Hearing me out? Read on.

- If you want to go traditional, mix up the monotony. Candy and flowers are nice and don’t break the bank, but apparently they are not great for the planet, so why not choose something a bit different this year? A box of fair-trade, organic chocolates won’t run you more than 20 bucks, and they’re made with more care and better-quality ingredients than that Russell Stover collection.

- Does your boo like to spin the tunes? Make him a mix CD. I know, I know—that’s so sixth grade—but really, it’s a very thoughtful gift that can’t come from anyone except you. Go through your playlist and mountains of CDs to pick out songs that remind you of that special someone, burn ‘em off, and make a pretty liner and cover for the CD. Done!

- Are you the anti-Martha Stewart? That’s all the more reason for you to get down in the kitchen and cook up a meal and dessert that will have your lover falling at your feet (out of devotion rather than food poisoning, we hope). Dust off that cookbook, because you know he’ll appreciate your effort of putting together something special just for him (and staying home is way more romantic than attempting to snuggle in an overcrowded restaurant). Buy top-quality ingredients, and leave yourself plenty of time to prepare. And hey, if all goes south, take-out Chinese is way under $30.

- You crafters out there might enjoy making a scrapbook for the one you love. There are a few costs up front—the actual book and the craft materials—but the rewards are great if you happen to be dating someone who is a hopeless romantic at heart and will flip through the book over and over again. Toss in pictures, movie-ticket stubs, e-mails the two of you have sent each other… Whatever reminds you of your relationship in a happy way is a go.

- Finally, try giving the gift of yourself, since there’s clearly nothing hotter (or cheaper…not in that way!) out there. Grab a sexy lingerie set (there are tons of hot, cheap options out there), scatter some rose petals from your sweetie’s door all the way to his bed, light a few candles for ambiance, then give him something he’ll never forget. Could there be a better gift? We think not.

There is officially less than a week left until Mother’s Day. I know – that little holiday totally sneaks up on you when you are swamped with exams, packing, and living out the final days of the school year. But don’t panic if you forgot (and your mom hasn’t been dropping hints every day as to what she wants).

The school year may be over and the cash flow may be pretty low, but there are some easy DIY gifts you can make for Mom this year. And you can make them fast and you can make them cheap. Not that your mom deserves something cheap – I’m just pretty sure she’d much rather have something from the heart than something you whisked off the rack at Nordstrom.

Labeled Herb Pots – A great gift for a mom that loves to cook and enjoys having fresh ingredients.  Go and buy some herb plants, and put them in small terracotta pots. You can paint the rims with chalkboard paint then label which the plants are inside. This way, if your mom has a black thumb she can easily switch up the plants if (or when) they die, and not be stuck with the labels. Or she can even reuse these for completely different reasons! Cute, cheap, personal and earth friendly.
Pretty much the perfect gift..

Variation on the “coupon book” – Think back to your elementary school days and chances are a Mother’s Day Coupon Book was made at some point.  While coupons such as “setting the table,” or “five hugs” are still sweet, we at CC think you can do better.  First, instead of printing out some “coupons” from a Word Document and stapling them together, get creative. Why not make Mom a jar of fortune cookies and put your little coupons inside? She will never expect it, not to mention the fact that everyone loves a fortune cookie.

And don’t just get creative in HOW you give the coupons, but in WHAT the coupons are, as well. For the technically challenged mom, try “One hour of explaining and setting up Facebook,” or “A two hour lesson in uploading and printing digital photos (from the camera dad hasn’t given you yet).” For the uber-busy mom try “Three grocery shopping trips,” or “Dinner on the table by the time you’re home.”  If you’re the eldest kid, and have a lot younger siblings, try “Afternoon outing with the kids” or “Five free nights of babysitting” to get the kids out of Mom’s hair for a while.  Or, if you’ve been neglecting your mother-daughter time lately, why not have “Two hours of fashion consultation at the mall,” or “one just-us outing of your choice.”

Hand-painted pottery - Remember when you were five and you could bring home macaroni glued to a piece of paper and your mom would proudly display it on the fridge?  Well, unfortunately that won’t cut it anymore.  So, why not bring Mom home a masterpiece she won’t have to pretend to like?  There are paint your own pottery places everywhere (Color Me Mine has locations all over the world), so grab some friends, and go make some presents for your moms. It happens to be super fun and incrediby therapeutic, so this is a gift that everyone can enjoy.  Or, if you are pressed for time, you could always make a fortune cookie coupon with an afternoon of pottery painting with mom!

Photo Album – There is nothing moms love more than their children, so give her the ultimate gift and put together a family photo album for her. But not any old photo album with a bunch of pictures stuck inside some sleeves – really go to town. You can get really crafty and build a scrapbook of some of your favorite family moments, or simply compile some of memorable digital photos into a real bound photo book. These books are beautiful and allow you to get creative without doing all that time consuming work.

This gift may take a bit longer, but the end result will totally be worth the wait. And your mom will agree.

Got any other ideas for good, personal Mother’s Day gifts? Share them below!

[Welcome to my Weekly Love List. A list, on all things I love. Because if I love them - well then obviously you may (and should) love them too. As the Backstreet Boys song says (and yes I am actually quoting them) “My Love is All I Have To Give.” So with that throwback, here are this week’s list-worthy things…]

1. Cover Girl Last Blash Mascara. Until this moment I have been shelling out prime dollars for department store mascara. But with one stroke of this bad boy I was hooked. Hooked and fluttering my eyelashes all night long!

2. Astrologyzone.com: Maybe I’m a sucker, but I am addicted to this site that gives you a detailed (we’re talking like 3 pages baby!) horoscope for the month. I had a chance to hear the astrologist who runs the site, Susan Miller , speak once and I was hooked. Yes I’m into things like The Secret and all that other new-age stuff, but even if you aren’t there is something just so fun about horoscopes. It’s like playing M.A.S.H. when you were a kid. (Although that was never fun if you ended up in the shack married to Steve Urkel).

3. Shutterfly photo books. You have thousands of pics on your computer, but now because of all this digital stuff no one prints their photos anymore! Shutterfly makes it easy to put your best pics on display by putting them in these cute little hardcover plastic books that YOU can design. A great gift idea; after all, who doesn’t love having pics of themselves in their Halloween costume doing a kegstand on their coffee table for all to see? Only everyone worth being friends with.

4. This video. because it never gets old and I never stop loving it.

5. Hautelook.com. Sample sales from your favorite designers – from Ella Moss to Elizabeth and James – and just about everyone in between with prices as much as 70% off! Heavenly and Love List worthy – that’s for sure.

What are you loving this week?