Avoid the last minute rush and do your Mother’s Day shopping this weekend. If you have to ship something, you won’t have to pay premium prices (always a plus).  Also, the selection of cards and gifts won’t be picked over.

A few things to keep in mind:

• You don’t need to buy a card.  A heartfelt, handwritten note will be cherished.
• Make dinner reservations early.  Restaurants will be packed on Mother’s Day.
• As a rule, cleaning apparatus and household appliances are not appropriate gifts.
• In my experience, the thing moms want the most is some time to themselves.  Consider "borrowing" the kids for an outing or an overnight so that mom can have an uninterrupted bath, read more than 2 pages in a sitting, and discover that shows SHE likes are on tv.