MEN'S STYLE: How to Treat Your Mama Right by Brett Singer Mama's so sweet, Mama's so nice If there is trouble take Mama's advice There's no one I hold so dear, as Mama I always want to be near... Mama.... - From the Elvis Presley song "Mama", Written by Brooks and O'Curran (http://www.legendsofmusic.com/ElvisPresley/lyricsm.html#4) Your mother -- she raised you, cooked for you, cleaned for and up after you. She sacrificed everything for you. Mother's Day is the one holiday that honors her specifically for the achievement of raising you. So whatcha gonna do, dude? Men's Style offers a few tips for how to prove to mom that she raised you properly. Stuff To Buy This is a huge topic and one that we aren't even going to attempt to address here (actually, we have another article on inshop about this already). There are, however, a few places online you can go to get help. Present Picker (http://presentpicker.com/ppp/mother/mothers_day_gifts.html) has some good ideas, and Yahoo! Shopping (http://shopping.yahoo.com/mother_s_day/) has more than you can shake an unfinished plate of food at. For the adventurous, try searching for Mother's Day Gifts on Amazon.com auctions (http://auctions.amazon.com). Stuff To Do If you sat down to think about it, you would probably be able to come up with dozens of things that your mama always said she wanted to do with you -- when you had to work or watch the SuperBowl. Now would be a good time to redeem yourself. If mom is an animal lover, take her to the zoo. Or a simple walk in the park if the weather is nice. If you have a girlfriend she hasn't met yet, this is a good way to get the two of them together -- in fact, depending on your mother, this could be the best present ever. Taking her to the ballet is also highly desirable, particularly if the last time she tried to take you, you told her you had to watch the SuperBowl -- in May. Buy the tickets, make dinner reservations someplace nice, and watch the kudos fly. If you want something specific for the day, Anne Harris has a photo show in D.C. that might be what you need (http://home.digitalcity.com/newyork/entertainment/event.dci?eid=165490). Virtual Cards So you rarely get up from the computer long enough to eat a decent meal, for God's sake, much less go outside and buy a decent Mother's Day card. The Web has tons of great Mother's Day clip art if you are desktop-publishing-empowered (see below), or you can make your own e-card for free on Yahoo! (http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Virtual_Cards/Holidays_and_Observances/Mother_s_Day/), or Blue Mountain Arts (http://www.bluemountain.com/eng/mothersday/). Stuff To Do For Her Okay, no more fooling around here, mister. Let's get down to brass tacks. This is the woman without whom you would not exist (your dad helped, too, but his day comes later). What can you do for her? Make a list of things you would NEVER do voluntarily, such as go to Bloomingdale's and wait while she shops for sundresses. Now VOLUNTEER to do these things. Those hours that you sit and occasionally comment on garments that, to your untrained eye, all look exactly the same, will be worth their weight in gold (just what does an hour weigh? Never mind) come Karma time. You'll feel better, too -- much less guilty. Cleaning her house for her is also good. Better yet, since your tub-cleaning skills are sub-par at best, hire someone to do it for her -- just be sure to get her permission first. Try Maid Brigade (http://www.maidbrigade.com/index.asp) to start finding a cleaning service near your mom. Mom -- we love you. We appreciate everything you have done for us, from wiping our mouths to avoiding wiping our mouths when it will embarrass us. This is our chance to show you how much we care. So guys, get out there and do something nice for yo mama! Happy Shopping! Surfin' for Mom: Mother's Day Clip Art: (for those handmade cards you'll be making) http://www.geocities.com/~bizart/mama/index.html http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/mom/clip.html http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/7101/motherday.html http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/2656/momdaygr.html http://www.tssphoto.com/mom/mom.html Online Cards: http://dir.yahoo.com/Entertainment/Virtual_Cards/Holidays_and_Observances/Mother_s_Day/ http://www.bluemountain.com/eng/mothersday/ Mother's Day Gifts: http://presentpicker.com/ppp/mother/mothers_day_gifts.html http://auctions.amazon.com http://shopping.yahoo.com/mother_s_day/ Things To Do: Anne Harris: Mother's Day In The Gallery - http://home.digitalcity.com/newyork/entertainment/event.dci?eid=165490 Maid Services: Maid Brigade - http://www.maidbrigade.com/index.asp back to writing samples