I have a picture on my refrigerator that my oldest son gave to me for Mother’s Day a few years ago. In the picture, my son is standing below the words “I love you because” and holding a chalkboard on which he wrote “You cook good food!” The picture never fails to make me smile. There must be some truth to the old saying “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”! On hard parenting days, the picture is a lighthearted reminder of the sweetness of my son’s love for me.

Being a mom can be overwhelmingly hard and beautifully sweet all at the same time. There is no job more difficult or more rewarding. Hearing my kids say “I love you” or “Mommy, thank you for…” is like a balm for this tired momma’s soul.

Dads and kids, Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to remind the special mom in your life of the many reasons why you love her. Here are a few special “reasons why I love you” gift ideas for mom:

Love deck. Start with a deck of playing cards and a sharpie marker. On the top card, write “52 reasons I love you” then write one reason why you love your mom on each card in the deck. Next, hole punch the left-hand corner of each card and tie together with a ribbon.

Reasons in a jar. Start with a pretty jar and colorful strips of paper. Write one reason why you love your mom on each strip of paper, fold and place in the jar. Write 30 reasons for mom to open one each day for a month or 365 for mom to open one each day for a year!

Sweet messages. Start with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures and 3/4” dot stickers. Write one reason why you love your mom on each dot, then stick on the bottom of each piece of candy. Or, start with Hershey Kisses. Unwrap each kiss, pull out the strips of paper, write one reason why you love your mom on each strip, then replace the strips and rewrap the candy. Package the candy in a pretty jar or bag.

Sticky notes. Start with colorful sticky notes and markers. Write one reason why you love your mom on each sticky note. Stick them all over mom’s bathroom mirror for her to find on Mother’s Day morning.

Need some ideas for what to write? Here are 15 reasons to get you started:

1. You’re my mom.
2. You always know what to say to make me feel better.
3. You are strong.
4. You make me laugh.
5. You are generous.
6. Your hugs are the best.
7. You are selfless.
8. You love me no matter what.
9. You work hard.
10. You teach me right from wrong.
11. You make me happy when I’m sad.
12. You always tell the truth.
13. You support my dreams.
14. You tell great stories.
15. You play with me.