Never Too Early to Shop for Mom
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, for women anyway. For guys, it still seems like a year away, but it’s not - it’s this Sunday! If you don’t want to get stuck buying Mom a sympathy card and motor oil at the last minute, you might want to pencil a shopping trip into your schedule before the weekend.
Christian Children’s Fund of Canada conducted a survey of The Worst Mother’s Day Gifts of All Time. Here’s the Top 5 list:
1. kitchen utensil or appliance
2. cleaning products
3. an artcile of clothing
4. a vacuum
5. an iron
If a kitchen appliance means a dishwasher and an article of clothing means a cashmere sweater, I’m in! I’m not a mother, though, so I don’t like my chances. :) Some of the items that made the “worst of all” list include a cactus in a donkey-shaped planter, a gong, a ceramic poodle with a feather duster inserted into the head, a 20 lb. bag of onions and a bottle of whiskey.
What are some memorable gifts you have bought or made for Mom? What are some of the craziest gifts you have received? Share your stories by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below. Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is MOM. It’s valid until Sunday, May 11th.
May 6th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Since my family (mother included) doesn’t much care for ‘Hallmark’ holidays, and that my mother’s Birthday is the end of May - we tend to just save the festivities until then. Of course, that means no chincing out on Mom’s birthday…
(Not that I would.)
My sister and I are trying to figure out how to top last year’s gift of the patio furniture she really wanted… Any ideas?
-S.B.
Carly’s Note: I have to disagree with you. I don’t consider Mother’s Day a Hallmark holiday. Check out the comments left by Jeri-Ann, Gary, MyJudi…
May 6th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I know you’d want all the wonderful gifts that mothers can possibly get, but do you want to be someone’s mother, Carly?
Carly’s Note: Not to a grown man, I don’t. I don’t share that fetish.
May 6th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I love my boys, who are now both men - but one year they decided to “pool” their money for a Chia Pet for me on Mothers Day. Thankfully the Chia hair ones weren’t out yet. It was hideous but I displayed it like it was the “Hope Diamond”. I just couldn’t break their hearts and told them I loved it! It was as precious to me as the Hope Diamond. Sadly, it died a natural death a few years later after painstaking care. I miss those days - they seem to forget all about Mother’s Day now that they are MEN. Anyway I have many memories from their childhoods, which I just can’t part with. We are getting ready to sell our house and I can’t throw out certain items that are good “memories” to me - it’s driving my husband crazy! He just doesn’t get the emotional bond?????
Carly’s Note: Great story! Here’s some advice for parting with those “memories” - keep the few that mean the most to you or are easiest to display and take artistic photos of the others. Make a collage or special album with the photos. You have to be in the right mood, though. Easier said than done, I know.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
My Father passed away so I trained hard and ran the Marathon in memory of my Father (the marathon was in Ottawa and on Mother’s Day) so I ran the race and collected donations for cancer and my Mother watched me complete the marathon. It was a very emotional time when I crossed the finish line and a big hug from my mother and family. It is a Mother’s day I will never forget!
Carly’s Note: What a meaningful way to memorialize someone! Thanks for sharing.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:27 pm
I don’t have many clear memories of gifts I made for mom as a child, but in later years when I still lived with her I always made her breakfast for Mother’s Day. I usually bought her a couple of books, a small box of good chocolate truffles, and some flowers. Last year was our last Mother’s Day with her. My brothers and I took her out for brunch at a lovely little tea shop - they had wonderful old-fashioned tea cups and saucers just like the ones she used to have.
This year I will be raising a glass in a toast to her, as well as my husband’s mom who we lost two years ago. Needless to say, the constant bombardment of advertising related to Mother’s Day is tough for us this year..
Carly’s Note: Losing two mothers in as many years is rough. It sounds like you and your brothers made Mother’s Day count, though. It’s often the simple pleasures - like books and tea - that mean the most. I hope this Sunday is filled with cherished memories for you and yours.
May 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Hmmm! Maybe that’s the reason why my mom always says “don’t buy me anything, just a card will do”…. it’s a cover up for “your gifts suck” lol
Carly’s Note: I think that’s the first time someone has ever actually learned something from my blog!
May 7th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I bought my mother composted sheep manure one year. Now in my defense, she was an avid gardener and actually requested that as a gift. I still get a hard time about it from family members.
p.s…….. feel free to elaborate on your fetishes.
Carly’s Note: Careful what you wish for, I guess - meaning the manure, not the fetishes request!
May 8th, 2008 at 5:36 am
Hi Carly,
Once you become an adult and leave the nest i’ve found that my mother appreciates spending time with us instead of receiving gifts.
Still, we take her to her favorite Italian restaurant for Mother’s Day or cook her favorite dish at our place.
My mother’s very sentimental too so any photos of family and friends always goes well too.
Still, I’m sure there were several terrible gifts given to her when we were kids. Hope she forgives us but i can’t remember any specifics.
I think the most important thing is to remember to do SOMETHING for her. When i was married to my ex-wife there were several times when my 2 grown step sons wouldn’t do anything for her! Long story….
Have a great day:)
Carly’s Note: You’re right - as people age, they want fewer material things, probably because there’s no room in the house for them!
On a more serious note, it’s a shame your ex’s sons don’t realize that having them and raising them was a choice she made and that honouring her efforts once a year probably isn’t too much to ask.