Green Daily

Well, we know the history of Mother's Day, and yes, it's become a highly commercialized holiday. But hey, it's apparently here to stay, and it's always nice to show Mom your appreciation with a little gift.

In that spirit, here are the Top 5 Worst Mother's Day Gifts:

1. Kitchen or house anything: Anything that is involved in cooking basic meals, or cleaning the house, not a great idea. Things like pots and pans and toasters and vacuums. Exceptions: Anything that mom specifically asked for in this category. Although I would still skip the vacuum cleaner.

2. Lingerie, nightgowns, that kind of thing: Whether you're an adult child buying it for your Mom, or a father buying it for the mother of your children, best to skip this one too.

3. Those generic hand lotion, bubble bath sets that have really strong scents: First of all, there is the whole fragrance issue. Second, women usually have their favorites of this stuff anyway, so just picking up some random products could mean they won't get used anyway (although they could be regifted I suppose!).

4. Random knick knacks for the house : Again, unless it's something Mom specifically asked for, skip it. Chances are she probably has enough of these already.

5. Pets: Giving pets as gifts, no matter for what holiday, is always a bad idea. Mother's Day is no exception. If your mom wanted a dog or a cat, she would go adopt one herself.

Note, these were gathered from a very rough, very small sample size, so your mileage may vary!

If you do feel inclined to buy mom a gift, keep it simple and check out Ellen's Top 10 Green Gift Ideas for Mom.