Unusual Birthday Gifts for Mom

This year, make Mom's birthday an extra special one by giving her something unusual. If you already got her a present this year, save this list for next year. If you're not the type to knit her a sweater yourself, or you've already done that, consider these unusual gift-giving tips. She will surely be impressed by your creativity and thoughtfulness.

Instant Photo Printer

Moms love taking and printing pictures. They love pictures of their kids, family, friends, pets, gardens--practically anything. She loves displaying them on the refrigerator door or in picture frames around the house. Imagine how she'd love to instantly print that adorable picture she just took of you playing with the family dog.

One of the best advances in instant photo printing is that Mom won't need a computer to print out photos that she loves. Options like the Canon Selphy, from around $70 as of 2010, or the Polaroid PoGo for about $50 as of 2010, make this a great and affordable gift. Don't forget to include printer paper.

If your mom is the adventurous kind, she might love to go on a hot air balloon ride over the countryside. Remember to consider the weather conditions and to pack a nice picnic basket. If she's a real daredevil, she might like to go hang gliding or bungee jumping.

A less scary option is indoor skydiving. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a first-timer's package costs about $50 in 2010. This covers gear, personal assistance from an instructor and a flight certificate. Indoor skydiving is available in Las Vegas, Hollywood, Orlando, Utah and Arizona, to name a few.

One of the best gifts is to do something you absolutely hate that your mom would love, like going to the salon with her so she can get her hair done, or re-doing her kitchen. Better yet, give her a whole pad of coupons of things she'd love for you to do and promise to do those tasks.

Here are some things you can add to those coupons: wash the dishes, wash her car, cook dinner, take her to get her nails done and paying for it, one big hug and one big kiss.

Mom will love Wii Fit. It's the cool new home gym--or game, depending on your viewpoint--that lets her work out at home while having fun. She can do yoga, strength training, aerobics and balance exercises. Some of these are presented as games so it makes working out more fun. Mom can also set her goal weight and see her progress over time.

The game can also keep the rest of the family occupied when Mom wants to have the kitchen all to herself or simply take a break. The Wii Fit bundle costs $99.99, while the new disc that comes with new activities sells for $19.99 as of 2010.

Get Mom an iPhone and load it with useful "apps" like BigOven, which gives her easy access to thousands of recipes. Another useful app is called ToDo; it helps her manage her tasks. Both these come free of charge as of 2010. Apps for FaceBook and Twitter can help Mom keep in touch with her friends, and she'll appreciate apps for news, lifestyle, finance, games and fitness.