any ideas how to make a special thanksgiving or christmas for mother? like a SURPRISE kind of thing?
820508
I say pamper her .. Take her to the saloon get her hair done and go to a nice place to eat..
891904
excellent ideas for presents here: www.surprise.com
749569
Go to the dollar store and buy those clear large bulbs and decorate them to hang on the tree with the giftcard enclosed.  Also, my son got a really neat present one time...a gift card encased in a fancy picture frame. I thought that was pretty clever, too!
856163
How about you all draw names and bake/cook something  that starts with the first letter of their first name.\n\nOR\n\nYou can each draw names and write something - a memory, a happy time that you can think of about that person.  That would surely be a heart warming Christmas!
746843
Gee, kind of hard to work this one out without a complete backgrounder on your entire family history.\n\nBut, maybe, you can start out slow, in another week or two. Put a decoration up here or there, make a meal, side dish, or dessert out of your stock of family Christmas favorites.\n\nSome people just get overwhelmed with Christmas and relentless pressure to shop, decorate, be cheery. I don't know if it's urban legend, but I've heard that suicides go up around Christmas. (Not to suggest that's where your mum's heading, just that there are a lot of different pressures and expectations sometimes associated with Christmas.)\n\nDo you know what your mum likes about Christmas? What makes her happy about it, if anything? Maybe it's the shopping, cooking, decorating, eating, seeing friends and family - if you could work those out without being overbearing about quizzing her on it, you might be able to help provide a more happy and comfortable Christmas environment for her.\n\nI've known one or two folks that were most happy at Christmas getting AWAY from family by taking a vacation, preferably in a warm location. It's just that some people have conflicting or negative associations with holidays.\n\nMyself, I like Thanksgiving Day (USA) more than Christmas. I like giving out presents and seeing little kids happy, but Turkey-day just seems more low-key and relaxed.\n\nOh, and sometimes, as people get older, they just aren't as thrilled with some things as they used to be. I guess it just gets to be old hat or they're focused on things that have gone bad in the past or people that are no longer around, things are no longer the same, etc.\n\nGood luck!
852792
Call his parents and ask if you can bring something.  \n\nIf you show up with a dessert it could throw the planned dessert off.  See, they probably have their entire dinner planned and will feel obligated to serve whatever you bring just to be nice.  \n\nI think a nice bottle of wine for them to share later is a nice thank you gift.  Try that.
902196
I have total respect that you are very close to your teacher since I am close to my teacher as well! I think you should get her a gift that 1) that you can afford and 2) That is unique and beautiful. For example, you could buy her a mini statue (with 2 doves) or a beautiful bracelet. These are just suggestions, so I hoped this helped you at least a little bit and gave you some ideas! \n       Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!
852139
Mothers are usually very unpicky at presents, but check in at what products shes using, what clothes brand she loves.\n-You might like to buy her a giftcard for the mall\n-Make something like an album of your memories together, growing up and happy times. You can decorate it so it looks all prettyful.\n-Buy a gift certificates for you and her(or alone) at the spa\nor a gift certificate to get manicures & pedicures together\n-You can always extend the subscription to her magazine or buy her a subscription on her favorite magazine\n-Also you can write her a letter on how much you appreciate her and slip it into one of the presents.\nOkay..I'm starting to sound like Mother's Day extravaganza, so I'll stop myself now. This doesn't sound Christmas-y..ah well...at least I tried.
467816
yes good idea, she will be delighted i am sure, i hope your mother enjoys it, Cybercat UK.
215581
Bring wine for the father and get something else for the mom like a box of chocolates or something.  Nothing too personal but a token gift. If you bring flowers for the mom, she'll be charmed.
312949
If she has grandchildren get a t shirt and material paints and have them leave handprints with their names on them. \n\nMake up a scrapbook with photographs of your childhood up through your adulthood. If you have any brothers or sisters do the same with their pictures \n\nOR you can even have a dvd personalized with the photos going from birth up to current. \n\nAt that age, they love the memories and the happy times. \n\nHave a nice dinner for her with roses and a nice cake. \n\nMake the day extra special for her. Do some chores for her. Make her queen for the day. :)\n\nOh Yes, Happy Birthday to your mother. :) \n\nFrom Michelle and her kitty Gunther. :)
356840
Make her something - a scrapbook, a memory box, something.\n\nGo to the local craft store and look around. You might just find something you can make that won't require a extensive amount of time.
389978
My parents are helping us out a great deal for our wedding.  My mom has helped me with the planning, the finances, the stress, etc etc.  We are getting my father a nice bottle of wine and a gift certificate for a manicure and pedicure for my mom.  When I go into the salon to have mine done the day before, I am just going to surprise her and take her with me.  We are also planning on a nice toast specifically for them and we're also thinking of having a song dedicated to them (to dance to) following the toast. I'm not sure if it's necessarily "customary," but I think it should be if they really help out.  If you can't afford much, just put some thought into it and do something creative.  Make a cd for each of them with songs that remind them of you (or the two of you together).  Definitely do something for them...it's kind of their big day too.
683269
buy a nice card and then make some "vouchers"(paper, colored pens) and have them say things like, "I will do dishes", "i will cook dinner". anything that you can do that will give your mom a well deserved rest from her never ending chores. only do things that you wouldn't ordinarily do. this only costs the price of a card, but you could alway make the card too. i'm a mom and i would like this as my buttheads, oops, i mean kids never offer to help me unless i ask and then it's iffy. you can tell her that all she has to do to redeem her "gifts" is to give you a voucher. the vouchers could always be generic and say ie."any chore" and then she can choose.
684341
Ok, it won't be ready on Mother's Day, but it WILL matter. Ever heard of scrapbooking? Any of your family around that remembers her younger years? Get an older family member to go through pictures and pull out important ones. Things like her child (ren's) birth, marriage, her parents. Then attach them into a scrapbook and have family members write down things about the pictures. It doesn't have to be big or elaborate, but it would mean a whole lot to her on her lucid days. Just a thought.
420602
The letter & the photo ideas are nice ones. As a mother, I can tell you that the best presents are always those that come from the heart. They needn't cost much (if anything at all). just so long as it's given with all the love you have for your mother. My daughter has given me "World's Best Mum" certificates & stuff like that, but the best thing ever from her, was a photo of her at her school prom with a poem that she'd writen herself, about how she felt about our relationship. Stuff like that is totally unique, a keepsake, memories that you can look back on with love in years to come. Give her something that shows how much you love her - I know she'll be more pleased with that than if you spent loads of money on something that any daughter could buy for her mother.
682286
bake something like a cake and give it to her, make sure you write i love you mom on it first