Great Gift Ideas for Mothers Day 2011

Mothers Day 2011 falls on Sunday May 8^th in the United States. Although Mothers Day does get celebrated in many other parts of the world, the celebrations tend to occur on various other dates. Mothers Day is a special time of the year that gives us all the opportunity to express our love, respect and gratitude to our mothers for everything they’ve done and continue to do for us.

Since Mothers Day 2011 is right around the corner, it’s a good time to start thinking about some Mothers Day gift ideas. But first, have you ever wondered how this holiday originated? Below are 5 interesting facts about the holiday that you may not have heard of before. Then I’ll share awesome Mothers Day gift ideas with you for this upcoming Mothers Day 2011.

1. The roots of Mother's Day go back to the ancient festivals dedicated to the Mother Goddess that were celebrated in ancient Greece and Rome.
2. Historians believe that the early church adopted the ancient Roman ceremonies honoring the Mother Goddess, Cybele, in order to venerate Mother Mary.
3. During the 1600s, England observed Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday in Lent. On Mothering Sunday, those working away from home would return with small gifts and flowers for their mothers.
4. The custom of Mothering Sunday became more widespread during the 19th century. The day was celebrated with a festive mood and a sugary and spicy dish called frumenty, which is made from wheat grains boiled in sweet milk.
5. The driving force behind Mother's Day in the U.S. was Anna Jarvis. She organized observances in Grafton, WV, and Philadelphia in 1908. As the annual celebration became popular around the country, Jarvis asked members of Congress to set aside a day to honor mothers. She finally succeeded in 1914, when Congress designated the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

Getting something nice for your mother on Mother's day can be tricky. I tend to stay away from kitchen items and appliances because they seem to say, "We want you to work harder for us mom!" I know some people give flowers every year, and if your mom loves flowers, then go for it. But if you've given flowers every year for the past five years, you might try to find something that shows a little more thought being put into it. Here are several categories of Mothers Day gift ideas that should really touch mom's heart this upcoming Mothers day 2011.

Jewelry is ALWAYS a pleasant surprise for mom. Personalized pendants, bracelets, watches and necklaces all are perfectly lovely. Since gold prices are through the roof right now, you might consider silver instead for this year. Here are some of my favorite ideas from Amazon:

Collectibles can make an excellent and sentimental gift for mom. Many people have a passion for figurines and other things that can be collected, and you should know if your mom is one of these people or not. If so, the following items found on Amazon might just lead you in the right direction for your Mothers Day 2011 gift:

If you're mom is a little on the hip and "younger" side, she might really enjoy getting a gift of technology. For instance, did you know that the Kindle electronic reading device is the the #1 bestselling, #1 most-gifted, #1 most-wished-for product on Amazon? Your mother would probably love it! Besides the Kindle, here are a few more possible technology choices from Amazon to consider for mom:

I love receiving a gift basket, especially when it's piled high with goodies you can't even see at first glance. It's like being given a treasure chest of sorts. Below are some of the nicest Mothers Day 2011 gift baskets on Amazon that I've found so far:

Hopefully one of the Mothers Day gift ideas above will turn out to be the perfect gift to get your mom this year. But if you don't see anything you like above, just click HERE to find other top selling Mothers Day gift ideas on Amazon. You're bound to find something that will make mom happy!