The Best Mother's Day Gifts: When Quality Time is Your Love Language

If you're like me, the older you get, the more simple you want things to be. I love simple.

Every year, my family huddles up to figure out what to get me for Mother's Day, and every year my answer is "I just want us to spend time together". Why? Because quality time is one of my love languages and I value it more than anything. So, I wanted to share some simple ways my family and I are spending Mother's Day together in a way that I receive and understand love.

Looking for the perfect gift for someone whose love language is quality time? Check out these top picks in my language of expertise!

"Me Time"

I started the day spending quality time with myself this morning. After prayer and journaling, I took a drive to my favorite coffee shop and grabbed a cup of the good stuff. No radio. No conversations. Just me and silence. Loved it!

Online Shopping

We are planning our family vacation and Lord knows we all need it. Today, Hannah and I are booking our Airbnb and shopping online for "beach stuff". That's what she calls it. Really, it is just a bunch of stuff so we are being intentional about what we buy without the excitement of a getaway getting the best of us. We both love sunglasses so we are making a special effort to find the most stylish, yet affordable ones possible.

Cooking Together

My husband is a phenomenal cook. He stole my heart with his smile but also those fried chicken wings and that pot of jambalaya he cooked on our official first date. His brunch is better than any brunch I've ever had and being in the kitchen with him while he's cooking makes me feel like I'm contributing something to the deliciousness. Besides the fact that I love watching him do what he loves, we have the best conversations in the kitchen. While he's chopping veggies and making the whole house smell edible, I'm washing the pots and pans as we talk about our plans for the future.

Here's a recipe for one of my favorite, simple brunch menu items - Baked Croissant Breakfast Sandwiches

Ingredients

• 8 croissants, sliced in half

• 8 slices sharp Cheddar cheese

• 8 slices deli ham or bacon

• 6 large eggs

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange bottom half of croissants in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place one slice of ham or cooked bacon and one slice of cheese on each croissant.

• In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture into greased pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to gently stir the eggs, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as you are stirring so eggs cook evenly.

• Top ham and cheese with scrambled eggs. Top with second half of the croissant. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until cheddar cheese is melted and croissants are toasted.

• Serve immediately!

Watching Movies

We love watching movies together and today is no different. With our popcorn ready to be popped and the boys searching through every platform for the perfect Mother's Day movie, we are ready to kick our feet up and get lost in the story. The boys are really great about choosing movies for us to watch so I trust them to make the best choice for today's entertainment. They know their mom is a movie fanatic and can spend all day Netflixing and chilling. I'm a storyteller so I love a good story. But to watch it with them means more than spending an hour and a half in my bed alone watching things blow up on the screen. I want to watch things blow up with them and will choose to watch it with them at any time. Marvel movies are on the top of our list.

In terms of quality time, most people assume it means spending a lot of time together or going out together. Quality time would be exhausting, and it would be expensive if that were the case. In reality, I believe it has very little to do with how much time you spend together. It's also not based on activities. Quality time is all about how you spend the time that you have together. When you are focused and attentive, your loved one will feel loved, regardless of what you are doing.

What is your love language? Are you expressing how you want to be shown love on days like Mother's Day or any celebration where gifts are often given?

Is it:

• Words of affirmation?

• Quality time?

• Physical touch?

• Acts of service?

• Receiving gifts?