I asked for some ideas in the Etsy forums for Mother's Day gifts that could be given to those moms that don't need anymore "stuff". I have a mom that has way too much "stuff" (actually, she could be on one of those hoarder shows, but that's something I will not talk about here). There are also moms that live in small apartments, assisted living or nursing homes, retired and travelling in an RV, etc., that just don't need more "stuff". One year, I purchased a shepherd's hook, birdfeeder and a bag of birdseed. My husband and I went to her home without telling her and set it up in her front yard. She got a big kick out of it and all she had to do was fill it back up with the birdseed. And by setting it up for her, we knew it wouldn't get stored away and lost in her home full of "stuff".
My fellow Estians came up with some great ideas! Some of them are still "stuff", but they are the types of gifts that would get used and not sit around, collecting dust. Here are some of them:
eggagogo suggested houseplants! "Everyone gives flowers but they don't last for very long. A small plant in a nice pot is lovely. AND even if you live far away, a lot of florists have live-plant options, too. Dinner out, or a fancy dessert or other food presented nicely" is another "non-stuff" idea!
tasteslikepurple stated "I made giant caramel & chocolate covered apples last year. Each apple had a different combo of chocolate and goodies like drizzled white chocolate, chopped almonds, mini chips, etc." She has also given her mom ergonomic gardening tools.
swanmountainsoaps suggests handmade soap..."soap is perfect for people who don't need more stuff. It gets used up and then it's gone. And, everybody needs soap!"
hearttohearts came up with this very nice idea....."what about like a gift card to a nice restaurant. Or to the movies."
Wrapt's short and sweet idea was "a bird bath to go with the bird feeder?" Love it!
designedwithglass came up with this good idea "There are a lot of ***** of the month products like:
fruit, desert, flowers, wine....etc." Stuff that gets used up is always a good gift idea!
sticktoyourknittin came up with some really good ideas! "For one of my parents' wedding anniversaries, my siblings and I went in together and got them tickets for an outdoor concert and then put together a basket of goodies for them to take to the concert...wine, crackers and cheese, cookies, etc. Another year, I think for Christmas, my brother and sister-in-law put in a tiled patio for my parents as a gift. Offering to do something like yard work, cleaning the house, cooking dinner, is always good. My mom also likes it when I give her a day of time together, doing whatever she wants."
LonesomeRoadStudio suggested this and it would be fun for everyone in the family! "How about a gift certificate to take her out to a lunch at her choice of restaurant on her choice of date, with you and/or family?"
pinupchick's response: "I second Lonesome's idea. She's probably lonely living on her own and would love a day out. Maybe take her to a movie too? Don't go shopping obviously (haha), but a walk around a park or something might be nice."
erasistible came up with these wonderful ideas: "Restaurant gift certificates, movie rental. I used to give my mom phone cards with minutes to call long distance."
CamillaWall suggested this gift idea (we all could use this one!)..... http://www.etsy.com/listing/31887921/microwave-heat-cold-pack-corn-bag-neck
bottlehood recommended this one, which I really love, since I love gardening! "my favorite gifts are always for the garden... so i'd offer wild flower seeds. i threw some poppy seeds around the property five years ago, and as i write today, there are 100s times more poppy plants blooming bright orange all over the place. it's breathtaking, along with the pride of madera purple blue spikes, varieties of lavender blooms, citrus and stone fruit trees flowering..."
Thanks to all my fellow Etsians for contributing these awesome gift ideas! Take a few minutes and check out their shops! I bet you will be able to find some great gift ideas there, too!
