10 ways to make Mother's Day special

MANILA - Each year, we celebrate Mother’s Day and in the Philippines, it would seem all roads lead to shopping malls and restaurants as the whole nation tries to make mothers feel really special.

And why not? On this day, we honor the woman who dedicated her life to us, sacrificing her joys to make us happy. So what better way to show her how much you appreciate and love her by pampering her on this special day?

Don’t let a limited budget get in the way of your Mother’s Day celebrations. With a little creativity and lots of love, you can still make your mother feel special. When it comes to managing costs, why not organize your celebration with siblings so that you can share costs?

Here are 10 ideas on how you can celebrate a meaningful Mother’s Day without going over your budget:

1. Serve her breakfast in bed. From the moment she wakes up, make mom feel like she’s a queen. Most likely, she is the first to wake up in your household, so being surprised with a celebration this early will definitely make her feel special. Make sure her breakfast tray includes her favorites.

2. Take over her chores. Spare her the troubles that she has to go through each day by doing all her routine household tasks – washing the plates, doing the beds, cooking meals, or looking after your siblings. You may also volunteer to be her driver or personal assistant, depending on what she does daily.

3. Do something together. Invite her to do something that you both enjoy—watch a movie, go window-shopping in her favorite mall, walk around the park. What matters is that you accompany her and bond together in doing something that she enjoys, instead of what you or other family members prefer.

4. Cook her favorite dish. The easiest way to anyone’s heart is through their stomach, and moms are no different. Make sure to prepare something she really likes, or has been meaning to cook, on this day. If you don’t know how to cook it, go ahead and buy it elsewhere, to be served on her special day.

5. Take her to the spa. Check out online sites for spa package promotions. The discounts can be generous. Let her have a massage, a manicure and other treatments to take away her pains, and so that she can really relax and feel energized again. Alternatively, give her a massage yourself.

6. Have on online reunion. Are some of your siblings away? Organize an online reunion through free livestream sites and applications. These would allow her to feel the love of her children, even if they are not exactly next to her.

7. Write her a letter. In this day and age where everything is said and done in a rush, make mom feel special with a handwritten note just to tell her that you appreciate everything she does, and that you love her. This will let her know that you found the time to compose something special for her.

8. Make her a photobook. Moms treasure memories, and you can indulge her by compiling photos into a nice little photobook. You can find many photobook suppliers online, and many of them offer coupons and big discounts. In this digital age, making mom her very own photo book is simple and easy to do.

9. Treat her to a staycation. Take your mom on a short getaway at any of the hotels in the city. The great thing is that most hotels offer a special rate for locals, which is considerably lower than the published rate. Check out promotions online. You may also wish to look at many smaller boutique hotels with lower rates, but still provide the same comforts that your mom would love.

10. Dine like a queen. Get festive this Mother’s Day by letting her indulge in mouth-watering dishes and varied cuisines in buffets across the city. There are lots of promotions usually available on this special day, plus freebies especially for her. Ask the resident musicians to serenade her with her favorite song to make the celebration truly special.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Money-wise gifts for your Mom

MANILA, Philippines - Every second Sunday of May, the world stops to honor mothers – the selfless souls who have given so much of themselves to bring forth and nurture children to be the best that they can ever be.

No single gift can adequately convey our heartfelt thanks and love to our mothers, but most of us make sure we let her know she is loved with little gifts.

Flowers in bright colors, chocolates, sweet cakes, candies, and knick-knacks are the most common gifts come Mother’s Day as children and spouses alike go shopping in search of that prized gift that she would cherish. For sure, no mother would begrudge you for giving her these, but you may also want to consider some practical gifts that are not very typical, but which she would definitely appreciate. These gifts may not be colorful, but they certainly communicate the same message of love and appreciation.

Here are five suggestions of money-wise gifts or things you can do for mom this Mother’s Day:

Gift certificates to her favorite store.

Give your mom the flexibility to shop as she pleases. Instead of picking out gifts for her, let her do the hand-picking herself. Gift certificates allow her to choose exactly what she wants, and allows her to enjoy the thrills of shopping, which many women enjoy and consider therapeutic. Many department stores even have gift cards to go with these gift certificates, allowing you to present your gift with a personalized note that she can keep, way after she has used up the GC.

How about a handy tool or household appliance that she has always wanted?

Is there something that you know she really needs, but never really bought because she thought it was too expensive or luxurious? Think of what this is—it could be the food processor for her kitchen, a recliner that she can rest in, or the large-screen television for her room. Scout around for the installment deals that would let you buy her the little luxuries that she wants. Almost every store and every credit card has promotions ongoing during Mother’s Day that you can take advantage of.

Take her to a health check-up.

Ever heard that one’s health is their true wealth? Mothers take care of everyone around them even at the expense of putting themselves last. This Mother’s Day provides an occasion to turn things around! Give her the gift of an executive check-up. Many clinics and medical centers offer these programs to fit different budgets. Not only will you show her that you care, you are also proactively guarding against possible and costly problems. Remember that an ounce of prevention is always much is worth a pound of cure.

Give her an extension credit card.

Save your mom the trouble of applying for a credit card if she does not have one yet and get her an extension card. Some credit card companies charge nothing for them, while others ask for a minimal fee. To ensure that you are able to manage your budget, you may ask the credit card company to set a maximum credit limit that you are comfortable with for her extension credit card. Giving your mom her own credit card provides her with access to funds just in case you are not available.

Help her start her pension plan.
Help your mom start her pension plan, especially if she hasn’t set up one yet. You can contribute the seed fund to kick-start the pension fund, and you can even ask your siblings to join you in setting this up. You can contribute to it regularly, along with your siblings, to ensure that your mom is financially secure in her senior years. To find the right pension plan for your mom, it will be a good idea to check with a professional who can make recommendations.

With these gift ideas, you can be sure that you are giving one of the most important people in your life what she truly deserves—but we agree: it won’t hurt to present these gifts with a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.

Happy Mother’s Day!

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Are you a Pinay with children in Saudi? Read this

MANILA – Filipino mothers and their children seeking repatriation from Saudi Arabia have four more days to have their documents processed.

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh informed the public that the deadline of the processing of documents of mothers and their children will end on July 7, Sunday.

"The Embassy called 100 mothers for interviewing on Monday and Tuesday respectively but only 40 or so showed up for each day," the embassy said in a statement read by DFA Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez on Wednesday afternoon.

As of July 2, only a total of 312 have completed the interview process. Meanwhile, 266 mothers and children are expected to complete the DNA testing procedure by the end of the working day. Around 400 mothers, and their children, have yet to undergo interviewing by the inter-agency team from the local authorities.

The embassy clarified that the processing of the documentation for mothers and their children as provided by Saudi authorities, is not covered by the royal order extending the correction grace period until November 2013.

"This process is a special arrangement and is the first step in preparation for repatriation," Hernandez explained.

Filipino women who have undocumented children and earlier registered with the embassy are urged to proceed immediately to the Um Al-Hammam Field Office for initial processing by the embassy team, and interview by the local authorities.

"The Embassy urges mothers not to believe that it is easy to add their children to their iqama should they be able to find a new employer," Hernandez said.

Those who have already completed the interview and are scheduled for DNA testing shall be contacted by Embassy personnel who shall advise them on when they can proceed to the Um Al-Hammam Field Office for testing.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com