Truth be told, the number one item on your Mother’s Day wish list is quality time with your family. Sure, you could wait and let your family plan the day for you but why not take the reigns and make the day everything you want it to be?
Here are seven ideas for how you can remove the stress of gift-giving and activity-planning from your family and plan your own perfect day with the ones you love.
1. Clean the house together
Okay, your family might not be psyched about cleaning the house, but you’ll be much happier if your nest is neat for Mother’s Day. (And if you’re happy, they’ll be happy!) Make it fun by organizing it like a game. Put together a list of tasks and promise a prize to the family member who completes the most chores in the least amount of time. Pump up the music and start a countdown. When it’s all over and the house is spotless, treat everyone to frozen yogurt.
2. Have gifts delivered
Instead of letting your family scurry for last-minute flowers and chocolate, put them at ease by choosing your own. Order a bouquet of your favorite flowers and a gourmet gift basket that’s piled high with all of your favorite indulgences. You won’t have to suffer through a box of drugstore chocolates plus you’ll have enough tasty treats to share with the family. Everyone wins!
3. Do a craft together
Let your hair down and make some great memories by making a mess together. Opt for craft projects that end in a beautiful, sturdy piece you can proudly display. Paint some terra cotta pots and plant flowers in them for your front porch. Or channel your inner Gaudi by creating a colorful mosaic paver for your garden. Don’t have the time to buy the art supplies? Go to a local pottery painting studio like Color Me Mine.
4. Pamper yourself and your family
No need to feel guilty about pampering yourself this Mother’s Day: take your family with you. Make an appointment for you and your husband to get a couple’s massage, or take your daughter to get a pedicure with you. If you have an active family, take them all for a day at the gym. Everyone can do the activity they like, and you can sneak in some quiet time in the sauna or hot tub to relax and unwind.
5. Go out to your favorite restaurant
Let’s face it: if your kids made you breakfast in bed, the eggs would be crunchy with shells, and at least one dish would end up broken. Why stress everyone out? Go out instead. Pick your favorite restaurant and make a reservation ahead of time since this is one of the busiest days of the year for brunch.
6. Plan a movie marathon
When was the last time you vegged out in front of the TV with the whole family? Unwind together by escaping into a fun adventure series that everyone can enjoy, like “National Treasure” or “Night at the Museum.” Or go retro with throwback favorites like “Star Wars” or “Back to the Future.”
7. Go on an adventure
Give your kids an afternoon of adventure by planning an activity you don’t normally do as a family. Rent tandem bikes and explore your city’s bike trails. For the lovers of mystery in your family, create a time capsule or go geocaching. Whatever you choose, take lots of pictures. Then compile a photobook on Shutterfly or Snapfish when you get home to commemorate your special adventures.
Identity Magazine is all about empowering women to get all A’s in the game of life — Accept. Appreciate. Achieve.TM Every contributor and expert answer the Identity 5 questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the above article. As a team, we hope to inspire and motivate ourselves and inspire you to get all A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? What are you still working on accepting?
I can’t do it all, and that’s okay. I don’t have to have a great career, a perfect house, good health, interesting hobbies, and fulfilling relationships with those I love. There’s just not enough time in the day, and if something has to give, it better not be my relationships.
2. What have you learn to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? What are you still working on to appreciate?
Simplicity. Not needing to live in a big city to be entertained, or to own a new home to be comfortable.
3. What is one of your most rewarding achievements in life? What makes YOU most proud? What goals and dreams do you still have?
I spent a year as a volunteer English teacher in Peru, and that was really lonely and hard, but I would do it all over again if I could. It empowered me to think beyond my own cultural identity and have more empathy for others’ belief systems. Someday, I want to live abroad again for a few months with my husband and kids.
4. We all have imperfections, so we think. The truth–we are all perfectly imperfect. What are your not-so-perfect ways? What imperfections and quirks create who you are–your Identity?
I am obsessive to a fault. I have to physically stop myself from trying to a create a library catalog system for my collection of books.
5. “I Love My…” is an outlet for you to express and appreciate all the positive traits that make you…well… YOU! Sharing what you love about yourself will make you smile, feel empowered, and uplift your spirit and soul. (we assure you!) Identity challenges you to complete the phrase “I Love My…?”
I love my imagination. It comes in handy when I need to solve a problem, or when I’m imagining what my house could look like in 20 years.
