What makes you happy on Mother's Day?

For the first time in six years, I’m spending Mother’s Day away from my children. While I’m thrilled about the reason why — I’m headed to New York for a weekend with seven friends — I’m also a little blue to be away from my kids on this day.

To make up for my absence, this year we’ve split the celebration: last week after finishing the Sporting Life 10K Run, I was spoiled by an afternoon nap and a family dinner out at The Mandarin, a restaurant chosen in part thanks to a Kids-Eat-Free coupon my daughter had scored at school. (She was giddy with excitement to use it.) And then apparently post-New York weekend, more celebration will be waiting for me in the form of gifts and cards.

I’m not really one of those moms who hints at what she’d like for the big day, or hands over a list. Instead, I like to see what my family comes up. Past gifts that have been carefully picked out by the pint-sized members of my family have included magazines (I’m a magazine junkie), photo albums (because I take lots of pictures of the kids) and photo frames (ditto). This year, I’m not sure what to expect, although a betting woman would guess a copy of Tina Fey’s Bossypants. (After reading a sample chapter on my phone and muttering something about wanting to buy a copy, hubby gruffly said “Don’t. Just don’t buy yourself a copy, okay?”)

Ultimately while the presents are great, I suspect that like many other moms out there, what really melts the heart is the love and appreciation that accompanies the day as well as the family pampering (as in “You take it easy — I’ll bathe the kids and put them to bed.” or “Here mommy, I’ll do that for you.”). Bliss.

So on the theme of gifts, I asked around to find what have been some of the best Mother’s Day gifts you’ve received? The worst? What do you hope to get tomorrow? Here’s what some of you told me:

“A sleep-in, and a pure uncommitted day to enjoy with my family, no household chores.” — tellinatellina, via Twitter

“One year my two girls pooled their money and bought my gift. Mother's Day morning they got into a tug of war on who would give me the gift. It was settled by a crash and broken glass as it hit the floor. I have no idea anymore on what it was, but it's the Mother's Day that stands out.”— Anne Liptak, via Facebook

“I would like some respect and be appreciated for what I do and not hear about the things I don't do.” — Michele Elaine Owen Witley, via Facebook

“To spend the day alone, no kids, lots of wine and Star Trek.”— Irina000, via Twitter

“I'd love for my kids (7, 5 and 3) to not say 'Eww!' or 'Yuck!' every night at dinner. One can dream, right? In reality, I'd love a great sunny day where we can spend the day outside, perhaps planting flowers or chilling at the park.”— Cindy Truesdell Elliott, via Facebook

“Worst gift ever from my kids (hubby): a printer. What I don't want to get — a new printer.”— kuchendame, via Twitter

“I am a new mom so I haven't gotten any bad gifts yet! I wouldn't want anything that is housecleaning related though.”— immabeme7, via Twitter

“I always want a spa gift card, Lululemon gear and an afternoon for myself. The worst gifts were a cookbook for family recipes and a gargantuan coffee maker. But overall my hubby is pretty good at gifts.”— amreen72, via Twitter

"I would love to spend it will all three of my children but that won’t happen this year because one child is in Mexico, one is in California, one is in Edmonton and I am in Victoria. So maybe I will treat myself to a brunch.”— Deidra Macbeth, via Facebook

What are you looking forward to tomorrow?

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