Celebrated on the second Sunday in May, Mother’s Day was originally intended as a call to unite women against war. This occurred in 1870 by Julia Ward Howe. This inspired Ann Jarvis to improve sanitation throughout the Civil War through what was called Mother’s Work Days. After she died, her daughter Anna Jarvis started the crusade to found a memorial day for women. The first such Mother's Day was celebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on May 10, 1908, in the church where the elder Ann Jarvis had taught Sunday School. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson declared the first national Mother's Day. Mother's Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occasions.

And presently the second Sunday in May finds a majority of us searching for a satisfactory gift that represents our appreciation for our mother, wife, grandmother, godmother etc. The following is a list of fabulous mother’s day gifts sure to please;

1. A Handcrafted Coupon Booklet: This is one of my personal favorites. This gift is customized by the giver for the receiver. Coupon examples include taking care of a smaller sibling, clean up the yard, vacuum or other household chore, no whining for a whole day, breakfast in bed or a snack, your TV show choice.

2. Dinner of the Month Club; A subscription to the Dinner of the Month Club is a thoughtful and tasty gift that will give Mom the night off in the kitchen once a month and allow the whole family to try new dishes.

3. Massage Gift Certificate; purchase a gift certificate at a reputable salon for a massage or contact a massage therapist that is willing to come to the home.

4. Spa or Hair Salon Gift Certificate; a certificate to the receiver’s favorite salon or one that is a bit more upscale that they have been longing to try would be much appreciated!

5. Yoga/ Pilates Equipment; exercise equipment is a nice gift as the notion extends to taking good care of one self. Some examples are mats, instructional videos, weights, exercise ball etc.

6. Educational Computer Software; Computer software is available in language instruction and other hobbies. For example, Family Tree software that helps a person organize and present their genealogy research. Encourage Mom to take some time for herself!

7. Herb Garden; Herb Gardens are decorative and useful as they allow one to grow their own, parsley, mint, rosemary, dill, cilantro etc.

8. Designer Tote; Designer totes can be purchased at a wide variety of stores and are both stylish and useful.

9. Costume Jewelry; Costume jewelry is never without its latest trendy hot item. A necklace, earrings or set of bangle bracelets keeps it simple and stylish!

10. Pocket Size Digital Picture Frame; A pocket size digital picture frame allows Mom to carry pictures of her loved ones that will not get worn or bent in a stylish little gadget.

If you can narrow down a store that the receiver favors, a safe gift would be a gift certificate from that store or any item with a gift receipt! If you would like to personalize your gift card you can include personalized M & M’s as a gift topper! Something as simple as choosing an envelope or wrapping paper in the receiver’s favorite color adds a sufficient personal touch.

Mothers Day finds a majority of us searching for a satisfactory gift that represents our appreciation for our mother, wife, grandmother, godmother etc. I have provided a list of fabulous mother’s day gifts sure to please.