Happy Mother's Day!

How are you going to honor your mom this Mother’s Day? For the past couple of years, my children (with the help of their dad) have planted a small herb/vegetable garden for me. I love this gift because all summer long I get to have fresh basil, parsley, mint, tomatoes and a few other delicacies. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!

I’m really not that hard to please though. For Mother’s Day I would be satisfied with just enjoying dinner with my kids, preferably a dinner I don't have to prepare or clean up after! I think most mothers would agree that some of the best presents don’t take that much effort or money. Here are some of my favorites:

1. The good ‘ole breakfast in bed. This is cute but only if the meal is not served too early and the food is actually edible.

2. Something written by your kids such as a poem or letter or artwork. This is especially funny when the kids are younger.

3. Just spending time together as a family (if possible with no complaining). Going on a bike ride, having a picnic or just watching a movie are some of my favorites.

4. The gift of alone time to do whatever I want.

Part of me thinks Mother’s Day is just another one of those "Hallmark" holidays. It’s a nice day to honor our moms and to be honored by our children but hopefully we are doing these things in some way throughout the whole year. Nothing fancy. For example, most nights, after I tuck my son into bed and before he drifts off to sleep, he will yell down “I love you Mom.” These kinds of spontaneous moments are gifts I truly treasure. Lucky for me I don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day to enjoy them.