Mother-in-law catches her son

Whether you consider her your arch rival or close confidante, Lady Goliath or a mother hen, when Mother's Day shows up on your calendar, you know that this is a day that you cannot just bypass. Mum-in-law is a mother too - you owe your spouse to her! Look upon it as a great day to mend fences and strengthen bonds.

Okay, now to work! Deciding to give her a gift was the easy part; picking the perfect one is a different ball game altogether - a true test of your genius. Since she is likely to be a fairly regular presence in your life, you want to choose a gift that floors her with your thoughtfulness, sensitivity and generosity. Tall task? Not really.

Here are some winning mother's day gifts for your mother-in-law.

1. Make her feel like a million bucks!
...and don't skimp on the cost either. Consider it an investment in a vital human relationship! For the record, old age isn't exactly the best thing to happen to facial skin, hands and feet, and well, pretty much the rest of her. So, pamper the mum-in-law with some exclusive beauty products, all attractively packaged in a gift hamper. Throw in plenty of rich, nourishing lotions and creams. Or, why not book her into a spa for a day of decadent luxury - complete with massages, facials, pedicures and manicures?

2. Elegant jewellery
Elegant jewellery would go so well with those grey hairs, right? Unless she is an aberration and actually advocates and actively endorses the bohemian look, most women of her age prefer the elegant-classic pearls look. Go for a single or double strand necklace of pearls in white or muted pink and add matching pearl stud earrings to complete the look. If you feel more kindly towards her (and have the cash to boot), then there's nothing like a pair of diamond stud earrings.

3. A photographic collage
Take mum-in-law down memory lane and get her all misty-eyed with this unique gift. Put together a collage of childhood photographs of her son in various stages of growth till his wedding day (cleverly squeezing yourself in her line of vision as well!). Get the collage printed on a quilt, or create memorable individual ones for a pillow case or even a teapot cover. Alternatively, create a montage of these photographs and have them mounted and framed attractively.

4. Personalised gifts - the choice is yours!
Instead of shoving just any gift into her hands, take out some time to personalise it. It could be a card or a cookie, but a personalised gift tells her, 'you are special'. And there are few women who fail to succumb to this tug on the heartstrings. Give the typical store-bought card a miss this year. Make a handmade Mother's Day card instead. If you are a wizard at the easel, paint her a water sketch, with a sentimental verse written within the card. Or, display your generous streak by affixing an old photograph of mother and son (your husband) on the card cover.

5. Gift hamper
Show her you are tuned in to her likes and dislikes by creating a marvellous gift basket that has a little bit of everything that makes her world go around. Favourite author's paperbacks, CDs of favourite singer, a DVD set of her all-time favourite movies - what else? Umm, maybe a slab of her favourite chocolate. Let a carefully chosen Mother's Day card and a bouquet of her favourite flowers add the final flourish.

6. Pamper her palate!
Chances are that you have learnt how to bake hubby dear's favourite apple pie under her expert tutelage. And if you were a greenhorn in the kitchen when you got married, you probably have her to thank for to help you cope with cakes that sank and pans that got routinely burnt. Mother's Day is the ideal day to flex your culinary muscles and show her that you were a perfect student. Invite her over for a Mother's Day lunch and lay out a lip-smacking fare of her favourite dishes.



Mother-in-law catches her son by JahazVId