Mother's Day

“Mother” is a word that means something different to each individual, but it is one universally recognized and revered by all. The title is one that we should honor every day, but on one day in particular every year—Mother’s Day—we give some extra (and well deserved) lovin’ to mothers around the world.

We know there are countless ways to show your mom that you care, but why not do it with a little Social Citizens twist? Today, we share with you some of the hottest tech tools, accessories and applications that any Social Citizen would be proud to share and are a sure fire way to make your mom smile.

How are you celebrating Mother’s Day this year? Tell us about your great find in the comments box below!

iPad 2
It’s one of the most sought after items on the market right now… The iPad 2 is built 15% lighter than its predecessor, and with two cameras that allow for FaceTime and HD video recording this tool is exactly what the multi-tasking mom on-the-go needs to help keep things in order. Everyone we know who has one loves it and we think your mom will too!

We're also giving away two iPad 2s™ this Mother’s Day. If you win, you can keep it for yourself, or better yet, gift it to that great mom in your life. Enter today! (No purchase necessary, contest ends May 17, 2011.)

Price: Starting at $499

Apps for Mom
When it comes to moms who know about tech, we turn to none other than Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase who run Cool Mom Picks and Cool Mom Tech. Recently the two shared their favorite apps on the blog Boston Mamas and we liked their recommendations so much we had to share with them with our readers. With Liz and Kristen’s stamp of approval, you can’t go wrong.

1. Intuition: This free, simple app allows you to track your calendars, appointments, and to-do lists all in one place. We especially like how you can add tasks based on location, which is great for when you've got multiple errands to run.
2. Moms Made Easy: Keep all your kids' vital info -- everything from social security numbers to medical information -- all together with this secure, password protected app. You can even have it send you reminders for birthdays, appointments, or you know, Real Housewives premieres. Ahem.
3. TeuxDeux: To-do lists never looked so good (and organized) with this app from design guru and Swissmiss author Tina Roth Eisenberg. Nothing fancy here -- just add your tasks on the corresponding dates and cross them off when you're done. But it's about 400 times better than using the old envelope that's sitting on your desk.
4. Red Rover: This app may be the new standard in location-based apps for parenting. Sort of FourSquare for the play date set, but it's less about checking in and more about spontaneous meetups when you find yourself at the library or the park with a few hours to kill. Plus it feeds you local activity ideas, restaurants with clean changing rooms, and it looks fantastic.

Price: Free - $2.99/each

Instagram Photobook
Surprise your mom with a special photo book filled with stylized prints that are sure to make her smile! Keepsy now allows you to use photos taken with the Instagram app on your smartphone and turn them into your very own printed photo books. What’s so unique about this is that unlike your standard digital photos, the Instagram app that you use will allow you to apply various filters that give your pictures different retro looks, shading and tones. The ease of use with Instagram and the minutes it takes to create your own Keepsy book means that you can make your own photo book in no time at all. Your photos will surely be a blast from the past for your mom!

Price: Printed hardback books starting at just $29.95 for 30 pages (additional pages cost extra)

Michael Kors Wallet Clutch for iPhone
When your mom finally gets a night out on the town, make sure that she’s got this chic gold pebble Michael Kors clutch. The pocket book/wristlet is not only stylish, but also carries everything today’s moms need while out… including a special slot for her iPhone so everything is safe in one spot.

Price: $79.99

Scratch
We’ve all heard our moms say at one point or another, “stop playing that video game!” Now, with the platform called “Scratch,” families can share some quality time together and have fun at the same time playing computer games. Scratch is a “programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art -- and share your creations on the web.” I first learned about this in a Mashable article and was drawn to the fun and educational elements that the program is designed to foster.

Price: Free

As a soon-to-be mom myself, I suspect that Mother’s Day will be taking on a whole new meaning. The great thing I’m finding is that there are plenty of ways for soon-to-be-mom’s and mom's alike to keep their “street-cred” as social citizens.   So with that in mind, and since my mom was one who always helped show me that even small acts can help change the world, I wanted to share a few of the Mother’s Day inspired happenings I’ve come across that are also helping to change the world.

• Our friends at Epic Change have created To Mama With Love, a new online collaborative art project honoring moms across the globe and raising funds to invest in one remarkable Mama (@MamaLucy) who envisioned and built a school for local kids in her home of Arusha, Tanzania by using her income as a chicken farmer as seed capital. Now serving over 400 children, the school is one of the top-ranked primary schools in the region -  all because of her vision and the assistance of Epic Change who helped generate thousands of donations via a variety of social media efforts. 
• Of course, if you haven't already checked out the great Mother's Day posts over on the Case Foundation site - I'd encourage you to do so, and while you're there register to win an iPad for the special mom in your an iPad. Afterall, we know that busy mom's are always looking for a way to increase productivity while having a little fun...just make sure you're standing by to help mom sync up her email!
• The folks at Thankfulfor recognize that moms deserve more than just one day a year. So, to show appreciation for all moms, they’re asking their network to post thanks using the hashtag #thankfulfor, and a handful of winners will be chosen between now and Mother’s Day to receive fun prizes.  After May 9, all of the #thankfulfor posts that mention moms will be published in an ebook to celebrate great moms everywhere.
• In a different approach to tweeting for good, Whole Foods is donating $1 for each Re-Tweet of this Tweet to support The National Domestic Violence Hotline through Mother’s Day, May 9.   While it’s a low lift for participants, it’s certainly a way to spread awareness for an important cause, while leveraging the generosity of a corporate sponsor like Whole Foods.
• Finally, since everyone (and their mom) is on Facebook these days, and let's face it, sending a Hallmark card is so old-school - why not create a special special multimedia testimonial for your mother to let everyone know just how great she is? Fans can invite other users to meet their moms by uploading multimedia tributes to the virtual collage, including text, photos and video all to promote the upcoming premiere of the original Hallmark Channel movie, Meet My Mom.

How are you using your tech-savvy to show the mom in your life some love this Mother's Day?