5 Mother's Day Gift Basket Ideas

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and you're probably wondering what to do about a gift! It's tempting to just shop for a dress or a new bag, but why not put some effort into a different sort of gift this year? The perfect way to do this is with a gift basket or a gift hamper filled with Mom's favorite things - and watch her smile spread as she unwraps this treasure!

5 Mother's Day Gift Basket Ideas

1. Tickled Pink

A great idea for a gift basket is one based on color. Choose a basket based on your Mom's favorite color and fill in things related to it - sweets, nail color, lip color, beauty accessories etc. Go as crazy as you like!

2. Gift in a Jar

If you can get your hand on a huge big jar like this one, you're in luck! Line the bottom with faux grass and then stuff it with all kinds of goodies that your Mom will like. Choose smaller objects so you can put in more things.

3. Stuffed Slippers

How adorable are these stuffed slippers? Make it a bedtime special with an eye mask, lip balm, night cream and lavender pillow mist. A perfect good night hamper!

4. Self Care Gift Basket

A self care gift basket is something any busy Mom will love! You can make it a spa-theme or a beach-theme, and pack in aromatic candles, loofahs, bath products, lotions and similar items.

5. Baking Gift Basket

Got a Mom who loves to bake? Encourage her hobby with some cute baking accessories in fun colors! Try to find unique styles of baking equipment rather than the usual ones you find in stores. A little digging will be worth it when you end up with a lovely looking basket!

So these are just a few ideas, but we're sure these must inspire many more! Take out some time and hunt for the right stuff and make sure you wrap everything in a pretty container!

5 Ways to Include Greenery in Small Spaces

"Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises." - Pedro Calderon de la Barca

It's Earth Day today and the focus this year is on planting trees. It has become more than evident that our rampant cutting down of trees and scaling down of forests have resulted in drastic climate change, with disasters like floods and droughts occurring across the world. But besides that, there's something extremely soothing about seeing all that greenery around us, and there is no other color that is more soothing to the soul.

If you live in a house with a yard or a garden, you're lucky to have the space to plant trees and have a nice, lush lawn. However, there's no need to despair if you live in a small space - there are still ways you can include greenery in your home!

5 Ways to Include Greenery in Small Spaces

1. Terrariums and Succulents

 

This is probably the easiest and cheapest way to introduce some greenery in your interiors, even in your workplace. Small cute terrariums are easy to make and maintain, and you can have several different kinds in one place that'll look extremely pretty. Greenery on your desk will also improve your productivity.

2. Artificial Plants

Indoor plants are of course, your best bet to include greenery as well as purify the air around you, but if you can't manage them, artificial plants are your next best option. Get large sized ones for your entry way, living room or home office to give off a nice welcoming feeling.

3. Kitchen Herbs

Large, decorative indoor plants can be hard to maintain, but kitchen herbs are a lot easier. The added plus is that you get fresh, organic herbs to use in your cooking. You save on cost and you also get to avoid all the pesticides on the ones you get in the market.

4. Balcony Garden

However small your space is, it's quite likely that you have at least one balcony with access to sunshine. If so, hang some cute, colorful planters on the ledge, with some easy to maintain flowers. Your local nursery will be able to give you information about which plants suit your current space.

5. Flooring

There's nothing like walking barefoot on fresh grass, but if that's a distant dream, get in some lush green carpeting to recreate the feel. Try keeping it to a small area to avoid overwhelm, like a home office or entry way.

6. Wall Art

And then there's wall art, where you can find a bazillion options to brighten up your space. You can go for posters, paintings, art prints or even wall stickers - whatever suits your theme. If you have a creative side, you can also DIY something and frame it up proudly!

So you see, it's not that hard to bring some greenery indoors, but of course, none of these will come close to planting a real tree! So try to adopt a portion of land in your local park or apartment complex and plant some seeds. Nourish it and watch it grow into a beautiful patch of green - a pleasure for all the senses!

6 Ways to make the Men in your Life feel special this International Men’s Day

If this is the first time you’re hearing about International Men’s Day, then you’re not alone. While International Women’s Day gets a lot of press and publicity, there is hardly a whisper and a nod to the male equivalent of the day. Now if you’re wondering why men need a special day seeing that they don’t need to fight for their rights as women do, well that’s not what this day is about!

International Men’s Day was created as a day to focus on men’s and boy’s health as well as to improve gender relations. In this world of changing gender roles, this day actually achieves more significance as the years go by. When women’s roles are being put in the spotlight (and rightly so), sometimes we tend to forget that the men do work hard for their families too!  This day attempts to focus on a man’s contribution to his family too, which goes a long way in fostering good gender relations, especially among boys.

So this Men’s Day, make it special for your Dad, brother, husband and son, and let them know that you acknowledge their efforts!  Here are a few ways you can make this day special for them.

6 Ways to make the men in your life special this International Men’s Day

1. Adventure Date

Plan a special adventure sports date for your husband, brothers and sons (if they are old enough) and your father and father-in-law (if they are active enough). They probably have fun in their own circles, but not with each other, so this will be a perfect opportunity to have some fun!

2. Laze-around Day

Let your husband have a day to himself. Okay, you probably think that he does have days to himself, but let this one not include any nagging about dirty coffee cups or wet towels! A no-nagging day will be super-appreciated by anyone, and you might just find that you enjoy it too!

3. Grocery Trip

Take a family trip to the supermarket, but let your husband and son take the lead. Let them check out the pantry and fridge, make a menu, list out groceries and get them. Let them do it the way they like and you can sit back and have fun clicking pictures! This is also a great way to get them more involved in the behind-the-scenes process.

4. Gifting Options

Get them gifts!! Women often tend to get men more ‘utilitarian’ gifts, but this time go for something whacky, but something that they’ll love – like a bobblehead of their favorite TV show character or a gun that makes fart noises!! Let all the women go shopping for this together – it’s a win-win situation for everyone!

5. Grooming Special

This month is also called ‘Movember’, a month-long event that promotes growing moustaches to focus on men’s health. Whether the men in your life have moustaches or not they can still enjoy a good grooming session! Book one at a luxe men’s salon and let them enjoy some well-deserved pampering.

6. Health Checkup

The best gift you can give anyone is of course, the gift of good health. Since the intention of this day is also to focus on men’s health issues (which many men ignore), gift your loved ones a full checkup at a reputed hospital. Make sure it’s tailored to their age, so that they’re up to date with all the requisite tests.

So there’s actually a lot you can do, from a simple supermarket visit to an elaborate adventure date. Pick one that’ll work for you and your family and don’t forget to tell everyone how much you love them!