So, only 2 days till Mother’s Day…

“Whaaaaat???”

Don’t worry — we have you covered. Here are a few gift ideas you can quickly whip together that your #1 Momma is bound to enjoy ( and 2/5 are FREE!).

1)    A Funny Video. Here’s a video you can easily (in 5 seconds) personalize and send to the lady you love so much. It’s sweet. It’s hilarious. It’s free.  It’s win-win.

2) A DIY card. If you love craft projects (who doesn’t?) skip the Hallmark card this year and make one yourself. If you have time, dry some small flowers (just stash any buds you can get your hands on in a book for a few hours) and glue ‘em on. Make it even sweeter by adding an acrostic poem. Okay, it’s cheesy, but I’m telling you, it always brings out the happiness tears.

Spell your mom’s name downward on a sheet of paper, and with each letter, start a sentence or pick an adjective that describes her. For example, for the name “Emily,” you would have lines starting with E, M, I, L and Y. (And no, “Embarassing,” “Makes me extremely annoyed,” or “Is a nag” are NOT allowed.)

3)    Food! Who doesn’t love customized chocolate covered strawbs? But order ‘em fast! (Luckily they do overnight delivery.)

4) Flowers. Cliché, but always appreciated, flowers are a great last-minute gift for mom. But if you want to add a bit of originality, skip roses and go for tulips or gerber daisies (my personal favorite and they last FOREVER, which means your mom will be reminded of you long after you skip town for the summer).

5) A Book. Get Mom started on her springtime reading with a new novel. Depending on her taste, I would recommend the following: Sophie’s Choice (depressing but worth it), Prodigal Summer (romantic and beautifully written) and Shopaholic Series (trashy but fabulous).

I experienced the real meaning of the saying “April Showers bring May Flowers” the other day as I walked through a part of Manhattan I hadn’t visited in two weeks and suddenly realized it was now home to green tree branches and blooming tulips (…as well as a homeless guy who kept trying to get me to make out with him…).

New York City is in bloom. And it’s fantastic. And will only last for about three more weeks and then summer will roll in and burn everything to a crisp and cause me to sweat so badly on the subways that I become concerned for my own health.

BUT. Before summer truly has us in her hot, hot choke hold, we are being blessed with May. Sweet, little, darling, beautiful May. It could be my favorite season. And not just because it signals the end of school and the beginning of constant barbecues and awesome hippie skirts. To me, May always represents rebirth. Nature’s ability to forgive and forget. Our ability to move on. Brighter things to come.

And the freaking beach.

What are your May plans, dear awesome readers? Graduating? Finishing up finals? Heading home for some much needed R and R before an internship / job / summer classes start? What exactly ARE you doing for a summer internship or job? Have any hot tips to pass our way?

Oh yeah, and also…what’s your favorite summer treat?

[Questions, Comments, love letters for CollegeCandy? Contact J directly at jess@collegecandy.com]