Simple Ways to Celebrate Mom

MISSION, KS--(Marketwired - May 5, 2014) - (Family Features) Celebrating Mother's Day when you live far away from the women you love is not always easy, but that doesn't mean you can't get creative.

Make mom's day perfect
With a little planning and an open mind, you can make the day extra special for the favorite women in your life. After moving away from her family in Chile 17 years ago, award-winning journalist, Babble blogger and parenting expert (and busy mom of two), Jeannette Kaplun, understands how difficult it is to be away from your loved ones on special holidays.

"Technology allows me to hear and see my loved ones even though we are thousands of miles apart," said Kaplun. "This Mother's Day, my mom will be in Santiago, just like my 90-year-old grandma. My other 'abuelita' will be in Houston, Texas, so I need to ensure I can show all of them my love even if I cannot hug them in person."

Tips for using technology
Kaplun shares these tips on how to use technology to help you create meaningful, memorable moments for all the important women in your life this Mother's Day:

• Send a video message instead of a traditional greeting card. Skype makes it super easy. Just open the app on any device (smart phone, tablet or computer), select who you want to message, tap "video message," press "record" and hit "send." The best part is that mom doesn't have to be online or available at that moment -- it's a gift that can be enjoyed over and over again, and as often as she wants. This is also a great idea for those with young children, allowing you to record a message when they are in a good mood, rather than hoping they will cooperate when you finally connect with your mom.
  
  
• Enlist your kids to help you out. Calling a special grandmother or even a great-grandma? Make sure to have your kids close by so they can show their love, too. Since kids don't always like to actually speak, have them sing a song. Or use the Skype app on your Smart TV to do a video call and have your kids do a special dance routine to their favorite music. If your TV doesn't have this feature, simply use your tablet, smartphone or computer.
  
  
• Take a walk down memory lane. Find pictures of when you were a child with your mom, grandmother, godmother or aunt. Save them in a folder on your computer. On Mother's Day, do a voice or video call and share those pictures with her via IM. You can also create and share a family photo book via services like OneDrive.
  
  
• Plan a group video surprise. If you have a large family, surprise your grandmother by planning a group video call with your siblings and cousins at a specific time. That way she won't just hear your voice, but she will also get to see all the people she loves. This will surely brighten up her day.
  
  
• Don't forget stepmothers. Call her early in the day so your stepmom knows she's a priority to you, too. Share with her a special memory you have of the time you have spent with her and tell her how much she means to you. We often think people know how we feel about them and forget to tell them. 
  
  

With the help of technology, it's even easier to communicate with the special people in your life, especially on important dates like Mother's Day. For more tips and ideas, visit www.skype.com.

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