Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

It will soon be that time, to honor mom. The first proclamation of Mother’s Day in 1870 was by Julia Howe. She asked women everywhere to join for world peace. What are your Mother’s Day Plans? Are you planning a trip? Do you want dinner out, or are you just looking for that perfect gift? Everyone celebrates in different ways, but here are a few ideas to help out along the way.

A hike, or patio meal.

As the weather warms, we all crave the wonderful chance to spend time in the out of doors. I love to visit nearby beautiful Lincoln Memorial Gardens. Created by famed landscape architect Jens Jensen, the pathways are filled with native plants and offer a lovely way to spend a day. It is particularly marvelous in the spring!

I also love a picnic, or meal on a patio. The only thing that can ruin these good times are bugs, bugs, bugs! However, you can combat this, and fight them naturally! I

I am pleased to review the coolest bug spray on the block TREK kids insect repellent should be perfect for kids of any age then there is TREK insect repellent to provide an insect free outdoor space, and for those pesky flies, I received SCRAM to create a no-fly zone. All of these products are made by @Lemongrass. All these products are seed oil DEET and GMO free! I look forward to trying these out during a future hike!

Hike in comfort!

LAMO Footwear sent me their amazing Amelie white tennis shoes to try out. These cool tennis shoes with a California vibe are perfect for mom’s everywhere as they head out for a Mother’s Day outdoor adventure. I love the style, and the comfort. The brand was established in 1995 in Southern California, and they offer men, women’s and kids style shoes. The shoes have great support and offer a cushion walk. Try some on for size for yourself or think about the perfect pair for mom!

On the road.

Being prepared while on the road is always in the forefront of my mind. My mom says anytime we are getting ready to leave on a trip to be sure to say a travel prayer. Besides looking heavenward a few other helpful things to include are an atlas, phone, and a rechargeable lantern! I received the Duracell Tri-Power Rechargeable Lantern to review. I find that this lantern that takes four Duracell batteries and at its highest-level illuminates 2000 lumens for up to two and a half hours is a perfect traveling adventures of a farm girl travel companion. Offering light when needed on the side of the road is a wonderful thing. Besides travel, this wonderful lantern also offers assistance when the power goes out at home! Being battery operated you don’t have to depend on electricity or flame!

This tri-Power lantern is also perfect for taking on hikes, or to light up a dark corner when dining outside! This would be a great addition for mom!

Trip? Yes please!

Last year my sister Debbie and I took my mom to Charleston, Missouri to celebrate the Dogwood and Azalea Festival it was awesome. This year we are trying out a Daffodil Festival and fashion show!

I am always looking for new places to go, and things to do. Iowa has long been a travel destination for my husband Keith and me. My friend Sara Broers is author of the new book, Perfect Day Iowa, Day Trips, Weekend Getaways, and Other Escapes. A Reedy Press publication, Sara also wrote, 100 Things to do in Iowa Before You Die. What I love about Perfect Day Iowa is the book offers planned trips. All you have to do is jump in the car and go. I have been to many places in Iowa, but this book reminds me, or shares new places like Winterset to see John Wayne history and more like the Bridges of Madison County. Sara also offers nearby alternative stops in case you have extra time.

Loving roadside stops, I need to get to Ames to see the World’s Largest Concrete Elf! I l that you can travel to many places in Iowa, and feel like you are in a different country like Pella and Elkhorn! Sara said this same aspect is true also in Decorah, a stop I haven’t made yet. Sara shared, “I like to say that it is easy to travel the world when exploring Iowa. Decorah brings out the Norwegian in all of us.”

There is a lot of Agricultual stops for those moms like me that love agricultural history. I want to get to the Harriman-Nielsen Historic Farm in Franklin County and to see living history farms and the Big Steer in Des Moines. Pick up a copy and find the perfect Iowa destination for your Mother’s Day trip.

When driving, I always have a book in hand, and I am thoroughly enjoying Charlene Wexler’s book, Farewell To South Shore, a novel. The book starts in the 1950’s and moves through new decades showing the changes that the new decades bring and how the heroine handles them. Set on the South Shore of Chicago it is fascinating to read about societal changes through the ages. The heroine, a young Jewish girl brings the characters in this riveting book together through her eyes. The description shares how this can be applied to our own lives, “The book inspires perseverance and determination to help take charge of one’s own life in a rapidly changing world—a world vastly different than the idyllic South Shore of the main character’s youth.”

For those of us in Illinois, looking for places to travel, I received a new tool to review. Already, I have found new and different ideas in the new book, 100 Things to do in Illinois Before You Die. Written by Melanie Holmes, this just released book has lots of places I have been, but many I have not! I haven’t been to Grame Mill in Oak Brook. We haven’t stayed in a caboose at Hanna City’s Wildlife Park.

I love spas and have never visited the one price for 24 hours King Spa and Sauna in Niles, Illinois. Most of all on my list is a ride on a paddlewheel riverboat on the Fox River, or Grafton, or Peoria! Melanie Holmes also mentions several places I have never dined at before. This book offers lots of neat options!

Reedy Press has been providing quality 100 Things to Do books for years now, and several friends of mine are authors of this amazing series. I personally have used the 100 Things to Do in Iowa, and 100 Things to Do in Peoria books for fun ideas. Pick up one where you live and play tourist in your own backyard. Don’t forget to take a gander at the local visitor’s guide either. A quick view through the latest Capital City Visitor’s Guide enlightened me about upcoming events I want to try! Senior News & Times that I write for also has an awesome events calendar with a list of fun things to do as well as the Illinois Times.

Music Lover?

If you love the blues, a visit to Clarksdale, Mississippi may be in order for mom. Just returning from a hosted tour (Thank You Visit Clarksdale) we saw and did so much. Keith and I enjoyed this totally different from our usual trip.

If you don’t need fancy, but want to be in the heart of it, stay at the Shack Up Inn. These former sharecropper homes located on the Hopson Plantation have been converted to fun stays right outside of this Meca where the blues and rock were born. In the former cotton gin, listen to music, or go downtown where music lives almost every day of the week!

Fans of old iron will love the agricultural history of this amazing place as well as the repurposed yard art!

Best of all, book a tour with Chilly Billy Howell of Delta Bohemian Tours. In his jeep, Billy will take you all over the Delta area and share stories of the area, the culture, and the Delta. We took a 3-and-a-half-hour tour and love every minute.

No matter where you go, or who you call mom, take time to celebrate this special day in a meaningful way. Whether a meal at home, a trip, or a card, just remembering that person you think of as mom is what it is all about. For me just spending time with my kids is everything!

I will keep adding to this blog as we get closer to the day as ideas come my way. What is your favorite way of celebrating?