The History of Mother’s Day in the United States

Many families celebrate Mother’s Day every year. Have you ever wondered how Mother’s Day got started? Who thought of it? How did it get declared a holiday? Was it always celebrated the way we celebrate it today in the United States? The official Mother’s Day holiday, as we know it today, was started by Anna Jarvis. In 1905, her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Daughter Anna Jarvis wanted there to be a way to honor the sacrifices that mothers made for their children. It took financial backing before that dream was realized. John Wanamaker was a department store owner in … Continue reading

Simple and Affordable Mother’s Day Fun

If your budget doesn’t allow you to lavish mom with expensive gifts this Mother’s Day, don’t fret.  With a little planning and creativity you can make your mom feel like royalty minus the queen’s ransom. The key to creating memorable Mother’s Day gifts is to make them with love.  The other requirement is to have fun in the process.  The following homemade gift ideas are simple enough for young children to help with; plus, they don’t require a ton of money to make: Pretty Pots Materials: Unglazed terra cotta pot Acrylic paints Paint brushes Craft glue Embellishments (buttons, gems, stickers, … Continue reading

Last-Minute Homemade Gifts for Mom

Nothing says “I love you” more than a homemade gift from the heart. This is especially true on Mother’s Day. Think about it; moms are typically the ones nudging kids to the crayon box to craft gifts for others on special occasions, so think about how nice it would be for her to be on the receiving end of one of those handcrafted works of art made by tiny hands that developed in her womb. If you are the one in charge of getting the kiddos to work their artistic magic on mom’s gift, consider the following: RECIPE BOX Find … Continue reading

The Best Mother’s Day Gift: Time

The past few days I have been listening to various stories on my favorite radio station. The question has been asked, “What would be your best Mother’s Day gift?” I have been thinking about how different my answer today is compared to 10 years ago, 5 years ago or quite honestly, even a week ago. Of course, some of that has to do with a shattering event that took place in our family this past week. But it also has to do with the stage of life I am in. When I think back 10 years ago my children were … Continue reading

Embellishing Mother’s Day Layouts

One of the sweetest Mother’s Day gifts I ever received was a scrapbook layout featuring various pictures of my daughter and a slew of her homemade art projects. My sister-in-law did an amazing job creating a photo collage using my daughter’s artsy masterpieces to embellish the page, along with several cute quotes detailing why she loves her mommy so much. Sniff, sniff. I love that layout. Fortunately, the page design is easy to duplicate for a mother of one or many. The collage requires at least five stand-out photos which can be placed in a random shape. You could also … Continue reading

Deals for Mother’s Day – 2012

Mother’s Day is coming up in a few weeks. What gift do you plan to give to your mother? If you don’t have a good answer to that question, then you might want to check out a few of these deals on Mother’s Day gifts. You don’t have to spend a fortune in order to make your mother feel special! Barnes & Noble has a Mother’s Day Tote that can be purchased for $7.95. Or, you can get it for $4.95 with the purchase of any two eligible items. This colorful tote has lovely images of flowers, butterflies, and even … Continue reading

Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gifts

Tick-tock, tick-tock… the countdown to Mother’s Day is on, and if you are planning to make mom a gift from the heart with your two hands, then you had better get started. Homemade gifts may seem a bit trifle when mom is asking for a Dyson, but that shouldn’t stop you from putting your all into a gift that mom can treasure forever. Some keepers include: Frames: No mom can resist a photo of her kids. Or better yet, a picture of her and her kids together. However, instead of gifting mom with a plain photo, why not kick it … Continue reading

Genealogy Gifts For Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. While your mother would never suggest that you should get her anything for Mother’s Day, most moms definitely enjoy being celebrated and made to feel special. There are many ways to make your mother feel special on Mother’s Day and not all of them cost a lot of money or require a lot of effort. Since all mothers are different, you have the fun job of figuring out what it is that your mother really would enjoy. There are quite a few things that you can do with genealogy that could make this … Continue reading

Father’s Day Sale at Shutterfly

I know you’re probably aware that Father’s Day is coming up quickly (June 20, if you don’t already know), and it’s always fun to do something special for your favorite guy. Dads are great because they do so much for you over the years and always support you no matter what you attempt. So why not make Dad something one-of-a-kind for Father’s Day this year? I’m talking about photo gifts. I talked about making them for Mother’s Day as well, but this time there’s an incentive—it’s a sale! For those of you who are frugal and love a sale (like … Continue reading

Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for Dads on a Budget

Dear Dads, don’t let an empty wallet cast a dark shadow over Mother’s Day. There are plenty of inexpensive ways you can help your child craft a memorable gift for mom on her special day. What’s more, making the personal projects will allow you time to bond with your child and give mom a break in the process. TISSUE PAPER FLOWERS Materials: Bare branch from your yard or the park Tissue paper in green and pink Pencil with an eraser Glue Directions: Cut green tissue paper into triangles (use 1- to 2-inch squares cut in half on the diagonal). Use … Continue reading