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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It’s Mother’s Day weekend and we are gearing up to spend some time with my mom. The menu is still up in the air but I know we will play games and relax in the pool. I hope you have something fun planned for your mom too.

One thing I already did for my mom was create a #Moem. What is a #Moem? It is a short, 135 characters or less, preferably rhyming  tribute poem, written and posted on social channels. What? You’re not a poet? Here are a few examples to get your creative juices flowing:

• Of all the special joys in my life, the big ones and the small. Spending today with my mom is the greatest of them all. #moem
• I forget around this time, almost every year, I owe it to her to say thank you, to my beautiful mother dear. #moem

Here is the one I wrote:

I’m not that clever so I used the MetLife #Moem maker!

I know, now you are wondering why MetLife would have a #Moem maker right? Every #Moem written and posted on Facebook and/or Twitter using the hashtag #Moem by 11:59pm on 5-11-14, will also help raise funds for Dress for Success. Dress for Success is an organization that helps low-income women achieve economic independence for themselves and their families through supporting their search for professional employment. For every #Moem posted MetLife will donate $10 to Dress for Success!

I hop you will click over and send your #Moem righ now and then use the sharing buttons to share this post with your friends so that they can do their part too.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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About Mom’s Night Out

All Allyson and her friends want is a peaceful, grown-up evening of dinner and conversation . . . a long-needed moms’ night out. But in order to enjoy high heels, adult conversation and food not served in a paper bag, they need their husbands to watch the kids for three hours—what could go wrong? MOMS’ NIGHT OUT is an endearing true-to-life family comedy that celebrates the beautiful mess called parenting.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I cannot remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie! This movie is funny and thoughtful at the same time. It shows how difficult and important motherhood is, no matter the age of our kids or our marital status. The cast is wonderful, Trace Adkins is such a teddy bear! I say right now, share this post on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest where ever, use the hashtag #MNOmovie and invite your girlfriends for a night out. Mom’s Night Out opens May 9th nationwide and you need to go see this movie. You will laugh, you may cry and you will leave the theater with a smile on your face so gather your friends, sisters and moms and go see this movie!

Disclosure: I received 2 tickets to see a screening of this movie. All opinions are 100% mine.

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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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 Disney stars celebrate their moms for Mother’s Day: Tyler James Williams and Coco Jones (“Let It Shine”), Debby Ryan (“Jessie”), Ross Lynch and Laura Marano (“Austin & Ally”), Bridgit Mendler (“Good Luck Charlie”), Bella Thorne and Zendaya (“Shake It Up”), Leo Howard (“Kickin’ It”), Doc Shaw and Adam Hicks (“Pair of Kings”) and Hollywood Records recording artists McClain Sisters – China Anne (“A.N.T. Farm”), Sierra and Lauryn.

So, what are your plans for Mothers Day?

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Happy Mother’s Day!!

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DESOTO SQUARE MALL CELEBRATES MOMS

AT NATIONAL MOM’S NITE OUT ON MAY 5

FREE event to a beauty bar, style presentations, shopping incentives & more

BRADENTON, Fla. (April 20, 2011) —  DeSoto Square Mall invites moms to let their hair down at the 3^rd Annual National Mom’s Nite Out on Thursday, May 5 from 5 p.m.to 8 p.m. This free event is a guilt-free excuse for moms to take the night off to relax and enjoy a celebration of motherhood. Mom’s Nite Out at DeSoto Square Mall is sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA, the state’s official tourism marketing corporation.

 

Moms will join together for a well-deserved break to socialize and relax at this event featuring a Beauty Bar, a Candy Bar, social networking, fun interactive activities, style presentations, food and beverages, shopping incentives, giveaways and more.

 

Mom’s Nite Out at DeSoto Square Mall will feature Manatee Memorial Hospital as a registered sponsor of the event this year.

 

“DeSoto Square Mall is the perfect place to thank and celebrate mothers for all that they do,” said Lauren Clark, director of marketing and business development, DeSoto Square Mall. “We absolutely believe that moms deserve some pampering and we are delighted to play a part in facilitating this special evening.”

 

“As consumer confidence returns, families are starting to add the experience of a shared vacation back into their budgets,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer for VISIT FLORIDA. “Now, more than ever, it’s important for us to remind families about all there is to see and do in the Sunshine State. Partnering with Simon Property Group on the Mom’s Night Out program is a tremendous opportunity to encourage thousands of travel planning decision makers to Share A Little Sunshine with their family and friends.”

Fifteen million moms are expected to take part in this national event. Moms across the United States will unite in celebrating motherhood with each other via local and national events as well as cyber celebrations. Organized by Maria Bailey, CEO of BSM Media, author and Mom Talk Radio host, National Mom’s Nite Out unites social media groups, companies, local playgroups, mom bloggers and networks in giving moms a well-deserved night off. Bailey organized the first National Mom’s Nite Out after watching moms take care of everyone else on Mother’s Day, but never themselves.

 

“We created National Mom’s Nite Out because so many of today’s mothers spend Mother’s Day focused on catering to the needs of others” said Maria Bailey, National Mom’s Nite Out organizer and mother of four. “We decided that moms deserve one night off from cooking, cleaning and responsibility and need time to celebrate motherhood with each other.”

 

Simon Property Group is hosting National Mom’s Nite Out at 115 of its malls across the country. All activities are free and open to moms of all ages.

About DeSoto Square

DeSoto Square, Manatee County’s only enclosed shopping mall, features anchor stores Macy’s, JCPenney and Sears, as well as more than 80 popular specialty stores such as Victoria’s Secret, Aeropostale and Finish Line. Conveniently located at the intersection of U.S. 301 Blvd. West and U.S. 41, the mall is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. and Sunday noon – 6 p.m. For more information, including extended holiday hours, please call (941) 747-5868.

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. is an S&P 500 company and the largest real estate company in the U.S. The Company currently owns or has an interest in 392 retail real estate properties comprising 263 million square feet of gross leasable area in North America, Europe and Asia. Simon Property Group is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employs more than 5,000 people worldwide. The Company’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol SPG. For further information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

 

About Manatee Memorial Hospital:

Manatee Memorial Hospital is a 319-bed acute care facility that is owned by a subsidiary of one of the most respected hospital management companies in the country, Universal Health Services, Inc. The hospital has served the Manatee County area for over 57 years and strives to provide a comfortable and convenient environment for each patient. Patients have access to wide array of services ranging from family medicine and pediatric care to vascular surgery and behavioral health services. With over 400 physicians and a staff of highly skilled and motivated nurses, Manatee Memorial Hospital offers a fully involved patient care team to fit the needs of each patient.

About VISIT FLORIDA:
As the state’s number one industry, tourism is responsible for welcoming more than 80 million visitors each year who spend more than $60 billion, generating 22 percent of the state’s sales tax revenue and employing nearly 1 million Floridians. For every $1 spent on tourism marketing, VISIT FLORIDA – the state’s official tourism marketing corporation – generates more than $147 in tourism spending and $9 in new sales tax collections, paid by visitors, not residents. VISIT FLORIDA promotes tourism to Florida through sales, advertising, promotions, public relations, new product development and visitor services programs. As a public/private partnership, VISIT FLORIDA serves more than 9,500 tourism industry businesses, including 2,900 invested Partners, 6,600 web affiliates and major strategic alliance partnerships with AirTran Airways, American Express Travel Related Services, Disney Destinations, Dollar Rent A Car, The Hertz Corporation, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment and Universal Orlando. To learn more about VISIT FLORIDA, go to www.VISITFLORIDA.org or follow our corporate blog at www.sunshinematters.org.
Share a Little Sunshine campaign overview:
‘Share a Little Sunshine’ is a statewide, grassroots tourism advocacy campaign that encourages all Floridians to send a personal e-mail to out-of-state friends and family inviting them to visit the Sunshine State. This social media driven campaign asks Florida residents and fans to do their part to make a positive impact on Florida’s economy, while having fun with friends and loved ones.  By inviting friends and family for a vacation, Floridians can create jobs and positively impact Florida’s economy.

 

I’d love to meet you so please tweet me @MomMaven or follow my tweets and Facebook postings to see where I am during the event.

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For most mothers a simple “thank you” or “I love you” is more than enough. But we all know that a little gift of appreciation can speak volumes, and every super mom is more than deserving.

Here’s a list of 10 Mother’s Day coupons that will help you save on the pefect gift for mom from Consumer Savings Expert, Andrea Woroch

Coldwater Creek
If you can find stylish apparel, chic accessories, and cozy home decor all in one shop then you’re sure to make mom proud this Mother’s Day. Shop Coldwater Creek for the perfect gift and receive free shipping plus 25-percent off your order with coupon code AFLC451.

1-800-Flowers
You can never go wrong with a bouquet of flowers. This Mother’s Day 1-800-Flowers is offering free shipping and no service charge on their Mother’s Day Collection. Select from a gorgeous collection of Mother’s Day arrangements and gifts, and apply coupon code MDAY46 during checkout.

DSW
They say flowers are the way to a women’s heart, but be assured that a stellar pair of shoes can achieve the same outcome. This year let mom pick out a fabulous pair of shoes with a DSW gift card and receive a $10 bonus card with each purchase of a $50 gift card.

Teleflora
Teleflora can help you find mom’s favorite flowers and have them delivered right to her door. This year you can even receive 15-percent off your order by using coupon AFPX15 during checkout.

Sears
You can always rely on Sears to help you celebrate Mother’s Day in the finest fashion and save. Shower your mother with stunning jewelry and receive 20-percent off by applying the coupon code MOTHER20 during checkout.

Ann Taylor
At Ann Taylor find an additional 25-percent off sale styles with coupon code EXTRA25. Mom will love their classic and stylish apparel and accessories, and you can enjoy awesome savings.

Nine West
Nine West boasts a stylish collection of shoes, bags, and accessories. Find chic accessories at Nine West for your stylish mom and receive free shipping on all orders.

Snapfish
Capture your favorite memory with mom this Mother’s Day and create the perfect photo gift. Use the coupon SHIPIT20 to receive free shipping on orders over $20.

FragranceX
FragranceX has an impressive collection of women’s frgrances, skincare, and makeup so you’re sure to find mom something she’ll love. Use the coupon code FREE during checkout and recieve free shipping on your order.

Kate Spade
If your mom loves nothing but stylishly chic and trendy fashions Kate Spade is the place to find the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Right now receive free shipping on all orders plus $50 off orders of $250 or more with coupon YOCSP11.

For more cashback offers and coupons, you may visit sites like https://price.com/cashback.

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