- If she loves swimming, buy a certificate for snorkling lessons.mom and son snorkeling image by jedphoto from Fotolia.com
Gift certificates can seem impersonal, so look for things to add to the gift to make it more special for mom. Set up a scavenger hunt that leads her to the gift, or include it as part of gift basket full of her favorite treats. Consider teaming up with other family members to pool your resources and get her one big gift, such as a certificate for a hot air balloon ride or a weekend stay at a resort. - Even if Mom is not a regular spa-goer, the variety of services that most spas offer ensure that she will find at least one that she will enjoy. If she has a favorite spa or nail salon, buy a gift certificate for the salon. Rather than buying a certificate for a particular service such as a massage or pedicure, choose a dollar amount so she can select the service she wants. If she does not have a favorite spot, buy a certificate from a company like Spafinder, which allows her to redeem the gift at any of the more than 5,000 spas that accept their certificates.
- Companies such as Amazing Clubs and Send a Meal offer memberships that send recipients a different treat each month. For example, if you choose pizzas, they might send pesto pizza one month and chicken wing pizza the next. You can choose what kind of treat to give Mom, or you can also purchase gift certificate denominations from $5 to $500, depending on the club. Mom can choose whether she would like a certain kind of dinner each month or whether she would prefer receiving different treats such as tea, cookies or cheesecake.
- Think about an interest that your mom has but would like to learn more about. Buy a gift certificate for classes that allow her to explore her passion. "Ladies' Home Journal" magazine suggests buying a gift certificate for art classes and presenting it along with a class schedule and some paints and brushes. You can also buy certificates for lessons from a yoga studio, acting school or cooking school.
- A restaurant gift certificate on its own is not the most exciting gift, so make this gift more of an experience for Mom by including a note that specifies that you would like to go along for the meal with her. Sure, this means you are taking part of the gift for yourself but most moms appreciate time with their children more than any other gift they can receive. To get the most for your money, search for discounted gift certificates to local restaurants. Restaurant.com allows you to search by zip code to find restaurants that sell $25 gift certificates for $10.
- For the mother who already has everything she could want, give her a gift certificate allowing her to donate to the charity of her choice. Companies such as Charity Choice allow you to buy a gift certificate in the denomination of your choice. Once you give Mom the certificate, she can choose from more than 100 charities on Charity Choice's website to receive the donation.
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