In case you forgot, Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9 this year.  But, don’t worry, we’ll be doing several posts on Mother’s Day activities on the blog to help you prepare for the big day!

A packaged gift is wonderful, but sometimes planning a day of fun can be more enjoyable for the whole family, and mean more to your mom.  Don’t worry though; you don’t have to break the bank to show your mother that you care.

Since spring is upon us, how about planning a big backyard Mother’s Day bash? While she might be expecting breakfast in bed, drag her out from under the covers (after you let her sleep in a bit, of course!) and pull her outside.

Set a picnic table with all of her favorite breakfast foods.  She’ll love the time outside with her family.  Try picking wildflowers or buying flowers from a nursery to decorate her mother’s day picnic table, along with cards, notes, and little fun gifts around her seat.

If you have a pergola or gazebo, decorate it with streamers, balloons, and handmade paper chains.  Dressing up a place that she already loves and making it special will be a wonderful way for the rest of the family to spend time together, and will let her know how much you love your home!

She might be overwhelmed at just this gesture; but your day isn’t over yet!  Make sure that she doesn’t touch ONE dirty dish, and instead let her relax in her porch swing or porch glider while you whisk away all of those used plates and silverware.

And now, you can let the games begin!  Plan a big backyard game in her honor.  Whether it be soccer, touch football, quoits or horseshoes, croquet or bocce ball, just make sure it’s one of her favorites!  Having the whole family play together will be a memory she’ll never forget.

Now… one word to the wise:  As a once rather rambunctious, but always well meaning child… the entire game will not quite have the same effect if you start fighting over the game, the rules, or the score.  Remember, the only winner in this game is MOM.  So, just relax and have fun!

After the games, let Mom have a break.  Work on doing the dishes and other chores around the house and tell her to relax in her hammock.  If you have a chaise lounge, bring a magazine and some lemonade out and let her lay back and spend her special day as nature intended: in full repose!

This is just one of many ideas fit for Mother’s Day.  There are hundreds of ways to let your mother know how much you love her, just make sure you pick the one that’s right for her and your family.

Happy Mother’s Day Preparation!

Hazel.

CedarStore.com is a great place to do your holiday shopping; and we have an immense selection of gifts for people of all ages. 

 For example, there’s the stunning assortment of storage chests in our ‘Home Accents’ section.  Our classic cedar chests, finished to resplendence with a double coat of lacquer, will give any room a warm, inviting glow, as will our gorgeous cherry and oak chests, which are available in several rich wood stains.  To make them even more welcoming, you can turn them into comfortable seats, with our soft, attractive chest cushions, which are made from durable, washable olefin, and offered in several colors and patterns.  

 In addition, we feature solid oak steamer trunks, reminiscent of those that were used during the heyday of steamship travel, that are accented with brass-plated hardware and genuine leather straps, and come with locks and keys.  You’ll also find vintage maple chests that are finished in your choice of four colors of distressed paint, for an authentically antique look, along with white pine chests embellished with  hand-painted designs.

 Besides our storage chests, we have breath-taking, hand-crafted cherry and oak silverware chests, jewelry boxes, and armoires, lined with burgundy or green felt, and offered in six radiant wood tones.

 There’s also a ton of fantastic gifts for children in our ‘Kid’s Korner’ section.  There, you’ll find a huge array of durable scooters and tricycles, constructed with powder-coated steel frames, and available in several bright colors, as well as ultra-sturdy wagons with weight capacities of up to 1,100 pounds. 

 Beyond the toys, we feature a wonderful line of children’s outdoor furniture, which includes kids’ patio chairs, folding chairs, picnic tables, and folding picnic tables.

 If you want to bring the family together, try some of our fun, challenging outdoor games, such as croquet and quoits.  If you’ve never tried quoits before, it’s a game that’s just like horseshoes – well, almost.  But that counts, right?

 Yours Outdoors,

 Kathy