By Amy L. Martin

Mother's Day is special. We generally focus on the gift, on finding something we can afford and she will like. But it is a whole day to honor her, and it would be a nice touch to plan fun things to do besides getting her something nice. Let's look at some possible alternatives to make her smile and remember this day with joy!

If weather cooperates, you can plan a special picnic. Choose a nice area with grass and a nice landscape, away from the city noise. Take food and drinks, a tablecloth to spread over the grass. Just make it feel like those picnic scenes you can find in movies. It can provide the perfect moments for nice long talks, walks and playing games together.



A surprise breakfast is also a nice touch. You need to have it all set before she wakes up, so you'll have to start early! The table must look nice and full of the stuff Mom likes, totally different from everyday breakfast. It's not just making breakfast, it means making it very special. You can also guide her from her bedroom to the table by spotting little notes along the way, each one containing a message. This is something fun you can do if you're a father with little kids and want them to help you prepare something nice for your wife: they can make some drawings to place around the house, to lead their mother to the breakfast table and to make the house look festive.

A plan including an activity that your mother enjoys, but she doesn't get to do often, is also good for this day. The possibilities here are endless, they depend mostly on what your mother likes to do. The idea behind all these is to share a nice good time with your mother. Here's a quick list:

• Going to the theatre, or to the cinema together
• Do some gardening together
• Take pictures, but with a twist. Find stuff that all family members can use to disguise themselves (hats, old dresses, party pizzazz, old glasses, scarves, umbrellas, anything really), then spend a good time dressing up and taking fun pictures.
• Be a tourist in your home town. Visit special places, and have a different look at your own city.
• Make a short round trip to some nearby location, not more than a couple of hours away, and turn this day into a mini vacation.

These are just some ideas to get you started. Use your imagination, and make this day special for your mother and for the whole family.