MOTHER'S DAY GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS - a lot of you have been asking me to come up with special unique wrapping ideas for a photo gift.  Here are some special ideas just for you:

• If you have a large photo gift, you can wrap it in brown paper, and give your kids markers and have them write special Mother's Day messages on the paper.  Let them decorate the brown paper before you wrap the present.  This makes your kids feel like they are a big part of the gift giving and you will also end up with a very cute package.  Add some bright ribbon and a bow - and you have a photo gift that is uniquely wrapped. (If you want to get really creative, the kids can write messages with markers and you can dip their hands in washable paint so that they can put their handprints on the brown paper too!)
• Large gifts can also be wrapped in pretty wrapping paper and you can hand make a special Mother's Day Card to make the present very unique.  Just use a sheet of colored cardstock or construction paper.  Paste a favorite photo on the front and write your own thoughts to your Mother on the inside of the card.  Attach it to your gift, add ribbon and a bow - your Mom will have tears in her eyes when she opens it.
• Instead of a card you could always attach a photo gift tag to your present.  Just cut a tag out of cardstock or purchase a pre-made one and paste a small favorite photo on it, so your mother knows who its from.  Inscribe a short I LOVE YOU MESSAGE under the picture.  Add ribbon and a bow - or raffia tied around the gift, just to be creative.
• Smaller photo gifts are great when they are put inside something else your mother or grandmother likes or likes to do.  For instance, place a smaller gift inside of a pretty teapot or plant pot.  Wrap with tinted cello wrap, gathering at the top and tying with a big bow.
• There are a lot of very pretty decorated boxes in the stores right now, which also make a great cover for a photo gift.  Or if you are really creative - you can decoupage a box especially for the occasion with different colored tissue paper.  Just tear the tissue paper into pieces and decoupage with decoupage glue.  You can add a few dried flowers or leaves on the top. Just use your imagination - but don't forget to write some special words inside a card to accompany your gift.

But most important of all - spend some special time with your Mom if you can, for after all that's the greatest gift of all!

GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS FOR FATHER'S DAY - Dads, grandads and uncles are always a little harder than moms  when you are trying to figure out how to wrap a gift just for them - here are my special ideas:

• Wrap a photo gift with the sports page of your newspaper - this is especially fitting if the man in your life is a sports addict!  A photo book of your Dad, Grandpa or Uncle growing up - including pictures of him playing several sports would be great!
• If your Dad is not into sports, but he's a workaholic, office type guy - wrap his gift in the financial page of the newspaper - get him a photo gift for his office.  He'll love it!
• Your Dad's a hunter or fisherman?  Wrap his gift in a unique t-shirt (I'm sure you can find one by clicking on one of the sites on the Father's Day page).
• Your Dad loves to cook?  Wrap a photo recipe book in a manly photo apron.  He'll be delighted!
• I could go on and on with wrapping ideas - the key to remember is, zone in on their interests and then find something to wrap their gift in that totally relates to what they love to do.