Mother's Day Edition

Breakfast in bed. I don't know how this developed into a Mother's Day fantasy. Because I, for one, think it's overrated. Have you ever tried to cut something on a wobbly tray? Have you ever laid down in a bed of crumbs? This is not to say I don't appreciate the effort and the thought. I would love if my husband cooked breakfast or brunch for me. I just wouldn't eat it in bed. To inspire him and other husbands, I found this free downloadable cookbook of Mother's Day recipes to try. From classic quiche lorraine to strawberry stuffed french toast... the dishes sound delish! Just don't leave behind an enormous mess for mom to clean up.

Does your mom or wife love sweets? Today's Fresno Groupon is for some Hungry Bear cookies. $7 for six (worth $14.34) or $13 for a dozen (normally $28.68) for fresh-baked, melt-in-your-mouth cookies decorated in a Mother's Day design.

A great gift idea with a personal touch, is to turn your favorite photo of the kids or family into a work of art with another Groupon, with Canvas on Demand. $45 for a 16x20 sized gallery wrapped canvas ($126.95 value). This one is an online redemption, so it doesn't matter where you live, you can take advantage of this incredible offer. I've used this service in the past, and the quality is AMAZING. Another similar option is today's Mampedia deal from Image Canvas. For $26 you can choose from 8x10, 11x14, 16x20 collage canvas prints ($60 value). So this is a better deal if you want multiple images on one canvas.

For the dancing queen, the Living Social deal is for the Ballroom Dance Academy in Clovis. One Month of Unlimited Pole Fitness Classes ($25); Any Three Dance and/or Fitness Classes ($15); or One Month of Unlimited Dance Classes ($50). Husbands, even better, would be to offer to be her partner and take the ballroom dancing classes WITH her. Mine did that once, years ago, before kids. And I can't speak for him, but I had a blast!

Redenvelope.com has a lot of customizable and unique gifts. One that I thought was just adorable was the mother and daughter matching pajama set on sale for $24.99

If she is a wine lover, how about a wine tasting set from tastingroom.com for $19.99? You get Six 50ml tasting bottles of Palmeri Wines including Syrah, Cab, and Gewürztraminer. Or if she is a red lover, the same price $19.99 gets you four 50ml tasting bottles of La Follette pinot noirs. Promo code GCFS gets you free shipping.

If she's all about utility, get this mongrammed waterproof nylon L.L. Bean Adventure Tote for $19.95, free shipping. She can haul anything from garden tools, diapers, to gym clothes.

The iPhone addict will appreciate this fully fabulous Michael Kors python print clutch. For $79.95 and free shipping, she gets THE most fashionable iPhone case with a premium leather designer clutch wallet. It also comes in black or gold leather.

A manicure/pedicure is a perennial favorite of moms and isn't too pricey as long as you don't send mom to a high-end salon. Expect to pay $35-$50. As my friend says, "It's something I enjoy so much and I find so relaxing but it's hard for me to find the time to do something nice for myself. If my husband and kids bought one for me and pushed me out the door to go get pampered, that would be a great gift!"

As for flowers, the latest Consumer Reports tests showed 1800Flowers.com was best at sending what was ordered, followed by ProFlowers.com and FTD.com. The flowers most likely to look the way they did on websites were tulips, roses, and orchids. Mixed bouquets had more substitutions than the rest. If you want to make sure your flowers prompt a smile, pick a color scheme that matches your Mom's favorites, then steer away from mixed bouquets. If you're unhappy with what gets delivered, call customer service, they're usually very eager to make it right.

Mother's Day is only a week away. So don't forgot your mom or wife. Trust, it's much less of an effort to do something nice... than it is to try to make up for not doing anything at all.