If you're only waking up now to the fact that it's Mothers' Day this Sunday, don't panic and rush out to find the last bruised, battered and wilting bunch of flowers. This is an opportunity to be creative and surprise your mom with something thoughtful for her day.

Here are a few authentic Mother's Day gift ideas that will have her forgiving all your past misdemeanours and loving you even more than she already does!

Can't find a card?
No matter, rather, write her a lovely long letter telling her how much she means to you. You don't need to be a brilliant wordsmith - just speak from your heart, picking an instance in your life that you remember your mom making a real difference. We don't receive handwritten letters anymore and so receiving one from her son or daughter will mean just as much, if not more than any store bought card.

Avoid cut flowers
If you know your mom likes flowers, don't spend money on cut ones, rather, pop to your nearest nursery and buy her a pot of gorgeous, in season winter bulbs. They'll bring her joy through the winter months and what's more, she'll be able to plant the bulbs next year for pleasure over again.

Kitchen herbs
Alternatively, buy her a couple of different herbs for a mini herb garden in her kitchen. There's nothing nicer than fresh basil or rosemary to bring out the flavours in a dish and if she loves to cook, it'll delight her to no end. Be sure to wrap each in a pretty ribbon just to make them look extra special when you present them to her.

Get her fit and healthy
If she's looking to get active and meet some friends - offer her a month-long Adventure Boot Camp membership. She can always sign up for more if she likes it, and it's showing her that you care about her health too. It's also a gift that will last a lifetime and kick start her way to being fit and healthy.

There will be a Mother?s Day Drop-In Boot Camp on Saturday the 8th of May at De Waal Park, Oranjezicht in Cape Town, from 08h30 to 10h00. The cost is R50 and is payable on the day. Pay for yourself and bring along your mom or daughter free of charge! For more information, visit www.adventurebootcamp.co.za.

There's nothing like homemade
A homemade breakfast or lunch is always a good idea, but if you're a disaster in the kitchen then consider popping out early to find a few select croissants, fresh fruit and great coffee and set out a blanket (inside or outside depending on what the weather is doing) to have a Mother's Day picnic. It's about spending time with her, so the less time the food takes to prepare, the better.

Reminisce with old photographs
If you've got a bit of time and a ton of photographs from yesteryear, arrange these in a gallery ? in a photo album, on a large piece of cardboard or as a slideshow on your computer. Try to arrange the pictures as a story of your relationship with her and bring up special moments that you have shared together. This will mean more to her than all the bunches of flowers you can buy.

Mothers' Day picnic
Since most restaurants are already likely to be fully booked, try a slightly different take on an outing with mom. Prepare a picnic basket and go to a great park to spend Mothers' Day with her. The great thing about this is that you can pack all her favourite foods and enjoy yourselves without the rush or worry about any extra costs. Some great places to take her are below. If you're keen to enjoy the entertainment at any of these gorgeous parks, click on their names to visit their websites.

Go to the movies
If it's just about spending a relaxed afternoon with mom, then take her to a movie. Let her pick the movie and make sure that you take care of the snacks. Afterwards, pop into a nearby coffee shop or go back home for a cup of tea together to chat about the film and spend some quality time together.

Book a family photoshoot.
All you'll need to present her with on Mother's Day is a card with the booking date on it and say that it is your gift to her to have professional family photographs to remember her and her family by. Fuji Image Studios are dotted across the country and are a professional and cost-effective way to do it. Visit their website www.fujistudios.co.za to get more details.