Mother’s Day –

that special day once a year when mom just might get honored with breakfast in bed, a homemade card or a bouquet of flowers plucked from the back garden.

However, if you are kitchen-challenged, artistically inept, and the only things growing out back are the weeds

– maybe you need some retail assistance finding mom the perfect gift.

Support your local gift shops

Stroll down Greenville’s Main Street – Commerce St., of course – and pay a visit to one of the city’s best-known gift shops, The Pineapple, where Katrina Scofield and her staff have a bevy of ideas for Mother’s Day gift giving.

&uot;We have lots of new things in stock and some items you won’t find anywhere else,&uot; says Scofield. Like many local gift shops, the business also offers free gift wrap with purchase.

Color, color everywhere

Colors reign through the store – both pretty pastels and vibrant jewel and citrus tones – in clothing, accessories, and even houseware items.

If Mom loves soft shades in the kitchen, The Pineapple just might have what she wants.

&uot;We have these new cake platters, bowls and other serving items in these great pastel shades of pink, green and blue from I Godinger & Company,&uot; says Scofield.

The store also carries crystal pieces and a large selection of blue-and-white ware in everything from kitty cat banks to serving bowls and teacups and saucers, starting at only $5.95.

Making mom shine on time

If you want to give Mom some sparkle and shine for her special day, check out the selection of still-hot fashion brooches, hair clips, bracelets and earrings in pastel and bold tones.

A watch can be a pretty and practical gift idea for Mom this May.

&uot;We have a great selection of ribbon watches, bangle watches and other watch

styles in a variety of colors,&uot; Scofield says.

And fashion purses a-plenty can also be found at The Pineapple this spring.

&uot;Something brand new we are carrying is this convertible purse – it’s actually three purses in one,&uot; says Scofield as she demonstrates one of the bags, which comes in both clutch and handle bag styles.

&uot;These were patterned after a vintage bag someone found in a resale shop,&uot; she adds. The store also currently carries a variety of other totes and bags perfect for the spring and summer – and some are quite a bargain.

&uot;We have an ongoing sale on several of our bags where if you buy one, you get the second at half price. They start at only $12, so that’s quite a good buy,&uot; says Scofield.

A soak in tub feels great

Does mom need a little special pampering for

winter-hardened heels and elbows or those dreaded &uot;dishpan&uot; hands?

Does she love a nice, relaxing soak in the tub with a good book and some soft music (or maybe she would like to and just needs a little help along the way)?

The new Feels Great!

Line comes to the rescue.

&uot;This is a new line of bath and body products we are carrying that starts at only $3.95

– there’s everything from pedicure files and wands, foot massagers and massage gloves to moisturizing socks, inflatable tub pillows, sponges and sleep masks,&uot; says Scofield.

Consider creating a gift basket of bath and body care items, throw in a good read, a CD of soothing music (The Pineapple carries both books and CDs) and a scented candle –

and Mom will be on her way to a more relaxing evening.

The gift shop also carries the ever-popular Burt’s Bees line, which offers a wide array of skincare, body care and cosmetic products in its novel yellow and red signature packages – complete with Burt’s distinctive bearded face.

Buttermilk bath soaks, milk and honey body lotion and coconut foot cream are among the many Burt’s Bees items that sound practically good enough to eat you can find at The Pineapple.

Beauty and good scents

For the mom who has everything, consider one of the beautiful new bottles the store carries. They are not only highly decorative; they also provide aromatherapy benefits when one of the accompanying fragrances such as orange blossom or vanilla bean is poured into the glass or ceramic container.

The bottles start at $40 and up.

Another unique way to make Mom’s abode smell more sweetly is the new botanical diffuser called &uot;Candle in the Wind.&uot;

&uot;You arrange the reeds in the bottle and this allows the aroma to travel up out of the bottle, through the reeds, where the scent evaporates in the air, &uot; explains Scofield.

The diffuser is an attractive way to get the effect of scented candle &uot;without the fire hazard,&uot; she adds. Scents include morning glory, orchid, wisteria and gardenia.

How about some Hydrolight, a water-storing hydrogel, for Mom?

&uot;This is really neat,&uot; says Pineapple employee Sheryl Perdue as she arranges some blooms in a clear vase filled with a glowing, shimmering green substance.

&uot;This is a new product; you just put it in the vase, add water and after four hours, you have this lovely display. The flowers stay put so you don’t need floral Oasis,&uot; explains

Perdue. The Hydrolight also comes in purple, orange, red, blue and a transparent shade.

Pretty frocks and more

&uot;We also like to highlight our clothing here at The Pineapple,&uot; says Scofield.

The store carries

a number of clothing lines, including Dear Friends, What’s Up, Maggy London and Susan Bristol, in dresses, separates, sweaters and more. There are pretty solids and prints

– and yes, they offer both soft pastels and bright citrus shades.

Perdue admits she has her eye on one particular outfit – and wouldn’t be above dropping a hint to hubby Kenny about it.

What’s cookin’?

The store carried a large collection of cookbooks for the mom who loves to cook – or who simply loves cookbooks.

&uot;We have several of Paula Deen’s cookbooks –

a lot of people have seen her on the Food Network on TV,&uot; says Scofield.

There are also locally-produced cookbooks available including those created by Saint Thomas Episcopal Church and First Baptist Church of Georgiana. Give Mom one of these cookbooks and you’ll be helping a good cause.

A good night’s sleep

If mom has a great funny bone and enjoys sleeping in a comfy tee, consider one of the shop’s Pearls of Wisdom &uot;sleep shirts with sass.&uot;

These shirts feature such sassy sayings as: &uot;Lead me not into temptation – I can find it myself&uot; and,

&uot;The older I get, the more I’m worth it.&uot;