Crafty Crap {Mother's Day Gift Idea}

Two Mother's Days ago - that's sounds like a tongue twister, so let's make it easier: 2 years ago for Mother's Day, I was a billion months pregnant and, although I was adamant that getting crap for the baby's room was more important and I didn't want anything for Mother's Day, my husband was very kind and thoughtful and bought me a rosebush (what I really wanted was a martini.).  It was called a Knock Out rose, but I called it the Knocked Up rosebush.  It had lovely pink roses and we planted it in our back yard in Kansas City.  In the moving chaos that ensued last year, I forgot to dig it up to bring it north with us.  I'm sure someone is enjoying my Knocked Up rosebush as I type this.  Or the ninja squirrels that lived in our back yard ate all the buds, in which case it's probably dead.  Either option is dismal.

Last year for mother's day - my first real Mother's Day, we were moving and our lives were less than stable.  Apparently, Uriah slipped Abby thirty bucks and told her to get me something nice.  I got a card and a small plant.  She pocketed the change (or should I say, she used the change on my gift and pocketed the rest.).  I tried not to be bitter about my husband totally phoning in Mother's Day last year - after all, I did give him a glorious son and I was actively assisting in the raising of his daughter, you'd think the least he could do was honor me for one day in the manner to which I am befit (you know, parade, marching band, ice sculpture made in my likeness. Simple stuff.), instead of passing it off on an eleven-year-old who (allegedly) was jonesing for some Grape Smackers chapstick.

I've learned my lesson, people.  This year will just be another normal Sunday since my husband will, once again, be busy feeding everyone else's mother.  No biggie; I'm used to it by now (but that doesn't stop me from complaining about it, obvs!).  I think I'll get some flowers and we'll do some planting if the weather holds.  If not...it'll probably be a movie/martini hot cocoa fest up in here and everyone will take naps.

If you're crapping your pants, just now realizing you have nothing for the mothers/grandmothers in your life and you want to do something thoughtful, or rather, you want your kids to do something thoughtful, may I suggest you have them paint some pots and then plant some flowers.  It's relatively cheap (terracotta pots at the Wals are less than $2, depending on what size you get.  All the acrylic paints I got were on clearance.) and the little planters can be used again for years to come (green points!).  We used two different sizes, bigger pots for Abby, baby-sized pots for Finn.  This project obviously took Abby a lot longer than Finn, she used a paintbrush and all, he just used his fingers.  After the paint was finished drying (I waited a couple of hours for Finn's, a little bit longer for Abby's.), I slapped some modge podge on those little suckers (the pots, not the kids), let them dry completely, and then put each kid's name and year on the bottom.  Abby got to plant the flowers and Finn got to water them.

It's the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Note: These were actually our Easter presents for the grandmas, but I think the craftiness works for Mother's Day, too.

Two Mother's Days ago - that's sounds like a tongue twister, so let's make it easier: 2 years ago for Mother's Day, I was a billion months pregnant and, although I was adamant that getting crap for the baby's room was more important and I didn't want anything for Mother's Day, my husband was very kind and thoughtful and bought me a rosebush (what I really wanted was a martini.).  It was called a Knock Out rose, but I called it the Knocked Up rosebush.  It had lovely pink roses and we planted it in our back yard in Kansas City.  In the moving chaos that ensued last year, I forgot to dig it up to bring it north with us.  I'm sure someone is enjoying my Knocked Up rosebush as I type this.  Or the ninja squirrels that lived in our back yard ate all the buds, in which case it's probably dead.  Either option is dismal.

Last year for mother's day - my first real Mother's Day, we were moving and our lives were less than stable.  Apparently, Uriah slipped Abby thirty bucks and told her to get me something nice.  I got a card and a small plant.  She pocketed the change (or should I say, she used the change on my gift and pocketed the rest.).  I tried not to be bitter about my husband totally phoning in Mother's Day last year - after all, I did give him a glorious son and I was actively assisting in the raising of his daughter, you'd think the least he could do was honor me for one day in the manner to which I am befit (you know, parade, marching band, ice sculpture made in my likeness. Simple stuff.), instead of passing it off on an eleven-year-old who (allegedly) was jonesing for some Grape Smackers chapstick.

I've learned my lesson, people.  This year will just be another normal Sunday since my husband will, once again, be busy feeding everyone else's mother.  No biggie; I'm used to it by now (but that doesn't stop me from complaining about it, obvs!).  I think I'll get some flowers and we'll do some planting if the weather holds.  If not...it'll probably be a movie/martini hot cocoa fest up in here and everyone will take naps.

If you're crapping your pants, just now realizing you have nothing for the mothers/grandmothers in your life and you want to do something thoughtful, or rather, you want your kids to do something thoughtful, may I suggest you have them paint some pots and then plant some flowers.  It's relatively cheap (terracotta pots at the Wals are less than $2, depending on what size you get.  All the acrylic paints I got were on clearance.) and the little planters can be used again for years to come (green points!).  We used two different sizes, bigger pots for Abby, baby-sized pots for Finn.  This project obviously took Abby a lot longer than Finn, she used a paintbrush and all, he just used his fingers.  After the paint was finished drying (I waited a couple of hours for Finn's, a little bit longer for Abby's.), I slapped some modge podge on those little suckers (the pots, not the kids), let them dry completely, and then put each kid's name and year on the bottom.  Abby got to plant the flowers and Finn got to water them.

It's the gift that keeps on giving.

 

Note: These were actually our Easter presents for the grandmas, but I think the craftiness works for Mother's Day, too.