Mother's Day Gifts

Mother's Day is just far enough away that if I start shopping this weekend, I'll be able to find something just right, wrap it up all pretty, and get it in the mail, all in time for Mom to have it in hand on Mother's Day. That's a fairly big if, as I'm moving this weekend, and as any of you who have moved before know, that takes about 35 hours a day.

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Lucky girl that I am, I work for a group of ACE Hardware stores. I know, I know, that doesn't exactly scream pretty gifts for mom. Except, it does!

Until I started visiting the stores on a regular basis, I didn't realize how many girly-type gifts we carry.

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I am a big fan of garden art: bird baths; pretty pots; those silly little dragonflies or butterflies or ladybugs that sit atop a wiggly pole and look really sweet amongst the pansies; birdhouses; garden-dwelling figures; really, just about any bauble you can hang, stake, sit or otherwise use to adorn your garden.

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I'm also a fan of local, handmade goodies; art supplies; pretty aprons; cute do-dads for the bookcase; hanging plants; and fun carry-all bags.

And, still luckier girl that I am, my mother also likes these things and I get to go shopping for her right in my own backyard (read: hardware store).

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So if you're a mom and like the same things I do, or if you have a mom who likes the same things I do, you might just check out what we have at our stores and save yourself that trip to the mall.

Happy Mother's Day!

- Jocelyn Broyles

Editor's Note: All of our stores, Palo Alto, San Mateo, Willow Glen and Half Moon Bay have great gifts, not all stores carry the items pictured here.