Mother' Day is a chance to reward, in some small way, all the wonderful things our moms has done for us throughout our lives. According to BIGresearch, gift certificates have become the second most popular Mother's Day gift, right behind flowers.

No other bond is quite like the one between mother and child, which may be why nearly 85 percent of all Americans plan to celebrate Mother's Day this year.

In fact, surveys show that most of us consider Mother's Day to be the second most important gift-giving occasion of the year, behind the end-of-year holidays.

"Clearly, Americans view Mother's Day as a chance to reconnect with their moms, regardless if they talk once a day or once every year or two," says Jill Ambrose at GiftCertificates.com. "Giving a gift to our mothers symbolizes our desire to reward, in some small way, all the wonderful things Mom has done for us throughout our lives. Giving just the right gift can be an added joy for strong relationships, or a way to help improve strained ones."

So what are the top gifts for Mother's Day? A study by BIGresearch indicates that 85 percent of Mother's Day gift-givers will present mom with a card. Flowers are the most popular gift, with nearly 68 percent of mothers receiving blooms and bouquets on their big day. Jewelry (28 percent), clothing (32 percent) and books or CDs (26 percent) are also top gifts.

The practice of giving gift certificates for Mother's Day is rapidly gaining in popularity. BIGresearch statistics show that likely 32 percent of gift-givers will present mom with a gift certificate this year. That makes gift certificates the second-most popular Mother's Day gift, right behind flowers.

"Gift certificates, like the SuperCertificate from GiftCertificates.com, are popular for Mother's Day in part because you don't risk buying a specific item she may or may not like. They are a great way to show mom you care about her tastes or preferences," says Ambrose. "The SuperCertificate gifts remove the guesswork from gift-giving."

Shopping online to choose a gift certificate can be much easier than selecting a specific item. You may know mom likes to shop at a particular clothing store, but you may not be able to easily pick something from that store that she would like.

"The solution is a gift certificate that will allow her to shop at her favorite spots and pick out exactly what she wants," says Ambrose.

Increasingly popular are SuperCertificate gifts from GiftCertificates.com, which never expire. They can be exchanged for one or a combination of gift certificates from more than 200 national and local merchants, including famous brand clothing sellers, jewelers, restaurants and more. Available in denominations from $25 to $1,000 online or over the phone, gift-givers can add a personal message to their order and have the SuperCertificate gift delivered via e-mail in 24 hours, or by traditional postal service. Recipients can redeem the certificates at www.GiftCertificates.com.

"Every year, gift certificates gain in popularity, showing up on top of gift lists for nearly every significant life occasion," says Ambrose. "A growing number of gift-givers are finding gift certificates to be a practical, convenient and powerful way to renew a very special bond on Mother's Day."