When my oldest daughter was about 4 years old she went Mother’s Day shopping with Dad. Upon her arrival home she proudly declared, “I bought you a clock but I’m not telling you because it’s a surprise!” Gifts from my children are always memorable.

With Mother’s Day around the corner – May 10 – it’s time to have a plan for how to celebrate the women in my life and to think about how I want to spend the day myself. Here are a listing of a few gift ideas for those special ladies you want to honor (or to add to your own wish list).

Traditionally favorite. I would never reject flowers or chocolate any day of the year. Other fun traditional Mother’s Day gifts include breakfast in bed, brunch, jewelry or perfume. You really can’t go wrong with these satisfying staples.

Take a load off. Soft throw blankets, comfy and cute jammies, cozy slippers, and yummy lotions can help mom feel rejunivated and relax no matter if she’s expecting Baby No.1 or is a grandmother to many.

Cooking Things Up. For moms who love to cook, splurge and get mom a Panini press or other high-end kitchen gadgets, a fancy herb garden (see the picture of the cute one from Crate & Barrel), a new set of knives, or a Kitchenaid attachment (pasta maker, ice cream maker, etc.)

Latest and greatest. iPods (or their expensive accessories), navigation systems, TiVo, webcams, cameras or the expensive equipment to go with it, DVD collections of favorite shows or classic movies, a Roomba (the robot vacuum), blue tooth for chatting in the car, or built-in DVD players for road trips all make great gifts.

Sappy and sentimental. Handmade gifts (I got plaster of paris handprints last year and love them) digital photo frames and keychains, recordable gifts (frames, photo albums, and cards), home video clips, or custom-made kid art projects can be most meaningful.

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Family snapshots can easily be morphed into keychains, placemats, mugs, keepsake box, key rings, jewlery, cutting boards, coasters, books, etc. Check out Snapfish.com, Kinkos, and Costco.com for more ways to turn photos into gifts.

Thinking outside of the gift card box. When in doubt, you can always pick up a giftcard for mom, but be creative and choose a unique gift card that is pampering and practical. For example, you can now buy gift cards for maid service, massages, high-end restaurants, pedicures, day spas, high-end retail stores, iTunes, chain book stores, movie tickets, hotels and airlines. Or if none of those float your boat, you can always make a donation to Mom’s favorite charity.

Need more ideas? Look on www.gift.com or www.amazon.com and sort by the type of mom from active and sporty to eco-friendly or glamorous.

Question: What do you want for Mother’s Day? What are you buying for your Mom?