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Staying Home Sawyer

Real Life Living on a Real Life Budget

DIY, Holidays!, Lifestyle

Inexpensive (or Free) Ways to Show Mom Some Love This Mother’s Day

5.03.2021

I don’t know about you, but whenever Mother’s Day rolls around I start to panic trying to come up with some fun and easy gift ideas for my mom, Sawyer’s grandmas, and some of my best friends who are also mothers. I always want to do something special and I want it to come from the heart. But I also can’t afford to spend the money on personalized gifts for each one of them (sorry guys, when I win the lottery I’ll make it up to you), so I tend to opt for handmade or inexpensive gifts.

Handprint Flowers

Last year we made these handprint bouquets for all of Sawyer’s grandmas (she has three grandmas and three great-grandmas). We had fun making them in all different ways: Just as a flower alone, as a flower pot, or as a flower bouquet. All three were greatly appreciated.

Here’s the easy way to do them: paint your child’s hand, make handprints (and footprints for the flower pots). Wait for them to dry, tape on a paper straw. You can cut leaves if you’d like, and then tie a little tag on as well. For the pot, we just taped the sticks onto a cutout pot.

For the bouquet, we just made stick flowers and wrapped them in brown paper. They were a hit for everyone we sent them to!

Can we also take a second to wonder where my little baby girl went?

MyPostcard.com – Snail Mail

Everyone loves a little snail mail every now and then, so why not send your mom/grandma/sister/best friend a little happy mail? I’ve used MyPostcard.com in the past, and I’ve always been really happy with the quality. For a few bucks you can send a personalized postcard to the mothers in your life and put a smile on their faces. Is there anything better than that? Thoughtful, considerate, and inexpensive!

I checked out their website for their Mother’s Day selection and found that they have quite the selection. I chose a few as examples (the wine one is my favorite, seeing as how I’m currently pregnant and can attest to this sacrifice), so you could see some of the options. Check out their website to see for yourself. My bet is you’ll find yourself thinking of all the women in your life you can send these cards to, because they’re that cute and that easy.

The best part is the personalization, you get to choose your own photos and you get to write your own message on the back. Trust me, if you’re looking for a good way to show someone you’re thinking of them, this is the way. And you can’t beat the price either!

DIY Personalized Candle

Okay if your mom is anything like mine, she has everything she needs. But she might still collect a candle or two (especially if she lives in the Midwest and it gets cold as heck in the winter), so why not make her a personalized one so she can be reminded of how amazing her child is every time she lights it?

Take a simple jar candle (Michael’s has cheap ones), remove the label. Print your photo in black and white (and just on regular paper, don’t use cardstock). Use Mod Podge to stick your photo to the candle, and then do a thin layer over the top of the photo as well. Use twine to tie a little tag on and voila!

Mom & Me Print

Etsy Image, owned by lilEMIshop

These fun prints from Etsy are such an easy, inexpensive option for a personalized gift for mom. Not only are they under $10, but it’s delivered to your inbox in less than a week (shipping time says 1-3 business days). You can’t beat that (especially if you’re like me, and you wait until the last minute to shop for gifts). Order the print, and head out to buy a frame in the meantime! Trust me, it’ll look like you put a lot of time into this thoughtful gift (win win!).

Toddler Suncatcher Project

Let’s be honest, our kids can make anything for their grandmas, and they’ll love them. As they should, because I treasure just about anything mine makes for me as well (in a box, on a shelf, in the closet. You can’t possibly keep all the projects can you?).

This is such an easy project. You can make it in any shape/color/size. We chose to do some flowers for all of Sawyer’s grandmas. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and guess what, it’s NOT messy (if you have toddlers, you know).

Supplies: Contact paper, tissue paper, hole punch, twine, shape tracer. Cut your contact paper to size (make sure your shape can fit inside), and cut two exact pieces for each suncatcher. Peel one contact paper from it’s backing, and use tissue paper to fill the sticky side. When it’s covered, use the other matching piece of contact paper to cover it. Trace your shape, cut-out, and hole punch to hang with twine. Done!!

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Comments

  1. Bobbie says

    5.03.2021 at 7:17 pm

    I can’t wait to get all these wonderful gifts…lol

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.05.2021 at 10:11 am

      You’ll be waiting until you come here!

  2. Nora says

    5.04.2021 at 10:31 pm

    Those are such cute ideas!!!

    • shauna841505@yahoo.com says

      5.05.2021 at 10:13 am

      Thank you so much!

About Me

About Me

Hi Mamas! My name is Shauna, a 30-something (big emphasis on the 'something') new mama and wife living in Southern California. I've become a Stay At Home Mom to Sawyer, and I would do it forever if I could! I'm originally from Wisconsin and am a total Cheesehead! I'm here to share DIY's, travel tips, and baby stuff I'm sure!

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stayinghomesawyer

Unpopular opinion: kids don’t need more stuff. The Unpopular opinion: kids don’t need more stuff. They need more boredom. More freedom. More outside time. More chances to build a world out of sticks and dirt instead of asking for the next new thing.

I’m not interested in raising a child who expects constant entertainment or new toys. I want to raise one who knows how to create their own magic.

#familylove #familybonding
Something I tell my little girls all the time, yet Something I tell my little girls all the time, yet wish most grown women understood too. I see so many adults actively TRYING to fit in…work, church, neighborhood, sports, etc. 

You shouldn’t have to try. If you’re trying to be someone you’re not, it’s not right. For you, or for them. Your tribe will come along, I promise you. Even if that tribe is one person, it’ll be better than a hundred women who just don’t get you.
Listen. I’m all about having a good time. I love t Listen. I’m all about having a good time. I love to travel, I love to go out for dinner, I love having new clothes. But somewhere along the way, we’ve lost the ability to just say “No, I don’t want to spend the money on that.” 

Our budgets don’t always allow for the same experiences that our friend or neighbors may have, and that is perfectly okay. We need to stop overspending and start saving. We need to be financially secure before buying more junk that isn’t fulfilling, or going out for another dinner. 

Do you feel comfortable telling someone you don’t have the budget for something?
Somewhere along the way we forget to find the joy Somewhere along the way we forget to find the joy in all the little things. The little joys in twirling in a flower field. Stopping to smell the flowers. 

If we want our children to enjoy all of the little joys, we need to make sure we are doing it too. What little joy did you enjoy today?
Growing up, I dreamed of living by the beach and p Growing up, I dreamed of living by the beach and palm trees. It was magical to me. I never felt like my soul belonged in a landlocked state. A cold state. Were there beautiful things about it? Of course. Summer in Wisconsin will always have my heart. But living by the ocean will always be where my soul feels at home.

Over twenty years ago I got in a car and drove across the country to San Diego with a few friends. I’ve now lived here longer than I lived in Wisconsin. And even though I’ll always “be” from Wisconsin, my girls will always be from San Diego. And that’s a crazy concept to me. Raising the girls at the beach was something out of my dreams. So now I can teach them firsthand that we CAN make our dreams come true!
I remember when my oldest was little and someone t I remember when my oldest was little and someone told me that she NEEDED to go to preschool or she’d never catch up. I feel the same way today that I felt then, six years ago. My daughters never NEEDED preschool. Is it a good option for some parents (or the only option for others)? Yes. Is it BAD? No. But kids don’t NEED it. They need outdoor spaces, they need playgrounds and parks and beaches. They need free play with neighbors and friends and family. And yes, if none of those are options, of course preschool is not a bad idea, but can we stop pretending kids that don’t go are going to be irreparably harmed?
There’s just something about that second child. Th There’s just something about that second child. They pick up everything so quickly. They’re unstoppable. They want to do everything and they want to do it now. 

Second child life.
The day my husband looked at me and said, “I’m so The day my husband looked at me and said, “I’m so glad we have daughters,” I just about melted. Because like most men, he always envisioned a son. Someone he could pass his useless sports knowledge to, someone he could play mediocre golf with. Maybe someone to watch the hockey playoffs with (that doesn’t complain like I do). 

When we found out our second girl was coming, he famously said he watched the pink smoke hoping it would turn to purple and then blue. The first thing out of his mouth after he really digested it was, “now I have to pay for two weddings.”

And then one day, not long after the second came along, he realized why he’s a a girl dad. Because he couldn’t be more perfect for them. And they are exactly what he needed.
After seeing the beauty of this world, I just don’ After seeing the beauty of this world, I just don’t see how there’s any other option. God’s beauty is in everything, and sometimes I feel sad that I’ll never be able to see it all.
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