*Whispers quietly* Psssst… Mom. Mommy. Mother. Momma. Ma-Ma… and all the other M-words. YES, YOU. If you’ve birthed a baby, adopted, fostered, raised or otherwise contributed to the growth and development of a child – I am talking to you. Work with me here; I am trying – quietly, secretly, in stealth mode – to do a thing for you.
Don’t Pretend You Haven’t Been Here
Quickly. Take this device and move to an unoccupied area where you can be alone. Yes, I mean the bathroom. Go there and lock the door behind you. Do not turn on the light; use only the dim light from your phone. Prop your feet up on the wall; they will be looking under the door for you soon. Relax your breathing. Silence your phone. I will try to make this quick. I know we don’t have much time.
The Day of the Magnificent
In just one week, the sun will rise on our day – Mother’s Day {which is a tad too humble IMO so henceforth shall be referred to in this post as the Day of the Magnificent}. While the family matriarch can generally whip out a five star 100 person event with 90 minutes notice, eight dollars and a glue stick – it is unlikely that our people have already developed this skill set. We have a few options here. We can take one for the team, throw caution to the wind and/or hope that our people can figure out the Day of the Magnificent on their own. Or – we can throw them a bone and provide a little assistance. What follows is for the matriarchs that fall into the latter group.
Provided below is a handy dandy “Day of the Magnificent Planner” to help you – help them. If you are like me, I can think of 4,632 things that I want, need or would like to do – until someone asks me – and then my brain slides into some sort of question and {lack of} answer induced stupor that prohibits me from thinking of a single one of those 4,632 things. So below, you will find a list of ideas generated by a very diverse group of some of the best and brightest moms in the game.
Follow These Steps
Directions :: Print or take a screen shot of the list below. Be sure to crop out everything but the list. Circle or highlight the things that sound good to you. Draw a line through anything that you would prefer less than your annual gynecological exam. Next, {accidentally} leave the list in a place where your people will find it. Quick suggestions – the snack shelf in the pantry, tank of the toilet bowl, beside the television remote, inside someone’s most frequently worn pair of shoes, taped to someone’s cell phone {because we often accidentally tape things to people’s cell phones.} You might also {accidentally} send the list to every cell phone possessing member of your household and follow it up with an “oops” message. Remember, our goal is the help them – help you. Entering stealth mode now.
Cut or crop below the line. The section above is just for us.
Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is right around corner and you may be wondering… Hmmmm, what should we do for Mother’s Day? If it is your goal to avoid the last minute balloon and card from Kroger scenario and surprise the mothers in your family with something they would really love – look no further! Houston Mom’s Blog has you covered with a list of ideas from A-Z guaranteed to help you make Mother’s Day special for the mothers in your life!
The Gift of Time. The most popular gift named; time is one thing most mothers never have to spare. This gift could come in a number of forms; but the general purpose remains the same – give the mother some time to relax, reboot and recharge. The actual event need not occur on Mother’s Day – but it might make her happy to know it’s coming!
- Take the kids and leave the house. All of you. Go away. Yes, mothers actually said this. We love you, but we also love to miss you. All of you.
- Arrange a stay-cay at a hotel of her choice. Make sure it offers room service.
- A weekend trip for two
- Time dedicated to allow us the opportunity to do something just for ourselves
Classes. Hook us up with skills and hobbies. Lessons that came up on our lists include ::
- BBQ/Grilling
- Photography {Check out our Ultimate Guide to Houston Photographers}
Freedom Froms. Gift the opportunity to NOT do some of the tasks that we do not typically enjoy.
- Housekeeping or laundry service. No explanation needed.
- Organizational service
- Roomba {freedom from… vacuuming}
- Emotional labor. Allow the mother a few days off from making decision, appointments, and handling the unpleasant tasks of adulthood. Be like Nike and JUST DO IT – for us.
Pampering Experiences. There is no shortage of concepts here.
- Massage, spa, facials, mani/pedis, hair styling, make-up artistry. Don’t wing it. Use her favorites for this one.
- Float experiences
- Laser hair removal
- Boob lift. Because breastfeeding. And gravity.
- Royal treatment/bell service by the family for a minimum of 24 hours
Professional Car Detailing. Because kids. And life. And because the chicken nugget tree growing in the second row is not going to just chop itself down.
Household projects.
- Finish the deck complete with a standing hammock or wooden swing
- Create a garden of her favorite edibles or landscape and finish the flower beds with her favorite flowers
- Fill in the _____ with something else you know she would love
Memberships.
- Gym{ish} like an Orange Theory, Pilates, or yoga
- Subscription boxes. There are any number of options available.
Other Randoms. Good things that didn’t fit anywhere else.
- DNA testing. Not Maury style, but Ancestry, 23 and Me, My Heritage style DNA testing. You can kill two birds with one stone here because at some point in elementary school your children will be required to do a family tree project.
- Personal family made cards or projects
- Gift cards to her favorite places – those that encourage our hobbies, feed our souls, or feed our mouths
- A great family photo that includes the mother and happy, smiling family members
- The avoidance of any activity that while well-meaning may create work for the mother. We don’t want that.
The Honey-Do. Please do, but not for Mother’s Day. Some of my fellow mothers might be mad at me for this but… respectfully, I ask that no mother receive a honey-do for Mother’s Day. Household chores and repairs should be done because they improve the quality of life and contribute to the proper functioning of the home for everyone. These need not be gifted, rather completed because they should be. Take care of these before Mother’s Day. Then treat her to something – just for her.
And finally…
Know the Mother.
What one of us loves, another may… not love. No list could possibly replace the inside track possessed by the people who know and love the mother best. If in doubt – ask her, listen to her words and then do exactly as she says.
Now go forth and do good things for the magnificent women in your life.
Cut or crop above this line. The section below is just for us.
May your big day – whatever it brings – be filled with love and be as magnificent as you. <3
*Drops feet to floor and exits bathroom.*
Pin this post and be sure to follow Houston Moms Blog on Pinterest!
