Mothers Day on the Net

(Originally Written for Mothers Day 1999. Some sites may no longer be available.)

As Mothers Day draws near, it becomes harder and harder to find that perfect gift for the perfect mom. Then there are the mothers-in-law, grandmothers and great-grandmothers, and daughters and daughters-in-law who are also mothers. What to do? Turn the M in mothers day upside down and multiply it by 3. That's right, www.what-am-i-going-to-get-mom-for-mothers-day.com.
The Internet offers many gifts for Mother's Day as well as things that mom will enjoy year round. Amazon.com has books, music, videos, electronics, software, toys, video games, tools and hardware, lawn and patio furniture, kitchen supplies, health and beauty products,  and even allows you to by from Sotheby's auction house. The selection is excellent and prices are reasonable. FamilyWonder.com also provides family-oriented videos, music, and toys, and quite often has special offers such as "buy one get one free" or $10 off any purchase.  The internet is the only medium that truly caters to everyone. Within it lack-of-walls, you can find anything. Here is a short list.

• Chef Mom:
• Yahoo Recipe Directory has thousands of recipes from all over the world and with enough time you could probably find any recipe you wanted.
• Better Homes and Gardens has +many recipes from that good old red and white checkered cookbook you used to have plus hundreds more.
• Tipworld sends you daily recipes by email in your choice of categories: "Baking Recipe of the Day", "Food and Cooking", "Low-Fat Recipe of the Day", "Recipe of the Day", and "Vegetarian Recipe of the Day."
• Altavista Recipe Directory also has a listing of thousands of sites world-wide that provide recipes for your cooking pleasure.
• Home and Garden Mom
• Do-It-Yourself Network provides step-by-step ways to improve your household decor or plant or maintain a garden.
• Home and Garden Television has a listing of many topics to improve your home and yard including crafts, building and remodeling, design and decorating, and gardening and landscaping ideas that will truly make your house a home.
• Lowes Home Imnprovement Warehouse has tips for do-it-yourselfers and enthusiasts alike to help you make the most of your existing house or add to it to create the perfect home.
• Home Depot provides a way for you to "fix it, build it, grow it, decorate it, or install it," as well as some calculators to help you figure the square footage of grass seed, wallpaper, tile, and carpet for your needs.
• Joann's Fabric and Craft has many sewing and craft projects for moms and children alike as well as tips and timesavers for the mom who never has enough time for her "projects."
• New Mommy or Mommy-to-Be
• Baby Namer is a fun, easy reference for baby names including, variations, combinations and baggage (teasing your child could get with a certain name).
• Baby Soon has all sorts of links and charts for the expectant mother including nutritional information and what to expect with the arrival of a new bundle of joy.
• Baby Center provides advice, help, and merchandise for those who just had a baby, are expecting a newborn or are just thinking of starting a family.
• Baby Zone also has information for the mother-to-be as well as answers to frequently asked questions such as why isn't my baby walking / crawling / teething yet?
• Motherwear is an online store for the mother-to-be who plans to nurse and wants top-quality clothes that are both comfortable and modest.
• Elizabeth Lee has sewing information and patterns for maternity wear as well as patterns for babies, infants, and children.
• Download Momma
• Winfiles has all thousands of files to download for the Windows operating System including desktop themes and screesavers.
• Hotfiles has an impressive array of software downloads for Windows, Macintosh, and even Palm Pilot software.
• Fileworld makes available for download many shareware and freeware applications for a variety of operating system.
• Enjoy the Web, Mom
• Alladvantage actually pays you $0.50 an hour for every hour you are online and also pays you for the time your friends are online.
• Cafepress allows you to create your own mousepads, mugs, and T-shirts with any picture on them that you would like, you provide the picture, they provide the manufacturing and delivery of the merchandise.
• E-Tour allows you to pre-select the types of sites you would like to visit and then randomly takes you to the sites that meet your interests, as well as gives you points redeemable for gift certificates at many different stores.

The internet can provide something for mom as well as dad, grandpa, grandma, and the kids, and, if used wisely will allow your family to accomplish more than you thought possible.