With Mother’s Day around the corner, we know not everyone can spoil their mom as much as they’d like to as the price of air and everything else continues to rise.
So, we’ve compiled a list of inexpensive ways to celebrate the mother figure in your life!
South Africa (12 May, 2023)—Mother’s Day might be a commercial heyday, but it’s also an awesome excuse to spoil the mother figure in your life a little more than usual.
As much as many would love to give the world to the mother figures in our lives (biological or anyone who stepped into that role) times are tough for a lot of South Africans.
Between the cost of food that raises our collective eyebrows constantly and the price of electricity that doesn’t even show up most of the time, we’ve all had to reel in our expenses.
But, celebration and appreciation don’t have to be costly. So, we’ve compiled 10 ways for you to celebrate the mother figure in your life that
For the Foodie
This is an obvious but never under-appreciated one. The foodie mother figure in your life’s day will be made if you buckle down in the kitchen and make them a Michelin star attempt at dinner.
You probably already have a good idea of which cuisines your foodie prefers, so diving into FoodTok (Food TikTok) can easily give you some of the best and easiest recipes around the world to make the magic happen.
Even if you’re not a chef, the food for thought counts the most. You can also pick the ingredients that are affordable for your budget.
For the Boss
The mother figure in your life that’s always in charge (whether it’s at work, her own business or as a community leader) really needs some motivation to wind down.
Boss figures often take the world on their shoulders, and so ensuring that some of the weight is taken off could be something they haven’t experienced in a long time.
Organise a self-care day where you watch their favourite movie, spend some time in nature if the weather allows, learn a massage technique for those stressed-out shoulders or meditate together.
For the Person who Never Has Time
Offer an act of service as your love language for the day, and take care of all the things that keep elapsing their to-do list. Organise their desktop, closet or whatever needs organising. Opt to wash their car or simply run any errands they need to get done, even if it’s only next week. Give them the best gift people who never have time can get— time to themselves!
For the Adventure Lover
Take a walk on the wild side and gear up for something outdoors like a hike or nature walk. You can find one nearly anywhere in South Africa, from Lion’s Head to The Wilds, and it’ll be an awesome bonding moment for you both.
Many natural adventures are free or low-cost. And, if you can’t hike or the weather doesn’t permit, opt to commit to an adventure moment voucher that’ll serve as your promise to adventure with them soon.
For the Animal Lover
Organise a trip to somewhere where you can see animals like the Hennops Zebra trail in Pretoria, the Two Oceans Aquarium or Boulders Beach, SANCCOB in Cape Town, or even adopt a HERD elephant and choose how much you’d like to contribute toward their journey depending on your budget.
You can also arrange a visit to various animal shelters if they’re open on the day, for the animal lover who’d like to volunteer or learn more about it.
PS: If you can, the Johannesburg SPCA is also hosting a Mother’s Day-inspired sponsorship!
For the Eco Hero
Plant a Fynbos Tree in her honour with GreenPop to be part of the eco-hero mother figure’s most important goal: saving the planet. Contact GreenPop on 083 412 8006 to find out more. The cost is R150, but if that’s too steep there are other awesome ways you can make the day a little kinder to the planet.
For the sustainable superstar, opt to help her go through clothes that can be upcycled or donated in your area.
You can even sift through plastic to share with organisations like Re.Bag.Re.Use.
Or, have a thrifting day if it’s in your budget!
7 For the Art Adorer
Many galleries are free to enter and enjoy, and the art-loving mother figure in your life will be more than thrilled about this kind of adventure.
Venture here to find new exhibitions in your area.
The Knowledge Hunter
Compile a little library of talks/articles and podcasts on their topics of interest so that they can spend as much time as they want learning more about what fascinates them most.
The Music Lover
People might not gift mixtapes anymore, but we can all get behind playlists! Create a playlist of their favourite songs or new songs they might love because what could be more thoughtful for the music lover?
For the Fitness Queen
Sign them and yourself up for a running challenge and train for it together! Whether it’s a Park Run in your area or something for a good cause like the SPAR Women’s Challenges, you two can pick your pace.
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