Mother's Day Gift Ideas - Noritake Dinner Sets   by Nick Barr

Here's an interesting fact: in the US, Mother's Day is the busiest day of the year for telephone volume. And yet despite the importance that many of us place on Mother's Day, so many of us don't really give enough thought to getting her a thoughtful, unique gift.

I've been guilty of this more than anyone. Once when I was about 14 years old, I took a basketball card of Mark Jackson, scribbled what I thought was a pretty good Jackson signature on it, and gave it to my mom. Who wouldn't like a signed Mark Jackson card!

She saw straight through it:

Mom: "Wow! How did you get this?!" Me: "I saw him at the mall and got him to sign it there." Mom: "Oh. But he got traded to LA last year, didn't he?"

Damn.

So since then, I've made especially sure to get her something good for Mother's Day.

A great Mother's Day gift idea that I have come across recently is china dinner sets. While it may sound a little staid and old-fashioned at first, a good dinner set is something that people (especially moms) not only use on special occasions, but will also cherish for years, passing it on from generation to generation.

When buying a dinner set, prices can vary from around $100 for a small set, right up to a few thousand dollars for a huge fine bone china set. A few brands I could recommend are Robert Gordon, Royal Doulton, and Noritake dinner sets. Noritake especially has designs that stay fashionable and go well with many different types of table settings.

When selecting a set, it is important to consider what you mom will be using it for. Are you looking for one she can use everyday? If so, something made of a microwave- and oven-safe fine white porcelain would suit best. Or if you're looking for something that she will use on those really special occasions, fine white porcelain with a trimmed rim is perfect. Check out something like the Noritake Toorak Noir.

I hope this helps you and your mom enjoy the day. And above all, make sure to visit your mom or give her a call. This is really what they want most.

And if anyone's seen Mark Jackson lately, tell him I have a card he needs to sign.

About the Author

Nick has been writing online advice columns since 2002. The idea for this article came after he gave his mom a Noritake dinner set last Mother's Day.

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