“For Mother’s Day this year, I want . . . .” If you’ve ever heard your mom utter these words, consider yourself among the fortunate. For the rest of us, Mother’s Day can be a somewhat stressful holiday filled with indecision and confusion as to what to buy for the woman who gave us birth. Not to worry, though; with a little forethought, Mother’s Day can be a breeze. Here are a few ways to let mom know she’s appreciated.

Service and memories

We often think that gifts need to be physical, but it isn’t so. Some of the best gifts, in fact, are not.

Do your mom’s chores for the day. Vacuum, sweep, mop, do the dishes, maybe even pop in a load of laundry for her. It will free her up to have a relaxing day doing whatever she likes best.

Help your mom finish that project she’s been meaning to get to for a while now like sprucing up the front lawn, painting the living room or steam cleaning the carpets.

Spend the morning setting up a perfect picnic lunch with your mom, take her to a nice park or botanical garden and enjoy an afternoon in each other’s company.

A dinner cruise is a cool option for Floridians since we live surrounded by water.

If your mom is always stressed out and harried, a day at the spa, a massage, a manicure and/or a pedicure would be a wonderful treat.

Or simply give your mom some memories. Spend the whole day with your mom. Make her breakfast, have lunch together, help her make dinner and maybe even surprise her with her favorite dessert.

Gifts

If you’re going to go with a physical present but you want to step it up a notch from flowers or chocolates, here are some good ideas:

If she loves tending to her plants and garden, your mom has the greenest thumb around. Some scrubs and lotions specifically for gardeners’ hands would be welcome. Or, for a few extra dollars, she would certainly enjoy a new set of gardening tools and supplies.

More into Facebook and Twitter than you are? If that’s your mom, a new, hi-tech case for her phone could be in order. You can even go all-out and buy her a brand new tablet (a great idea if you have siblings that will pitch in).

Always tending to your family and their needs, she is the Proverbs 31 woman. She truly takes joy in family and being together. A really sweet idea is to make a short video for your mom; get your dad and siblings to help out and have everyone say a few loving words of appreciation and encouragement. If you’re not so tech savvy, you can make a photo album filled with memories.

On a first-name basis with everyone on the Food Network, your mom is all about cooking. A new cookbook from one of her favorite chefs is a great idea. She would probably also appreciate a new set of silicone cooking utensils or a matching apron and oven mitt set.

The artsiest, craftsiest person you know, she’s always in the middle of some project or other. A set of alphabet stamps and inkpads in several colors are a good fit. A large set of multi-colored pens or Sharpies would be very useful too. If you’re willing to shell out a bit more, a Cricut personal electric cutting machine would get almost daily use.

If your mom doesn’t fall under one of these categories, just stop and think about what her hobbies are or what she spends most of her time doing. Then find something that could simplify or add to her pastime.

Cards

No matter what you do for or get your mom this Mother’s Day, include a card. It doesn’t matter if it’s store-bought or homemade. What really does matter is what you write in it. You may not be the greatest writer to have ever put pen to paper, but your mom will appreciate and cherish your thoughts and feelings towards her more than any gift or service you could ever provide her with. Let her know how much she means to you and how much you appreciate all the things she has done for you throughout your life. Lastly, don’t worry about being too sappy, just be honest and it may be her favorite gift of all.