According to Salary.com, moms who stay at home with their kids full time would earn approximately $117,000 per year, if they charged for all of the services they provide, including cooking, cleaning, laundry, counseling, driving, and more. Moms who work full time outside the home would earn an additional $68,000 per year for the on-top-of-everything-else work they do in the home after hours.

Another tidbit that I found interesting is this: the same study estimates that a mom's work week consists of 96 working hours. Ninety-six.

So what does that tell you, moms, about the relevance of Mother's Day? You deserve it! So don't deflect any compliments you receive this holiday, okay? Instead, say "Thank you," and let it sink in a bit. You work extremely hard to provide for all of your family's needs, that work is indeed valued, and this holiday is for you!

I hope you enjoy it.

Related:

• Calculate Your Own Worth at Salary.com
• Poems to Celebrate Mothers and Mother's Day

What would your "perfect day" look like? Dream with me for a moment... It's 75 degrees out with a warm breeze floating through the air. The kids are squealing, running along the beach, chasing after our dog, Emma, and playing Frisbee. I set my book down and call them back to our blanket. Together we dive into the picnic basket we've prepared. There's no complaining about who-gets-what, and we're full before we even get to dessert, so we save it for later. We sit back and watch the sunset before heading home.

Sigh.

Doesn't that sound nice? How about you? What would your ideal day look like? Now imagine which components of it you could build into your Mother's Day celebration. You might not be able to get everything, of course (like a cooperative weather forecast), but certainly there are a bits and pieces of your dream that you can squeeze into your day as a gift to yourself.

Related:

• About's Picnic Recipe Exchange Roundup
• Top 7 Ways to Entertain Mom

Is your mom a gadget lover? Mine is. She always has the latest "best thing," so I know she'd appreciate the suggestions in Top 8 Mother's Day Gifts by Diana Rattray, About.com's Guide to Southern Food.

Personally, I have my eye on #4, the Black and Decker Gizmo Grater. It may not seem all that spectacular or luxurious, but hey, we moms do tend to spend quite a bit of time in the kitchen! And, to me, any tool that's designed to save us a little time is pretty awesome.

Related: Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Wine Lovers

I know that a lot of families like to go out to eat for brunch on Mother's Day. I have to tell you, though - especially being the mom of two young and active kiddos, who I know would rather not sit through brunch or dinner at a formal restaurant - I'd prefer to share a home-cooked meal and spend the day relaxing together in our backyard.

So I scoped out some of the Mother's Day Menus prepared by our Guides here at About.com, and one that absolutely jumped out at me is this: An Easy Mother's Day Menu for the Culinary Challenged. Perfect! I'd love to be sipping a mimosa at about this time on Sunday morning, while savoring the aroma of an asparagus and bacon frittata as it finishes baking in the oven.

That sounds heavenly!

Related: Restaurant Blunders to Avoid This Mother's Day

How does the mom in your life define luxury? For some, it's a spa gift certificate or a family cruise. For other moms, the luxury gift of choice would be a new car or an upgrade to the family home theater system.

I guess I'm a fairly simple gal, though, because I'd be happy to settle for small luxuries, such as sleeping in on Mother's Day!

(In fact, I'm secretly hoping my family might read this and create some of their own Mother's Day Coupons, giving me carte blanche to sleep in every once in awhile.)

How about you? What would you consider luxurious?

Another way to honor mom on Mother's Day is to embark on some healthy ventures together. For example:

• Focus on women's health issues. This Saturday, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, Wal-Mart stores throughout the U.S. will be hosting a "Speaking of Women's Health" community event. Participants will gain valuable tips for incorporating a healthy lifestyle, participate in free health screenings, and receive sample products. Consider attending this free event with your mom.


• Learn how to prepare a healthy meal together. It's easier to learn new things when you do it together, right? So pair up with your mom in the kitchen and learn how to incorporate healthier eating and cooking habits. You can even begin with a Healthy Mother's Day Menu by Chef Sabra Ricci.


• Get moving. Mother's Day is also a perfect opportunity to get moving as a family. It can be as simple as taking a family walk, flying a kite, or throwing a Frisbee. Anything that gets you moving while having fun is beneficial. For more tips, read the article 6 Ways to Have an Active Mother's Day.

We all know it's not always easy to start new habits or discuss health concerns as a family, but keep in mind that focusing on your health - together - is a great way to honor your mom and the true spirit of Mother's Day.

One of the things I so love and appreciate about children is their honesty. They'll tell you like it is, won't they? That's true whether you have a glob of ketchup on your nose, or you've spent an extra twenty minutes primping for a special occasion.

And because of that often "brutal" honesty, I think it's extra special when children give a gift to Mom that comes from the heart. More than anything my kids could buy in a store, I treasure their homemade Mother's Day gifts and the projects they've poured their little hearts into.

And then when you see the proud expressions on their faces, as they present their gift, you catch a glimpse of just how much they mean it. That moment is one of the most tender and gratifying in all of motherhood, isn't it?

Related:

• Gifts to Bless Mom on Mother's Day
• Mother's Day Gifts that Support Cancer Research
• Gift Ideas for Birth Parents

Ladies, let's just put it out there... Imagine that your kids, your husband, or your significant other is reading this blog right now… What do you want them to know about what you really want for Mother's Day?

One year I told everyone that I just wanted to spend the day reading a good book. (Unfortunately, I think they thought I was joking!)

But I really do think it's helpful to be up front with one another about what you want, especially if you have something specific in mind. And it certainly can save you from receiving "unwelcome" Mother's Day gifts, such as clothes that are two sizes too small, or jewelry that turns colors or rubs off on your skin.

So let's provide a little education about what moms really want, shall we? Use the comments section below to share your thoughts about what you'd really like to receive for Mother's Day.

I have several friends who are pregnant right now, and when I'm with them, I can't help but remember how I felt with both of my own pregnancies. In a word - large! And it seemed as though everyone around me had lost all sense of politeness. They'd comment again and again on whether I could possibly be carrying twins (which I wasn't), or why so-and-so, "who is due at least a month before you" is "so much smaller."

It was exhausting just trying to dodge the comments and stop myself from saying something I might later regret.

And so I tell you that to remind all the husbands, significant others, parents, and siblings of the expectant mommies out there to remember them this Mother's Day - even if the due date is months away. You've no idea how much even a small gesture of recognition might mean to her!

So what might an expectant mother want for Mother's Day? Think of ways to spoil her, relax her, and make her feel beautiful. For a full list of ideas, read Top Gifts for Mother-to-be.

A lot of moms feel caught between celebrating Mother's Day for themselves and the need to honor their own mothers. One way to resolve this issue is look for ways to include all the generations of your family as you observe the holiday. For example, you could:

• Make a Family Recipe Book - This is a great way to look back on your favorite family recipes while also looking forward to the traditions you plan to pass down to the next generation.


• Share Cross Stitch Projects - Consider creating a special project for one another as a gift, or collaborating on one larger craft, such as a quilt.


• Share Your Favorite Quotes About Motherhood - Select a special quote for one another about what motherhood means to you, and write it on a homemade card.


• Share Poems About Motherhood - Another simple idea is to read aloud to one another your favorite poems about motherhood.

What's great about these intergenerational Mother's Day ideas is that they get us talking about what motherhood means to each of us, and taking the time to share that wisdom can help us grow more and more into the moms we really hope to be.