Your mother deserves a surprise. If he has raised you well, you may feel like showing him your appreciation. No one else does something this important and doesn't get the respect it deserves, more than a mother. Whether you're looking to make Mother's Day even more fun, or want to throw a big surprise, a little planning is worth it. Choose from several free or inexpensive surprise ideas, or from the fancy surprise guide below.
Step
Method 1 of 2: A Free and Inexpensive Surprise
Step 1. Take quality time together
Whatever the context, a birthday, Mother's Day, or no celebration whatsoever, quality time is more valuable than a gift in kind. Planning a trip together may not be the biggest surprise you can give, but it may be the most meaningful. Put away your cell phone and pay special attention to this quality time with your mom. Chat with him. Listen to him. Accompany him.
- Plan a quiet day together, have afternoon tea at home and chat. Take a walk in a nearby park and watch a family-themed movie (or another movie your mom likes) in the evening. Take a look back at old photos. This need not be too complicated. Collect old family photos, videos, or other memorable items, and look back on them together. If you really want to give something special, you can edit and make a compilation video about family and watch the premiere with your mom.
- Take a walk on the side of town your mother rarely visits. Show her about things in the area, or go hiking, biking or running together, if your mom is the adventurous type.
- Take your mother to church or visit a relative she usually finds it difficult to visit often. Whatever you do, make sure that you set aside that day (all day) to spend time with him.
Step 2. Clean the house without having to be prompted
A great way to surprise Mom is to lighten her load by cleaning the house, especially in things you usually only do when told to do. Taking extra time to tidy up the house can make a big difference. This will mean a lot to your mother.
- Start with your own bedroom, to ensure that everything is done when you have enough time. Take all your dirty clothes to the laundry and put your things in their proper place. Then, move into the sitting room and other areas to get as much work done before your mom sees it. If you don't have enough time to do a major cleaning, just tidying up your books, pillows and other items should look good.
- Dishes, trash and recycling matters are the next additional steps. Clean the kitchen, then wipe the surface of each kitchen shelf and counter to shine again. If you have time, clean the floor with a vacuum cleaner. You will soon become Mother's favorite child.
Step 3. Do some work around the house
After cleaning inside the house, move outside to do whatever needs to be done. Cleaning toys outside or tidying up items in the yard are good starting points before tending the yard and doing other chores.
Mowing the lawn is the quintessential way to go, although it's actually more of a surprise for Dad, if that's how the division of labor works in your home. Depending on the season, raking dry leaves, cleaning up rain, and trimming bushes around the house can all be great ways to give your parents a chance to relax and make your home look more beautiful
Step 4. Plan a family dinner with surprise guests
You may need to negotiate, but bringing some of your mother's best friends, or some of your mother's close relatives, is a great way to surprise her on special occasions, especially if you prepare everything yourself and don't force her to serve guests.. If the time is Mother's Day and the weather permits, make it in the form of a picnic. Prepare lots of food and drink and take your mother to the planned location, where guests are waiting. It will be an amazing and unforgettable experience.
- Choose an uncomplicated meal that you can prepare and clean up before the time of the event. Set the table settings and get things ready for the evening, so your mom doesn't have to bother when the surprise guests arrive. Let Mom chat and enjoy time with the guests, and take care of things herself.
- Prepare short words of appreciation for your mother, to say before dinner begins, if the situation is right. You will electrify the whole house this way.
- If your mom doesn't like banquets with friends and family, go the simpler way. Bring a pizza, a few cans of beer, and a good movie video. Spend the evening quietly and relaxed together, chatting and making jokes, just the two of them.
Step 5. Write a letter to your mother
One of the cheapest and most meaningful ways to convey how much Mom means to you is to write a letter. If you want to give Mom a meaningful surprise, don't bother, just write a sincere letter. Write down funny memories, stories, and your gratitude. Tell him what's in your heart.
- Buy a good cardboard and fold it into a greeting card and then decorate it with cute pictures to make it more beautiful. Your mother will love it.
- Alternatively, hang small notes all over the house, in places where they can be seen. Write your thanks for each of the things he does each day that doesn't get the attention/appreciation it deserves.
Step 6. Make a gift for her
Homemade gifts will always outperform store-bought gifts. Make a special memorable item, a greeting card, or a picture for your mother. This is an easy and great way to surprise him and show him that you care.
- Make a simple bracelet or necklace, or make a crochet item, if you want to make a bigger gift.
- Collect the pictures you've made and bind them into a book. Write that you dedicate this work to your mother and give this only copy to her.
- Walk outside and collect flowers for your mother, then give her a beautiful, fresh flower arrangement that she can put on the table.
Step 7. Surprise the classic breakfast in bed
As long as you're not messing around or wasting food, one of the best ways to surprise Mom is to make her breakfast for her to enjoy in bed. Set the alarm at least an hour before your mother usually gets up and starts preparing her coffee.
The way to prepare breakfast in bed is actually easy. Maybe cooking something complicated (for example, Eggs Benedict, which is tough and easy to fall apart when eaten) isn't a great idea and takes too long. Try buying some nice, pretty buns from the night before and hiding them out of sight, then surprise your mom the next day with coffee and croissants. Cinnamon flavored toast or fruit salad alone is a great breakfast menu
Method 2 of 2: Big Surprise
Step 1. Find out a particular wish that you will never ask for
Mothers are usually self-absorbed and stubborn about it. Figuring out the right gift that he really craves can be very difficult, and to surprise him, you'll need to do a little research. Maybe he really wanted to travel to Greece, but never mentioned it.
- Secret advice: try contacting old friends, such as college roommates, or childhood neighbors. Find out what he always talked about when he was younger. Find out what he wants to see, do and experience. Use all of that to prepare a big surprise for him.
- Take advantage of information from Dad. We can assume that Dad is the one who hears the most from Mom. Try to find things that interest Mom lately and ask Dad not to divulge this secret.
Step 2. Purchase a spa treatment package for your mother
If you want to raise the level of this gift, giving him a full day of spa treatments until he can be pampered by professional therapists is hard to beat. Talk to your dad and your siblings to find an empty schedule where you can book a spa treatment for Mom and arrange all the details. Find the nearest spa treatment places that he thinks he will like.
If you still want to give a less expensive surprise, you can usually opt for a reserved treatment service. If your mother has been under a lot of stress lately, a massage treatment is worth ordering. If she likes hair and nail care, order a beauty treatment
Step 3. Order flowers to send to your mother
Order the nearest florist and have them deliver the flowers to your mother's house, or to her workplace while she is working. To keep the price from being too expensive, ask about the special offer programs available and avoid ordering on festive days where people usually order flowers. Avoid ordering roses, which are usually very expensive and lack a variety of colors when assembled.
Your mother doesn't like flowers? You can sign him up with Birch Box (or another free product sample delivery service), where he can receive a package shipment of a range of skin care products in sample sizes
Step 4. Go out to dinner together and watch a show
If your mother enjoys watching concerts, theater, or other stage shows, plan an evening where the two of you can enjoy some urban entertainment together. Book show tickets and make reservations at restaurants with appropriate drinks and food menus, before your scheduled date. You can also order a car with a driver, so you don't have to worry about anything.
If your mom doesn't like the idea of a formal dinner and a show, make some adjustments. Take him to a fast food restaurant during promotional hours, then watch a midnight horror movie at a cheap theater. Make him feel young again
Step 5. Give her a memory book
If your mom is the nostalgic type, an incomparable gift is a homemade memory book filled with bits and pieces of past memories. A little planning can set this memory book apart from the rest. Collect old family photos and contact your grandparents for photos of Mom when she was younger, which she herself hadn't seen in a long time. Camera-printed photos taken last week are great, but what about Mom's at the dance? And on his childhood vacation? This is the key to the surprise.
Alternatively, you can gift him a package of memorabilia making up items, if he likes craft projects. Give her books, papers, pictures, and other supplies, then let Mom make her own memory book
Step 6. Reset the home page
If your mother has a yard in her house, taking care of the yard is a very unpleasant job. Even mothers who love gardening will not be so diligent about mowing the grass every week in the summer, picking up dry leaves in the fall, and doing other similar things. If your mother actually always wanted a garden but didn't have one, you can contact a landscape architect in your city and ask for the price of a professional garden arrangement service, then order it. A well-trimmed lawn and a just-cleaned lawn would make a nice gift.
Make sure that projects like these match your mother's actual wishes for her home and yard. You may want to ask the price and plan the project, then offer to pay for it while discussing it with Mom instead of ordering an expensive page setup service that she doesn't like
Step 7. Clean the house with the services of a professional
When your mom isn't home, get a professional to do a thorough house cleaning, and make sure everything is done and the cleaners leave before your mom arrives. He will not feel ashamed about the state of the house because he does not see the cleaning process. If you do it right, maybe even you will receive the credit.
Step 8. Plan a family trip
If you don't want to surprise too much, planning a trip together for the whole family may be a good fit in terms of cost. Driving to mountainous areas? Visiting a famous playground? Take a cruise? Taking a tasting tour of an orchard? Visiting a sacred place? Whatever your family's interests, being the one to start planning this trip can reduce the stress and increase the fun.
Alternatively, raise money in a joint venture with your siblings and get your dad involved. Prepare for a solo trip for your mother, to a place she has always wanted to visit. Gift this trip so your mom has some quality time to herself
Tips
- Be friendly and kind to your mother!
- Try to make sure that your gift will be really liked by him.
