Motherly Improvements
There are some things that only Mother can do to improve the physical appearance of home, feel free to list some of the this she did that could not be done by anyone else.
My mom has made a few sets of curtains when I was living at home. True, someone else could have made them exactly the same I suppose, but I think it is just kind of jeat to know what she made them, it gives a little more personal touch, and saved money as well. Not to say that she has never bought curtains before, she has when the circumstances warranted it.
My mom has also been the main decorator for her home, and done a good job at it. Since she loves things that have to do with ships, there has always been one room dedicated to nautical decor, and that is really her personal stamp as well.
My Mother's understanding of Home Improvement always focused on name brand furniture as opposed to simply 'cheaper' furniture. Most do not consider furniture a Home Improvement, but it definitely is, all you have to do is take the most beautiful home and empty it of the furniture and you will know what I mean.
My wife and I were just talking about how she decorates the house and makes it 'nice' so that when people come over they say "What a nice house!". So I will give her that credit that she improves the physical appearance of our home to make it visually appealing to visitors; something I could never do, because I just don't have the 'eye' for it as my wife likes to say.