Christmas shopping for your mother can seem like a tough job.
Take heart, it is not as difficult as it appears to be.
Have you ever tried to think about what your mother likes, what she wishes for, and what she needs? The umbilical cord never really breaks and once you start thinking, you can almost sense her likes and dislikes.
Often, the best gift a woman, especially a mother, can get is a day off.
For Christmas, make her a special breakfast in bed, volunteer to make dinner and do the dishes.
While at it, offer her an opportunity to have a girls' night out with her friends.
Pamper your mother with a paid visit to the spa or buy her luxuriant moisturisers and aromatic bath salts.
A bottle of perfume would also make any woman happy.
Take her shopping for an outfit or two, and maybe a matching pair of shoes and a handbag would be nice too.
For mothers who love to cook, you can purchase a cookbook.
You can also offer to arrange and compile the collection of her special recipes.
If your mother is an excellent cook, maybe you could even get in touch with a publisher and get her recipes published.
So, on Christmas day, she has her very own book launch.
Mothers also like personalised items, and would really appreciate it if you knit her a sweater by yourself or make her a painting, sketch or even a bookmark.
Mothers love handmade things because to them these things say that you love her so much that you are willing to go a long way to please her.
Since all, or almost all, women love flowers, a nice conventional bouquet would do too, but think broadly; make her own rose patch where she could enjoy the roses and also develop a relaxing hobby in tending to them.
For more practical women, or those who love the kitchen, another option would be to plant a vegetable patch.
Of course, once the seeds are sown, you must not consider your work done.
Instead, make it a year-long excuse to get together and tend the garden with her.
On the other hand, if your mum is a working woman, you may get stationery for her office, and maybe add a matching photo frame with the family's picture.
Now that would keep you on her mind at all times! If you are looking to tighten your bond with your mum, plan a picnic for just the two of you this Christmas, or go see a movie together.
Spice it up and catch up on all the family gossip with her.
Install a web cam on her PC this Christmas so that your mother can interact with you and your siblings, even when you all are miles away.
If you are still confused, here is another little hint: mums are also fanatics over custom gifts like wristwatches and diamond rings.
Go get them!