Mom's, I Really Need a Great Gift Idea for Grandma!

Every year I make my in laws a shutterfly album of photos I've taken thru the year of the kids. The price depends on how many pages you put in. I can always find coupons if I google shutterfly coupons.

I remember one year as a single parent with no $... I wrote my folks a poem... and I'm not a poem writer but they both liked it a lot.

This year we are making photo mugs for both grandma and grandpa. Walgreens has them for under $20 and my inlaws LOVe them as she drinks coffee every morning and he drinks his tea throughout the day.

As a mom and a great grandmother, I know the favorite gifts from my children are words and photos. For my 70th birthday (but why wait until then?) I received an album of photos letters and drawings from family and friends from long ago. It was not terribly expensive and also included internet generated info about what happened when I was certain ages and stages of my life in the context of what was happening in the world around me. I love and treasure it!! You can be as creative as you like and are or can count on the input of others. she would never ask her friends to send testimonials of their memories and feelings about her, but I'll bet she would love to receive and re read them if you asked the friends to write something!! Go to Michaels for the equipment when it is on sale or with their coupons.w

How lovely of you to be thinking of this so far in advance and what a wonderful family you have!!all three generations. Mom will understand and appreciate whatever you give even if it is just a letter from you! Blessings, N.

a picture of your son and a picture of you when you were his age. That would be fun.

One thing I have done with chidren for a few years is to make a hand print in cinnamon and spice playdough that will harden either in the oven or by air drying it for a week or more. I made up my own recipe. I started with a basic playdough recipe that calls for 2 parts of flour to one part of salt, and a teaspoon of cream of tartar to each 2 cups of flour. I leave out the oil and food color the recipe calls for, but add a lot of inexpensive cinnamon and other spices. Buy the cheap stuff for this as it works just as well for this purpose as the more expensive spices. I probably use almost as much spice in the recipe as I do salt... but you can do a bit of experimentation with the amounts. (this is one of those recipes like your grandmother had... I can't give you exact amounts because I just do it by 'feel') Mix enough water into the dry ingredients to make a nice firm dough. If you get a little too much water in it, you can either add a little more of the dry ingredients (a good idea is to mix the dry, put some into a separate bowl, add your water, then you can easily add more dry as needed) or if it isn't too much too wet, you can simply wait a few hours for it to dry out a little before working with it.
Now, what I do with the dough is to sit and work it until it's nice and smooth, then I form a heart shape large enough for the child's hand, and about half an inch thick. Once I have the heart formed the way I want it, I help the child put his or her handprint in the dough. Then I take a pencil with a dull lead in it, and carefully poke it in the dough to 'write' the child's name and the date in the dough around the edges of the heart. It's sort of like doing a dotted line rather than writing. I'm finding it a bit difficult to figure out how to explain that, but hope you can get the idea.
I prefer to let the finished heart air dry. You will need to check it daily and turn it over several times to let it dry evenly on both sides. Depending on the temperature and air quality of your room, it may take up to two weeks for this to dry completely, but it will dry hard and be durable. These have a lovely scent and make a wonderful keepsake. You could also have your son make a set of tree ornaments by cutting cookie cutter shapes out of this dough, rolled to about 1/4 inch thick. Poke a hole in the top of each ornament so you can thread some ribbon, string, or fishing line through to make a loop for hanging once they are dried. I would just use a fine line permanent marker to put the child's name and the date on these... probably just date them Christmas 2009.
Put some of these along with a nice photo album as some of the other respondents have suggested and you'll have a nice inexpensive gift that will be worth millions to your mother.

Hi J.

I am not very creative, so I had to look for help from professionals when we were looking for gifts for the grandparents this year. I found that creating a photo book of the last year with all pictures of my daughter was an easy task and at an ok price. Shutterfly has offers all the time to get discounts on their products. And the grandparents loved the book. - Now if the economy does not allow you to do this through an online company, you can always create the photo book yourself just using a photo binder or something like it. And that way you could also include crafts (drawings) from your son which he might have made at school throughout the year. Another idea is a personalized calendar - again with pictures of your son from the past year. I got one from my daughter's daycare last year - they had taken pics of my daughter and pasted them into the calendar. Now, a year later I am seeing/enjoying a "new" pics of my baby every month :-)

Good luck with finding the perfect gift :-)

Simple things made by you and you son will mean the most. A cast of your child's hand, a vase with stickers on it from the dollar store. Journey through the dollar store and go wild. Homemade story books with color paper and cut outs from magazines. These are the things that have meant the most to me through the years. A card with a note saying how much you love and appreciate you with a promise to do something for her or with her.

Whenever it's tight around here and I need an excellent gift for family, I make a bag... Target, Wal-Mart, Joann’s, and Michaels all have the canvas bags for pretty inexpensive (I usually get a package of 5 and can get it for around $4 with a coupon). So that's about $1 each. Then I get a package of the iron on photo paper - the key is to get for color backgrounds. It prints onto a white space rather than a clear one, so you'll need to cut close to your pic, but then it doesn't matter what color you iron onto and is easier to use left overs at a later date so you’re not limited. After you choose a pic and print it out... doesn't even have to be a perfect print... Iron it on and let it sit for a day. Then take some ribbon to the top and glue it as a frame around the photo. Have your child put his/her hand print on the other side and put his name and date on there... and there you go. I will often go to the thrift store and get a book that is cheap and looks interesting and will put it in there with a bookmark the kids made.

Now Grandma has her very own book bag to show off.

Break down... Bag cost about $1, Photo paper is anywhere from $5 to $20 bucks on a box - but should equal out to about $1 to $1.50 a sheet. Most all of us have ink now days - but if you don't I betcha you know someone willing to donate one print to you. Paint and ribbon can be purchased for as little as $.25 each on clearance, but lets say $1 to be safe. A thrifty book... Maybe $2... Grand total = $6ish to $10ish bucks

It's irreplaceable, special, and with a photo of the grandbaby to show off, she couldn't be more proud! (Now, grandpa I'm still working on!)

1. Maybe a framed letter expressing just how much she means to you, along with a small picture of you and your little guy, reminding her of the age you were when you wrote the letter. It would be something that she could display with pride.

2. You could get a plate at Goodwill and decoupage a photo onto it for display (using ModPaj (sp???).

3. If she wears T-shirts, you could decorate a T-shirt with fabric paints.... "Best Grandma in the world"... "My grandma is better than yours", etc.

4. I'm broke, too -- Last year I gave mom a "Corn Shaver". I totally loved mine and used in to shave off the rough skin on my heel. It cost under $3 at Wal-Mart, but I put a note in about how much I loved mine and that I thought she'd like it, too. She LOVED it, and thought I'd special ordered it from Germany.

5. Finally, a friend of mine would give photos from magazines of things she would buy for family members if she had the money. Your mom likely has plenty of "stuff" so the thought is probably better anyway. There's also nothing like the gift of service -- offering to organize a closet, or help her paint a wall... Good luck!

Mom - one of the best gifts I have gifted to my own mom in the past for Christmas and birthdays is a homemade photo album. All the photos of yourself and your son together and ones of your son with your mom will melt her heart. As you know, Grandmas love to show off their grandchildren to everybody! You can buy an inexpensive photo album or a couple of them at Target. Then you can go to Michael's Craft store and buy little charms and things you can glue in the albums to personalize them. I hope that helps! Best of luck.

My inlaws love sappy type gifts. We make something every year. One that my mother in law really enjoyed was a book. We went to the dollar and bought an photo album(with no designs). You can then do one of a number of things to fill the middle. Have your son and yourself think of thing that you appreciate about your mom. Draw and/ or use pictures to add to your saying. One that we did was the ABC's of MaNan. The kids thought of something for every letter of the alphabet of why they love their grandmother. (Say B is for reading books to me.You can then either have your son draw a picture of grandma reading a book to him or if you have a picture of her reading to him you canuse that. Add sticker/ or stamp to finish the page.) If ABC's are to daunting try the top 10 best things of grandma are.. There are many various ways to do this and grandmothers always love something that shows how much they are loved. I have more ideas if needed let me know. Sorry this message is solong.

The calendar idea is one I really like. Your son is old enough to enlist his help. The two of you could take pictures together for each month. Look at a calendar, think about and talk about each month with your son, and come up with something for that month. Maybe cut out snow flakes and take pictures of the two of you "in the snow" for a winter month. Or go eat snow cones and take pictures, if you don't want to be "crafty." Your 5 year old will likely have some great ideas. You guys can then share your stories with your mom for how the calendar came to be, and she will know that you care about her enough to give the two thing you have in abundance . . . your time and your love. I am sure she will be thrilled to see your faces all year long, and smile when she thinks about how you came up with the idea for the month and how you carried it out.
Good Luck.

Write her a letter with those happy sappy heartfelt thoughts of all that she means to you. Describe an event you shared together that touched you, or how some moment with your child reminded you of all she must have done for you when you were a child and how much you appreciate it now that you're a mom. Handwritten is better than typed.

Take a family photo(s) make a simple collage (glue on scrap mat board from a frame shop, usually they'll sell for cheap) and put in an inexpensive frame 8x10. You could also add a brief note or memory or quote in your handwriting to make it personal.

Even better, have your son make a signed "love you Grandma" drawing or painting (we all know how treasured kids art can be) and frame it simply. Or a handprint.

memories matter with mothers, and I'm sure your mom will treasure recalling loved memories and knowing she made a diffference in her child's life.

hope this helps! (and thanks for stimulating my creativity in time for Christmas!)

rs

Are you a family that takes pictures or does photo sessions? Last year, I put together a scrapbook for my parents of every visit from their grandchildren over the years. If you have lots of pictures, keep it to just Christmases or whatever annual event with you and your son might mean the most to you. If you're lucky enough to have most of your photos online, there are plenty of free digital software programs that would allow you to create a book online. Prices can be relatively low if you choose well. I love my Storybook Creator by Creative Memories. I can send you a link if you're interested.

Hey J. ~ I am not sure where you live or how much exactly that you have to spend, but I think that you should possibly consider making her a t-shirt with your sons handprints made into some sort of design. If you have the $ you can go to a ceramic store (one of those do it yourself places) and make a serving platter. They have lots of ideas in there. One time I saw a platter that was made with the grandkids handprints turned into reindeer and then they put some trees and stuff around, but it was really cute....and you could also do that on a shirt or sweatshirt for her. Something that she would be able to wear or use every Christmas! I am not a very crafty person either which is why I like the ceramic place, they already have ideas there and all I have to do is copy them! LOL hahahaha! Another idea might be a little scrapbook that you could make for her and maybe put some of your sons art work in there as a background or something??? Once again, I see people make these awesome things, but thinking of them myself, I'm not so good at! Good Luck, my unartful sympathy goes out to you! tee hee!

hi J.! i come from a financially challenged but loving, accepting, sappy bunch myself and here are some of the ideas that we've used as presants over the years:
a gift of a monthly shoulder rub or hairbrushing session (don't all grandma's love having their hair brushed?!?)
a card made with your child for grandma that is a "ticket for lunch w/entertainment" (you make the lunch and you and your son could put on a puppet show or do a dance or sing songs for grandma)
a card promising a "meal a month", cooked by you
a pic of your son in a frame that you make w/paper, elmer's glue and pens that your son can help build and decorate for grandma; you can glue buttons or beads on the paper frame, too :) also, cheaply, you can buy a magnet to glue on the back so the pic can be a fridge-magnet for her
depending on how old your son is, you could do a card "ticket" that gets her car washed by you and your boy (that would be so much fun she'd have to join in! weather permitting!) :)
another "card coupon" idea is if there is a chore you know is hard for her to do or she doesn't like doing, you could have a ticket that says you'll do this chore for her (1Xa week, or twice a month, once a month, or something)
neat things on cards would be your son's handprints, footprints, and you can always fancy-up a picture he draws/makes with a frame made out of strips of paper glued to the edge (get glue sticks and let your son help!)
one year my aunt wrote out a whole page of little ticket-gifts for me that were things like bringing over a dvd and popcorn for a movie night, or washing my dishes, or cooking me a meal, and it was wonderful to "cash" them in throughout the next year! plus, they don't cost anything extra AND they generate regular get-togethers, nurture our connections, and keep expensive, uneccessary knick-knacks from stacking up at grandma's house when what she truly probably wants is more loving attentions and connections to her wonderful family :)
you and your family sound lovely and i'm sure you'll hit on the right gift!
have fun!
lotsa love,
S.

You've gotten so many suggestions already, and I didn't get a chance to read through all of them....but in case these haven't been mentioned yet, here are a couple really inexpensive gifts I've given my mother-in-law that she has really loved:

Photo charm bracelet, already filled with with pictures of all her grandkids, similar to this one:
http://www.rubbernation.com/servlet/the-1422/photo-frame-...

Photo watch with the grandkids' pictures. You design it yourself online, and they are surprisingly inexpensive. I've gotten several for myself and my husband as well. The site also has other photo items very reasonably priced. The photo watches are $30, other items such as calendars, mugs, etc, are less.
http://www.creationsbyyou.com/IP/consumer_internet.asp

My mother in law loves to show off her grandkids, so both of these gifts were perfect for her to be able to show pictures of them easily, particularly when she travels and meets new people!

Hope these help in your decision making!

Greetings J.: The greatest gift that I have ever recieved from any of my children are the ones from thier hearts. The letters, the cute drawings ( from the kid who cn't do stick figures), photos, that were put in a frame, or just a book they got from Walgreens. When they have come and done something like yard work, set up the hoilday decorations--
It is not the price tag but the heart felt thought that went into it. Make her a nice dinner and give her the night off.
There are lots of ways to say Ilove and appreciate you, and many are out of work and being creative this year. Good Luck, Nana G

Believe me, no mom, no matter what age, can resist a picture of her sweet child...that includes YOU! I don't know whether you have a digital camera or not, if you do then have someone take a picture of you, go to the Walgreens website (prints are REALLY cheap!) and find a nice frame (you don't have to spend more than $15 on one). Write her a note telling her how much she means to you and tape it on the back.
You can also go somewhere like Walmart or Kmart and get a portrait done for relatively cheap.
If you don't want to do that then go to somewhere like Michaels and wander around. There are plenty of crafty things you can buy for under $20.
You are a mom, think about your own child, you know that any gift that your child gives you is appreciated and accepted with love...your mom will feel the same way about a gift from you. =)

Hi J.,
For mother's day this year, I recieved from my toddler ( or his day care provider) the cutest gift: A small 8-12" terra cot plant pot decorated with his prints. His hands were the wings for a butterfly, his little finger marks were the dots on the caterpillar's body.
YOu can use a foot print as the body of an angel (the face goes on the ball of the foot) and draw simple wings. YOu can find the right paints at a craft store.

Of course I dont' plant anything in my precious pot, I use a small jar will fresh flowers in the center of it and keep it on the table.

I am not a very crafty person but one year for Mother's Day I got a Small Photo Album and Some Scrapbooking Paper from Michael's Craft Store and I made a really need photo Scrapbook for her. I bought a few applications to stick on the front that said"Mom" I love you etc. and then I put a photo of everyone in the Family, one on each Page and on the Opposite Page of the photo, I put the Decorative Scrap Book paper and I asked everyone to write something to her or about her or a thought or comment etc. I also applied these Nice Stickers with little sayings on the pages throughout the album. To this day, it is her FAVORITE thing. Her Grandson is in there, whom she adores and she looks at the Album ALL OF THE TIME and it really makes her smile. Which in turn, makes me smile. Sometimes the simple things make the best gifts. Good Luck!!

Dear J.,
Ever since my kids were little, we always made ornaments for Christmas. I'm a single mom too, so we got crafty out of necessity. The thing about making ornaments is that family members always save them and can hang them around each year. Home made gifts are always the best. The great part is, the kids absolutely loved the projects and put their little hearts into them. Now that they are older, they love seeing the things they made still being treasured. Your son is 5 so this can be a tradition that you start.
We've made ornaments out of popsicle sticks, hand prints cut out of poster board and painted with glitter touches. One super easy thing that cost basically nothing is making a paper bag wreath.
Get a large paper shopping bag. Unfold it at the seems so it lays flat. Trim any torn edges. Roll it up, lengthwise, it does NOT have to be perfect, because then your wring and twist it from one end to the other, like a wet towel. Then, form it into a circle and secure it with floral wire or thin gauge wire you can buy at any hardware store. You can get a little spool of it for $2. You can spray it with green paint, about $3 and sprinkle gold, red, or silver glitter while it's still wet. Then you can tie a pretty fabric bow along with a heart button or a photo you glue to a wooden heart you get from the craft store. You don't have to have a glue gun, they make craft glues that dry clear.
They really do turn out cute and you can use your imagination. It costs very little and it's so easy your kid will like making more than one. I left some of the wreaths plain brown, but wound little star garland around it in silver or gold and put on a matching bow. Some of our friends have left theirs up all year round.
One year, my son's class made popsicle stick picture frames with a photo of him in it and a ribbon for hanging. Super cute. It goes on the tree every year.

I'm sure you'll find something wonderful to do and your mother will love that you and your son put thought into it.

Let us know how your project works out!

J.,
I'm not crafty either. :) Last year I made a photo album at Shutterfly.com it was absolutely beautifully bound. The pages were amazing and all I did was drag and drop the kids' pictures. The whole thing with shipping and tax cost about $30. It's definitely the best thing I've ever done for my mom. It was such a success, I made one for my mother-in-law as well. She carries hers around with her. They both cherish it.
If you want to do that, go to shutterfly and set up a free account. Then watch for coupons in your email. They do free shipping, etc. specials.
Good luck!
C.

Hi J.,

I agree with Erika, those Shutter Fly books are wonderful. It will be the best present and also a family keepsake for years to come. My sister makes them for special occasions and they are always the biggest hit, passed around the gathering again and again. Your mom will love it. I also like the idea of photos of you and your son when you were the same age. I have one of my son, his father and me when we were all about 8 months old. Even though I'm not with his father anymore (we're friends...took a long time), I still love looking at those photo's.

Blessings.......

A small scrapbook would be nice, but can be costly. Even printing photos could be a financial strain -- I don't know the extent of your financial situation. However, one nice photo, even from a candid shot, either 5X7 or 8X10 will only be a couple of dollars, put it in a Target/Walmart frame and she'll love it (I know, I'm a grandmother). OR a coupon book for once a month "events" --- they can all be free (a morning at the park, picnic lunch, etc.). Do some research --- there are a lot of free stuff you can do. A walking tour of downtown, a stroll through a Farmer's Market, a drive through the city to look at Christmas lights, etc. Anything that gives grandma a guaranteed day each month to see your son, even if it's just an afternoon of board games. She'll know that you've both put some thought into it, and that's all we need. . . to know that you've cared enough to spend some time, which is more valuable to us than any THING would be. Your mom is lucky that you care enough to make this special!

I've got to agree with others...a Shutterfly album! I have a two year son, and I make one for him each year. This year I have decided to make one for the Grandparents and Great-Grandparents. The ones I make for my son are the largest ones with tons of pictures. They get rave 'reviews' from everyone that sees them. The quality is wonderful. This year for Christmas, I will be making smaller ones with our favorite pictures. And the nice thing about this is that you can make this a tradition and continue to give a new album each year with new pictures. And even if you are not 'crafty', the site is very user friendly and will help you look like your very own Martha Stewart! ;) Good luck!

I hope this doesn't sound cornie but I really think if my children only give me drawings for gifts on my birthday I will forever love each gift. What about a photo and poem, or artwork that has been framed? Best if it includes all 3 generations- a recent,happy, family event? Or.. and this is what I think really lives on with people- just make a plan to do something! Make a memory- go somewhere you've always wanted to go together- do something that is a little off the wall and be daring about eating something not in your normal diet or make a picnic w/ your favorite good stuff.
Good luck. Let us all know what you decide!

Hi J.-
I'm not sure if this is something you have time for, but it is something I did for my mom one year when we were (and still are) short on cash. My mom loves Thomas Kincade paintings, so I bought a couple of the puzzles (they sell a set of 10 of them on the ABC or LTD Commododities websites and catalogs for really cheap) and put them together. I bought puzzle glue and then went to Michaels during one of their 40% off framing deals with my coupon and had them framed. She has them hanging up all over her home and absolutely loves them. Another idea... I do this every year is through my scrapbooking software (on my computer) i make a calendar with Pics of my daughter throughout the year and print them out (have them bound at Kinkos) and give those to my mom/dad and mother-in-law so they have a yearly calendar with pics of my daughter throughout the year with little sayings and clipart that is really cute. My family looks forward to these calendars every year because they get pics of the kid without the album and get to see how much she has grown over the year since (esp. my mom-in-law who lives far away) they don't get to see her as often as they'd like.

Another idea would be to have your little guy make some pics (if he does any coloring or drawing or finger painting) and have those little pics put into a book (bound) or framed for your mom as keepsakes.

I hope this helps with some ideas.

S.
SAHM to 4.5 yr old girl and #2 due on Halloween. Married 6.5 yrs to great husband who really loves to help out.

grandma's always love framed photos of their grandchildren, make it a collage/scrapbook of pictures and memories of you and your son or grma and son. Frames can be cheap at Target or Ross. Also Snapfish online, or any digital photo processing website, will make photo albums or mugs with your child's picture for not a lot of money. might be worth a try
good luck to you

Every year for mother's day I get my mom a calendar with all her grandkids pictures loaded into. If your a member of costco you can get one through their website for less than $20 or you can use snapfish, which is what costco uses you just get less of a discount. It's still around the same price though, maybe a couple dollars more. My mom loves it!

Something that I like to do is go to "color me mine", I am not sure where you live but you can look up online if there is one near you. I live in Tracy and we have one and they have nights where you can paint for $2 and they have plates that are only $10 so for $12 you and your son can paint a plate in your moms favorite color or color to match her house and then put his hand print on it. My mom loves this and she displays it around the house. Also after they are fired they are dishwasher safe and she can actually use the plate. I am not crafty at all(I too do not own a glue gun) and I can do this so I know you can too.
C.

So many wonderful ideas people have, I'm glad you asked!

Just to throw my 2 cents in, every year I do a calendar on Snapfish, you upload the pictures you want to use, arrange them in any way online and can do a calendar starting any month you want. They usually run specials, but I normally pay about $20 per calendar. Not bad for one that is completely customized. You also can put special events/birthdays on individual days of the calendar. The grandparents & great-grandparents all cherish these and look forward to them every year. And they don't forget birthdays either!

I am not creative personally, so I love to hear other ideas that I can glean from!
Have a great day
D.

I made my mom a calendar on shutterfly. If you look they usually have free shipping deals. It didn't cost a lot but I was able to choose the style layout and pictures of my boys to put in it. She loved it! The printing turned out great and I will for sure use them again. I hope this idea helps...

J.,

I frequently am looking for ideas for grandmas and great grandmas on little money.

If she is very sentimental, you can make a brag book for her and add little stories or milestones about your son. You can get brag books at any drug store or Walmart or Target. Then you just add the pictures on some pages and print out stories or milestones on card stock for other pages. No glue gun involved, just a printer and a pair of scissors.

D.

shutterfly.com you can make gifts with pictures of your son. I make a calendar every year for my mom.

Hi J.,

Last year for Christmas my 18yo niece gave us (and my mom) a calendar with different pics of my boys for each month. She wanted to give us something that she knew we'd like and use, plus she was only working very, very part-time, so it wasn't too costly. She just went to Office Depo with the pics and had them do it for her. If you are a member of Costco, I know they do great gifts with their online photo center, calendars too. One year I gave my husband a coffee mug from Costco with a pic of him and my son on it and I believe it only cost around $10-15. I also ordered a mouse pad for my FIL to use with his computer with a pic of my son and I think I paid around $5-10. They still use it to this day. The only thing I would mention, but I didn't know, was that photo mugs need to be washed by hand or the photos fade. Just an FYI.

Good luck finding the perfect gift that works for you. There are a lot of great ideas here!

God bless.
N.

Hi Jen,

Make your mom a scrapbook. She will love it and you will have countless laughs making it. You can even have your son make his own page for it with your help. It's a wonderful way to preserve the memories and will provide hours of fun and reminiscing.

God bless.

Every year I make my parents a dvd of pictures of their grandkids and kids set to music. These are very easy to make and also easy to pop in any dvd player or computer to watch.

There is a program called Roxio that sometimes come with your computer. You might want to look and see if yo already have it.

Also, it is possible to make these dvds at CVS, Walgreens and the like.

But if you have a program or a friend who has one, it is virtually free.

Hi, J.,
I always give my parents a calendar with 12 lovely photos of my kids on it for the next year. That way, they can enjoy the gift all year long and it does not cost that much. Shutterfly is who I use for that. Good luck!

Hi J.,
I think something with pictures, maybe if you have several, you can have a collage poster made or just a picture of the 3 of you, your mom and your child, that would be special I would think. If you don't have a digital camera, you could probably take a print almost anywhere and someone can help you to choose a product and they can scan it I would think. Walmart, CVS, almost anywhere these days or online if you have a digital camera, shutterfly, kodak, Costco and lots more. Good Luck and I'm sure she will love whatever you do. Maybe a handmade card to go with it. You can look online at MarthaStewart.com to get ideas, there are tons of ideas there. Have Fun!!
J.

How about a digital frame with pictures of you and your children for her. You can pick them up for less than $75 now.

Many years ago in Gymboree, we did a project that was called Made by Me at Gymboree. We took a white apron and put the kids' handprints on the apron. you could do a similar thing with both you and your son putting handprints on the apron and some type of slogan Made with Love, or something like that. Almost 20 years later, my Mom still has that apron, although she doesn't use it as much as when my kids were little. If you do something like this, be sure to use fabric paint so the handprints don't wash out.

J. F.

try craftynest.com They have some really inexpensive ideas on there. Also, a photo book from shutterfly or kodak is a great idea. I did one for my parents last year as a "Camp Grandma" type of book and it was great. There are some other websites out there that are similar to those that do the books and probably cheaper. sometimes you can get them for little or nothing and just have to pay the shipping. Also, the crafty nest.com is good for things that you probably have around the house and an re-use.

Hi J.,

I love the digital picture frames. You can get them in a keychain, Christmas ball ornament, pencil holder, etc.

Does she have a favorite goodie that she doesn't like to spend the time making?

Best wishes.
J.

You already have so many good ideas... You could do a scrapbook. There are a lot of websites out there that will help you do the whole thing digitally. :)

Hi, Hope this helps... For mother's day my husband got a big white coffee mug kit (Michaels) and decortated it with everything my 2 year old was into at that time. He put her hand print, bubble wand, hair pins she wore, he even glued on some small toys. It is my favorite gift ever! I brought it to work and use it everyday..... I have also seen you can do the same thing with plates etc. I don't know where you live but they actually have a store in down town Benicia that you pick out your ceramics and decorate it, then they fire in in the kiln for you. Im sure they have them in other cities as well.
Best of luck.
M.

Hi J. this could sound expensive but theirs all price for your bugget. A gift certificate for a spa you can pay as much or as little that you want look around for specials on spas call your local spas and ask if they have any discount cupons or spacials on their packages i bet you will find some good deals get a gift card also and fill it up with money little by little untill you have on it the amount you want to give to your mom hope it helps you out.

As a mother and a grandmother, the best gift my daughter and granddaughter gave me was the AMC $10 gift card.

In the past my daughter always gave me things that she wanted to give me and not what I wanted. I only ask for one thing for my birthday, mothers day and christmas and that is AMC Gift Card. I love going to the movies and only one time in 4 years did I get what I wanted. The other stuff she gave me I did not need or want and to tell you the truth it was a waste of her money.

So find out what your mother likes and I know she tells you oh wish I could have that or something to that effect. Find out what she has been asking for. If she says I wish I had a photo album to put my pictures in then get her a photo album but if that is not what she wants, don't get it for her.

Listen to your mom and don't get her what you THINK she wants or need because that will not be the case.

Good luck.

Go to www.sensationalsundaes.com

I got my mother in law a little statue from the Willow Tree collection called Grandma. She loved it and it's around $20 dollars but very well worth it. The whole collection is sweet and you can usually get them at the Hallmark stores.

Hi J., while putting a scrapbook together is one of the best ideas, it can get a little costly. What I did for my mom last year, was I bought an inexpensive photo album and put alot of pictures of the family in there. She loved it and of course cried. They also sell tote bags that you can insert pictures into the front. I think anything having to do with pictures of her grandson and you would be a great gift. Good Luck

Adding my two cents to the scrapbook/photo book idea:

We did a digital photobook through kodakgallery.com, and I think it's really meaningful to add in words/captions to "tell the story" of the book you're creating. We found a lovely poem online that we included with our first photobook; we put a line or two on each page, and the grandparents all loved them. The one we purchased was about $30, but they sell them in a variety of sizes and styles -- they have little "brag book" photobooks that are under $20. Good luck!

Hi J.,

You could do a coupon book with activities for your mom. For example, if you know she loves a certain meal you could have the coupon be for you and your son to prepare it for her. Or to help her with a chore, like washing her car. Or go on a walk with her. Or go to get an ice cream together. Or give her a foot massage... whatever you know she would like. You can draw each coupon by hand or cut out photos from magazines and bind them together with a stapler, or a hole-punch and ribbon.

We used to make coupon books for my parents when we were kids. And it's really fun when you make them very personalized. I even made one for my boyfriend (now my husband!) with coupons like, "one entire movie with no talking" because he hates how I talk during movies. :)

Have fun!

Hi J.,

I often make my mom a photo book. Many of the on-line sites (Snapfish, Shutterfly, Ofoto) have a template to use where you just drop in the photos and choose different backgrounds and formats. I try to make them for her reflecting on each year but have also made compilations from the time my son was a baby. They are not that expensive and now is about the time that the sites are offering deals on the cost of the photo books. It is a great way for grandma to take the book to work or elsewhere to "brag" about her grandson. Have fun!

We're doing professional family photos this year. There are a bunch of great deals at the malls, I hear.

Another thought is those places that have the pottery that your son could paint and then give as gifts. Like "Color me Mine" in Dublin. (Not sure where you're located)

J.,
I think you should not focus so much on your mother and spend some time thinking about your sister. She is the amazing one in the family! :)

You can send some of her favorite pictures to Costco for a calendar. Each month will have a different picture of a loved one or special time together. This is pretty inexpensive, and there are all kinds of cool things you can do.. put the persons face on their birthday etc. The pictures can be collaged together, there are all kinds of options for types and fonts. As a mom and grandma, that would definitely be a treasure.