Free Screensavers
Perfect screensaver for Mother’s Day and best of all it’s absolutely FREE! This Mother & Child screensaver is filled with over 20 beautiful & touching high quality photos of Moms and their children.
Mothers will love the original pictures and artwork of Moms with their loving sons and daughters.
The Perfect Gift for Mom – a Roomba!
Imagine offering your Mom free vacuuming for life! This is the gift that keeps on giving. Your Mom will have more free time every week for years to come.
If your Mom is anything like my Mom, she’s probably only vaguely familiar with iRobot and the Roomba line of vacuum cleaners. No problem, I just bought a Roomba 530 for myself and another for Mom. I can tell you all about the Roomba line of vacuums and which are the easiest to use.
This is the Roomba 400. It’s $119.95 (but I’ll give you a link to a special offer at the bottom of this post). The Roomba 400 is the basic model. Even the basic model can do some remarkable stuff: it will automatically avoid drop-offs, automatically transitions from hard floors to carpet, and it has a large bagless bin. This model charges in about 7 hours. It’s considered a 2 room vacuum. It will automatically move around each room covering all floor space before moving to the next room. It comes with a 1 year warranty and a 30 money-back guarantee trial period.
This is my Roomba, the iRobot Roomba 530 — I named mine Jumjum. He’s become a part of my family. The 530 is $299.99 – worth every penny, but check the link at the bottom for special offers. The 530 has an advanced cleaning system that can get right to the edge of walls and cleans floors and carpets a little better than the 400 series. But the real reasons I went with this model are: it charges in 3 hours instead of 7, it automatically senses when the battery is low and goes back to it’s base automatically – it self charges, it senses furniture and obstacles which make it slow down before bumping, the filter catches more dust and allergens, it has a spot clean button (put it on the dirty spot and press the button), and it doesn’t get stuck on carpet fringes and tassels. In addition it also comes with 2 ‘virtual walls’ – little things you set on the floor to create ‘off limit’ areas, and it’s a 3 room instead of 2 vacuum. Bonus for Moms everywhere: it has a voice walk-though demonstration built-in. Just tell Mom to press the button!
This is the iRobot Roomba 560. It’s $50 more than the 530. It can do everything the 530 does, plus: it’s a 4 room vacuum, and you can set times (scheduling) for the vacuum to clean – have it clean after you leave the house or after you go to bed.
This is the iRobot Roomba 570. It’s $50 more than the 560. It can do everything the 560 does, plus: it comes with a wireless command center – set scheduling and even remote control the vacuum wirelessly and an extra brush kit.
There ya go, you’re a Roomba expert! I love my 530 and couldn’t be happier. But if auto scheduling is important, or you have a very large house – the 560 or 570 might suit you better. If a wireless remote is important (no bending over to press buttons) then the 570 is the right one for you or your Mom.
If you’d like the best price for a Roomba, here’s the link I promised:
Tussie-Mussie
Many people choose to give flowers or flower arrangements to their moms, grandmothers, and wives on Mother’s Day. While florists can offer a number of unique, ornate possibilities, the price of a basic floral arrangement can meet or exceed the fifty-dollar mark. If you maintain your own garden or potted plants, preparing an arrangement yourself could serve as a thoughtful, less-expensive alternative to purchased bouquets.
Tussie-Mussies are small-scale bouquets that can be easily assembled at home. These arrangements became fashionable accessories for women in the Victorian era; they are easily portable if you plan to celebrate Mother’s Day out on the town.
Before beginning your project, you may want to assemble some materials: floral tape, ribbon or lace, scissors, a hot glue gun, and the blooms you plan to use.
The traditional flower of Mother’s Day is the carnation-red or white; these flowers can be purchased inexpensively at many grocery stores or floral shops. If your mother’s favorite flowers are roses, for instance, or violets, you may choose to purchase or pick them for your project. If you wish to communicate a symbolic meaning with the flowers you use, consider camellia (which signifies gratitude), hibiscus (delicate beauty), or light pink roses (gratitude, happiness).
Once you’ve chosen your blossoms, clip the stems to an appropriate length. Remember, tussie-mussies are small: stems 5” or shorter work best. Once the stems of your flowers have been trimmed down, arrange the flowers to your liking. Wrap floral tape from the base of the stems to the lowest buds. Then, using your hot glue gun, adhere a wrapped ribbon on top of the tape. When you are finished, the flower stems will be held together and dressed up. You may also choose to tie a lace or ribbon bow around the stems.
Tussie-Mussies are a sweet and thoughtful gift that you can make yourself-and flowers are a classy, traditional gift to give on Mother’s Day. You can personalize the arrangement to include your mother’s favorite flowers, or even some that you have grown yourself.
Extravagant Moms
Deciding how to celebrate Mother’s Day can be difficult! Each year, millions of Americans treat their moms to breakfast in bed, brunch out on the town, cards, flowers, and candy. Sometimes, though, when you feel that it has all been done, you can go the extra mile to celebrate with your mom in a fancier, less conventional way.
Spa treatments are a fantastic way of helping Mom unwind. Whether you send her for a massage, pedicure, or facial, she will feel pampered and relaxed as a result. You may even choose to spend Mother’s Day at a spa with her, receiving dual mother/daughter or mother/son treatments! Doing so would allow for some extra time together in a relaxing environment.
Artisan chocolates may be a unique way to satisfy Mom’s sweet tooth, and provide her with a bit of luxury. Retailers like Godiva offer Mother’s Day collections that feature heart-shaped truffles in many flavors. For the woman who is a chocolate addict, this kind of gift could be perfect! Pair the chocolate with fresh berries or champagne to make the treat even richer.
A quick trip could be a fancy and unique way of celebrating Mother’s Day. Driving or flying to an out-of-town locale, a resort or bed and breakfast, for instance-could allow you to honor your mother all weekend. If she likes the beach and a trip to the coast is feasible, arrange for a sailboat ride or picnic on the sand. If you live in a major suburb, consider a day trip downtown to see the sights. Getting mom away from the house and away her daily routine will help her feel pampered. End your trip by visiting a favorite restaurant-having flowers delivered to the table could make for a nice (and feasible) surprise. Consider reading a poem or quote to Mom over your meal together, or present her with a gift.
Treating your mother with an out-of-the-ordinary gift could help her to feel truly special on Mother’s Day. Tell your mom how much she means to you! Taking the time to plan a surprise or day of pampering for her will help her to feel appreciated on her special day.
Budget Moms
There are a number of ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, and while money may or may not be a factor for you, sometimes the best celebrations cost the least. If you are looking for inexpensive ways to honor your Mom, no need to worry. Remember that the most important things to give your mom are appreciation and love! How you demonstrate these feelings is up to you. As long as you express the sentiment thoughtfully, expensive gifts aren’t necessary.Flowers are usually a surefire way to a woman’s heart, and bouquets are one great way to honor your mom. While professionally-arranged flowers can cost hundreds of dollars, a quick trip to the back yard can yield just as beautiful a product. Red and white carnations are the traditional flowers of Mother’s Day, but choosing her favorite blooms will show how much you care. You can tie wildflowers or some from your own garden with a ribbon to dress them up-or you can arrange them in a jar or vase for a more formal presentation.
Cooking something for your mother is another inexpensive and creative way to treat her. Make her favorite breakfast food and deliver it to her in bed, or bake a cake for her to enjoy later in the day. Even if your family forgoes the breakfast in bed tradition to eat out, making dinner for her later in the day helps your celebration to last into the evening. Even if you aren’t a gourmet chef, your efforts will show how much you care.
Another simple and thoughtful idea could be to take over mom’s household chores for a day. Clean the living room and kitchen, vacuum, do the dishes-let mom relax with some lemonade and a magazine! Allow her to enjoy her free time by watching the children. While you tackle her to-do list, let mom leave the house if she wants to, and take some quiet time to herself. You can even create a book of redeemable coupons, so that mom can space out her favors past the Mother’s Day holiday. Make out coupons for services like “two hours of free babysitting” or “one kitchen floor mopping.” Though it won’t cost you anything to fulfill these commitments, your help is invaluable!
An inexpensive and thoughtful way to appreciate Mom might be to create a handmade keepsake as her Mother’s Day gift. Photo albums, scrapbooks, or framed pictures are a few options-if you have a knack for crafts, a hand-sewn pillow or personalized painting would make a thoughtful gift. The time you dedicate to making such things will show her that you think of and care about her.
While purchased gifts can be nice. The spirit of Mother’s Day is to appreciate your mom in your own way! Spending time with your mother is often just the thing she wants. Allowing her some time off could also serve as a nice break from the daily grind. Small tokens of your appreciation-especially those that you’ve spent time to create-can be the most meaningful gifts.