If you can’t think of a specific item that she wants or needs, try to think of something that plays on her interests. If she likes to garden, give her a packet of seeds, or buy her a potted plant that she can replant in her garden. If she likes dark chocolate, buy her a bar of quality chocolate. If you don’t want to buy her one expensive gift, try putting together a small gift basket of her favorite things. A bottle of wine, a bar of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers. Even if the individual items aren’t very expensive, she will appreciate the thought that you put into choosing her favorite things.
Make her a mix-CD. Make her a card. Make her a thoughtful video and post it to YouTube or Facebook. Make her a picture-frame, a flip-book, a t-shirt, or a portrait. Make her a found-object sculpture that she can put in her garden. Make her a coffee mug, a bowl, or a vase out of fired clay. Carve and polish a cutting board out of a unique piece of wood. If she loves the beach, give her a mason jar full of shells that you collected.
If you aren’t confident in the kitchen, look up recipes online. Ask a sibling, a friend, or another family member for help. Consider making her sweet treats. Cookies, brownies, muffins—whatever she likes. Make a nice basket with a Mother’s Day card. Consider decorating the treats with her favorite things. If she loves the beach, for example, you might decorate cupcakes with ocean-themed frosting: crabs, palm trees, dolphins, starfish. If you don’t live with her, you can invite her over to your house for dinner. It might not be a surprise, but she will appreciate it. Consider taking her out to her favorite restaurant.
You can buy a wrapped-up bouquet and simply give it to her, or you can put the flowers into a vase that’s filled with a few inches of water. Your mom will probably want to put the flowers into a vase or jar to preserve them, so she may appreciate the thought involved in giving her a vase. If you don’t know what type of flowers she likes, consider just asking her. Commit this to memory and use it in the future. She will appreciate that you remembered. If you don’t know what kind of flowers she likes, lilies, tulips, and roses are all excellent choices! If you can’t give her the flowers in person, consider using a flower delivery service. Most florists will deliver flowers for you, and some may even have a special deal for Mother’s Day. This is a simple process: you just need to call the florist or order from their website.
You can buy a wrapped-up bouquet and simply give it to her, or you can put the flowers into a vase that’s filled with a few inches of water. Your mom will probably want to put the flowers into a vase or jar to preserve them, so she may appreciate the thought involved in giving her a vase. If you don’t know what type of flowers she likes, consider just asking her. Commit this to memory and use it in the future. She will appreciate that you remembered. If you don’t know what kind of flowers she likes, lilies, tulips, and roses are all excellent choices! If you can’t give her the flowers in person, consider using a flower delivery service. Most florists will deliver flowers for you, and some may even have a special deal for Mother’s Day. This is a simple process: you just need to call the florist or order from their website.
Try writing several short, thoughtful notes and putting them around the house where she will see them. Put a note on the coffee pot, on her computer screen, on the front door, on the bathroom mirror. Write notes as simple as “Happy Mother’s Day! <3”, or write specific notes that describe her best qualities: for instance, adorn the refrigerator that says “You are the world’s greatest chef! Thank you for cooking delicious dinners and making sure that we never go hungry. " Consider mailing her a letter. If you don’t live with your mom, and you won’t be around to spend time with her on Mother’s Day—even if you will—try sending her a heartfelt letter in the mail. Look up average mail-delivery times from your area to hers (or use priority mail) and try to time it so that the letter arrives on or just before Mother’s Day.
Try further setting up the surprise by making up a story about how you can’t come. Tell her you have an exam, or a meeting, and that you are very sorry that you aren’t able to make it. She will be even more surprised if she specifically expects you not to come! You don’t need to show up on Mother’s Day, specifically. You can come on Friday or Saturday and spend the whole weekend. If you do plan to stay the whole weekend, make sure that your mom has space for you to stay.
Be present. Set aside your phone, and don’t spend your day on the Internet. Make the time to be there for your mom and give her your undivided attention. If you think that your mom would rather spend Mother’s Day reading in bed or being pampered at a spa, then arrange it so. If you think that she’d like to spend the day with you, then take the time to make that happen.
You know your own mother best. If she is a social butterfly, then a party might be the perfect Mother’s Day surprise. However, if she is less prone to partying, she might prefer to spend a more intimate day with you and your family.
She will surely appreciate your help with the regular chores, such as laundry, yard work, and dishes, but she may be even more surprised if you take the initiative to begin a big project that she’s been planning. Help her install a new flowerbed, wash her car, or trim the hedge. Do something rare and special. Bear in mind that while she will surely appreciate the thought and effort on your part, she may prefer to spend the day with you rather than laying around while you work.
Although it can be great to surprise your mom, you may want to tell her about these plans in advance. If she doesn’t know that you plan to take her out to dinner, she might make other plans for the evening. You can still surprise her in advance by telling her about the plans you’ve made. She will be especially surprised if you plan out an unexpected excursion. If her favorite band or play is coming to town, buy tickets for the two of you (and, perhaps the rest of your family) to go. She may not even have been aware of the show, but there’s a good chance that she will appreciate the gesture.
