Make Everyday a Happy Mother's Day

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I never knew how much I really loved my mom until I got married, left Egypt and went to live in the UAE. If only I could turn back time and relive every second I spent away from her just trying to make her happy. Despite the fact that she is a bit pushy, a constant critic, loves to eavesdrop at times and hogs the TV, she'll always be the hippest mom, closest friend and my home.

In a few days we will be celebrating Mother's Day; in some parts of the world where I am currently a resident, we roam the globe searching for the perfect gift for our moms right before the 21st of March and in other parts where I hadn't yet set foot in, Mother's Day is celebrated on the 10th of May. But why mark our moms on a calendar and wait for Hallmark to come up with new gift ideas, when we can make everyday a Mother's Day. To me Mother's Day is March 24th; my mom's birthday, August 8th; my birthday and August 12th; my baby girl's birthday. So make it a habit, cherish every moment and put a smile on your mother's face every day.

Make your mom happy
1- Always compliment her and tell her how much you love her.
2- Give her a morning call telling her how much you miss her.
3- If she has an email, send her happy quotes in emails.
4- Treat your mom for lunch at her favorite restaurant.
5- Go shopping with her; she will love having you around and who knows, you might end up with some goodies too.
6- Find out what's her favorite movie, rent it, prepare the popcorn and watch it together.
7- Take a photo of you and your mom, frame it and put it in a special place in the living room.
8- Make her breakfast in bed with a nice hot cup of tea and a flower bouquet.
9- Pamper her for an all day spa appointment or a makeover.
10- Arrange a family dinner at home, of course you will be the one to cook or order the food.
11- Let your mom have some house shores time-out every now and then where she can rest and you do all the dusty work or you can hire someone for the whole year to get things done.
12- When you go visit, try to show up bearing gifts; little things that your mom love or better yet, homemade gifts, especially if you're a good cook.
13- Always spend some quality time with her talking about your good memories.
14- Send your mom flowers; it will be extra special if you delivered it yourself.
15- Give your mom an updated family album, or you can re-arrange your old photos together and reminisce.
16- Get up early and wash your mom's car, if she has one.
17- Don't forget to give your mom a long warm hug as you leave.

Now for the tough but necessary task; trying to dodge a war with your mother-in law.

Make your mother-in law love you
1- Appreciate her pros and don't focus on her bad side only.
2- Ask her advice in stuff like; cooking, getting tough stains out or feeding your baby, they love recommending things.
3- Keep the conversation going smoothly even when she says something that upsets you, let her down easily without being offensive.
4- Pay her visits and call her as much as you can, this shows that you're thinking of her and will make it less and less for her to pop at your house a lot.
5- Keep your visits short and don't yield for a stay over.
6- Turn her constant nitpicks into jokes, so you get to make an important point and show her how confident you are.
7- Don't compete with her and accept the fact that she is kinda possessive when it comes to her son.
8- Pamper your husband and say nice things about him in front of her.
9- Try to feel relaxed and most importantly forgive and forget; it's is the key ingredient for a good relationship with your mother-in law.
10- When visiting, always make sure to bear gifts as you enter. Believe me it's a mood alter.
11- Remember that the dress code should be semi-casual; not too showy and not subtle either.
12- Don't try to sound like a whiz kid, hero, vain, smug, spoilt or anything you know of course what I mean. Humility is attractive just keep it simple, yet charming.
13- Always keep on smiling during the whole visit and I mean the whole visit. You don't want to be taken as a downer.
14- Make sure to thank her over and over again for the visit. In other words thank her as you leave, then call again to re-thank!
15- If she gave you a gift like a jacket, purse, or a vase, make sure the next time she sees you will be wearing it or displaying the gift in the best places of your house.


Every year since I gave birth to my baby girl, I wished my husband would take a hint and do one of these things.

Make a new mommy happy
1- Offer to babysit for a day, where she can spend it with her friends, shopping or even reading a book.
2- Hire a relaxation therapist to give her an at home message.
3- Buy her a gift set of lotions, new moms love that.
4- Buy her a piece of jewelry. Personalized ones are the best.
5- Print and frame a photo of your new family.
6- Buy her a pair of comfy cotton underwear and washable pajamas or new sheets, since she is spending the whole day in the bedroom without even sleeping.
7- Offer help as much as you can like; washing the dishes, laundry, ordering take outs.
8- Rent a stack of her favorite movies, since she needs something to keep her awake and amused all night.
9- A cup of decaffeinated latte along with a fruit cake is heaven, since she can't eat chocolate cake.
10- A batch of energy cookies or a basket of fruit.
11- Prepare a bubble bath with candles and soft music for her.

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