I still feel quite new at this motherhood lark and haven’t come to terms with the fact that after all these years, I’m now included in this annual celebration.
So, when does Mother’s Day stop being about your own Mum? Never, I’d imagine. My Mum and I don’t have the easiest relationship, it’s not the kind I want Leila and I to enjoy in years to come, and yet we both understand our failings. I know I love my Mum and I know that my Mum loves me… in our own ways.
That has to be enough for both of us because neither can bring any more to the table. That sounds more regretful than it is but it’s something we’ve actually made peace with over the past 12-months, which makes this Sunday more poignant for me, maybe for both of us, than it usually is. It’s also my first Mother’s Day away from my Mum, perhaps we just lived under the same roof for too long?!
Regardless, Mother’s Day for me, has always been the day where I attempt to repent for my sins. All those times throughout the year where I happily let my Mum put aside her wishes/choices/motivations to please me instead must now be addressed in full. Sure, I showed appreciation at the time, and there’s lots of you out there that feel these one-day “celebrations” are nothing more than an opportunity to line Hallmark’s pockets… but, there’s something about dedicating a whole day to say thank you for the role someone plays in your life.
I wouldn’t get rid of the celebration for the world. Plus, my Mum gets to stock up on Walnut Whips and her favourite perfume!
01: Urban Apothecary’s Macaroon-inspired candle collection will be sure to get your Mother’s taste-buds watering with a choice of scents including: frangipan, violet cassis, mint creme, strawberries and cream, chocolate orange, and white truffle. Each candle delivers artound 25-hours burn time with a natural soy wax blend and 100% cotton wick. £30, www.urbanapothecarylondon.com
02: Volupté Sheer Candy by Yves Saint Laurent delivers sheer lip colour with a moisturising, balmy finish thanks to a formula developed with fruit extracts. Available now on counter in ten shades and packaged so beautifully, you wouldn’t even need to wrap it. £23.50, www.yslbeauty.co.uk *
03: Did your mother give you butterfly kisses when you were a wee one? Give one back in the shape of this LUSH Madame Butterfly Re-Usable Bubble Bar enriched with delicious rose absolute, geranium oil and lemon. Each bubble bar should allow for around six baths, ensuring that you remain #1 daughter for a while. Madame Butterfly also comes with a rather special tag with wild-flower seeds embedded in the paper! The gift that keeps on giving! £5.25, www.lush.co.uk *
04: Recently shortlisted as “gift of the year” by the Giftware Association, Miss Patisserie’s Macaroon Gift Tin promises to be a true bathing delight for any sweet-toothed Mum’s out there. Nine fizzy melts will release a range of fragrances into your bath including: sweet pomegranate, spearmint & eucalyptus, champagne, french lavender, juicy peach, coconut & citrus, cucumber, garden flowers and rose. £15.50, www.miss-patisserie.com
05: For the Mum who has everything, there’s only one option… the works. Give her the gift of ultimate pampering with a special Mother’s Day package from Daniel Galvin. The treat includes: An express Dermalogica facial, manicure, cut & blow-dry, and a glass of bubbly from the top London salon. £140, www.danielgalvin.com
06: For the sweetest-smelling Mum around, gift her this fruity-floral wonder from an iconic British fragrance house. Floris Cherry Blossom delivers a fresh blend of bergamot, orange and pink pepper over a heart of cherry blossom, osmanthus, rose and peony. It’s a delicate, decadent, and exclusive gift that evokes the very essence of Spring. £99, www.florislondon.com *
07: If you’ve ever heard yourself say “let’s have a nice cup of tea and a sit down” the chances are, you’re turning into your Mum. Let her lead the way in style with this Blossom & Bird Tea for One set. Comprising a teapot, cup, and saucer in the prettiest of designs, all you need is a packet of hob knobs for a wonderful afternoon treat. £5, www.tesco.com
Do you go all-out on the Mother’s Day treats? What have you got planned for this year?
* press sample
* p.s – sorry about that intro, I started writing and it ALL came out haha!
This makes me so sad – I lost my mum when I was still a teenager and was always looking forward to that stage where I moved out and we grew closer, like had already happened with my sister. I hope that you and your mum can form a closer bond now that you’ve moved out. Everyone – appreciate your mum because I never fully did. x
Not all mothers and daughters are created equally. Some people have to work hard to fulfil their roles and I’ve discovered that it’s the one bond society refuses to believe doesn’t come naturally to everyone. There are always complications and exceptions to the rule. I wouldn’t swap my mum for the world, she did everything for me, but I wouldn’t say it always came naturally – which in many ways, means that I have more to thank her for than most.
Please don’t feel sorry. I’m not (and I definitely do appreciate my mum).
I agree completely with that. I’m glad you do, so many people take them for granted. I hope you have a lovely Mother’s Day.
I’m closer to my mum now than I ever was, especially when I was a teenager, but a serious car crash will do that 😉 Anway, I’ve just bought my mum those bath macarons, they look gorgeous, cheers! x
Mothers day is a tricky one for me. I lost both my daughters 3 years ago and the date always falls near their Birthday. My Mum has been such a massive support to me over the years and I do like to take the opportunity to treat and thank her, though there is always an edge of sadness and we don’t do much in the way of ‘celebrating’ the day.
I’m sorry to read that, no-one should ever have to go through that. Your mum sounds amazing.
My Ma isn’t the most ‘natural’ of mothers – we were more Free Range than Helicoptered, so I think I know where you are coming from a little bit. Having C has helped to bring us closer – it’s hard not to feel the love for someone who loves my kid *almost* as much as I do…even if I did want to disconnect the phone or get caller ID for the first year or five. 😉
I do enjoy Mother’s Day for the same reasons. Love your gift ideas. I’ve given my Ma a taste for Miller Harris these days – which reminds me I need to hotfoot it to the shop 😀
Do you not think sometimes we are so busy measuring ourselves against some imagined standards that we forget what we have is actually ‘just right’ for us? We are all unique so it stands to reason our relationships will be too . My relationship with my Mum was a complete roller coaster and pretty volatile at times but she was always there when I needed advice and an honest opinion . There really isn’t anyone I’d rather argue with either, who else knows you so well and can even pitch their voice to rile you to screaming, partners take it too serious & sisters resort to hair pulling!
It’s 6 years since we lost my Mum and I still feel that Im not grown up enough to cope without her back up, but bearing in mind that my oldest son gets married in September, I’m glad that I had her long enough for me to learn how to be my own kind of Mum
Kirsten xx
I know what you mean about repenting! Luckily my relationship with my mum is a LOT better now than it used to be (are you sensing a theme in all these comments?!) although I’m not sure how long that’s going to last as I’ve moved back in with her post-university 😉
My mum is an absolute NIGHTMARE to buy for though – she has unbelievably sensitive skin and allergies, so that’s any kind of smellies or cosmetics out the window; she doesn’t drink, so I can’t get her a bottle of bubbly; she doesn’t eat chocolate or cake, and she never has time to read books or watch DVDs! Nightmare. AND her birthday is always the week after Mother’s Day so I have twice the panic of trying to find her something she can actually use and appreciate! Luckily she’s just had her kitchen re-done so I’ve just raided the John Lewis home section this year. Phew.
My sister and my Mum went through something similar when my sister left home – they get along so much better now. It’s nice to see the capable of talking without one of them starting an argument!
My Mum is the hardest person to buy for – whenever you ask what she wants she gives you a list of what she DOESN’T want instead! Doesn’t help I’m awful at gift ideas, either.
Do expectant mothers qualify for mothers day I wonder…I’m 25 weeks with a little boy 🙂 Suck on that PCOS!
Mother daughter relationships take work like any other, my own mother wasn’t in my life for a number of years. We are very different people but I try to work on what we have in common to build bridges.
Me and my mum haven’t always had the best of relationships. There are times we positively detested eachother, but then she was kind of more like a sister as she is only 16 years older than me.
It is only now that I am in my 30’s and I myself have made mistakes in my own parenting that I can appreciate that her mistakes were not on purpose.
I am now very close with my mum and as she works for me we spend a majority of our time together. Not that it makes buying for her easier, she wears no make-up or perfume and dislikes any clothes shopping. Got her a wrap for her iphone and a mug ha!