Unique Mother's Day Gifts

Trying to figure out what to get your mother for Mother's Day (or ideas of what the partner/kids could get you)? Here are a few ideas of goods made BY moms (well, two moms and one daughter).

Chocolate - Food writer, cookbook author and chef Monica Bhide teamed up with Co Co Sala to create these delicious chocolates seasoned with flavors like jasmine, curry and cherry blossom. They're coming to you from our nation's capital, so order soon! They'll be on sale May 1-6.

Monica Bhide and Co Co Sala bring to you chocolates flavored with flowers and spices.

Laura Madrigano City Charm - I own several of Laura's bags and a scarf (and have given her bags as gifts). They're beautiful, unique and well made. See them here.

Laura's famous for her flowers.

The scarves can be worn a number of ways and are very cozy.

Dori's Jewelry Breaking the Chains through Jewelry - Help end child slavery in Ghana with beautiful beaded jewelry made by a 12 year old U.S. girl, who is selling the jewelry as her Bat Mitzvah project to help build a school in Ghana to redeem child slaves there (how is that for a run-on sentence?). Buy on Etsy or get a custom-made item. More info on her blog.

Support mothers in Ghana who want to provide an education for their children. You can do so through Dori's jewelry .

This custom bracelet/necklace set was designed and beaded by Dori.

Want to buy something from Amazon? Amazon has a special Mother's Day section.

Mother's Day Ideas for the Bay Area

For my first and second Mother's Day, I asked to be left alone so I could go to the library and read. I felt a little guilty, but since I spent every other day with my kid/s, I just wanted to be alone.

Whether or not you want to be alone this Mother's Day, here are some ideas to keep you (and maybe your family, maybe not) busy.

**Win a family 4-pack of tickets to the Mary Poppins musical**


WHAT TO DO
Head to the Conservatory of Flowers for the Plantosaurus Rex and Prehistoric Plants exhibit at Golden Gate Park

MAKING MOTHERS VISIBLE
Check out the pop-up large scale photography exhibit by the International Museum of Women about Making Mothers Visible. It will be at the San Francisco Public Library main building on Saturday, May 12. Installation starts at 10, and opening remarks and community celebration is at 2.

JACK LONDON SQUARE
Spend Mother's Day in Oakland at Jack London Square. Activities include a family cycling festival, family bike ride, farmer's market, kayak/canoe tour of the Oakland estuary (fee), brunch, sailing lessons or boat expeditions (fee).

MAKE MOTHER'S DAY FLOWERS
Attend a SCRAP workshop with or without your child, from 1-4 on May 12 ($25 fee, just reduced from $40). You'll make flowers from a variety of materials that you can display or wear on clothing.

MAMMA MIA
Singalong with the movie at the Retrodome in San Jose. Showtimes are Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

MINI RETREAT
Take a mini retreat in San Francisco with the Delight for the Soul program, where you'll spend 2.5 hours (2:30-5) doing yoga/meditation, getting a mini massage, doing guided journaling and participating in a discussion, doing stone painting, having dinner (Kara's Cupcakes and champagne included) and more. It's in the Richmond district and costs $120.

TRAMPOLINE
Jump on trampolines at Sky High Sports. Moms jump for free on Mother's Day, at the Concord (1631 Challenge Drive) and Santa Clara (2880 Meade Avenue) locations.

FREE FLOWERS
The first 100 moms to enter the San Francisco Botanic Garden, Japanese Tea Garden and Conservatory of Flowers gets a free flower on Mother's Day.

Here's a list of ideas from last year - some might be happening again.


GIFT IDEAS

Uncluttered's gift ideas for Mother's Day

Make a donation in Mom's name (this is what my sister and I do every year). Room to Read, an organization I supported earlier this year in the Passports with Purpose campaign, is offering a matching grant through the end of May. Room to Read promotes girls' education through building classrooms, libraries and paying for school in countries like Cambodia, India and Nepal.


Here are 69 quotations that will make you feel great about being a mom.