Mother’s Day is just around the corner on 26th March so it’s time to get together with the kids and plan those treats. You’ll see lots of adverts online, on television and in print with numerous ideas of where to take your Mum or what to buy; restaurants, flowers, chocolates all top the list. But those adverts are all being shown with one thing in mind – to get you to spend your money.
Yes, it’s nice to be taken out and spoilt on occasion but finances don’t always allow that, especially at times of the year when prices are generally inflated specifically because of the occasion. There are lots of things you can do that don’t cost huge amounts of money but will leave your Mum with that warm fuzzy feeling knowing that she’s loved and appreciated. Breakfast in bed with some flowers picked from the garden always goes down well. If Mum is going to be on the sidelines cheering you on in some sports activity, then making things easy by being prepared, packing your kit bags and making her a flask of hot tea or coffee to take will bring a smile to her face.
If you want to add a homemade gift into the mix, there are some ideas below. Remember it’s not about how much you’ve spent or how big your card or gift is that matters – it’s about the thought and time that’s gone into it. As a starting point, find some card, pens, glitter, stickers, glue – whatever your children have to hand at home, and help them get to work on their card. Then move onto that gift.
Photograph frames
You can decorate and personalise old photo frames, again using things you already have at home. If you’re really struggling to find things you already have but like the idea of personalising something, craft shops sell basic photograph frames and supplies to add sparkle to them.
A jar full of love
A simple but very effective handmade gift. Get a clean empty jar and decorate the outside. Inside put little folded messages from the children telling Mum all the things they love about her. If ever she’s feeling a little fed up, she can read through those messages again to brighten her day.
Promise vouchers
Popular at Christmas time, the same principle applies. Make a little booklet or a jar of promises. It can be anything from making a cup of tea, cleaning, cooking breakfast or simply promising to spend time with Mum with no technology to distract you!
Make a scrap book
In today’s world of smart phones and tablets, there are a lot of family photographs sitting on devices that will never be seen. Make an effort to print some out and make a scrap book with some added narrative that can be picked up and thumbed through for years to come.
If you want to go down the DIY route for your Mother’s Day efforts and your children are younger, it’s very likely that you’ll already have most of what you need at home, but it may not be all together in one place. Unless your children have a place to keep their art or craft supplies, it’s likely they’ll be scattered around the house in various drawers or cupboards. Maybe part of the effort could be to get organised so things are a little easier to find next time. There are some great storage solutions and ideas for children’s bedrooms around. Shelves, baskets and trolleys come in all shapes and sizes so every bit of space can be utilised.
Once you’ve finished with all those craft supplies make sure the tops and lids go back on properly and they’re returned to their rightful place. And if organising to prepare for Mother’s Day has made you think you need to do a little more organising or decluttering, you may want to read this post about decluttering in small doses.
If you do want to treat Mum with a day out Gloucesterlive.co.uk and soglos.com have some ideas that may help
If you find yourself in need of some extra short term storage, we have facilities in Stroud, Gloucester and Bristol. We don’t tie clients in to long contracts and our smallest units (10sq ft) start from as little as £5 + VAT per week.
Image credit: Aaron Burden