Mother’s Day Ideas to Treat Yourself!

Growing up, Mother’s Day was always a special time at our church. The moms would wear flower pins and stand up to be recognized. We would go to lunch. {Maybe Dairy Queen, maybe the local cafe with hot, fluffy biscuits.} I probably decorated a card or something for my mom. It was always pretty low key, and we like to keep it that way in my family now. My husband and I made a pact when we had kids that we would not do anything store bought for Mother’s/Father’s Day. {I mean, really, we have a hard enough time coming up with gifts for each other on the other holidays!}

But it got me thinking. What do I really want for Mother’s day? If I could have anything in the whole world {within reason} on one day, what would it be? Realistically, I mean. I posed the question to some of the most honest mommas I know…my Facebook friends.

Here are some of the responses I got ::

“uninterrupted 10 hours of sleep”

“Time. Time for a nap. Then, time for a mani/pedi where I’m not on the clock or rushed to back for anyone.”

“A meal that I don’t have to cook or clean up after and an afternoon with my family.”

“Someone else to plan, buy, and fix the dinner & activities. I don’t want to decide anything except what to wear.”

“I actually want to spend time with my little fam, but for daddy to do all the hard stuff!! I also want daddy to help make handmade cards or gifts.”

“A long nap in the middle of the day.”

These are just a few of the comments I received, but the message is the same and loud and clear. Do you hear that DADS??? You don’t have to spend a ton of $$$ to make us feel loved and appreciated! We just want a day to take a BIG TIME BREAK! So saddle up the kids and take them to grandma’s for the morning – or camp out at McDonald’s!

*sigh*

Okay, so here is one way you can make Mother’s Day special for everyone involved. A few years ago, my friend gave me the idea to start a journal with my husband. So instead of buying cards for birthdays, anniversary, etc… – we write notes to each other in our journal.

IMG_8100

This has been great because we are not buying cards forgetting to buy cards, and just think what a special treasure this journal will be for our children one day. {Tear!} So this year we are going to start one for Mother’s Day…and maybe even Father’s Day. Here’s how to do it ::

Basically, Dad will just have the kids write a special note or draw pictures on one or more of the pages and include a recent photograph on the adjacent page too.

IMG_8084

Keep the journal on a shelf so every year Dad can grab it and help the kids draw out a Mother’s Day message. Just think how great it will be to look back on this journal when the kids are all grown up! {Ah, I’m getting a tear just thinking about it.}

Mother’s Day is all about helping mom feel special and loved, and nothing says that more than a sweet handwritten note from your littles…along with some time to reflect on your amazing life! Of course, a spa day would be ice cream on the cake. But we don’t want to just feel special on Mother’s Day, right? I’ve got a few simple beauty DIYs to help moms feel great every day. {You can make a few of these for your own mom, some special  friends, or get the hubby to whip it up with the kids for YOU!}

DIY Lip Gloss 1

Supplies ::

Vaseline + a packet of Jello mix

Directions ::

Melt 1/2 cup of Vaseline in the microwave. Do this in 20 second intervals stopping each time to stir. Once melted, take out of the microwave and stir in a packet of Jello mix. Mix it up until the powder dissolves in the vaseline. Pour into small containers and allow to cool. It will thicken up after it cools, and you can use it for a great tasting lip balm! {Other recipes call for Kool-Aid mix – that would work too!}

DIY Dry Shampoo

Okay, I’ll admit it. I raised my eyebrows at this one. I mean, really – DIY dry shampoo?? But I had the ingredients in my house and decided to give it a try. I don’t use it all the time, but when I do…it works! {And the other products I have tried cost upwards of $30 a bottle!!}

Supplies ::

corn starch + baking soda

Directions ::

Mix 1/8 cup of corn starch and 1/8 cup of baking soda. Pour mixture into a shaker. Use on your scalp when you to need to freshen up your hair! {I also found a few recipes that suggest adding cocoa powder to the mix if you have darker hair. I haven’t tried that myself though.}

DIY Sugar Scrub

Supplies ::

coconut oil + honey + sugar {+ essential oils optional}

Directions ::

Melt  1/8 cup of coconut oil in the microwave. Once melted, mix it together with 1 1/4 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of honey. I also added a few drops of lavender essential oil. Once mixed together, this scrub feels and smells amazing.  If you follow these directions and the mixture feels too “wet” – just add in a little more sugar. This sugar scrub is great for your hands, your feet, and even your lips! I have been experimenting with how to use raw honey my mom gave me, so this was a fun one!

Whether it’s giving your hair a fresh look after a long night, or a way to give those tired, dry hands a quick pick-me-up … I hope these three beauty DIYs help brighten your day on Mother’s Day and every day! Click here for more simple DIY gift ideas from my blog that you can make for mom! And just for kicks – a cute picture of my girls from our zoo trip last weekend.

IMG_8002

4 COMMENTS

  1. BRAVO!!! I love this and JUST had this conversation with my husband the other day and the card thing is RIDICULOUS! It costs $30-40 JUST to get all the moms or dads or grandpas or grandmas in our family a CARD! Nutso I tell yah! Thank you for the article….PERFECT!

  2. OMG. The journal idea is GENIUS!!! Card prices are cray cray and then when we get each other a card and one from the kids, it’s outta control. Great idea!!!

  3. I’m so doing the journal thing. What a great idea!
    I’ve already made 3 crock pots of chicken to freeze in ziploc bags since I’ve gone back to work. You’re a genius Andrea!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here