Last year, we redeemed Mother’s Day, a bit. On Saturday of Mother’s Day weekend my sister and I took our mom out to lunch while my hubby took his mom out to lunch. On Mother’s Day, hubby and I went to church and then we headed to the Magic Kingdom for the day. Aaron spent the day with his wife’s mom and Jordan was on the road. This year, hubby and I will be on a weekend getaway at the beach…that I planned! I hope my adult children and hubby do something to celebrate me but I no longer count on it and it doesn’t hurt as much that way.

Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be extravagant or expensive. Just let mom know that you love and appreciate her. I put together an inexpensive Mother’s Day gift basket that I would love to receive for Mother’s Day to give those of you challenged gift givers ie. single guys or husbands, an idea that even you can pull off.

DIY Mother’s Day Gift Basket

1. Think about what mom likes to do. Does she like to relax with a good book? Watch a movie? Play board games? Paint her nails? All of those things and many others can be the start of a great gift.
2. Think about what mom likes to drink. Is she a coffee addict? A tea lover? A hot cocoa aficionado? Whatever her favorite beverage is, add it to the basket.
3. Add Epsom Salts. Whether soaking in a bathtub or soaking her feet, mom  with love all of the health and beauty benefits that Epsom Salts bring. Adding 2 cups of Epsom Salts to a hot bath or 1 cup to a foot bath will help mom relax and unwind. I love to add a few drops of essential oils like peppermint and tea tree oil to my Epsom Salt foot bath for an added boost.
4. Add chocolate. What mom doesn’t like to indulge in some chocolate now and then?
5. Package it up nice. Find a pretty basket, box or pail that will hold everything you gathered. Add some tissue paper and Voila! You have a thoughtful gift for mom on Mother’s Day or any day you want to say “I love you!”.

I made this basket for me It includes a book by my favorite author, chocolate, peppermint essential oil, hot chocolate and Epsom Salts. Other ideas could include a candle, a DVD, nail polish, popcorn, a gift card to her favorite store. You are only limited by your creativity. I’m going to go soak my feet and read my book now. Happy Mother’s Day!

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April Beauty Box 5 Product Review

April’s Beauty Box 5 box had 5 products, 3 of them were full size and those three retailed for $39.94. Add in the other 2 samples and this box was a great value.

Global Beauty Care Green Tea Makeup Remover Wipes

These wipes cleanse and nourish your face while they remove makeup and the grime of the day. I have used many brands of makeup remover wipes and these work well. For me, I’m not a huge fan of the green tea scent on the wipes but at $1.99 a package I cannot complain about this value. Get the Global Beauty Care Green Tea Makeup Remover Wipes featured in our April 2016 Beauty Box 5.

Soapbox Sea Minerals Body Wash

This body wash has a soap=hope program, for every product sold, a bar of soap is given to a person in need. At first I was excited when I started pouring this body wash onto my poof and it was creamy, (I hate gel body wash). Unfortunately, the scent/fumes seriously irritated my eyes so that my eyes started itching and watering almost immediately. I rinsed of quickly and then washed with my regular body wash. I checked the label and didn’t recognize any ingredients I am allergic to. I did throw the bottle away, just to be safe. A full sized bottle retails for $5.99.

The next 3 products are all in use in the image above!

Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigments

This lip and cheek color is bold! A little sure does go a long way. When I first opened the pot I was afraid of the bold color but once I put it on I really liked it. This powerful double duty punch of color retails for $19.95.

Chella Passionate Pink Moisturizing Lip Pencil

I have worn this as a lip liner (see photo above) and a full lip pencil. This pencil is long-lasting and hydrating which are pluses in my book. It retails for $18.00.

Maskeraide All Eyes on Me Hydrating Eye Gels

These cooling gel patches reduce puffiness, while they brighten, hydrate and firm your skin. Put them on and relax for 15-30 minutes. You will notice a difference in your skin immediately!Last week I worked an 80 hour week and this week will be about 60 hours, I wish I had more than a single sample of this miracle eye gels. These retail for $25 Canadian. Buy the Maskeraide All Eyes On Me Hydrating Eye Gels .

April’s Beauty Box 5 shipment was mostly great! I look forward to getting my shipment every month. If you don’t want to get a monthly subscription you can now Shop the Beauty Box 5 Makeup Collection! Check out the products I feature each month and buy the ones you want to try yourself.

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Dreaming Big or if budget were no object…

An Apple iPad Air MD786LL/A (32GB, Wi-Fi, Black with Space Gray) (1st choice) OR an Apple iPad with Retina Display MD511LL/A (32GB, Wi-Fi, Black) 4th Generation (2nd choice). This is on the top of my list for Mother’s Day and my 50th birthday. I have wanted an iPad for a loooong time but now my friend and I have actually compiled a list of hundreds of reasons why I NEED one. I can dream…right?

I’ve checked with my friends and this is the case I’d want for my iPad Air is the ClamCase that is available in May or for the iPad 4, the ClamCase Pro iPad Keyboard Case for iPad 2, 3 & 4. This case would allow me to use my iPad as a mini-laptop, a video player or a tablet!

Moderately Priced Mother’s Day Gifts

I love receiving new and interesting fruity body washes and lotions and this Perfect Pair of Torocco Orange scented products from Crabtree & Evelyn sell for only $40.00.

I have heard a lot of great things about the Sarah Young – Jesus Calling – Large Deluxe Edition. This beautiful, leather-bound devotional is only $24.99 and would make a great gift for any mom who wants to start her day off focusing on her Savior.

Maybe I’m the only mom who wants this…but I don’t think so. When I move into my new home office next year, I want Mickey Mouse on my wall! He is only $79.99 from Fathead.com.

Give mom a gift that will make her life easier for an entire year! Get her the 1 year Kid-Friendly Family Plan from emeals. Each week she will receive 7 kid-friendly recipes and a shopping list to make meal planning easy.

Every mom wants to preserve family memories. Get 20% Off your entire first order by using Coupon Code: 20TR at YesVideo.com. YesVideo.com makes it easy to relive your favorite memories. We love watching our YesVideos on our laptop and on the app!

Every mom want to feel beautiful. Give her the gift of beauty with a subscription to Beauty Box 5! I love my subscription and i always enjoy checking out new top-notch beauty products in the comfort of my own home.

I could go on and on with gift ideas for Mother’s Day, but I won’t I hope you find my suggestions helpful. If you still need more help shopping for your mom or wife just leave me a comment or drop me an email and I’ll be happy to help!

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My friend at PartyBluePrints.com has a 13 page FREE e-guide for making mom “Queen Bee for a Day” this Mother’s Day. Just click the link and it will take you to PartyBluePrints.com and you can download from there.

Scancafe.com

ScanCafe.com gives mothers a chance to relive their photo memories—they digitally scan and restore pictures that have been damaged and deteriorated.  For Mother’s Day, they offer a beautiful, unique gift box that people can give as a present.  Once it’s received, mothers can fill the box with up to 400 photos, ship them off, and receive high-quality image scans on a DVD, that are digitally retouched. It’s a great gift for mothers who don’t have the time, or computer expertise to scan all of their family photos.  Cost-$149.00

LaLOOP.com

Is your mom constantly losing her glasses?  Does she forget them at home, lose them at a restaurant or sit on them in the car? LA LOOP is the perfect solution and the must have for Mother’s Day!  La LOOP are stylish necklaces that function as eye glass holder.  Don’t let mom wear the old lady glass holders give her La LOOP.

Each La LOOP has a patented, one-of-a-kind design element – a loop with hinges that move laterally and vertically with the eyeglasses or sunglasses, allowing them to stay in place.  La LOOP comes in over 25 different styles and ranges in price from $25 -$250 and are available at LaLoop.com.

Diaperdude.com
The Lotus Diaper Diva Bag is the perfect gift for Mom the mom-to-be this year.  With Compartmentalized interior for wipes, water bottles, keys  and included messenger straps.  It’s perfect for the fashionable, on the go mom!   The Lotus Bag is available online at DiaperDude.com Cost $114.00 The Diaper Dude has all sorts of stylish diaper bags available from $35 and up.

FLOTV.com

Give your mom something that she’ll actually enjoy while reminding her exactly why she loves you so much – Live mobile TV from FLO TV. FLO TV, available on select AT&T and Verizon networks, is live mobile TV on your cell phone that will keep mom connected to all her favorite shows and news right in the palm of her hand. CNN, NBC, CBS, Comedy Central, Fox News, MTV, Nickelodeon, MSNBC, CNBC, and special event channels from the Food Network and Soap Opera specials provide hours of endless entertainment on FLO TV. Whether mom’s at work, on the go or just looking for a quick fix for temperamental child, FLO TV will keep her entertained and remind her why you have always been her favorite. For more information on FLO TV, visit FloTv.com FLOTV is only available in select areas and on select AT&T and Verizon networks. Plans start at $15 a month. Check the FLOTV website for coverage areas and fees.

RosieKnows.com
If Mom still doesn’t know how to Google, SKYPE, Mapquest or find cheap flights online, give her a RosieKnows.com subscription for Mothers Day. With over 200 lessons and growing, Rosie’s new ‘school’ offers online tutorials in using the Internet to save money, save time, be entertained and stay informed. Each lesson consists of screenshots of the website being covered plus easy-to-follow voiceovers and demonstrations.

Mom can learn everything from basic Internet skills – like how to set up an email account – to how to cut costs at Coupon Clippers, find the lowest gas prices at GasBuddy, order movies from Netflix, research medical questions on Mayo Clinic or Medline, make free or low-cost long-distance calls with SKYPE, and even stay connected with friends and family on Facebook. And she can choose the lessons she wants in any order.

$19.95 plus shipping and handling for a premium enrollment package with a custom vinyl binder and preprinted index tabs to store lessons; basic enrollment is free at www.RosieKnows.com

Snapily.com

The people at , a photo-technology company, developed a new 3-D, animation technology that literally allows you to bring your photos to motion (flip-book style) on a card, invitation, wallet sized business card, scrapbook, or stationary. In a nutshell you can customize a card where 2 to 5 photos can be brought to motion on a card, check it outhttp://www.snapily.com/b/.

Aside from Snapily just being a cool new gift idea, it has a strong eco-friendly value. Over 7 billion greeting cards end up in the trash every year – something tells me, you’re less likely to throw out photos let alone ones that come to life.

Decleor.com

’t afford to send mom to the spa this year? You can get her candles and at home spa products from Decleor www.decleor.com that will allow her to relax in her own private spa on Mother’s Day and for months to come.  Treatments work out to be less than $5 each.

Kopali Organics

Don’t have enough money for a Mother’s Day Sunday brunch? Instead make mom a new recipe with Kopali’s (koplai.net) organic and fair trade superfruits at home (good for mom and the planet). Kopali products are available for less than $4

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