Making Your Decision For A Happy Mothers Day Gift

Forgetting Mother's Day is perhaps the most heinous crime of all. Yet it can be very tricky figuring out what Happy Mothers Day gift to buy, especially when mom is smiling and saying, "Oh, time with my kids is just fine."

A survey by www.workitmom.com found that 22.5% of working mothers craved a bit of pampering with "half a day at the spa" as the most desired gift. Another 16.1% of moms longed for a few hours of quiet time and 15% hoped to catch up on sleep. After gift certificates, top Mother's Day presents included jewelry, flowers, perfume, makeup and books.

According to a 2007 National Retail Federation poll, men plan to spend an average of $172.91 on a Happy Mothers Day gift, while women plan to spend $107.18 on a gift. Shoppers in the 25 to 34 demographic will spend the most ($151.42), followed by the 35 to 44 year olds ($147.30), the 55 to 64 bracket ($138.14) and 18 to 24 year olds ($137.73).

Most gifts are purchased at a specialty store, such as jewelers, florists or electronics boutiques. Some shoppers will visit discount stores and department stores, and some will shop by catalog as well.

Gifts for Mothers Day include Mothers Day cards, gift certificates, books or CDs, household wares, gardening tools and consumer electronics. Many of those polled said they'd also take mom out to brunch at her favorite restaurant and buy her flowers.

According to a Consumer Electronics Association study, 32% of moms would like a consumer electronics device as their Happy Mothers Day gift. Of those mothers, 55% would prefer a digital camera over a $200 maid service gift certificate. "As we have seen for years, women are enthusiastic CE consumers.

Now they are starting to keep their fingers crossed that some of their favorite devices arrive for Mother's Day in lieu of traditional gifts," explains Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association. He adds that people will spend $6 billion this year on digital cameras, DVD players and MP3 players.

On average, teens will spend about $63 on their gift for mom, with perfume and flowers dominating the list. However, for the 24 to 35 year old cohort, conveniently labeled "Generation Tech," there will be an average spending of $109, with consumer electronic products ranking as one of the top ten gifts.

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