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This year Mother’s Day is buried deep in the heart of our current recession, and that puts many of us in a pinch when it comes to trying to decide what to do for Mom to let her know that we appreciate the time and attention she’s given us over the years.  Below is a list of 10 gifts that will show your mother that you care (and that you are more creative than all those other people milling about the greeting cards aisle at the grocery store).

Call Her

If you aren’t in frequent contact with your mom, pick up the phone and give her a call.  A simple phone call to say hello will be sure to brighten her day and make her feel special.  Although we sometimes avoid talking to our mothers about our day-to-day lives (a common tactic for those of us trying to escape their wisdom and advice), this is an important day for us to make the extra effort to fill our mothers in and include them on the details of our current triumphs and pitfalls.

Send Her a Postcard

Do you live in another city or are you traveling to a new place this Mother’s Day?  Pick up a postcard with a pretty skyline or landscape and scribble a note to let her know that you are thinking about her even when you’re off living life in the fast-lane.  Although postcards aren’t normally likened to flashy gifts, a fun and personal piece of snail mail is becoming increasingly rare and extraordinary as time (and technology) ticks on.

E-mail Her a Picture

Send your mom a picture of a time you and she spent together and she will smile with the reminder of how special that moment was.  Even if all you send with the photo are the words, “Remember This?” it will be a great way to let her know that not only are you thinking of her today, but that you also cherish the time you’ve spent together in the past..

Buy Her a Cup of Coffee

Sit down with your mom at a local diner or coffee shop and chat about what’s going on in her life.  Now that you’re all grown up, find out what her hopes and dreams are.  Not only will she delight in telling you her latest flights of fancy, but she’ll be relieved to know that you acknowledge that she is her own person and not just a “mom”.

Ask Her to Tell You a Story

Moms never outgrow the need to nurture and mother their children.  Give your mom the chance to remember what it’s like to be needed.  It may sound silly, but asking your mom to tell you a story will remind her that no matter how grown-up you get, you still need her humor and guidance to get you through.

Help Her Finish a Project

If your mom has been talking for years about wanting to paint the living room or how nice it would be if she had an updated photo album, you’ve got a great gift just waiting to be completed!  It may be a project that is too big for her to tackle on her own, or something that keeps getting put off in lieu of bigger and better things.  Helping your mom with a project will help her to feel accomplished and take a weight off of her shoulders that may have been sitting there for decades.

Teach Her About Technology

All things being equal, your mom might be a bit behind the times when it comes to digital photography, internet savvy or DVR recording.  Give your mom the gift of learning and help her figure out how to do something new and fun like e-mailing friends, or help to take the frustration out of something she’s tried before but just can’t figure out.  Be aware that you may have to break the lesson up across a couple of days so that mom can learn at her own pace and doesn’t become even more confused with the computer/DVR/ipod/universal remote.

Take Her on a Walk Down Memory Lane

Revisiting places that you have been to before can be a great way to share a nostalgic moment with your mom.  Take her back to the ice cream shop where you used to go on summer days growing up, the park that she used to take you when you were being especially rambunctious, or the baseball field where she used to cheer you on when you hit a home-run.  Spend some time doing the things you loved to do together all those years ago, and give your mom a new memory that she won’t soon forget.

Volunteer with Her at Her Favorite Local Charity

Take some time to bond while giving back to your mom’s favorite cause.  Not only will you learn about an organization that is doing good in the community around you, but you’ll also have a chance to show your mom that you care about what’s important to her. Whether fund-raising for a local animal shelter or picking up trash in a neighborhood park; you will find that this bonding experience will produce amazing results!

Tell Her You Love Her

This last one may seem obvious, but don’t forget to tell your mom how much she means to you.  Don’t worry about sifting through thousands of greeting cards to find the one that says it all; tell her how you feel face to face even though it may feel awkward or difficult.  Take the time to thank her for the sacrifices she has made in her life and the support that she has shown in helping you to grow into the person you are today.  Those three little words coming from a child are sometimes all a mom needs to hear to make her day – no matter how grown-up her child has become.

Check out these other “10 Things” articles by Denise Kawaii:

• Gifts for Him: 10 Gifts That Will Make Him Think You’re the Coolest Chick Ever
• 10 Things That Will Keep You From Losing Ten Pounds