Mother’s Day is quickly approaching as I write this.  But the following suggestions could be helpful for any gift giving occasion.  I compiled these for giving to women, but many are appropriate for men, too. (Think Father’s Day or expensive gifts might be a Mother’s/Father’s Day combined gift.)

A practical question must be asked first, “How much money do I want to /am I able to spend?  This reminds me of a young granddaughter’s comment when presenting a gift to her mother on Mother’s Day.  “Here is something I made for you all by myself, Mom… so I didn’t have to waste my money.”  I’m not encouraging being stingy, but I have included lists of ideas from very inexpensive to things that might require a group of siblings to pool funds.

The other important questions to ask after the money question is settled:  “What does this woman enjoy?  What does she do when she has an hour not taken up by duties?  What duties does she enjoy more than others?  What duties does she dislike that could be made easier with a good tool? What allergies does she have?”  For instance, the extra time spent finding a homemade bar of soap with goat’s milk, oatmeal and scented with essential oils is so much more thoughtful for a woman with allergies than a commercial bar with strong chemical ingredients.

A gift specially chosen to fit into her life will be much more appreciated and used than just a random purchase bought without careful thought for her personally.

For the Gardener:  good quality tools, books on gardening, gloves, chemical-free insect repellent, hat for sun protection, gift certificate to a nursery, hanging basket of flowers, subscription to gardening magazine (Fine Gardening is my favorite), garden art, collection sack for weeding, pruning or harvesting called Gardener’s Hollow Leg (http://www.amazon.com/Gardeners-Hollow-Leg-Strap-Sack).

For the Cook:  good quality kitchen tools, cooking magazine (Cook’s is my favorite), gift certificate to her favorite restaurant when she’s too tired to cook, pretty dish towels or placemats, seasonal plates that make her table special, cloth napkins and table runner,  kombucha starter and brewing container, electric pressure cooker (Secura is my favorite 6 in One pressure cooker), spices that she doesn’t have.

For the Clean Freak:  special cleaning cloths for windows, natural cleaning products, a stick vacuum, a lambs wool duster, dryer balls made of boiled wool to fluff laundry without allergy-inciting dryer sheets DIY dryer balls, buy dryer balls, DIY Wrinkle Out in a pretty spray bottle- water, 1 TBL vodka, 10+ drops essential oil-dampen hanging clothing and allow to drip dry so wrinkles hang out.

For the Grandma:  photo book with images of her with her grandchildren,  children’s book or children’s magazine to keep at her house for reading to grandchildren, photography class so she can take great photos of grandchildren or just for her own hobby enjoyment,  camera, list of blogs with helpful info for grandma’s, DNA test to determine ethnic heritage to share with family (Ancestry DNA very basic, but easy to read;  more detailed Family Tree DNA; includes medical info 23 and me; for comparison of all DNA tests check out reviews of DNA tests).

For the Home Decorator:  seasonal accent pillows, subscription to decorating magazine in her favorite style, pledge to help her paint, gift certificate to a store with decor she likes, gift certificate to a paint store, promise to go with her on an outing to decor shops or antique shops.

For the Artist:  buy her an art class- either on-line or local, gift certificate for supplies, subscription to an art magazine (my fav is American Art Review, http://amartrevsecure.com), a trip to an art museum, a guided tour for artists to a picturesque place.

For the Nature Lover:  birdhouse with a removable side for cleaning and ventilation holes in top of a wall,  plan a hike with her or a birding outing, or a trip to a local drive through animal safari, binoculars and the free phone app ‘Merlin Bird ID Cornell University”, hat for sun protection.

For the Writer:  a desk treadmill (http://www.lifespanfitness.com/workplace/treadmill-desks/tr1200-dt3-under-desk-treadmill) so she can exercise while working on her computer,  online instruction for writing blogs, websites called “Irresistible Words” by Jenika (http://psychologyforphotographers.com/irresistible-words).  Her blog is inspiring and free- http://psychologyforphotographers.com.  An online or local writers’ workshop, a pretty journal and comfortable pen, suggest she use the free app “Pocket” to bookmark favorite online articles and the writing software Scrivener (https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php?show=features&platform=mac) which I use every day.

For Every Woman: scarf in her favorite color, gift certificate for something personal like underwear or make-up, soap and lotion with a skin brush, a gift certificate for a dress or shoes, unique handmade jewelry in a style she’ll wear.  A hand written note reminding her of happy memories you shared together, a note thanking her for the positive things she instilled in you, a list of her positive qualities, a lunch date, dark chocolate- 60% cacao or more for health benefits, teas or coffee with her favorite flavors.

Just a last thought:  Jesus let us in on a secret.  Moms seems to intuitively know this, but I just wanted to remind you.  “It’s more happy-making to give than to receive.”  The word we’re familiar with in this quote is ‘blessed’ but it’s better translated ‘happy’.  Concentrate on what you can do for other women this Mother’s Day and you’ll be so much happier than hoping others will do for you.  “Whatever you want people to do for you, do the same for them,”  Jesus.

Jesus quotes:  Acts 20:35 and Matthew 7:12