By Piya Mitra

Mother’s Day is around the corner and I for one am certainly looking forward to celebrating it. I look forward to my two little girls giving me hugs and kisses throughout the day, telling me how much they love me. I am also looking forward to the little toy wrapped in paper from the printer with a flower stuck to it or the rocks wrapped in newspaper and my all time –  favorite ants from the garden offered as pets!!

Yes I do love those gifts because it’s the thought and effort put in by my five year old that matters. I would rather get a rock as a present than something picked out from the mall. I hope this recession teaches us that gifts don’t make us happy, it’s the person giving the gift and the thought behind it that we ultimately care  about.

Having said that I will add that all moms need to be pampered. Most of the days it’s the moms doing all the pampering and one day of R&R is certainly well deserved . A Spa Day is certainly a good gift for any mom but can be quite expensive and in these tough economic times may be hard to afford. So how about a Home Spa?

It can be easier on the pocket and if you make it a family affair it can be a fun way to spend quality time together. By using all natural ingredients you can keep it Earth friendly, so you end up pampering your mom and doing good for Mother Earth too!

The Home Spa

This will require some planning. You need to decide what services your spa offers Mom. Lets say a Manicure, Pedicure and a facial. You will need specific items for each treatment so make sure you have all of them.

The next step is to set up the spa area and give it a spa ambience and calming atmosphere.

Setting the Spa atmosphere

Begin with cleaning up the area, dim the lights and set up scented candles, fresh flowers, calming music. You can also offer mom some cucumber water and chocolate dipped strawberries to snack on while she’s being pampered.

Pedicure/Manicure

For a simple home manicure you need

• Warm water
• Hand soap
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Hand cream
• Hand towels
• Nail polish remover
• Nail polish

Remove any old nail polish .Soak hand in warm water with few drops of hydrogen peroxide & soap. Soak each hand for few minutes. Dry hands with towel. Massage
each hand for five minutes. Dry hands with towel and apply fresh nail polish.

Some  tips for natural face masks and scrubs

Banana-Avacado Mask

Ingredients

• 1/2 over-ripe banana
• 1/2 over-ripe avacado
• 2 Tbsp unflavored full-fat yogurt
• 1 tsp olive oil

Instructions

Mash banana and avocado, combine with other ingredients, and mix well. Apply liberally to face and neck. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Besan & Yogurt Mask

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp besan (gram flour)
• 1 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1tsp honey
• 1tsp rose water

Intstructions

Apply the batter to the face. With the tips of your fingers work the batter around and apply evenly to face. Leave on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Oatmeal Exfoliating Scrub

Ingredients

• 2 heaped tsp fine oatmeal
• 1 tsp baking soda

Instructions

Mix oatmeal and baking soda, add enough water to make a thick paste. Rub over face, rinse, pat dry.

If you are a Mom this is certainly a fun activity to do with your kid. Dads this will be a very nice way for your family to show your appreciation for mom

To all my fellow hard-working mothers out there – Happy Mothers Day!

Piya Mitra is a Bay Area event organizer. She can be reached at emailpiya@gmail.com or through her website Elegant Eventz . She also blogs her favorite recipes and party ideas at http://celebratingeveryday.blogspot.com/ Check out her blog for more massage tips.