ALT-1 Mothers Day how to be Sentimental without being Cheesy
In the past, I have been one of the many patrons clogging the aisles of the greeting card stores on a desperate quest to find that one meandering card that will eloquently express the love I feel for my mom. I realized, however, that this simple gesture makes me feel as though I am offering an impersonal token of gratitude for all of the years she devoted to my growth. Now that I am a mother, I realize that the two things I desire most is for my children to have wonderful memories, and for all my worldly advice to stay within them long into adulthood.
An inexpensive yet opulent gift for a mother is, indeed, a bundle of memories that assures her you have been listening throughout the years. The only supplies you need for this project is a blank scrapbook and basic glue stick available at your local craft store.
First, rummage through your old photographs and set aside the ones that remind you of fond memories you shared with your mother. Think about the lessons she has taught you throughout the years, and choose the photographs that exemplify these lessons. For instance, perhaps your mother stressed that you should eat your vegetables. If so, you might want to choose a baby picture with your face muddied up with green beans.
Once you have selected your photos, paste one on every page (Note: If you do not have extra copies of these photos, you may want to have them duplicated before you paste them). Be sure to leave the first page of the scrapbook blank so that you can use it as an introduction or title. You can design the pages however you choose. For those of you who are craft-savvy, you may include elaborate backgrounds. If you can barely operate a glue stick, on the other hand, I assure you that simply centering one photograph on each page will be equally as delightful.
Once the photographs are fastened, write a caption under each one that describes a lesson you learned from your mother. For instance, "I learned the importance of veggies," is a great caption for a picture of you with those green beans all over your high chair. Once complete, you can now return to the first page and construct your personal message or title. When I did this for my own mother, I wrote: "The Greatest Lessons in Life are the One's We Learn from Mom."
Your mother is sure to love this gift and will cherish it not only because it is filled with memories, but it is also a testament to how much you have learned from her love and patience. While many greeting cards are made of recyclable paper because they wind up in the recycling bin more often than not, this gift will remain one that is more than likely re-visited and cherished for a lifetime. And, your mom might even forgive you for all the years she spent cleaning up those green bean messes!
