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Guys I’m so excited for Mother’s Day this year! In case you didn’t know, it’s on May 14th — which is my birthday. This rarely happens and I think it’s such a treat when it does (IMO the more celebrations, the better). I love my mom so much (obvi) and when Mother’s Day rolls around I try to really make it all about her and show her how much I appreciate her. Mother’s Day is one of the few days of the year when I really just love scrolling through my social media channels and seeing all the love and appreciation for mothers ♥ It’s so special seeing the celebration of all moms — including aunts, sisters, grandmothers, etc. who are mothers themselves.

Most of you know that Michael is in the Navy, which means we don’t get to see our moms as much as we like — which is why I’ve been bound and determined to craft the most meaningful gifts + cards this year for Mother’s Day. Even though we live far away from our blood relatives, we always have our “Navy family” surrounding us and often find ourselves celebrating holidays together. We love spreading love + happiness to our family and friends and I know you guys do too. In the spirit of this I have a little tutorial below for helping you craft an effortless Mother’s Day gift. Not only effortless, but one that’s beautiful and charming.

one | THE PERFECT GIFT
I know it’s tempting to pick up trinkets and call it a day…but for a holiday like Mother’s Day it’s really worth it to go the extra mile and think of a thoughtful and considerate gift. Mother’s Day is all about celebrating mothers, and in my opinion that means celebrating their individuality and tailoring a gift that’s exclusively for them. This may not sound “effortless”, but believe me it is! I’ll give you an example: we call my mom “Mumsy Turtle”, which is kind of ridiculous but there’s a funny story behind it. For special events my brother and I will give her gifts that involve a turtle in some way — like an ornate shell painted like a turtle, or a porcelain turtle. Random, but so special!

For your mom and the mother’s in your life, think of things that are unique to them. Are they beach obsessed? Avid readers? A homebody?
Here are a few gift ideas to get you inspired: a monogrammed beach tote, new perfume, a new yoga mat, a monogrammed pendent necklace, a quality cookbook, a spa day gift certificate, an oversized knitted throw, new running shoes, a luxurious beach towel…

two | THE PERFECT PRESENTATION
Growing up, I remember hearing one of my mom’s friends say “presentation is everything”…. and oh how true it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a meal being served at a 5 star restaurant or a gift, presentation is so important. I looove it when everything coordinates with a gift presentation. I’m talking about coordinating (not necessarily matching) gift wrap, tissue paper, cards, and ribbon. Michael and I were out and about last weekend and we stopped at one of our local exchanges (military followers, I’m sure you’re familiar with AAFES stores 🙂 ) and picked up a few essentials.

^^ soooo many cards. I found them in the officey section of the exchange. 

^^ when you realize your Mother’s Day gift is going to be the cutest ever.

Obvi I wanted everything to coordinate because I’m a perfectionist. I picked colors I thought both my mom and Michael’s mom would love and then picked everything based off that! In these cases I usually pick products from the same brand because they’re designed to complement each other. The tissue paper, gift wrap, and cards were all from American Greetings. They all have a sophisticated flower theme to them and are magenta/pink. There were other cute designs and themes so you can tailor it to your mom’s personality. It took like 5 minutes to pick all of these out and I love how polished it makes everything look. #effortless.

three | THE PERFECT CARD
Okay so it didn’t take me 5 minutes to pick out cards….there were too many to choose from! LOL. American Greetings has so many cards you can choose from to help you celebrate + cherish your mom. I usually opt for beautiful/serious cards as opposed to funny ones. Do you guys have one you usually go for? Because my cards were the same brand as everything else they coordinated really well. I ended up picking up 3 because FYI you can save $2 when you buy 3 cards, from now until Mother’s Day at your Army/Air Force exchanges. If you need more Mother’s Day gift ideas/card inspo, you can visit here

four | THE PERFECT NOTE
It wasn’t until recently that I started to truly appreciate all the notes my mom and grandma left on cards for me over the years. Just seeing my grandma’s handwriting brings back so many memories… I always keep my favorite cards from her on display. Your card may have all the eloquent words in the world but I’m sure what your mom really wants is a note from you! If you can’t think of anything to say, here is an easy formula: if you have a nickname or special name for your mom, start with that. Then express gratitude for something special she’s done for you — like helping you with a recent move, babysitting your own children, helping you redecorate your house, always making you breakfast, driving you places, etc. Let her know you appreciate everything she’s done for you and your family! Conclude the note with letting her now how much you love her. Make it simple but significant.

I’d love to hear about your Mother’s Day plans on here in the comments below or on Instagram.