happy hug a bunch
Wrap it around and feel the crunch
May smiles and kisses come your way
With lots of love on the Mother's Day."- Anonymous

Special Coupons

What You Need

    * Long paper roll
    * Scissors
    * Sketch pens
    * Markers

Directions
Cut 4-inch square papers from the long roll of paper. Write messages on the pages and give it to your mother telling what she can get back in return for those messages. Use your creativity to write the messages. The messages can be:

    * Help in doing the dishes
    * Taking out the garbage
    * Cleaning the living room
    * A very very big hug, etc.

Again, be sure to make two such copies. She may want to keep one for memory.

The best gift however, is the love that you can give her throughout her life, but these gift ideas are sure to make your mother's 'Mother's Day' very very special.

Mother's Day Quotes and Sayings

It is well said that if one gets to see the pains involved while a woman gives birth to a baby, he will never look down on any woman all his life. Right from rocking the cradle to the unflinching support for the baby's first steps, a mother is always there as a pillar of strength for her child. The tender look in her eyes and the countless sacrifices she makes while babysitting the child, are just a part of her divine nature. One can never buy all the bliss of this world to repay what he owes to his mother, but some mother's day quotes and sayings can surely be of some help to make her feel special.

Mother's Day Quotes

    * "Woman in the home has not yet lost her dignity, in spite of Mother's Day, with its offensive implication that our love needs an annual nudging, like our enthusiasm for the battle of Bunker Hill." - John Erskine
    * "On Mother's Day I have written a poem for you. In the interest of poetic economy and truth, I have succeeded in concentrating my deepest feelings and beliefs into two perfectly crafted lines: You're my mother, I would have no other!" - Forest Houtenschil
    * "My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her." - George Washington
    * "A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie." - Tenneva Jordan
    * "A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." - Washington Irving
    * "No one in the world can take the place of your mother. Right or wrong, from her viewpoint you are always right. She may scold you for little things, but never for the big ones." - Harry Truman
    * "Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall;
      A mother's secret hope outlives them all."
      - Oliver Wendell Holmes
    * "My mom is a never ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune." - Graycie Harmon
    * "Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother's love is not." - James Joyce
    * "The mother loves her child most divinely, not when she surrounds him with comfort and anticipates his wants, but when she resolutely holds him to the highest standards and is content with nothing less than his best." - Hamilton Wright Mabie

Mother's Day Sayings

    * The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
    * God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.
    * The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms.
    * A man loves his sweetheart the most, his wife the best, but his mother the longest.
    * No gift to your mother can ever equal her gift to you - life.
    * A mother holds their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.
    * There is no velvet so soft as a MOTHER'S lap
      No rose as lovely as her smile,
      No path so flowery as that imprinted with her footsteps.
    * A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done.

Besides mother's day quotes and sayings one can also plan for some special mother's day gifts, but the basic idea should be to express and not to impress. For a mother, just a small token of the expression of love from her child is more valuable than a gift worth millions.