No Laundry on Mother’s Day Contest
I don’t do laundry on Mother’s Day. The celebration can be anticlimactic for moms because we toil everyday, rain, shine or holiday. I generally feed kids, change diapers and tidy the house on Mother’s Day. So I’ve made two rules about Mother’s Day – no laundry and if any child needs something they have to yell, “DAAADD” instead of “MOOOOMMM”. I can’t always guarantee I won’t hear my name screamed, but I can pledge there will be no laundry done this Sunday.
My husband isn’t the best with Mother’s Day gifts. So this is also anticlimactic. My birthday falls the week before Mother’s Day, so he has used up his one idea for a gift a week ago. Heaven forbid him to come up with a second idea each year! I tell him the gift isn’t important, but he does need to produce something so the children understand the concept of, “honor your mother”. When I turned forty, a couple of years ago, the extent of the celebration seemed to negate Mother’s Day. Yes, my husband forgot a gift, card or a flower plucked from the yard. Good thing he has other fine qualities.
So I thought it would be fun if you shared some of your Mother’s Day rules and any exciting gifts you’ve received…or that have been forgotten! And if you do share, your name will be entered to win a basket that I would like to receive on Mother’s Day. I sort of did this to show my darling husband how to use his imagination this year. It is filled with a few of my favorite things, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Mojo Cliff Bars, O Magazine, satin hangers and OxiClean. Then I threw in some things I’d like to try like: Aloe infused socks, overnight foot cream, Downy Wrinkle Release, Dryer Max Dyer Balls (for fluffy towels), and a “Sunwashed Linen” scented candle.
Just post to this blog and I’ll have my kids write down all the numbers and draw a winner on Sunday night. Check back on Monday. Also, tell your friends and fellow bloggers –someone’s Mother’s Day won’t be anticlimactic this year!
42 Responses to “No Laundry on Mother’s Day Contest”
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May 9th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
What a great contest! Will link you right now!
Steph
May 9th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
I have been lurking for awhile. When I seen this I had to answer. My husband & I are the parents of 7 children, all adopted, ages 31,27,21,21,20,17 & (SURPRISE!) a 5 year old. We’re also the grandparents of seven grandchildren, 7,6,5,4,3,14 months & the wee one at 12 weeks. We’ve also fostered for the past 20+ years. At first I was just so thrilled to be a Mom , I didn’t have any rules. But as the family grew……..and grew……..and grew, that’s all changed. I’ll cook. I’ll clean. I may even throw in a load of laundry if it’s an absolutely dire situation AKA someone is going to go to church buck nekked. But I will not do the following:
1. I will not baby-sit my grandsons so my d-i-l & son can take her mother out for Mother’s Day & then be expected to drop them off at her grandmother’s so they can have a peaceful Mother’s Day.
2. Since we always seem to have one here in diapers, I DO NOT CHANGE DIAPERS. I don’t care if it’s running down the kid’s leg, onto my husband’s pants…..not my job. I may give him an “awwwww” but that’s about it.
Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!!
May 9th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
I’m in!
Great contest!
May 9th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Since my last three mother’s days’ have been Days-Of-Puke (somebody has ended up with the flu) then I’m looking for a little mother’s day luv this year and this would do the trick. I’m linkin now!
Gayle
May 9th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
I have been a mother for 7 years now, and there have been some good Mother’s Days and some not so recognized…LOL! I’ve never really gotten anything big for Mother’s Day, but Breakfast in bed never hurt anyone! I love lying in bed, pretending to still be asleep (because I smell food cooking) and waiting for my little ones to be sooo super excited to bring me breakfast in bed. It’s usually interesting to try and keep my coffee and OJ from spilling as they jump all over my bed. What Fun and cherished memories. Enter Me in the contest!!
May 9th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
My hubby is not good with Mother’s Day gifts either. This would be an awesome gift. I know I’d love it for sure!
May 9th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Great idea! I am in the same boat as you, birthday the first week of May, turned 4-0 several years ago, and we are soooooo busy this time of year both birthday and Mother’s Day do get pushed aside. I love your gift idea……….I have been wondering about those Aloe infused socks myself.
I actually forgot it was mother’s day this weekend……….now that I am “in the know”, look out world. I usually don’t cook at all on Mother’s Day…but I do laundry, then again, I always do laundry.
Thanks for sponsoring the contest!!!
May 9th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
Ooh so many wonderful contests around the bloggy world for Moms I love it. My hubby isn’t big on gifts period or if he is its something really off. Plus our anniversary is within the same week.
My main rules I try to do as little as possible, housework, cooking, laundry. Hubby does try to just let me relax and read or actually watch what I want to on T.V.
May 9th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
Wow…I like contests…and I hate laundry! Looks like a useful, fun gift…Thanks for letting me join in the fun! Happy Mother’s Day….
May 9th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
Hmmm… my son is only 21 months, so I’m very new at this whole Mother’s Day thing. I’d like to MAKE some rules though, now that you mentioned it! I think a big one would be no making meals. FOr one day of the year, I’d like to be able to not worry about that. This is a cool contest!! The gift basket sounds awesome!!
May 10th, 2007 at 8:38 am
My bday is also the week before so Mother’s Day often is neglected. And when I drop hints, my hubby says, “But you’re not my mom.” No, I only squeezed out four kids of his! One of the best years I got flowers, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and best of all, a wonderful love letter. As for rules, I don’t cook and I ask for time by myself- either asleep in my bed or to go wild and crazy out on the town- like Target all alone.
May 10th, 2007 at 8:43 am
P.S. You MUST try Downy Wrinkle Releaser. Best invention ever (after D.V.R. and frappuccinos)
May 10th, 2007 at 8:45 am
With Mother’s Day always on a Sunday, we usually spend it honoring the mothers in our church and this mother gets over looked. I usually try to take the following Monday and pamper myself.
May 10th, 2007 at 9:49 am
My husband has never been good with gifts for any occasion, but since this is going to be my very first Mother’s Day(!) I told him what he was going to get me and then I went and ordered it myself. It got here yesterday! (A brand new Kitchenaid mixer!!) But I really liked your idea of showing the kids how to honor their mother - I’m going to have to instate that rule at my house too! And I love your gift basket - what a great idea to throw in things you love and things you would like to try! Have a great weekend!
May 10th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Okay, I have had some good mothers days and some bad ones. But I finally decided, that all I REALLY care about is what my Boys think and do on Mothers Day, from their heart! So……. around our house the rule on Mothers Day is this. Mom dosen’t cook, they cook (OR ORDER) for her. She dosen’t clean, she relaxes… and the MAIN THING…. She gets a Hug and kiss and “I love you”, EVERYTIME they walk passed her. No matter where we are, or what we are doing. AND, that is a rule that my boys don’t need me or dad to remind them of.
(we just have to remind them that it is Moms day)
I like this rule, because hubby is out of town most the time, so if he isn’t home on Mothers Day, I at least know that my kids still are thinking of me. Whether I get a gift or not. (But gifts are nice too! )
May 10th, 2007 at 10:47 am
This Mother’s Day will be my first, so I don’t really have any Mother’s Day rules. Last year, I was overdue with my son, so I should have gotten to celebrate Mother’s Day then, but my husband refused until I had HIS baby.
I’d really like to try those dryer balls too. Everyone says that they work really well!
May 10th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
Love your site - got here from amalah.com comments!
Mother’s day is hit or miss for my family. Two years ago I got a beautiful mother’s ring with my kids’ birthstones and my DH and mine’s. Last year I got a starbucks insulated travel mug which I sadly melted in the dishwasher just last month.
I do always make my husband tend to the children’s needs all day. This year could suck as it is my daughter’s third birthday on the same day! Sharing the title of princess all day could be rough!
May 10th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
What a wonderful contest!! No laundry on Mother’s Day sounds great… I’ll boycott the washer and dryer, too. I’m just hoping that hubby remembers to get me a card!! He’s fairly romantic on a normal basis, but it’s not like he pulls out all the stops for Mom’s Day!!
Have a great day!
Jane, Pinks & Blues Girls
May 10th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
i take the day off on mom’s day except for what i do can do for my mom. this year what i want more than anything is to spend the day with my kids - they will be with their dad this year and they were with him last year and neither time has their been an offer for them to spend the time with me. i never thought i would miss cold soggy waffles and undercooked eggs so much!
May 10th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
Hmmm. I don’t have too many Mother’s Day Rules. My husband learned (before we were even married!) that buying something on Mother’s Day that means more work for me is NOT ok (ie the old waffle iron gift). I do like to cook, though and my husband is a total tight wad,/del> thrifty money manager, so I always have a wishlist of stuff that’s beyond the normal household budget, but that I’d really like. Two years ago he surprised me with a Scooba! (Fun, but a little too high-may). I’ve also received a Cuisinart and other high-end kitchen stuff that I love.
My absolute favorite gifts are pedicure certificates. I do love to have pink toes!
May 10th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
[...] Lessons from the laundry is having a contest for a basket (a BIG basket) of goodies for a mommy to pamper herself with. It looks like SO MUCH FUN! And there’s chocolate in the basket too!!!! [...]
May 11th, 2007 at 1:03 am
Kathy-
I have been enjoying your site ever since you sent me the first email about it’s launch. What better time for me to finally tell you how much I have enjoyed it!! Since I do laundry every day, I might have to take you up on a laundry free Mother’s Day.
Have a wonderful Mother’s Day! We will have to catch up next time I’m back in Ohio or you make another trip to Colorado.
May 11th, 2007 at 7:51 am
Oh, I agree! I spend the week before mother’s day trying to make sure that OUR mothers have a good one. On my very first mothers day I got….woken up early!
I’ve decided to minimize my disappointment by convincing my husband that I don’t expect anything from him because I’m not HIS mother…which usually means he doesn’t really help the kids deal with it either. So I just try to be thankful for the five wonderful blessings we have and enjoy the day.
May 11th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Just spotted your site from “Adventures in Babywearing.” I’d love to win that fabulous prize - how kind of you to offer it! I’m a newbie blogger and relatively new mom, and I love finding sites like yours. What a pick-me-up!
Blessings on your day,
Laura
PS. I love the idea of kids yelling “DAAAD!” on Mother’s Day. Our daughter’s too young to yell my name, but in the future, that’ll definitely be the rule!
May 11th, 2007 at 11:24 am
I found your site through fun with the friesens and would love to be entered. My daughter is only 19 months, so we don’t have any rules yet. I don’t know if I’ll do any. What better way to celebrate being a mom than being a mom to your kids! I don’t even know if I’d give up diaper duty, because I love the thank you hugs I get after.
May 11th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
Great idea for a contest! My birthday and anniversary are also in May, so I have renamed it “The Month of Amber”. In theory, I will get whatever I want this month, from gifts to not cooking or cleaning. In reality, not so much. I tell my husband what to buy for me on the actual day and the kids are trained to call their Dad that day but the rest of the month is spent knee-deep in chores. It was worth a try.
May 11th, 2007 at 4:39 pm
Oh Kathy, My husband reminds me that I am not his mother, today I told him I should probably give him credit on Mother’s Day because he made me a mother. I remind him to call his mother on Mother’s Day.
My kids for the last couple of years have done nothing. I made them plant flowers with me one year! UGH. That might happen again this year. I have gotten homemade gifts (picture frames,pictures,painted vase, ect..), Denise wrote me a poem once it was AWESOME.
For years I used to get breakfast in bed. There would be a note on the door to stay in bed (I get up early). They would make me peanut butter toast, milk and a banana, once I got a eggo waffle. They would apologize for the milk, knowing I would prefer coffee but they don’t know how to make it. A few times the smoke alarm has gone off (I like my toast burnt), and we hear reassuring words that everything is OK.
Like you my birthday is right after Mother’s Day so I am sure partly everyone thnks she is going to get gifts in a couple of days anyway.
The kicker is Denise’s Birthday is always right near Mother’s Day this year it is Saturday and she is turning 18!!! So many years we celebrate Denise’s birthday on Mother’s Day with family and she gets all the attention.
My “rule” is I don’t do dishes, I get to cook what I want to eat, and nobody can complain.
May 11th, 2007 at 11:11 pm
[...] If you like laundry as much as I do, head on over to Lessons From the Laundry. Kathy’s hosting a Mother’s Day contest! It’s laundry-licious! [...]
May 12th, 2007 at 12:38 am
Hubby does a great job taking the kids and letting them shop for me
He also let me spend money at the fabric store (see blog for stash enhancement). I am truely blessed with a sweet hubby who helps pass that on to sweet kiddos 
xoxo melzie
May 12th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Sounds fun! ill post it today.
May 12th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Well I too am new at this mothers day thing, last year I don’t think anything happened - except I had to remind my hubby to call his mom
and this year I’ve been leaving the hints around, obvious ones like have you thought of what you are going to get me for mothers day 
haha.. but I doubt that will get the idea across 
I think that it is awesome to create Mother’s Day rules.. I like no diapers, dishes or making meals 
May 12th, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Would a post of comics strip of Calvin and Hobbs on Mother’s Day count? I love this strip:
http://lizas-eyeview.blogspot.com/2007/05/happy-mothers-day.html
I’ll post a link to here from there
Happy Mother’s Day!
May 12th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I’m not a mother yet (hope that doesn’t affect my entry), so I’ll pretty much do anything on Mother’s Day. I absolutely love doing the laundry so I’d very much appreciate this basket of goodies!
May 12th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
This is so thoughtful of you! What a way to honor mothers.
I am the mother of 10 children, ages 17-1month.
One of the greatest gifts I have received since the kids were quite
young is breakfast in bed. The meal gets better every year as they
get older. And of course there is always chocolate involved as they
know I love chocolate!
May 12th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Well, let’s see mother’s day.?. Oh, ya, I pretty much have taken care of all the activities for the day in the past. Including buying the gifts for all the mom’s at church on that sunday. I’ve even put on a fine china dinner for my mom and mominlaw.
This year. I have done nothing. nada. But maybe remind my husband that he needed to go buy the flowers for church for the moms. Otherwise I am sitting back this year and watching him scramble for a “good mother’s day”. He definitly knows where I stand this year. (or reclined, drinking coke on the sunshine drenched deck!:-)
May 12th, 2007 at 8:52 pm
I would love to be put in the drawing. Thank you very much!! Have a blessed Mother’s Day.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
well it usually doesn’t work the way i want it. i try to get my hubby to cook dinner and do all the dirty diapers.
May 7th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I’m coming up for my second Mother’s day. Last year was chocolates and flowers - and hubby left early that morning on a 10-day fishing trip - Nice treats, but no rest! This year I’m hoping for an hour or two of peace, maybe the chance to put my feet up and read something other than a parenting article while at the same time playing blocks . . .
May 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Mother’s Day here I celebrate with my daughter’s of course it’s my day but I celebrate my daughter’s are healthy. We have so much fun! We go to church and this is the day where I put money out to buy a Carnival Cake! I really love all the ideas the other moms have on this blog I have added them to my list to condiser doing on Mother’s day.
May 14th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
Happy belated Mothers Day, Kathy!
May 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Great article! I love Mother’s Day because it’s a day to give appreciation to all the hard working mothers out there.
If you’re a mother, go to the link below for your free Mother’s Day gift!
http://bit.ly/free-mothers-day-gift
June 10th, 2009 at 7:28 am
Usually, I only lurk around blogs, but this post made me have to say something. Great job bro!