10 super Mom's day gifts and experiences to make her special day "special"

For many people, giving back to the community and helping those who are less fortunate is an essential part of who they are. A great gift that you can give to mom, as well as to others, is by spending the day with her volunteering in your local community.

Whether it is participating in a clean-up project, helping to repackage food at a food pantry or making meals for the homeless, mom will be proud to spend time with you and to see that you really did listen to her - telling you to help when and where needed in your community.

There are a variety of community services needing assistance throughout the Chicagoland area. If you need a few pointers about where to start, you can contact Lakeview Pantry, which distributes more than 1.3 million meals to over 8,000 clients each year. The Pantry also accepts food and other donations. To make the day of giving back a family event, you can contact the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which can accommodate large groups and is often in need of volunteers to help repackage food for distribution to the hungry in the area.

Let’s face it, some mothers have very traditional tastes and look forward to the yearly bath and shower set. If this sounds like your mother, indulge her. But, instead of buying the standard prepackaged bath set on sale at the local Carson Pirie Scott beauty counter, show her that you took the time to create a customized bath and shower set for her that will make her feel like the queen she is.

Suggestions for your set include a luxuriously scented beeswax candle by Creed to make her bathroom smell like a royal palace (Prince Charles wears one of the brand’s scents). Be sure to include a moisturizing shower gel and lotion such as Korres, which is made from natural ingredients so that her sensitive skin won’t be irritated. Next to the tiara, throw in a sachet of all natural epsom salts, such as the kind from Lucy Bee to help her relax and take away any aches and pains. And to ensure that mom can truly make the time for her royal bath, include a gift certificate for a few hours of maid service.

Can your mom leave the room in stitches? Does she enjoy being the center of attention? Gift her a class at The Second City, a world renown comedy club and training center, where she can meet new people and have fun learning how to do improv. Many famous and talented alumni include John Belushi, Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Bill Murray, Stephen Colbert and Tina Fey. Mom may not end up hosting the next episode of Saturday Night Live, but she is certain to have a few laughs.

If mom likes pottery and working with her hands, she may enjoy taking a class to hone her skills. There are a variety of classes offered throughout Chicagoland, including the Lincoln Square Pottery Studio Learning Center, the Pot Shop, Penguin Foot Pottery and Creative Playthings.

People often put traveling on the top of their list of things to do when they retire. But, even fewer people actually get around to doing it. Whether your mother is still working or enjoying her retirement years, a unique gift that sparks her urge to travel, or that simply helps her reminisce about the amazing trip to Florence, Italy she went on in college, is certain to be appreciated.

One way that you can recognize her love for traveling is by ordering a metal vintage travel poster of her favorite city, or even one that is a reminder of a favorite family trip to the Grand Canyon. One of the great things about metal posters is they are eye catching and do not require matting or framing. To ensure she is ready to travel in style, get her an additional gift of a sophisticated Coach passport holder.

Many people believe gemstones, including diamonds, have sacred healing properties that are unique to each stone and can positively influence the mind, body and spirit by wearing them in direct contact with the skin, such as in jewelry. Tapping into the properties available through stones isn’t just for hippies. In fact, most major retailers sell gemstone jewelry in varying price ranges. If jewelry is on your list, think of what type of sacred healing property you want to gift mom and get her a stone that will help influence that. Some popular stones for mothers are rose quartz, which is pink and known for peace, tenderness, comfort and bringing romantic love or strengthening a current relationship.

Lapis lazuli is another recommended stone for mom. A rich blue, the stone was commonly used on Egyptian tombs, including the golden sarcophagus of King Tutankhamen, and is excellent for communication and maintaining a happy home. To help keep mom safe and foster healing of the mind and body, consider getting her a black onyx beaded bracelet from Tiffany’s.

Is your mom edgy and legendary (of course she is!), so how about something that makes a sophisticated statement? Take a look at the #TiffanyHardwear and see what Lady Gaga has to say about it.

Cellphones and iPads have made it easier than ever to carry a complete photo album around electronically. In fact, they have become so common that what is now considered stepping “outside of the box” or going “vintage” is gifting a printed photo album. That is why a personalized, printed photo album filled with images of you and your siblings growing up with mom through the years is certain to warm her heart. Shutterfly makes creating a personalized photo album easy and affordable.

Simply create an online account, select the style of book that you want and upload the images that you want to include. You can select what pages the images appear on and how large or small they print. After placing your order, the book prints and ships quickly – just in time for mom to receive on Mother’s Day. You may also want to include a personalized photo magnet, cell phone case, blanket, paper weight – you get the picture, right?

Memorable perfume. You may be wondering what is memorable perfume? Well, it’s not the name of a specific perfume. It’s a perfume that is uniquely designed to stir enticing memories and is so hard to find that the only Nordstrom where it is available in the Chicagoland area is the one at the Shops at North Bridge on Michigan Avenue.

As part of the Parisian made Replica Fantasies Collection by Maison Margiela, each scent in the collection is named for, and inspired by, a specific date and location in time. Scents include Beach Walk in Calvi, 1972, Flower Market in Paris, 2011, Promenade in the Gardens in Oxfordshire, 1986, Jazz Club in Brooklyn 2013, and Lipstick On in Chicago, 1952, which smells like night blush and rice powder. Although mom may still love her J’adore by Dior perfume, she is certain to get lots of questions about what scent she is wearing after spraying on one of Replica’s distinctive and rare scents.

Although taking mom to a nice restaurant on Mother’s Day is a treat, what she will like even better is spending an evening with you at a cooking class where chefs instruct you both on a new recipe that you make together and then eat.

What makes this gift even better is that mom can cook without having to clean up afterwards!

And, if you want to make it a family event, many locations offer group bookings so the entire family can spend quality time together. Popular culinary stores with these types of cooking classes include The Chopping Block, which has locations in the Merchandise Mart and Lincoln Square. Another location is Naveen’s Cuisine where attendees learn how to make Indian and Thai food. If mom lives in the suburbs there are similar cooking classes available at venues such as Cook, Cork and Fork in Palatine, Illinois.

If mom loves candles and a great bottle of wine, she will be delighted to have one of her empty wine bottles turned into a candle holder. Dabble offers classes held at Paired Wine Co. where you learn how to make a candle holder out of an empty bottle of wine.

Depending on the style of bottle and the placement of its label, you may have a choice on what type of candle holder style you like, such as slicing off the top of the bottle and pouring wax in it or cutting off the bottom of the bottle and using the top to cover a lit candle. The class is made even more fun by purchasing and sipping on wine and eating appetizers.

Now If your mom is someone who adores posh things, why not spoil her with a new pair of Chanel sunglasses – especially with summer just around the corner?

Of all the haute couture designers, Chanel is certain to never go out of style. And, thanks to the immortal attire of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, neither will over-sized sunglasses, which Chanel has plenty of. One of the benefits of investing in a pair of expensive shades is that the expensive brands are constructed using a thicker, more durable plastic, which can often enable the lenses to be changed multiple times before having to replace the frame. So, in addition to helping mom see the world through a pair of rose colored glasses when she slips on her new Runway Pink Chanel shades, you will also be making a wise investment.