Spring is here, flowers are blooming, people with allergies are sneezing, and Mother’s Day is almost here! We are a big fan of this holiday (do we really need to explain why?) so we wanted to share some of our gift ideas for mothers and grandmothers. We’re taking a look at all of the wonderful gifts that can help your parents kvell over their grandchildren, and some of them won’t even cost you a dime! Remember, Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 8th.
For Grandma (or Bubbe or Nana or Whatever You Call Her)
This year, we’re going digital. You know that your parents’ favorite activity is gushing over how adorable and brilliant and talented your kids are, so bring your Mom into the modern age with these digital kvell-machines.
1. Digital picture frame. Why show off just one measly photo when you can offer an entire slideshow? Digital frames are easy to use, and you can have a fun time going through all those baby photos with your Mom. Even better, they’re on sale at Best Buy.
2. Kindle or other e-reader. I think a mom of just about any age would appreciate this gift. It can be especially handy for grandparents because of it’s large print feature. Make sure to get one of the covers that comes with a booklight installed for easy reading anywhere. Amazon’s even got some Mother’s Day deals going on to boot.
3. Set up an account. The internet is sort of the ideal bragging space, but depending on how tech-savvy your Mom is, she might need some help getting started. You can set
her up with an account on a photosharing site like
Flickr
or
PhotoBucket
so she can easily see and share pictures of the grandchildren. Or, if you’re brave, why not introduce her to the lovely world of
Facebook
? Sure, she might “like” all your posts and write embarrassing things on your wall, but she’ll appreciate seeing the instant baby updates. And if she lives far away and needs more kvelling fodder, a Skype account where she can actually see and hear the baby could be an invaluable gift.
4. Cookbooks. Okay, cookbooks aren’t digital (unless they’re on a Kindle), but your kids will be on the winning end of this gift when Grandma cooks them a delicious meal. The Book of New Israeli Food is a gorgeous coffee-table-size book. Adventures in Bubby Irma’s Kitchen is as delightful as that picture of Bubby Irma. I’ve never read Love and Knishes but it wins for best title. And if you need some more suggestions, check out this list at The Jew and the Carrot.
For You
You may want to start dropping hints to your family about that gaping hole in your jewelry box soon. If you’re too busy being an awesome mom to even think about what you want for Mother’s Day, we did a quick poll on Facebook to hear what presents our readers would like. We got multiple votes for gift certificates to things like a housecleaning service, gardening, or a pedicure. Then of course there’s always jewelry. (Hint to any dads reading: you can never go wrong with jewelry, especially when you let your wife pick it out.) And if you can find time to read a novel, My Hollywood by Mona Simpson is about a mother and her nanny and is a wonderful read.
Of course, you should also prepare for those most amazing of gifts–hand drawn pictures from your kids and greeting cards with scribbled hearts inside and multiple hugs and kisses and just a day for you and your family to be together.
