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Do you love that feeling each month when your magazine subscription comes in the mail? I love it.  Even my son loves getting mail!  When my magazine comes, it's a real treat to sneak some reading time in over coffee while the kids play or sleep.

As the year goes on and you are looking for fun, unique gift ideas, consider a magazine. It's a gift that keeps on giving!

For your husband (and you!): MacLean's Magazine comes weekly and will keep you up-to-date on Canadian politics, news, health topics, international affairs and more.

For your best friend about to have a baby: Today's Parent.  Give her the gift of experts, fellow parents, shopping guides, healthy eating and family game ideas all at her fingertips.


For your newlywed sister: House and Home.  She'll be able to get ideas for chic decorating, cooking, renovating her new house with her husband and unique tips to help make their house a real home together.


For your green-living sister: Green Living Magazine offers readers stories and information on leading greener, healthier and sustainable lifestyles.

 

For your brother-in-law: The Hockey News. 'Nuff said. He'll love it.

For me: Canadian Living.  I love the recipes - they are typically easy, yummy and have ready access.  And yes, I just slipped in a gift idea for me. There's nothing wrong with that right?

What's your favourite magazine? How do you find time to read it?

Image source: Magazines Canada

Mothers, beautiful women who bring us into this world and then tirelessly spend the rest of their lives loving us. They hold many job titles that include; taxi driver, chef, nutritionalist, nurse, activities coordinator, laundry machine tech, psycologist and housekeeper to name but a few. The working mom puts in more than 96 hours a week when you combine her full-time job, mom hours, and mom overtime. Wow! That is something to think about when you are playing your vids or out on the green.

In fact Salary.com says that the average stay at home American mom should be taking home about $117, 000.00 per annum! So while most stay at home and working moms are simply being paid with love, hugs, kisses, a few whines and runny noses let her know that she is priceless with some of these great Canadian-made gift ideas. 

Gift Idea 1: Momma, we got you something monstrous!

Some moms are monster lovers, like me. They adore the quirky, the bizarre and/or the unique. Ontario-based Monster Factory is your monster centre from Andy to Wilma and Chelsea too. Package your monster in a great Monster Factory totebag and add all sorts of Monster goodies like the biggest bouquet of the biggest flowers with a monster sized card the kids made (have them decorate the front with their foot prints and once the paint is dry they can add claws and paw pads). Find a Monster Factory retailer near you.

 

Gift idea 2: Shhh we're hunting flowers...

If mom enjoys being outdoors and is often seen collecting flowers, this gift idea may be up her garden path. Ottawa-based Lee Valley has a ingenious microwave flower press, what would take weeks with a traditional paper and wood press takes only minutes with this product. This gift would go great with home made coupons that entitle mom to walks in meadows, slow drives down dusty gravel roads and meanderings in out of the way farmers markets all for the flower hunt. These coupons should also include some family crafternoons to create beautiful pressed flower crafts. If that isn't enough, consider adding a sun hat, sunscreen and a flower collecting basket to this great gift.  Find a Lee Valley store near you.

 

 

 

Gift idea 3: Just me and Indigo, lounging!

Bookworms are the cutest worms in town. If mom is a book worm consider this mommy and me book duo Alias Grace (for mom) and Bashful Bob and Doleful Dorina (for the kids) both by acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood.  Though if you are uncertain what mom wants to read, both for herself and her moppets, you can give her a gift card for Chapters.Indigo filled to the brim and an afternoon alone at their closest location.  While she is rifling though the stacks and sipping a coffee you can quickly jet over to our member Leather Craft for a stunning lounge chair so she can enjoy her books in comfort and style. There's also enough room to cuddle with her little angels there too.

 

Mother's day is a time to remind ourselves of all the wonders our Moms do, everyday. Your sock drawers are filled, the coffee and breakfast are ready, lunches are waiting and hugs and kisses are always available, 24/7.  Moms deserve our attention every day and we should show her by pitching in and working together to omit those 16 hours of Mom overtime!

What are you putting together for your mom this year?

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My mother, Mrs. Gibson, will be 93 this summer. Mom's birthday is July 3rd and the whole country throws a parade on July 1, which makes for a nice birthday celebration for Mom!

Mom was born in 1917 and began acquiring things soon after. So much so  that, at this stage of the game, if I so much as give my mother something that she considers will just add to the clutter, on her birthday, at Christmas, even on Mother's Day, well, I am grounded! So, I have had to come up with Gifts for the Mom Who Seriously Has Everything.

I thought that I might have a tough time finding just the right thing for my Mom. Naturally, I came here to Buy Canadian First .... first! I found many things that I knew Mom would love, and with some difficulty, narrowed it down to the four choices below.

2. The next choice was easy too. My Mom loves to keep current and on top of things. Mom's eyes aren't as good as they once were and she really DOES NOT WANT ANY MORE BOOKS! A magazine from Magazines Canada , though, is just the ticket. Once Mom has read one, she gives it to me. I read it and then use it for collages. Recycling reduces clutter and everybody is happy!

 

 3. One thing Mom will never say "No" to is moisturizer and at 92, you can tell that she has always taken excellent care of her skin. AROMA CRYSTAL VIBRATIONAL THERAPY body care products, by Jane Janzen, are rich, creamy and all natural, just the way Mom likes it. Plus, I like how Jane makes everything with good intentions as well as the very purest ingredients. My Mom deserves this stuff!

 

4. Hey, Mom still lives on her own, does her own dishes and cleans her own kitchen. I brilliantly realized that, therefore, a rather good gift would be a couple of items from the Lavender Bergamot collection from Upper Canada Soap! There are other fragrance choices but Mom likes the scent of Earl Grey. The choices include:

- Antibacterial counter spray, 500 ml
- Antibacterial liquid dish soap, 475 ml
- Hand lotion, 400 ml
- Antibacterial hand wash, 400 ml
- Intensive hand repair, 150 g

Normally I would not recommend counter spray and dish soap as presents, but my Mom is super practical and she will think that these are great ideas. Even better, Mom might start to think that maybe there is hope for her darling daughter yet!

What are you giving your Mom for Mother's Day 2010?

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