There Are No Financial Walls on the Border When it Comes to Sending Mother’s Day Love

My mom was born in 1945 and spent her early years in what was East Germany.  The way my grandparents had to leave the country with their children and literally only the clothes on their backs to board a ship to immigrate to Canada, are the stories movies are made of.  Suffice it to say my grandparents didn’t have a lot of money and my mom learned a lot of short cuts on making things stretch to save money.

(Yes that cute, adorable baby is me!)

Even though I don’t remember any hardships growing up myself, I’m told there were some lean years around our home when I was younger.  One would never have known, my mom was (and still is) one of the most hospitable people ever.  There was always a bed for someone to spend the night in (even if it was mine or one of my siblings 😉 ), and plenty of food to go around.  My mom can whip up a feast with just a few things on a moment’s notice, and those are skills she passed on to my sister and I.

One of the hardest days of my life was the day my little family set out on a journey, across a border to make a home.  I remember the day we said good-by leaving from my parents’ home trying not melt down completely…again (because I had already done that the day before).  My mom was my encyclopedia of homemaking and parenting.  Living just 10 minutes away she was my 911 for just about everything.  Here I was leaving not just the neighborhood, city and province, but the country!

Being able to do things with my daughter that Mom did with me, helped ease that gap that I felt.  Things like baking up these Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks to serve guests when they’d drop in using pizza dough that was always on hand.  A short cut that allowed for more time spent with people instead of in the kitchen and something that was tasty but didn’t break the bank.

Check at the end of this post for the recipe!

Over the years my parents have been blessed.  They’ve owned homes and cars and  had the means to travel the world (even brought us kids along some times!).  They’ve also graciously given away a lot of their money and time to worthy causes to help people in their neighborhood and in third world countries.  A lot of why they are able to do that is because they’ve managed their money well, another skill that they passed on to me thankfully.

Showing Mom how much she means to me with gifts is tough, and even tougher when there’s a border between us.  Sometimes I feel like someone set up a big financial wall between Canada and the United States.  Sending gifts is expensive whether it is flowers or the delivery of something I’ve purchased.  Delivery services and customs can hold things up.

Even just giving her money so she can buy something she wants herself has been a bit of a hassle.  We’ve actually maintained a Canadian bank account for purposes such as that, but there’s a whole other set of rules when you’re an American with a foreign bank account and sending a check in the mail isn’t the most secure thing these days either.

But now services like PayPal and Xoom break those international financial borders down.  Xoom is a Paypal service that powers international payments to friends and family in more than 40 countries around the world and the number one recipient of payments on Xoom is Mom!

Xoom is the only remittances company that offers instant disbursements, and lets the sender select several different ways for their loved ones to receive money.  I love that!  Not only can I transfer money right to Mom’s account so she can treat herself at the mall, there are options for cash pick-up or delivery and bill pay too.  I know that it’s being done safely and securely (a much better idea than mailing a check) just the way she taught me to handle money.  I can even track the payment I send via an SMS alert and receive a text message when she receives the money.  For some international destinations you can even do a mobile reload through Xoom, so that you and Mom can talk for hours on Mother’s Day on your dime not hers!

For those of you that have your mom closer to home on this side of the border, check out Mother’s Day deals and egift cards from PayPal.  I know I’d enjoy receiving any of these gifts from my daughter for Mother’s Day, and I’d get pure joy in knowing that she saved herself some money by getting a deal!

• Buy 3 get 3 free at BodyShop 4/28/2016 – 5/8/2016
• Buy one get one free any size jar or tumbler at Yankee Candle 4/28/16 – 5/8/2016
• 20% off one item at Sur La Table 4/28/2016 – 5/8/2016

Visit paypal.com/mothersday for more deals.

So don’t forget Mom this Sunday and show her how much she means to you with a special gift.  Whether she’s near or far, Xoom and Paypal have great secure service to break those financial walls at the borders down!

Oh and here’s the tasty breadstick recipe that is fantastic as a snack, appetizer or side to a meal.

Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

Ingredients

• (1) 11oz-tube of refrigerated pizza dough
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning spices
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Unroll pizza dough on a non-stick or floured surface.   Brush entire crust with melted butter.  Working so the short side of the crust is on top and bottom, sprinkle the upper half of the dough with the garlic salt, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese.

Fold the bottom half of the dough over the filling.  Using a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 16 pieces.

Twist the strips and place on a baking pan that is lined with a silicone mat, parchment paper or is greased.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until done and the sticks are a light golden brown.  Serve with spaghetti sauce or other sauce/dressing to dip in.

*You can also make these dessert sticks by substituting the salt, spices and cheese with cinnamon and sugar instead!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.