Hi Friends!  One of my favorite holidays- Mother’s Day is almost here!

Because everyone has a “Mom” it is celebrated throughout the world! In America, the day became an official holiday in 1914, but interestingly enough its creator Anna Jarvis worked the rest of her life to denounce the holiday due to its commercialization. My favorite part of Mother’s Day is getting to be with my kids, my husband and my Mom!  So I wanted to focus on gifts from the heart that show that special “Mom” you care.   So whether you have lunch, brunch or dinner together enjoy the day! 

Breakfast in bed or a lovely brunch. 

If you want to cook a special breakfast for mom here is a crowd favorite with my group! Sweet Maureen, Mom to four, made it for our office staff and it was DELISH!  Have your kids make it for you!! Easy to make, and combined with fruit, what a perfect way for you to say I love you at the beginning of the day!

A Special Day Together!

It’s always a dilemma what to get Mom since she always says “I don’t need a thing”.   Time together with my kids is always at the top of my list. Whether it is a cooking class, painting class or a walk at a nature reserve, maybe just arrange an outing doing one of her favorite things.

One idea is maybe a mani/pedi at her favorite salon.  Gift cards work, but even more fun would be to go together! Many salons have separate rooms, so girls or boys or young or old, it’s a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half together with no cell phones!  Wouldn’t  that be something, more special than the beautiful nails! 

Family Game Day!

Show Mom the love with this Big Love Ball.  We had so much fun playing ball!   At 5 feet in diameter it sends a message so big it’s impossible to ignore.

We combined the day with playing Jumbo Jenga! Hours of family fun, it’s a day I will not forget.

Flowers!

One can never go wrong with flowers.   Arranging them yourself in a pretty vase makes the gift all the more special!  Here are a few of my creations. Trader Joe’s is my go-to place for fresh flowers at a great price. Remember to get there at 8 for the best selection!   If you have kids and are looking for a gift for grandma, let everyone arrange together and hand-make a special card. 

Make an album!

I never get tired of looking at family photos.  Make notecards, an album, a collage-so many different ideas. Walgreens has 24-hour turnaround! All Moms love photos!!

Handmade Cards! 

Kirby made me a candy princess poster one year combining the candies’ names with things we did together and phrases of appreciation.  One of my favorite gifts, I still think about it every Mother’s Day!

Here are a few cards from the children of our office staff  to their moms-both so special and have been cherished keepsakes- One is digital and one is hand painted.  Can you tell which is which? Amy and Maureen both saved these special cards and revisit them often. 

Record a Song!

One of my favorite gifts from my youngest Sammy is when she recorded a song for me through an app at Smule.com! If you go to the link and click the album cover  (the cover is a man not Sammy)  you can hear her beautiful voice and see how a recording would sound. You could get all of your kids or family to record together.  If Sammy could have put herself on the album cover–I like this picture!! Here is a quick version on how it’s done.

Download the smule app, select your favorite music genres,  click “Sing” for the song you want to sing and then “Start” to start recording.  The lyrics will appear on the screen and you just simply sing along!  When you are happy with your recording, follow the instructions to “Upload” and share with others.

Top Picks to Purchase!

Of course because I love home interiors, a design book would be my first choice. To celebrate “Moms” I am offering a 20% Mother’s appreciation discount through May 13th for Segreto Vignettes. Shipping within the continental United States is on me!!  Rush shipping will be for a fee. I am happy to sign them for Mother’s Day to make it extra special! Please email me at leslie@segretofinishes.com, or call the office at 713-461-5210, as the website doesn’t offer the discount. 

One of my favorite places to shop is  Back Row Home, which if you haven’t been there you are missing out.  Besides all of their fabulous antiques, they have a great selection of tabletop, bedding, pillows, men’s gifts and household decor.  Tell our friends Kelly and Tracey hi! The french wine glasses are my favorite.  They come in 3 sizes and start at $40 for a set of four.  The Faceplant slippers at $25 are a good price!  The Chilewich placemats are awesome and can be wiped clean.  They have a great selection of them and start at about $14 per place mat.  If your mom loves soft jammies you should check out the Royal Highnies-they are super soft.  Men’s and Women’s. They start at about $80 a piece.

These fun finds are from Renovate, another store right down the street from Segreto.  Cathy Robinson Hutton and her darling daughter Courtney are super fun and creative. Renovate is a great gift store and they offer design services as well.  The beautiful blessing beads are hand crafted in Atlanta by a mother of 3.  Available in multiple sizes and colors. $32-$80.  These silk peonies, that look so real, in a cube vase, $88.  No one ever believes that these are faux flowers. This is a great no maintenance gift for mom that she will keep for years.  The tilted sphere vase, hand-blown from recycled glass available in smoke, clear & blush, $24. The Barrington tote bag is a great everyday purse/carryall and has a variety of styles and patterns and can be ordered monogrammed for a personalized gift.  $160-$180

Here are a few ideas I found online.  For the mom on the go I love this convertible backpack from Mark & Graham. $249 and you can have her initials put on it.  These Kate Spade gold earrings are simple but classic for any age from Nordstrom for $78.   I love these wooden spoons with 6 different sayings.  Found these on Etsy for $25 for a set of 6, they would be so cute wrapped in a dish towel with flowers! And finally, who doesn’t love this cute coffee mug from their “favorite child”.  It’s only $12 personalized from Etsy!

And most of all don’t forget the hug!  You are never too old to hug your mom!! Here is my husband and his sweet Mom Angie. Happy Mother’s Day to all of the new moms, old moms and grandmoms!! xo Leslie