Host a dinner brunch for your mother

Host a Dinner
Sandra Magsamen says being a mother may be one of the hardest, if not the hardest job on the planet. You only have one mom, so cherish her and let her know how much she means to you. Show her gratitude. Celebrate her and honor her with a day that says everything in a way that means I love you. Use these ideas to give your mom a homemade gift that she will truly love.

Host a dinner or a brunch.
Invite your brothers and sisters and their kids, too. Shower your mom with compliments and gifts fit for a queen.
Write a poem

Write a poem that shares how much you care.
When my friend, Linda, learned the heartbreaking news that her mother had terminal cancer, she quickly realized that Mother's Day would now be every day that her mother was alive. Although Linda didn't have much more time to be with her mother, her poem helped her tell her mother what she wanted her and needed her to know. You, too, can make a list of the things you love about your mother. It only takes a few small minutes to send a big message of appreciation and love.

Writer's block? Here are some of our favorite reads your mom will enjoy.
Make her something personal

Make it personal.
A friend of mine made her mother business cards with remnants from her scrapbooking supplies. On the computer, she typed her mom's name and phone number, and for the job description she wrote, "Best mother in the universe." She printed the cards and decorated each one uniquely with stickers, papers and other embellishments. Her mother loved the gift and, even more, she loved the thought and care behind it.

More gift ideas for Mom.
Create a recipe book

Create a recipe book with your family's favorite dishes.
Create a recipe book with your family's favorite dishes.

Try these meals your mom will love.
Plant a garden

Plant a little love. Create a garden for your mom.
If your mom likes to cook, clear a small patch of land and plant it with herbs like basil, thyme and mint. If you don't have land, terra-cotta pots work just as well! She will love harvesting the fresh herbs.

Another idea for all moms: Plant a lavender garden by the backdoor so every time the warm summer air blows she is captivated by the sweet scent. Make a little wooden sign (you can get one from a craft store) and write on it, "Mom, each year you grow more wonderful."

More gift ideas for Mom.
Frame a letter or card

"Because I said so"
Frame a special letter, card or poem that your mom wrote to you. If you are like me, I save everything and I have some really great poems, bits of wisdom and expressions of love from Mom. Frame one of your favorites in a nice frame for her. You'll be showing her that "because she said so" matters.

Make your mom feel like a Queen for a day.
Make a card

Artful memories
Go through all the pictures you have and pull out three or four of you and your mom. Choose them to show you as a young child and as you grow. Once you have them, scan them into your computer or have copies of them made at the camera store. Then, glue them to a gate-folded card to make the most perfect Mother's Day card. Add a heartfelt sentiment like, "Mom, because you believed in me, I believed in me" or, "Mom, thank you for giving me the greatest gifts: your time and your love."

More gift ideas for Mom.
Make a book

Make a book titled, "You Are the Best Mother in the Universe."
Ask sisters and brothers, even cousins and other relatives, to give you a list of the things they most respect, love and admire about your mother. Fill the book with these thoughts and treasured photographs.

Is your mom a reader? Here are 10 great books and other gift suggestions for Mother's Day.