Mother’s Day is more than breakfast in bed or brunch at Church, it’s a day that tells mom how much she means to you.  It’s like stopping the clock for five minutes and taking a moment to give a hug before you go to bed at night. To mom, Mother’s Day can feel like coming up for air, or it can be a day that brings her closer to circling the drain. I try to teach my children that they are responsible for their own thoughts, ideas, and actions; the way they choose to react in a situation is 100% their choice.  But that’s not true, because being a thoughtful gift giver can have an impact on another person’s thoughts, ideas, and actions.  If there is ever a time to be a good gift giver — it’s Mother’s Day!  I promise! Thoughtlessly grabbing whatever is showcased on the Mother’s Day display in the store is just not enough for thanking your mom for the gift of life! For the gift of being the person who loves you flaws and all.

I like to think of myself as a thoughtful gift giver.  Someone who thinks “out of the box”  – so I’m going to tell you what to put in your box, and how to pack it up!  First, you need to start with your basic supplies. My favorite thing to do is grab colorful keepsake boxes to give gifts in. A keepsake box is usually the same price as those throw-away paper bags. BONUS: get the colorful keepsake box because all moms are suckers for a great keepsake box.  Who knows, that may become the box she puts all of your stuff in from now on.  Your kindergarten pinch pot, the pin from your first theme park vacation, your first baby outfit and all of those old pictures — she’ll treasure it all in the box like a little time capsule.  Just wait.

The rest of the supplies you need are tissue paper, colored paper shred, and ribbon.

Open your tissue paper and measure the width of your gift box.  To do this, open the paper and align it to the front of the box. Fold the edges of the tissue paper inward, the width of the box.  Do this TWICE! (See Photos)

Set your tissue paper (folded sides up) inside your box. One folded piece will go from the bottom of the box towards the back of the box.  The other piece will go on top of the first piece on the bottom, but moving outward towards the front of the box. (See Photos).

Stuff the inside of your box with additional tissue paper if your box is considerably deeper than your gift.

Add colorful paper shred,  set some aside for the top of gift.

Set your gift inside of your box. Cover with remaining paper shred.  Close the edges of the tissue paper.  This will help to keep all that wonderful paper shred closed up. Fold the bottom tissue in first, cover with the tissue paper flap on the backside. Tuck, if necessary.

Cover with the lid and add your bow.  Of course, no Mother’s Day gift would be complete without flowers, or a plant.  Something living and beautiful. Even if your mom doesn’t have a green thumb, she needs flowers anyway.  It’s an unwritten rule — I’m writing it!

What’s in My Gift Box?

A few months ago I was thinking about what the most amazing gift I could receive was and I instantly thought, AncestryDNA.  I have a strong desire to know more.  To know more than just the stories I was told as a child. My mother-in-law has a similar desire to know more and to be sure of who she is in this world.  This Mother’s Day she and I both will be celebrating our special day with AncestryDNA.  The bonus is that our gift will keep giving because the results will take a few weeks to come in.  It’s exciting, knowing that we’ll know more about who we are — who we truly are — in the weeks ahead!  It’s a gift that usually can’t be bought in the store, but AncestryDNA has made it possible.  This, by far, is the most thoughtful gift there is.

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