While other pioneers attempted to found a holiday focused on mothers before her, Anna Jarvis is the individual who managed to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. After her own mother passed away in 1905, Jarvis envisioned a holiday that would be about paying tribute to mothers for the sacrifices they made for their children’s benefit. Working with John Wanamaker, the owner of a department store located in Philadelphia, Jarvis organized the first official Mother’s Day on May 10, 1908.
Based on the success of this original celebration, Jarvis aspired to make Mother’s Day a national holiday. While many states had already recognized Mother’s Day as an annual holiday by 1912, Jarvis founded the Mother’s Day International Association with the intent of having Mother’s Day officially added to the national calendar. Jarvis initiated a large-scale campaign to achieve her goal, which included writing letters to influential newspapers and politicians to persuade them to support Mother’s Day as a national holiday. Just two years later, Jarvis’ dream became a reality when President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation designating the second Sunday in May as the national holiday we now call Mother’s Day.
The Growth of Mother’s Day
Over the years, Mother’s Day has grown into a widely celebrated national holiday that honors moms, wives, stepmoms, daughters, sisters, friends, godmothers and grandmothers. In 2015, approximately 84 percent of Americans celebrated Mother’s Day with the most popular gifts being special outings, followed closely by jewelry.
While surveyed moms say that the top Mother’s Day gifts they look forward to the most are something handmade, dinner and a Mother’s Day card, flowers, gift cards, clothing and electronics remain common gifts.
Reasons to Celebrate Your Mother
Out of the world’s two billion mothers, 82.5 million of them live in the United States. Whether your mom lives in America or a foreign country, you might be wondering why there’s a day dedicated to her and other moms. Too often, mothers perform tasks for their children and other loved ones that sometimes go unnoticed, or are taken for granted.
For instance, by the time a child reaches his or her second birthday, the toddler will already have had his or her diaper changed an average of 7,300 times. Assuming your mom changed your diaper at the average speed of two minutes and five seconds, and that she changed you every time you needed a fresh diaper, this means she would have spent more than 243 hours, or more than 10 days, changing your diaper by the time you turned two years old.
As if that weren’t enough of a reason to celebrate your mom on Mother’s Day, did you know that a preschooler needs the attention of his or her mom every four minutes, which equates to 210 times per day? In addition to tending to their little and big kids, moms also do 88 percent of the household laundry, with an average of 330 loads of laundry and 5,300 pieces of clothing being laundered by a mom, in a given household, per year.
On average, moms who work full-time spend more than half of a 24-hour day working either in the office or at home. Considering 72 percent of mothers with children over the age of one year, and 55 percent of moms with a child under the age of one year, work professionally, this means a lot of women push themselves daily to make sure their families are cared for, both financially and emotionally.
Moms not only labor tirelessly, but they also spend tirelessly to make sure the needs of their children are met, as well. Not including college expenses, a middle-income family will spend more than $242,000 on raising a child until he or she reaches 18 years of age. Perhaps the esteemed author, Washington Irving, best explained why your mother — and moms around the world — deserve to be celebrated by their children when he shared the following sentiment: “A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts.”
Gift Ideas for Mom
Whether you value your mom because she changed your diaper, does your laundry or is your truest friend, it can still be challenging to find a gift that expresses your true feelings for her. Fortunately, you have a lot of options when it comes to either making or buying a gift that will show your mom how much you love and appreciate her.
Homemade Gifts
If you’re going to make a present to give to your mom on Mother’s Day, but don’t have an idea of what to make, here are some homemade gift ideas for mom that might appeal to your creative side:
1) Sewing Kit: Depending on your skill level, you might be intimidated by the thought of using your two hands to make a gift for your mom. Luckily, some homemade gifts, such as a sewing kit, can be made simply, with little effort or time required.
You can make a sewing kit for your mom by gathering three mason jars. Place bigger or darker buttons in one of the jars and smaller or lighter-colored buttons in another. Fill the final jar with the things your mom uses to sew, including spools of thread and a small pair of scissors.
You can decorate the jars by printing free, colorful labels for them. You can also glue a pincushion to the top of the jar that is filled with sewing supplies, to make it easy for your mom to get a sewing needle without sticking herself with one or more of them.
2) Planter: If you’re on a tight budget and your mom doesn’t have an interest in sewing, you can make your mom an eye-catching plant holder out of a tin can. You can paint the can your mom’s favorite color and decorate it with free, printable artwork or you can use letters to spell your mom’s name.
Drill holes in the bottom of the can so that it can drain when your mom waters her plant. Then, put your mom’s favorite flower in the planter you’ve created to ensure she’ll think of you every time she looks at her gift throughout the year.
3) Floral Tea: For many, sharing teatime with mom as a toddler, and even as an adult, is a source of cherished memories. You can help your mom recreate these times whenever she has some tea by making her a floral herbal tea blend. While many recipes for herbal tea are available online, one popular blend includes edible roses, lavender, chamomile and mint.
4) Initial Frame: If your mom likes to read, you can make her an initial frame she’ll be proud to hang anywhere in the house by using pages from her favorite book. Use glue or another adhesive to mount random pages from her favorite book on the cardboard that came with the picture frame you’re going to use.
Next, make a stencil for your mom’s first initial using your computer. Pick the font you want to use, set your program to print just the outline of the letter and print the outline on cardstock. Cut the letter out of the cardstock using a box cutter or X-acto knife and place the cardstock in the center of the cardboard you covered with book pages earlier. Use a sponge brush to fill in the outline of the letter on top of the glued pages with paint. When the paint is dry, slide your creation into your frame.
Thoughtful Gifts
Based on search engine data collected by Google the week before Mother’s Day in the years 2004 to 2015, your state of residence may influence what you ultimately get your mom for Mother’s Day, and whether you make the gift or not. In Colorado, for example, the most popular search term was “cappuccino maker,” while the most-used search term in Montana was “homemade lip balm.”
If you’re not going to make your mom homemade lip balm or another homemade gift for Mother’s Day, you might be struggling to think of a gift you can buy that can adequately express the love you have for her, but there’s no need to worry. Here’s a list of some of the top Mother’s Day gifts that will bring tears to your mother’s eyes for all the right reasons:
1) Spa Treatment: With so many moms spending more than half of their time working on behalf of their families and employers, there isn’t a lot of time for them to pamper themselves. If your mother doesn’t take the time to spoil herself once in a while, or even if she does, consider buying her a spa treatment that can help her relax and enjoy some time away from her work and household duties.
2) Clothing & Accessories: With it being increasingly expensive to raise children, many moms postpone getting some of the clothing and accessories they want, or they simply don’t get them at all. If your mother wants a new handbag, or has had her eye on a new blouse, put a smile on her face by getting it for her. Every time she carries the bag on her shoulder or wears the blouse, it will be as if you were there giving her a hug.
3) Jewelry: Last year, Americans spent nearly $4 billion on jewelry for Mother’s Day. For three generations, the experts at Mountz Jewelers have helped consumers buy the right gift for Mother’s Day and every other special occasion.
One of our top Mother’s Day gifts is an Alex and Ani mom bracelet. We’re proud to offer beautiful pieces crafted by Alex and Ani, an eco-conscious jewelry maker that puts heartfelt meaning into every Alex and Ani mom bracelet. If you’re looking for a gift that will communicate your feelings for your mom while empowering her with positive energy at the same time, visit one of our three central Pennsylvania locations today.
Every time your mom looks at her breathtaking Alex and Ani mom bracelet, she’ll think not only of the love you have for her, but also the deep love she’s had for you since the moment she discovered she was going to be your mother.
4) Jewelry Repair Service: Sometimes, you don’t need to buy something new for a gift to be special. Sometimes, simply doing something for your mom that she hasn’t taken the time to do for herself is enough.
If your mom has a treasured piece of jewelry that needs to be professionally repaired, bring it to Mountz Jewelers. We have experienced goldsmiths and jewelers working at all of our three locations who can repair your mom’s prized pieces, whether they’re heirlooms or custom jewelry.
If your mom can’t wear her favorite piece due to a broken clasp, missing diamond or something else, surprise her by letting our in-house experts fix it, and give her newly-repaired jewelry to her as a gift for Mother’s Day. Your mom will be as touched by your thoughtfulness as she was the day she originally received her beloved jewelry.
Why Buy From Mountz Jewelers?
If you’re thinking of surprising your mom or the mother of your children with a special gift for Mother’s Day, we encourage you to visit Mountz Jewelers. We provide a jewelry shopping experience you won’t find anywhere else. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will show you the beautiful jewelry in our modern showrooms and help you pick the piece that’s simply perfect for the special mother in your life.
When you want to give a gift that's straight from your heart to hers, our custom design experts can help you express your feelings in a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry crafted just for her. Our experts will help you pick a stone, setting and design to create a keepsake that’s as unique and precious as the woman you’ll give it to. Just as your mother is your truest friend, a gift thoughtfully purchased from Mountz Jewelers will remind your mom that your love for her is never-ending every time she looks at it.
If you want to thank your mom for always being there for you from birth and throughout the ensuing years, there isn’t a better way to show her how much you appreciate her sacrifices than giving her a hand-picked piece of jewelry from Mountz Jewelers. If you’re looking for a gift that says it all, visit one of our convenient locations where you can “Trust Your Special Moments to Mountz.”