How to Select Items For Mother's Day Gift Baskets

Mother's Day gift baskets can be a lovely, personal, way to celebrate the special mother figures in your life on Mother's Day. Planning ahead will help keep your gifts from being too generic, like fruit baskets, or from being a random hodge-podge of items. Making a plan will also keep the shopping easy and fun for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Before you do anything else, create a budget for each Mother's Day gift basket. Remember this budget should include the basket or container, the items to fill it, a card, any decorations or wrap you want to use on it, any other items you may need to buy to assemble the basket such as glue dots, and any shipping costs to mail the gift to the recipient if applicable.

2. Think about the women in your life that you want to create Mother's Day Gift baskets for. Ask yourself several questions about them. What are their interests and hobbies? What are they passionate about? What makes you think of them? Do you share anything special with them? What do they need most? Write down your answers for each person on separate pieces of paper.

3. Look over your answers one piece of paper at a time. For each one brainstorm what items would reflect what you wrote about the person, and your relationship with them. List the items on the backside of the papers. Write down everything that pops into your head. These items will be what you are picking from to fill your baskets with.

4. Chances are you have now come up with fairly long lists of possible items for the Mother's Day gift baskets. It's time to narrow them down. First, cross off all items that are hard to find. Next, remove the items that are too large to fit into a basket. Thirdly, eliminate any items that seem unrealistic or seem awkward. And lastly, refer to your budget and make your final choices based on that. Do this for each person's list of items.

5. It's time to shop for your Mother's Day gift baskets! Either have each individual list with you as you shop or make a master shopping list. Stick to it even though you will be tempted by other items. You can always go back and add more when you are finished with all of the Mother's Day gift baskets if you have leftover money and extra space in the baskets. Try, however, to fit your container to your items instead of your items to the container. It will result in a fuller looking basket and a more meaningful gift since you won't feel like you have to fill empty space with random items. Don't forget to pick up a card to include in the basket during your shopping on which you can record your thoughts of love and appreciation, any assembling and decorative supplies you may need, and shipping supplies.

Tips & Warnings

• Shopping for other people can be overwhelming so always make a plan before you start.
• Remember the important thing is that you are giving a gift from your heart; how much money you are spending or how big and elaborate your baskets appear are not important.
• Themed baskets and already assembled baskets, although not always as personal, can make nice Mother's Day Gift Baskets if you're short on time or ideas. Popular Mother's Day Gift Baskets include spa baskets, gardening baskets, and specialty food baskets. If you go with a theme try to go with ones that reflect their interests or personalities.
• Mother's Day Gift Baskets are appropriate to give your mother, grandmother, aunt, a friend, or any special mother you want to honor on Mother's day.

[jamaclassics]

on 3/7/2009 Lovely and thoughtful. Wish my mom was still around.