Mother’s Day is here, and if you tend to procrastinate, it’s officially crunch time. It’s always thoughtful to get mom a gift, but if you’re typically an online shopper, you may be too late for a gift to arrive on time, and there’s nothing worse than fighting the pre-holiday crowds. Instead, plan a special activity to show your mom how much you care—it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or create stress. Instead, think about what she’ll really appreciate, and that’s something straight from your heart.
1. Bake Her a Cake
A key to Mom’s heart is through her stomach! She deserves a special treat on May 10, and Blueberry-Lemon Loaf Cake can double as breakfast-in-bed. If you’re looking for something more decadent, check out our favorite Mother’s Day cakes and put your frosting skills to the test.
2. Spend Time Together
You could spend hours searching for the perfect gift, but what she really wants is time spent with you. The best Mother’s Day activities are based around her favorite hobbies—with the added bonus of sharing them with you! Does she love antiquing? Go on a thrift-store treasure hunt. Is she a gardener? Join her in her plot for a day and help her with a project of her choosing—perhaps it’s planting a bed of easy-care flowers that last in a vase so she can enjoy DIY bouquets all season! Does she love exploring new places?
3. DIY Her a Gift
For a personal touch, consider our homemade Mother’s Day gift ideas. We’d like to think the late Anna Jarvis, the “mother” of Mother’s Day herself, would approve. Cap it off with a handwritten note—see our collection of Mother’s Day wishes for inspiration. (Bonus: You don’t have to worry about a store-bought gift arriving on time.)
4. Have a Good Chat
You know what they say: Call your mother! Or, if you live nearby, head on over. If the weather’s nice, enjoy some good old-fashioned porch sitting together and reminisce over glasses of iced tea.
5. Make Her Dinner (and Don’t Skip Doing the Dishes)
Eating at a restaurant on Mother’s Day can be overrated. Every restaurant worth going to gets booked up weeks in advance. Even if you do get a table, it’ll be crowded and noisy. Frankly, you could make something better yourself. How about Chicken Kiev? Yum!
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
Terri Robertson has been an editor and storyteller for more than 20 years. As Senior Digital Editor at Country Living, she curates daily newsletters and has found a niche writing about odd corners of the internet and people embracing American life off the beaten path. She’s passionate about gardening and nature, writing about everything from super monarchs to supermoons. She also contributes to Country Living’s entertainment coverage, including HGTV stars, popular TV shows, and music.
Terri began her career proofreading Southern Living cookbooks—a first job befitting an English major with a childhood penchant for reading her mom’s cookbooks—and went on to edit many food, garden, and lifestyle titles. She later worked for the University of Alabama’s marketing and communications division, capturing the stories of students and faculty.
Returning to lifestyle media in 2017, she covered local arts, culture, and business news in Birmingham, Alabama, for Bham Now and later served as digital media manager for Flower magazine, a luxury home, garden, and lifestyle publication, before finding her home at Country Living. She and her husband live with their four cats in Birmingham.
