Great gifts for Mom all year long

Mother’s Day is definitely an important gift-giving occasion, but there are other special days you should acknowledge throughout the year too. It’s important to show Mom you care with great gifts for her on her birthdays, Valentine’s Day and on days when you just want to treat her with a thoughtful surprise. If she’s a new mom, check out our great gift ideas before her first baby shower. We’ll help you get started:

Finding funds

No matter how grandiose you want your gifts for Mom to be, your budget will be the deciding factor for what you actually get her. If you’ve got your eye on something fabulous but pricey for Mom, you might want to call in the reinforcements. Talk to your siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles about your gift idea and see if they would like to contribute. The more people who are in on the gift, the more affordable it is for everyone! We recommend saving this strategy for big occasions like a significant birthday, her retirement or to commemorate a major achievement.

The further in advance you plan your gifts for Mom, the more you can save. Keep an eye on the gift you like and wait for it to come on sale. If it’s a seasonal item, you might be able to get it cheaply at an end-of-year sale or when new merchandise comes into the store. Then stash the gift for her in your closet to wait for the special occasion.

And of course, there’s always saving money ahead of time. Put away $10 or $20 a week for a month or two before you want to buy the gift and you’ll notice it makes much less of a dent in your wallet.

Presentation perfect

Once you’ve got the ideal gift for Mom, make sure it looks good too - if you’re not a natural Martha Stewart, ask a friend or relative for help. You can make your gift look lovely by wrapping it creatively. Try putting it in a basket with a few other small trinkets, and wrap it all with colored cellophane and a bow. Or, use a pair of new pajamas to wrap a novel or her favorite movie. Got her something that’s easy to guess? Tape small, odd-shaped gifts (like key chains and flashlights) to CDs, DVDs and jewelry boxes before wrapping them. The strange shape will have her completely confused!

Don’t forget to top off any gift for Mom with a thoughtful card. Tell her what a fabulous woman she is and how much you appreciate her, and she’ll cherish the card as much as the gift!