Mothers Day Do's

It seems like holidays keep sneaking up on me this year.  I'm sure all of you know exactly what you are doing for whom this Mother's Day weekend, but just in case you are still waiting for inspiration to strike, I am going to highlight a few different kinds of Mother's Day ideas through out the week.  (All of you super organized people can file these away for next year).

My husband's cousin, Mindy, sent me a sweet email, asking for Mother's Day advice (here is an excerpt):

I am looking for a couple of fun mother's day ideas.  I have 2 really good friends that I would like to do something for.  They each are stay at home moms with 6 kids ages 13 to 1.  Both of their husbands are gone a lot ...  I think that they are both amazing women and just want to do something fun, yet nice for them.  I think the one will have a particularly hard time this year - her mom passed away a few weeks ago from cancer.  I have thought about doing a standard purchase from [the bookstore] - but they deserve so much more!

First of all, kudos to Mindy for being so thoughtful.  I think we often only think about the women that we are direct descendants of (i.e. Mom and Grandma) on Mothers' Day.  But I think it should be a celebration of all mothers and a big pat on the back for us, because, let's face it...motherhood is not the easiest of jobs!

This was my reply to Mindy:

It is all about pampering!  I guess it depends on how much money you want to spend, but the thing these women need most, is some time away from the kids to get a little pampered.

 

I have a couple ideas, but either way, it involves getting the husbands on board to babysit, or making other arrangements.

 

Option A—Spendy, but easy.  Find a fun place to go for a light lunch (I don't know what to recommend in your area) and then all go for pedicures (or facials) together.  Very fun and pampering.  You might see if there is a beauty or aesthetician school in the area...can be scary, but can save a lot of money.  My sister-in-law is studying to be an aesthetician and I got to go be her "model" for a waxing and a facial.  She did great and I didn't have to pay!

 

Option B—Do-it-yourself Spa Day. Set up your home as a day spa.  Play Enya or other soft music in the back ground.  Set up a few home spa treatments.  See health.com for recipes. You could do some fun ones together and send them home with a jar full of homemade salt scrub.

 

These articles have more ideas on how to do an at-home spa.  Of course, if you hire a pedicurist, that will cost a bit of money, but you could pamper eachother or see if you have any friends that want to donate their services to the cause:

health.com

suite101

Even if it is too late to pull off something like that, I think it is important to give yourself some Mothers' Day gift.  I am planning a couple.  My friend and I are inviting other moms to join us for lunch on Saturday, since our husbands will be out of town (paintball, of all things!).  We will have to arrange babysitting, but we will need a break by that point!  And I am considering hiring a young woman from church to come and help me out with the kids and housework for a day, so that I might finally be able to organize all of those baby clothes and give myself the gift of a clean house for Mothers' Day!

What ever it is, don't forget yourselves this Mothers' Day!