Mother's day

Best Money Tips: Unique Mother's Day Gifts

Ashley Jacobs — Thu, 09 May 2013 10:00:35 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some awesome articles on unique Mother's Day gifts, side gigs to make more money today, and insurance policies everyone should have.

Best Money Tips: Thrifty Gifts Any Mom Would Love

Ashley Jacobs — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:00:32 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some great articles on thrifty gifts any mom would love, reasons to spring clean, and improving your eshopping IQ.

9 Thrifty, Meaningful Gifts for Mom

POPSUGAR Smart Living — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:36:08 +0000

Being a mom is the hardest job of all, and it's tough to find a gift that will reflect your appreciation. What it comes down to is how much thought you put into the gift. My mom still talks about the time in middle school when I attempted to make a six-course meal. She still raves about my poorly made pâté to other people, which to me just proves that moms really think the world of their children. So what are you gonna get your best cheerleader? Read on for some suggestions.

Homemade Potpourri

Create a natural air freshener from your mom by making a bowl of potpourri with a carefully picked blend that caters to her preferences. Here are a few tips to make potpourri.

What to Dry

Dry flowers, roots, plants, fruit peels, and more. Pick something that you think will make the potpourri aesthetically pleasing. Tipnut has a nice list of potpourri ingredient suggestions.

How to Dry

Hang the plant upside down and tie it to a piece of string. For things like twigs and roots, place them on top of a screen. Place the items in a dark area. Alternatively, Proflowers explains how to dry your plants in a microwave.

Essential Oils

If you're disappointed by the faint smell of your final product, buy an essential oil and sprinkle some of it over your potpourri.

Container

Put the potpourri in a cute jar or bowl that will complement your finished product.

The potpourri will take some time to make unless you decide to dry it via microwave. Remember to carefully follow the instructions from Proflowers before proceeding.

DIY Bath Salt

This is such an easy yet practical (and beautiful) present to make. Not to mention, it's budget-friendly and you can get all the ingredients at the supermarket! Here's what you have to do:

Buy Salt

Go to a supermarket and choose the salt you want to use in your product. You can mix different types to make it look more appealing. Be sure to take note of the grain sizes.

Add Fragrances and Color

You can choose to mix in essential oils or food extracts to make the salt smell nice. Add in food coloring to make the bath salt look prettier. Test out your fragrances and coloring on small amounts of salt beforehand.

Store It

Pour your salt into a jar and use decorative labels or ribbons to make it look more professional. You can even reuse jars that have contained food you've eaten, such as jam or pickles — just remember to clean it and take off the original labels.

Make Chocolate-Covered Strawberries

If your mom has a sweet tooth, this is the perfect gift for her. Melt some chocolate and dip strawberries into the mixture. Place them on a baking tray and cool it in the fridge. If you need more guidance, YumSugar details the process with pictures.

Buy Her Groceries

Moms definitely love and appreciate practical gifts. If you know your mom well, buy her groceries before she makes her regular trip to the supermarket. Or, ask her for her grocery list and tell her you'll be making the trip for her as a mother's day present. If you like, you can slip in a surprise such as a card.

Clean Up

Tell your mom to take the day off and clean her residence until it looks like it's spanking new! Mop, scrub, and polish until you can see your reflection on the surfaces.

Organize her items if necessary, and if you're ambitious, you can attempt to color code her closet!

Draw a Bath

Draw a bath for mom and fill it with bubbles or throw in some bath salt. Pick a book or magazine for her and leave it beside the bath with a towel for her to wipe her hands on. I recommend checking out Oprah's book club for suggestions! Or, set out an old favorite of hers if you know she likes to reread novels.

You can also set up your ipod and speakers (if you have them) in the bathroom and play relaxing music or an audio book for her bath.

Tulip Bulbs

Go out to Home Depot, Walmart, or any other superstore to buy tulip bulbs for your mom. Call before going to see if they have it in store. You can also choose to buy potted plants for her to brighten up her apartment if she doesn't live in a house. Plant the bulbs together with Mom, and watch them grow!

Mix Laundry Detergent for Her

If your mom is a cleaning fiend, she'll love this homemade laundry detergent. There are plenty of recipes online, but I favor this simple recipe, which requires two cups of grated soap, a cup of borax, and a cup of washing soda. Here are a couple more detergent recipes from Tipnut if you want to experiment around. Put your finished product in a nice container or jar and you're set to go!

If that seems like too much work, you can get homemade laundry detergent from Etsy ($20) if you want to splurge a little.

Pretty Lockets

Buy some intricate lockets from Etsy such as this rose journal locket necklace ($8) and Bird and Patina ($30). You can find even cheaper lockets in stores like Forever 21.

Once you have your locket, insert a picture in there. You can pick photos of your children or ones with you and your mom in them. She'll be wearing a memory on her neck!

You can't put a monetary value on how much you love your mom, so this Mother's Day, show her how much you care with these inexpensive-but-meaningful gifts.

Guest Post Blurb:

This is a guest contribution from our friends at SavvySugar. Check out more useful articles from this partner:

Written by POPSUGAR Smart Living and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Best Money Tips: Frugal Activities to Do With Mom on Mother's Day

Ashley Jacobs — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:48:25 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on frugal Mother's Day activities, saving money on almost anything, and increasing your chances of getting a job.

The Best and Worst Things to Buy in May

Dealnews — Wed, 02 May 2012 10:24:06 +0000

It's easy to know that you're getting the best deal around when shopping through dealnews, but sometimes you want to plan for purchases in advance. So to help you out, we've mined our archives of product prices, sales, and coupons to see what consumer goods are best buys throughout the month of May. (See also: Shopping Calendar: The Best Time to Buy Anything)

While every month features its own unique deal fluctuations, we often see overlap across months, especially when they fall within the same season. As such, some of the advice for May might sound familiar if you've diligently followed the April guide. That said, May has some unique shopping characteristics to take note of, like stellar Memorial Day sales later this month. So dive in and brush up on the best and worst things to buy in May.

Memorial Day Sales and Coupons — Some of the Best of the Year

Oftentimes, stores want you to believe that every holiday weekend will feature some of the deepest discounts of the season, but that isn't always the case. However, as an almost-mid-year sale, we found that Memorial Day weekend tends to boast some of the most exceptional sales since January. You'll see the ubiquitous sale ads, but where these promotions truly become money-saving is in the plethora of stacking coupons we find on those already-discounted goods. Look to your favorite apparel and home goods stores for special holiday promotions. And in particular, keep an eye on department stores, nationwide apparel retailers, and home stores like Pottery Barn and West Elm.

Spring Clothing Deals Heat Up

Late April was an excellent time to start shopping for spring clothing deals, but the discounts really heat up in May where you could find cuts of up to 75% off. And if you want a particularly strong discount, try holding out until Memorial Day weekend for those aforementioned stacking coupons.

Sleep Easy with Mattress Deals

May is generally a good time to find a deal on a new mattress, and indeed for the past two years the sales we saw on mattresses received deeper discounts in May over April. So far we've seen items at Sears, for example, hit about 60% off after all discounts, which we anticipate improving in May and potentially spilling into June. Keep in mind, however, that last year we saw excellent discounts on mattresses around Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so you'll have another opportunity to cash in on strong deals later in the year, too.

Opt for the Less Traditional on Mother's Day

Last month, we suggested that shoppers buy their Mother's Day gifts early to get the best deals possible. But, if you still haven't bought Mom that perfect gift, consider avoiding the traditional. That's because, for the past two years, we've seen a lot of jewelry styles actually increase in price at the beginning of the month, so you may not be getting the best value possible if you go that route.

For Grills, Wait Just a Little Bit Longer

We mentioned it last month, but it's even more pertinent as the weather truly starts becoming dreamy — hold off on buying a grill, regardless of whether its charcoal or gas. We see an increase in Editors' Choice offerings in June, so you'd be better served shelving your buying plans for another month. You can also wait until after the 4th of July when we'll see a wealth of grill models featured in summer home sales.

Growing Discounts on Home Office Furniture

We begin to see an influx of deals on home office furniture — desks, shelving units, and padded chairs — in May. If you can hold out until June though, a majority of these items will likely see their all-time lowest price points of the year. If you want to update your home office, then look to OfficeMax, Staples, Office Depot, and Walmart for the best offers.

Jump on Outdoor Gear Deals

Breathe in the fresh spring air and get active outside with a plethora of deals on camping and outdoor gear from stores like REI, Gander Mountain, and Altrec. Look for hiking, fishing, and camping accessories to hit appealing prices.

Learn to Haggle for Gym Memberships

When the weather is warm enough to run or exercise outside, you have more ammunition to haggle a good deal from a gym that's looking for ways to encourage people to work out indoors. You can seek out promotions that cut initial costs like initiation fees or the first few months of enrollment, or you can put your game face on and demand the discounts while negotiating the terms of your contract.

Ivy Bridge to Usher in New Deals on Sandy Bridge Systems?

May will be an interesting month for laptop deals. On the one hand, we have Intel's new Ivy Bridge-based systems poised to enter the market with better battery life and more powerful graphics than today's laptops. Naturally, these new laptops will be competing with the very capable line of Sandy Bridge laptops already on the market. However, initial reviews indicate consumers won't notice that much of a performance increase with Ivy Bridge laptops. Nevertheless, the new systems are bound to lower prices on current Sandy Bridge-based laptops.

Secondly, deals on fully equipped quad-core desktop replacements continue to sell at all-time low prices. In fact, last month we saw an HP Pavilion dv7t Quad Edition Intel Core i7 Notebook come in at $700; that's the second lowest price we've ever seen for any 17" quad-core Core i7-based desktop replacement with a full 8GB of RAM, dedicated graphics card, and 750GB hard drive. Savvy shoppers should look for deals under $800 and snag anything under $700.

LED LCDs Remain Flat, OLED Makes Its Official Debut

As expected, April wasn't a stellar month for HDTV deals; deals generally remained flat for name-brand 42" and 47" models, and rose by roughly $50 for name-brand 55" sets. We expect May to offer more of the same. However, we started seeing deals on 2012's new line of HDTVs. The LG 47" 120Hz 1080p 3D WiFi LED-Backlit Widescreen LCD HD Television (47LM6700) in particular has dropped from its debut price of $1,379 in late March to $999.99 in late April. That's a $379 drop in just four weeks. Not bad for a new TV that packs every feature imaginable. We expect to see more deals on this TV in May. (For comparison, brand-name 2011 47" LCD HDTVs have averaged $547 so far this year.)

Another 2012 TV, the Panasonic VIERA 50" 600Hz 1080p Widescreen Plasma HD Television (TCP50U50), also made its first debut on dealnews for $781. It's one of Panasonic's budget models and will likely see further discounts in the coming weeks.

And for you well-heeled shoppers out there, mark your calendars. On May 16, at the Cannes Film Festival, LG is expected to debut its 55" OLED HDTV, reports PC World. The price? A cool $8,000. Painful as that may sound, keep in mind that this could trigger further discounts on LED-based LCD HDTVs.

Ready to put this information to use? Set up an email alert to know immediately when we list the items of your choice.

This is a guest post by Dealnews.

May has some unique deals, like stellar Memorial Day sales later this month. So dive in and brush up on the best and worst things to buy in May.

Written by Dealnews and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Best Money Tips: Thrifty Gifts for Mom

Ashley Jacobs — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:08 +0000

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips Roundup! Today we found some fantastic articles on thrifty gifts for mom, building your financial dream team, and ways to slash prescription costs.

News & Events

Carnival of Personal Finance #359: Hosted by My Personal Finance Journey — Don't miss the Carnival of Personal Finance, featuring some of the week’s most interesting and informative blogger-written articles.

Be sure to check out our News & Events Calendar to see all the awesome upcoming events in the personal finance world!

Written by Ashley Jacobs and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

The Best and Worst Things to Buy in April

Dealnews — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:24:07 +0000

April is here, and if you're stuck indoors waiting out showers that will bring May flowers, consider it a blessing: You'll have an excuse to devote more time to shopping around for deals! In an effort to guide you toward savvy purchases, we dug through the dealnews archives from years past to see what goods are, well, good to buy in April, and what you should hold off on. From early home improvement sales to aggressive tablet prices, here's what's in store this month for the smart shopper. (See also: Shopping Calendar: The Best Time to Buy Anything)

Sail the Seas With Excellent Cruise Deals

Typically, April is a good month to book cruises. But we discovered last month that cruise prices in general have been dropping when compared to last year, likely due to the industry's tumultuous string of recent public disasters. In fact, when compared to similar cruise deals from this time last year, 2012's offers are as much as 11% less. And we have continued to see an increase in the sheer number of cruise deals as well, making it a good time (price-wise) to look into a vacation on the seas.

Keep an Eye on Spring Clothing Sales

The general rule of thumb is to wait about two months after a new line of apparel hits stores before you can cash in on sizable discounts. Many retailers began debuting their spring merchandise in late January and February, so that places April at about the two-month mark for some. Look closely at the discounts, though. A spring clothing sale that takes 30% to 40% off is still a mid-season promotion; you'll want a sale that takes at least 50% off or more, and if you can hold steady for a stacking coupon code, all the better. If you truly want the lowest prices — which of course comes with reduced selection — you'll likely want to wait until May.

Look to Non-Apple Tablets for Aggressive Deals

As most of the world expected, Apple announced its new iPad last month. What many didn't expect, however, was for Apple to then continue to manufacture and sell the iPad 2 at a lower price. This new price point from Apple — although just $100 lower — puts pressure on Apple competitors, especially since we've already seen deals that discount it to as low as $349. As we predicted, non-Apple slate manufacturers will feel compelled to respond aggressively, and as such we've already seen a new all-time low on the Amazon Kindle Fire. Could this be a sign of things to come from other tablets as well?

Get a Jump on Jewelry Deals for Mother's Day

If you're thinking about buying some baubles for Mother's Day, then start looking now. We still find and list deals, coupons, and sales for jewelry in May, but oftentimes we see slightly higher final prices on styles right before the holiday. This is especially true of online jewelry retailers.

Spring Home Improvement Sales Go National

For the past three years, Home Depot has offered its "Black Friday is Back" spring sale, but this year, because of the mild winter weather, the store has not only started it early but — according to CNBC — the promotion has been rolled out nationwide, instead of as a staggered region-by-region schedule. Their spring sale began on March 29, whereas last year we listed it almost a week and a half later. While we wouldn't go so far as to say that the promotion is on par with the shopping holiday that shares its name, the Black Friday sale is a good opportunity to stock up on home improvement items you'll inevitably need. And for once, the sales are available to everyone at the same time, ahead of schedule.

Hold Off on Office Furniture

Some sources praise April as the best month for top office furniture deals, but according to our archives, we've consistently seen either more or better-quality deals in both May and June. The latter, in particular, racks up more Editors' Choice caliber offers, meaning that the styles are at the lowest price point we've seen. Look to OfficeMax, Office Depot, Staples, and Walmart for these offers down the line.

Wait for It to Really Heat Up Before Buying a Grill

It's easy to start dreaming about backyard barbecues once the weather gets warmer, and although the promise of an upcoming season of grilling is enticing, don't jump the gun by purchasing a new grill just yet. Our deal archives suggest that June will see better-quality deals, while other sources promote post-Independence day sales as an excellent opportunity to get discounts on grills and the like.

Big Screen HDTVs Hold Steady, While 3D Trends Cheaper

Although April isn't a big month for TV deals, we don't expect it to be a bad month either. Deals on brand-name 55" TVs haven't changed since the holidays, coming in at exactly $800. Off-brand models on the other hand have actually dropped in price since December, and so far this year they're averaging $590 (which is 14% lower than the best price we saw in 2011). We expect this trend to continue in April, so if you're shopping for a 55" TV, look for deals under $590 (for off-brand sets) and under $800 (for brand-name models). Likewise, name-brand 46" LCD HDTVs were cheaper in February and March of 2012 than they were on Black Friday, with prices averaging $550. (The best deal in November was $598.)

As far as 3D TVs are concerned, February's all-time low of $699 didn't repeat itself in March. But we do expect it to make a return before the summer, so keep a look out for deals on off-brand 55" 3D TVs.

With Laptop Deals, Aim for Big Systems and Skinny Form Factors

Although February's stellar deal on a fully-equipped desktop replacement didn't make a re-appearance in March, average prices in 2012 are still at Black Friday levels. So if you're in need of a laptop, look for deals on fully-loaded desktop replacements (17" or larger, with a minimum of 8GB RAM, a Core i7 CPU, and a 500GB hard drive) at or below $800.

Last month we noticed an influx of deals on ultrabooks and we expect the same for April. In particular, look for deals on the ASUS Zenbook or the Acer Aspire S3 as those are the most discounted ultrabooks we've seen. Price-wise, the former has hit an all-time low of $849 whereas the S3 has reached a low of $749.

Ready to put this information to use? Set up an email alert to know immediately when we list the items of your choice.

This is a guest post by Dealnews.

From home-improvement supplies to vacations to aggressively priced tablets, discover the best and worst things to shop for this month.

Written by Dealnews and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

7 Last-Minute Gifts for Mother's Day

Myscha Theriault — Wed, 04 May 2011 10:00:27 +0000

Gifts for Mother's Day are on the minds of many right now, as the big day itself is in less than a week. If your spring’s been crazy and you need some last-minute ideas, relax. Here are seven quick gifts for Mother's Day that take both time and money into consideration. (See also: Free Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day)

1. Matching Aprons

This is more of a “mommy and me” type of gift for mothers and daughters to enjoy together. You can whip some up on your own using any number of free apron patterns online, or for less than $30 each you can order matching aprons from the popular Flirty Aprons company. They have a variety of aprons in a sassy, retro style.

2. Wine

Sons-in-law looking for something suitable will find this a workable solution. Chances are your wife’s doing something especially girly with her mother. So if you’d like to make a gesture that’s just from you, and your mother-in-law is a wine lover, then consider bringing a couple of bottles to dinner on the big day. That way, there’ll be one for everyone to share that day, and another for when she wants to have a girlfriend over for a gab fest. If you want to splurge a bit, Cellars Wine Club offers wine-of-the-month packages as inexpensively as $19.95 per month.

3. Magazine Subscription

If the mom you’re shopping for is anything like me, indulging in deliciously glossy magazine pleasures isn’t something I set aside funds for on a regular basis, even though I might like to. If there’s a magazine you know she’d particularly enjoy, then ordering a subscription is an affordable way to go. Like the wine-of-the-month club idea mentioned above, this is something that will make her remember your thoughtfulness every single time a magazine arrives for the next year. Subscription Agent offers bargain rates on a number of magazine titles for women.

4. Chocolate-Covered Yum-Yums

Looking to get the little ones involved in a simple DIY gift idea? Try coating any number of things in chocolate and refrigerating them on a nice serving tray the night before. Chocolate-covered pretzels are cheap and easy, as are dipped strawberries. Another fun recipe idea to try with the kids is homemade raisin and peanut clusters. They make as much of a statement as the pretzels, but take less time to make per batch. Plus, like most raisin recipes, they are ridiculously inexpensive.

5. Spa Therapy

What mom doesn’t love a little spa time? If a gift certificate to the salon isn’t in your budget, check out some of these recipes for homemade beauty products you can whip up inexpensively at home. Got teen girls? They’ll have a blast helping out with sugar scrubs, body mist, foot balm, and more. Toss in a couple of hand-made gift coupons for a bubble bath drawn on demand, and you’re in business. If you’d like to round out the gift selection a little more, there are numerous affordable spa items at Dollar Tree, such as manicure supplies and scented lotions.

6. Flowers

There’s a reason certain gifts are called classics; it’s because they are timelessly appreciated and always appropriate. Wise Bread’s own Andrea Karim has written a guide to frugal flowers that should provide you with some inspiration, or you could dress up some of the grocery store bouquets with tissue paper and wired ribbon. Out of town and need an affordable delivery option? This bouquet of assorted tulips is only twenty bucks. Top that.

7. Lunch With the Girls

Sure, having dinner as a family on the big day is a great idea. But if Mom's on a budget most of the time, lunch with the girls probably doesn’t happen all that often. That’s where a restaurant gift card comes in handy. If you only have a moderate amount to spend, then $25 goes much further at lunch. This also works if you’re out of town, as Amazon has gift cards from several restaurants available for delivery.

Gifts for Mother's Day don’t have to be stressful. While some of these suggestions do take a bit of effort, they are way less time consuming than sewing a custom quilt or building a new deck. All of these ideas are less than $50, many are less than $20, and some cost less than $5. With this many budget options at your disposal, last-minute gifts for Mother's Day are as easy as pie.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links, and I will earn a commission for any purchase made through these links.

Written by Myscha Theriault and published on Wise Bread. Read more Shopping articles from Wise Bread.

Free Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

Annie Mueller — Tue, 03 May 2011 09:36:08 +0000

It's not that Mom doesn't deserve an extravagantly expensive celebration of her day; it's just that over-the-top gifts and parties may not be feasible on a budget. And speaking as a mom, I can say that what matters most to me on Mother's Day isn't the amount of money spent (in fact, I get more of a kick out of saving money, usually). What makes Mother's Day special to me is two things: First, getting a free pass out of normal mom work like laundry, cleaning, cooking, and the like. Second, getting to spend time with my family. Peruse the list below for plenty of ideas that won't cost you but will still make your mom feel special. (See also: Mother's Day Gifts That Show You Really Care)

Give Mom the Day Off

This should be the absolute minimum you do to celebrate Mother's Day, anyway — give her a day off from all the mundane stuff she does, without complaining, day after day. Pitch in, get the whole family involved, and do the work for her.

Take the Kids to the Park and Give Mom Some Quiet Time

Listen, I know a mom loves being her with kids but, especially for moms of young kids, having a little peace and quiet time is truly one of the ultimate gifts you can give. Pack up the kids, go to the park for an hour or two, and leave Mom at home to nap, watch a movie in peace, read a book, or do her nails... whatever she wants!

Make and Deliver Breakfast in Bed

Yes, it's as cliched as giving Dad a tie for Father's Day, but there's a good reason here. Moms are usually the ones who hop (or crawl) out of bed and get everybody going in the morning. She deserves a break. Make a nice breakfast, deliver it to her in bed, and let her enjoy a morning off.

Take the Family Out for a Picnic at the Park

Get in the kitchen and make some sandwiches, pasta salad, or some other portable meal. Gather up all the picnic supplies (try not to ask Mom what you should take). Then whisk everybody away to a local park for a picnic and some play time outdoors. Take a walk, sit around, talk to people, play volleyball, or go at night and watch the stars. Mom's choice.

Take a Hike

Picnic optional. Scout out some new scenery in the area, gather up the gear, and take the family on a leisurely (or energetic) hike. This is one of my favorite family activities; I love being outside, and I love especially being outside with my family.

Scout Your Area for Free Concerts or Events

Several parks in my area have free concerts over the spring and summer. There are also different festivals, farmer's markets, plays, walks, and more. Search for free local events and music in your area, and take the whole family.

Have a Surprise Party

Not every mom will want a surprise party on Mother's Day, so be sensitive to what the mom in your life will enjoy. I happen to love parties and especially love surprise parties, so the idea of having a surprise party on Mother's Day — one at which the dads and kids are responsible for all the planning, prepping, and clean-up — sounds insanely fun. You have to be serious about pulling this off right, though. No fair planning it and then making Mom handle the clean-up. Do it all!

Tackle a Project Together

My mother-in-law has a long-standing request for Mother's Day — she wants her "boys" to come over and help out with whatever current project is at hand. We usually plan a casual lunch together sometime on Mother's Day weekend, then my father-in-law and the three grown-up boys go finish up the project while us girls either sit inside and corral the kids or go outside and cheer the men on. It's a no-cost, fun, and productive celebration.

Have a Family Movie Night

Family time is important for most moms, and finding time to do things together gets more and more difficult as kids get older and have their own social circles, jobs, and events. So dedicate Mother's Day night to a special family movie night; Mom gets to pick the movies. Dad and kids provide meal and/or movie-appropriate snacks, and everyone gets to settle in for some chill time together.

Make a Memory Book

For the creatively minded, or for scrapbooking moms in general, having the whole family sit down for a couple of hours to put together a family memory book could be the perfect no-cost gift. Gather supplies you already have: an empty photo album, pretty papers, stickers, photos, and the like. Put an hour or two into it, and have (or help) each family member create a page individually and then put them in the book, or work on each page as a team.

Create a Treasure Hunt for Mom

Kids aren't the only ones who like treasure hunts. Put some time into thinking up fun clues, then hide little treats or coupons for stuff Mom will like (such as "a night out" or "you get to pick the movie and no one complains") and let her discover them. Follow along with a camera...

Set Up a Girls' Night in for Mom

If Mom hasn't had a chance to get together with girlfriends lately, why not make Mother's Day evening a special time for that? Invite a few of her best friends over, then get out of the way.... out of the house, actually, would probably be best. Let them talk, relax, and enjoy some kid-free and spouse-free time together.

Take a Family Bike Ride

This is a great way to both kick off the summer season of great outdoor family adventures and to celebrate Mother's Day, so get the bikes out of the garage and into shape, find a nearby trail, and head out for a family bike ride. It's a good way to work off that fabulous lunch you made for Mom, anyway...

Visit a Free Local Attraction

We often forget to be like tourists in our own towns. Here in my city, there's an award-winning free zoo, a free art museum, and a free history museum, plus many parks, nature reserves, and historical sites. Take the day to visit some you haven't seen before.

Have a Family Pajama Party

Have everybody get comfy, throw on some fun music, and cook up breakfast for dinner while Mom gets to relax. Eat a leisurely meal, talk about family plans, and play a few games. Then tuck the kids into bed so Mom and Dad can continue the pajama party in their own room...

Create a New Tradition

Traditions help us create memories and give us touchstones as a family, common points of connection we can come back to even as we grow up, move away, pursue different dreams. Use Mother's Day to come up with a new family tradition, then make it something you repeat at significant times. It could be as simple as saying a family prayer or taking a family photo.

Volunteer Together

Does Mom have a special cause she's passionate about? Volunteer your time as a family, and find a way to give back together. Spending a few hours together while helping others will be a gift to Mom, and will benefit you as a family as you build closer relationships and learn to appreciate your blessings.

Plan a Group Outing

If Mom is a social creature, then expand the family outing into a group outing. One of the things Mom is often responsible for is planning the social events; so take over that role and let her just enjoy the interaction. You can organize a picnic in the park, a group hike or bike ride, or meet up with friends for one of those free local events. Then cough up the money for some ice cream afterward...

Written by Annie Mueller and published on Wise Bread. Read more Lifestyle articles from Wise Bread.

10 Ways to Take 10 Minutes for Mom

Parenting Squad — Mon, 02 May 2011 10:24:26 +0000

There's no doubt about it — moms work hard. We pack school lunches, schedule appointments, kiss boo-boos, and treat fevers at 3 a.m. Our work is never finished, and it can be difficult (or downright impossible) to find the time to take care of ourselves.

Fortunately, relaxing and rejuvenating doesn't always have to be time consuming. Consider the following simple ways to take time for yourself and recharge your batteries so you can continue taking care of everybody else.

1. Have an Afternoon Cup of Tea or Coffee

Keep your favorite tea or coffee in the pantry and brew yourself a cup any time you start to feel tense. There are many types of tea that are considered calming, or if you're like me, you'll love the caffeine jolt from an afternoon cup of coffee. The key here? Don't make your drink to go. Force yourself to sit down for at least 10 minutes and enjoy it!

2. Take a Hot Bath or Shower

Hot water is one of the fastest ways to relax tense muscles. If you're feeling overwhelmed, a hot bath or shower can be a great way to unwind, and even a short one will leave you feeling re-energized. If you have the time, consider splurging on your favorite bubbles. What was that old commercial? Calgon take me away...

3. Meditate

Parenting can be an exercise in patience. Sometimes, when your toddler is in the middle of a tantrum or your teen is in the midst of a "crisis," it can be difficult (or downright impossible) to remember to relax and breathe. That's where meditation comes in. If you take just 10 minutes a day to be still and quiet your mind, you'll reap many benefits. Don't know how to meditate? Check out these beginner meditation techniques.

4. Exercise

It can seem overwhelming to fit in the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, but if we break it up into 10-minute segments, it's a little easier. And exercise raises our endorphins, which makes us feel better and can make it easier to face the rest of our day with a smile. Plus, a mom in better shape is a mom who can better keep up with her energetic kids!

5. Get Outdoors

Even 10 minutes of fresh air and sunshine can work wonders for your mood and energy levels. Take a walk, work in your garden, or even take your kids to the playground.

6. Paint Your Nails

It takes less than 10 minutes to put a coat of polish on your fingers or toes. Sure, it may not be as relaxing as a spa pedicure, but bright red or sassy pink nails can boost your self-confidence and make you feel just a little bit better about yourself, which in turn just might help you conquer a hectic day.

7. Write a Thank You Note

Take the time to think about someone else in your life and tell them why you appreciate them. An unexpected note will brighten their day, and bringing joy to others is one of the simplest ways to bring joy to your own day.

8. Read a Magazine

Don't choose anything related to work or parenting. What are your hobbies? Take 10 minutes to read an article about home décor, or literature, or politics, whatever it is that really gets you fired up.

9. Dance to Your Favorite Song

Music can be soothing, and dancing can be uplifting. Plus, it's hard not to laugh at yourself when you're a grown woman dancing around your living room, and laughter definitely lightens your mood and brightens your day.

10. Phone a Friend

In these days of social media, it's easy to do all of our communication through emails, texting, or even Facebook. But there's nothing like the sound of a real human voice, particularly the voice of a true friend, to help us through a rough day.

How do you relax and rejuvenate when you don't have time for a day at the spa? What 10-minute tips would you add to this list?

Mothers work hard. Here are some simple ways for moms to take a moment to relax and pamper themselves.

Guest Post Blurb:

This is post by Alyssa Chirco from our sister blog, Parenting Squad. Visit Parenting Squad for more parenting tips and news:

Written by Parenting Squad and published on Wise Bread. Read more Lifestyle articles from Wise Bread.

19 Things to Take Off Mom’s To-Do List

Julie Rains — Sun, 09 May 2010 03:07:00 +0000

It's Mother’s Day. Forget breakfast in bed. Instead, take some things off of mom’s ever-growing, never-ending to-do list.

1. Plan an entire week’s menu (including snacks for the constantly growing children). Do all the shopping at your local market, warehouse store, or roadside stand. Put away all items, making sure to clean out the refrigerator beforehand or immediately afterward.

2. Run non-urgent yet long undone errands: buy replacement batteries for flashlights, smoke alarms, and handheld gaming systems; replace the windshield wipers; take dry clean only clothes to the dry cleaner; mend or hem clothes.

3. Get the recycling ready. Put away boxes that might be used for storage or shipping products sold on eBay and break down the remaining boxes according to recycling rules.

4. Post books (the ones set aside to get rid of) on Paperbackswap.com, take them to the used book store for trade, or sell them on online.

5. Solve technical glitches that require research, analysis, and action.

6. Take bags of discarded items to Goodwill or other local store that takes and resells older items for charity.

7. Clean and prepare nicer, stashed away items for the consignment store.

8. Sort, label, and store digital pictures from last year’s (and the year's before) vacation or stay-near-home outings.

9. Find sources for handyperson projects that are out of your league; arrange for cost estimates on your time.

10. File the insurance claims for the last visit to the dentist and orthodontist.

11. Get rid of out-of-date over-the-counter medicines, sunscreen, canned goods, and cereals, and replace whatever is necessary. (Hint: most households can always use Benadryl or its generic equivalent.)

12. Tackle the socks-with-no-matches pile. Don’t just relocate them but find the missing ones (under beds, behind washing machines, etc.) and repurpose extra ones.

13. Create email filters to direct messages from coaches, teachers, scout leaders, band directors, etc. to both parents so that important emails don’t go just to the person who signed up for them at the beginning of the year or season.

14. Sign the permission slips, dispense field trip monies, and get forms completed, etc. so that there are no early-morning rushes surrounding documents for eagerly awaited events.

15. Put together a budget and start making arrangements for your next big trip.

16. Set up Google alerts to notify the family of children's product recalls, or add Parenting Squad to your parenting resources (including CPSC alerts).

17. Call the insurance company to get rid of collision on auto insurance, raise deductibles, or whatever needs to be done to protect your assets without overspending on insurance.

18. Take all of the notes about appointments and schedules (including the most significant pinned to the bulletin board as well as those non-strategically situated on the kitchen table) and place them on the calendar. Make a mental note to check the calendar weekly.

19. Create a shared Google document listing the addresses and significant dates associated with your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, best friends, etc. (such as your sister's birthday and dates for family reunions like the one that is always held on the third Sunday in April even on Easter); note that the second Sunday in May is Mother's Day (USA).

If you need ideas other than tackling the to-do list (and besides preparing breakfast, lunch, and dinner), consider gifts for the person who has everything, making a donation to her favorite charity (perhaps one that supports moms and their children), or giving her whatever she has mentioned she'd like; then add flowers.

Written by Julie Rains and published on Wise Bread. Read more Family articles from Wise Bread.

Frugal Mother’s Day Gift Ideas from Bargain Babe

Linsey Knerl — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:34:39 +0000

Julia Scott, aka Bargain Babe, is a classic example of someone who can balance the low-cost of frugal living with the time and effort needed to make life meaningful. Tonight’s interview with her on Blog Talk Radio is full of practical ideas for showing Mom how much you care, (without looking like a total slacker, of course!)

Bargain Babe has been blogging bargains and giving frugal living advice for a long time. It’s something she was born to do. Even though she is not a Mom, she knows how to impress them, and so it was no surprise that she had a pocketful of ideas for crafting warm and expressive Mother’s Day gifts from (almost) thin air! In addition to her clever guide to spending little to nothing this holiday, she shares her insight on some pretty timely topics, including vacations, staycations, and how to build those family memories.

Please join us live tonight at 8pm CST on Blog Talk Radio. We’ll be chatting with Julia to find out what else she’s working on, and if you’re one of those last-minute shoppers with no clue what you’ll be buying for Mother’s Day, we can save you some dough!

(Read more about Julia at her website www.bargainbabe.com and see her recent article at MediaBistro!)

Written by Linsey Knerl and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Mama Mia! Mother's Day Gifts that Show You Really Care

Sarah Winfrey — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 16:55:12 +0000

I'm not going to beat around the bush here. I'll just say it like it is. All the hype around Mother's Day is ridiculous. For a holiday that's supposed to celebrate the precious relationship between a mother and her child, there sure is a lot to distract me from that relationship.

I mean, give me a break. My mother does not need any more bath stuff. If she's at all like me, she's gotten enough lotion over the years to soothe her skin into the 23rd century! And she doesn't want any chocolate. In fact, it's my dad who likes that, way more than she does. Let's face it. If you have a strong enough relationship with your mother to want to buy her a gift for Mother's Day, most of the gifts out there scream GENERIC!!!

Over the years, I've come up with some ways to give to my mom that avoid all the hype and the sappy generic-ness of the holiday as its often celebrated. As a bonus, if you think about it now, you'll be ready for the day when it comes!

Spend time with your mom

I know, it's a shocker. But the truth is that most moms I know want to hear from their kids more than they do. If you're a mom, it's one thing to hear from your kid often, even every day, and completely another to feel like you're part of their life. You can even do this if you live far away from your mom. Give her a call and let her know you want to talk for a while, or set up a phone date ahead of time so you'll both be free to focus on each other. Then ask her about herself, how her days are going and what she's feeling. Focus on hearing her heart. After all, this is the woman who birthed you...maybe knowing her will help you know yourself better, and that's never a bad thing.

Write down your memories of her

Many moms love to know what their kids remember from childhood and how they perceived the things that happened then. Make a list of these for your mom, focusing on ones that highlight positive changes in your relationship with her. Make the list pretty, and give it to her. Or, tear each memory off in a strip, fold it up and put it in a jar. Give her the sealed jar for Mother's Day, and she can pull out a memory every day until they're gone. If you run short on memories, do the same with lessons you've learned from her.

Take photos with her

Was your mom one of those people who has every family event for the last 30 years documented in extensive photographic detail? Then spend some time getting pictures taken with her. Take her to a favorite park or garden, or do it in your own backyard. While you can hire a professional photographer, all you really need is a digital camera and someone who knows how to operate it. Your poses can be silly or serene, but no matter how they turn out, taking them will make your mom's day.

Clean her house

I know a few people who like to clean, but even they can find it overwhelming when life gets busy. So pick up a bucket and a mop and show mom that you really do remember all her lessons on scrubbing the house. You don't have to clean everything and you don't even have to to the best job ever. As long as you're willing to get your hands dirty, she'll be happy, and relieved that she didn't have to do it herself!

Remember her

Instead of focusing your love on your mom only at Mother's Day, come up with a comprehensive plan to love her year-round. This doesn't have to be hard. Maybe it means you call her every-other Sunday instead of whenever-you-feel-like-it-which-sometimes-means-a-month-goes-by-without-talking. Put her in your calendar, or ask an assistant to put it in theirs and remind you when the time comes. Your mom might not notice the difference on Mother's Day, but she'll appreciate the thought throughout the year.

Here's hoping that one of these ideas will work for you, or will spark a desire in you to do something that will show your mom how much you value that relationship.

Written by Sarah Winfrey and published on Wise Bread. Read more Shopping articles from Wise Bread.

Thanks, Mom

Andrea Karim — Mon, 14 May 2007 02:05:18 +0000

My mom is awesome. There, I've said it. My mom is really one of the best moms that anyone could ever hope for. She's always there to talk, she's fun to have around, and my whole family is really good about helping each other out. I'm stuck in the office today, on Mother's Day, but I was thinking about all of the things that Mom has done for me over the years as I plugged away at the computer today.

About two hours ago, I was working on some boring xml files, when a baby bird flew into my window. He didn't hit it very hard, and tried to change direction just beforer running into it, so it wasn't one of those awful collisions in which you just know that the bird is dead. It was still noisy enough to scare the bejesus out of me and make me spill hot coffee down my front and across my desk.

As I sponged off with some Microsoft-issue paper towels, I watched the baby bird sit on the ground and shake his head a few times, trying to get his bearings. He was really quite small and cute, and he looked utterly alone. It was probably one of his first flight attempts, and he clearly hadn't gotten the "Don't fly towards those big shiny surfaces" memo.

Only a few seconds later, his mother found him. She hopped over, gave him quick once-over, and nudged him a bit.

I know birds don't have particularly expressive faces, but you could almost read the relief in this little guy's body language. She took a couple of hops away from him and looked back. He hopped unsteadily after her.

A few seconds later, he opened his maw and started begging.

His mother began gathering seeds and bugs from the ground to drop into his demanding gullet. She seemed to have an air of patient parenting about her, although I know that her behavior is more instinct and less about tolerating lazy offspring. This "baby" is probably getting to the point where he can peck his own food off of the ground. He's learning to fly, afterall. All his feathers are grown in, and with the exception of the window incident, he looks as though he's about ready to start taking care of himself.

I started to wonder if maybe this baby bird, who I'm calling Larry, is possibly a great big teenager who's refusing to learn to live on his own. Maybe Larry technically CAN fly and get his own food, but he'd rather mom do all the work for him. Clearly, I have issues with anthropomorphism (I think I used the term correctly this time), because I was really beggining to ponder taking Larry's mom aside and saying, "You know what? I think Larry can handle this on his own. Also, did you noticed that Larry is getting a little pudgy? Just a thought."

And then I remembered a time that I like to call The Worst 6 Months of My Life.

For some reason, my sophomore year in college sucked. It's a long story involving a crazy roommate, an overly-sensitive Dorm Committee, a vindictive Campus Housing Office, and something that was referred to as "dorm dynamics". The long and short of it is that, in the spring of 1997, I sort of lost it. The drama of a bad living situation that refused to get better really wore me down.

I became depressed. I couldn't stop sleeping - I would literally wake up, eat breakfast, and go back to sleep for another 23 hours. I got very strange infections under my cuticles so that my fingertips were swollen and red and painful. Then I lost my appetite altogether. To top it all off, my grandfather was very ill and I was thousands of miles away. I remember calling my mom and not really being able to say anything at all.

Mom could tell that I was cracking. She flew me back to the West Coast to visit my grandfather. Then, she and I went on a road trip around the rainforests of Washington State. We circled the Olympic Peninsula, staying in small rustic lodges, going for long hikes wearing bright yellow rain slickers, and eating fresh seafood by roaring fireplaces. It was the best time I'd had in ages, a very therapeutic experience, and still a highlight of my life. My mom picked me up out of my slump, reminded me that there were people who cared deeply about me, and took care of me when I most desperately needed her help (it should be noted that my mom, who is a nurse by trade, was also the only person to correctly diagnose my case of appendicitis - the doctors had it pegged as all kinds of other things).

Even though I was technically old enough to take care of myself, it was good to have my mom there, being a mom. I was 19 years old, but I felt like a 9-year old. I was helpless at that point, emotionally drained and physically ailing. I don't know how things would have gone if my mom hadn't sensed the desperation and pain in my voice. I might have dropped out of college.

Basically, I had run into a big glass window. And I might have sat there on the ground with no idea how to go on if my mom hadn't hopped over and nudged me, taken me under her wing, and reminded me just how much she loved me.

I returned to college after a couple of weeks, feeling refreshed and ready to make the best out of a lousy situation.

Today, when I was watching Larry the Baby Bird hop around as his mother patiently fed him, I was a little concerned that he wasn't maturing fast enough. But now I realize that Larry's mom was just helping him up after he fell.

Chances are that she had seen him crash into the window, and fretted a bit over her teenager. Then she swooped down, gave him a little nudge, and fed him until he remembered how to feed himself.

About an later, Larry started pecking at the ground on his own. Maybe his mother's patience ran out, or maybe he just remembered how to take care of himself. But thank goodness his mom was there. I'm sure that Larry is, in his own way, really thankful that he has such an attentive and caring mom.

Just as I am thankful.

(Photo by Fabrizio Salvetti)

Written by Andrea Karim and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

Inventor of Mother's Day Wants You To Stop Wasting Money

Will Chen — Sat, 12 May 2007 03:36:03 +0000

Americans are planning to spend an average of $139 on Mother's Day gifts this year. That's a stunning $16 billion national spending frenzy that would have horrified Anna Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day.

Anna lobbied for the creation of the holiday as a tribute to her mother and mothers everywhere. Her efforts paid off in 1914 when President Wilson officially designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Later on, after seeing her holiday cheapened by rampant commercialism, Anna denounced her own holiday. She wrote:

I wanted [Mother's Day] to be a day of sentiment, not profit.

A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world.

And candy! You take a box to Mother — and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.

What will you do to route charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and other termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations? Source: About.com.

Ironically, Anna would spend the rest of her life fighting against the holiday she created. She tried claiming copyright over Mother's Day and started protesting so vigorously against it that she once got arrested for disturbing the peace.

The poignantly surreal ending to Anna's story sounds like something straight out of a John Irving novel:

In 1943, Jarvis was 79 years old and broke. Partially deaf and blind, she was transported to a sanitarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

For reasons unrecorded, the Florists' Exchange, a trade association, picked up some of her bills, unbeknownst to her. And even after she told a reporter she was sorry she ever started the whole thing, she received thousands of Mother's Day cards each May until she died, in 1948. Source: Smithsonian.

The next time you are tempted to cheapen Mother's Day with an expensive, guilt-assuaging gift, consider doing something more thoughtful instead, like making your own Mother's Day card or cooking her a special meal. That's what Anna (and your mother) would've wanted.

Senator Teller: "Mother's Day is Absolutely Absurd!"

If you are still not convinced by how artificial Mother's Day is, just take a look at this heated Senate debate over the establishment of Mother's Day:

Senator John Kean (R-NJ) immediately moved to amend the bill by striking everything after "Resolved" and substituting the Fifth Commandment: "Honor thy father and thy mother."

Senator Jacob Gallinger (R-NH) judged the very idea of Mother’s Day to be an insult, as though his memory of his late mother "could only be kept green by some outward demonstration on Sunday, May 10."

"There are some thoughts that are so great and so sacred that they are belittled by movements of this character," lectured Senator Charles Fulton (R-Oregon).

Senator Henry Moore Teller (D-Colorado) scorned the resolution as "puerile," "absolutely absurd," and "trifling." He announced, "Every day with me is a mother’s day." Source: Lew Rockwell.

Well said Mr. Teller. You get the gold star for the day.

Additional Sources:

Mother's Day Expected to be Big Green Day

The Fight to Copyright Mother's Day

Anna Jarvis and Mother's Day

Mother's Day: Of Impassioned Origins

Photo by Matt McGee and Nina Hale.

Written by Will Chen and published on Wise Bread. Read more articles from Wise Bread.

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1. Matching Aprons

2. Wine

3. Magazine Subscription

4. Chocolate-Covered Yum-Yums

5. Spa Therapy

6. Flowers

7. Lunch With the Girls

Free Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day

Give Mom the Day Off

Take the Kids to the Park and Give Mom Some Quiet Time

Make and Deliver Breakfast in Bed

Take the Family Out for a Picnic at the Park

Take a Hike

Scout Your Area for Free Concerts or Events

Have a Surprise Party

Tackle a Project Together

Have a Family Movie Night

Make a Memory Book

Create a Treasure Hunt for Mom

Set Up a Girls' Night in for Mom

Take a Family Bike Ride

Visit a Free Local Attraction

Have a Family Pajama Party

Create a New Tradition

Volunteer Together

Plan a Group Outing

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1. Have an Afternoon Cup of Tea or Coffee

2. Take a Hot Bath or Shower

3. Meditate

4. Exercise

5. Get Outdoors

6. Paint Your Nails

7. Write a Thank You Note