These ideas range from easy, fast, and free to some requiring a bit more effort, time, and money, but they all are worthwhile!
1. Send her a note through good old fashioned snail mail telling her how great she is--just a few sentences may be enough.
2. Help her with a cleaning or organizing project, especially if she's been talking about a particular project for a while but hasn't made time for it.
3. Send a quick "Just wanted to say I am glad we are friends!" text.
4. Send her some gorgeous flowers or an incredibly hard to kill plant (because most of us moms don't have time to water regularly!)
5. Write out a list of 5 things you admire about her parenting skills and give it to her.
6. Offer to watch her kids so she can go to the grocery store ALONE.
7. ...and give her a $5 coffee shop gift card first so she can sip her coffee ALONE while she shops!
8. If you know what kind of scents she likes, buy her a luscious, smooth NICE body lotion...make it an upgrade from what she probably buys for herself.
9. Has she mentioned a fitness or other class she wants to try? Find out when it is, buy her a session, and watch her kids at your house so she can go to the class.
10. Gift her with an amazing bubble bath or Lush bath bomb and a high quality loofah.
11. Buy or make her a whole fruit smoothie for a little boost.
12. Buy her a single movie ticket and watch her kids so she can see a movie with a rating above G or PG uninterrupted and ALONE.
13. Get her a new journal and a great pen.
14. If there is a charity close to her heart, make a donation in her honor--be sure the charity sends notes to honorees, and maybe write a little note to her yourself too.
15. If she talks about wanting nicer nails but never makes time for a manicure, gather up your manicure supplies and go treat her to a manicure in her kitchen. Make sure you hit up Starbucks or her favorite coffee shop on your way over!
16. Does she love to read? Buy her a book she's been talking about or that you think she might love.
17. ...and invite her kids to your house for a couple of hours so she can read without interruptions (and tell her to read for those two hours--NO HOUSEWORK ALLOWED!).
18. Tell her to NOT make anything for dinner and then surprise her with a pizza or other food delivery for dinner (pay for the food, delivery, and tip for her so she just has to open the door and take the food!).
19. Take her kids to the park or invite them to play at your house while she does whatever she wants...but insist that she spend the time doing what she WANTS, not what she feels obligated to do.
20. Listen. Just listen...next time you ask how she really is, and she replies with "Fine", don't accept that. Ask her how she REALLY is and listen. Be there. Let her talk without trying to fix problems. Sometimes moms just need to talk and we don't want someone else to fix things for us...we just want to be heard and validated.
What else would you add? Are there things another mom has done to support you or that you have done to support members of your mom tribe?
And, ladies, if you want your husbands, partners, or others in your life who can never get the gift or treat giving right, consider printing this list and giving it to them as a starting point!
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