Mother’s Day is coming up, and it might look a little different this year. With families on lockdown, there will sadly be no cafe breakfasts or picnics in the park.
The good news is that for most mothers, it’s not about what you do but who you do it with. For that reason, us mums will be pretty happy to be spoilt from the comfort of our own homes.
The best presents for mum aren’t found in a department store or online shop. They’re the ones that are made with love, that are meaningful, and those that show just how much mum is appreciated.
We asked ten mums to share their absolute favourite Mother’s Day gifts with us.
1. My partner planted a tree in our garden on my first Mother’s Day
‘We had moved house just before my daughter was born, into a lovely home with a garden. That Mother’s Day, my husband surprised me with a really thoughtful gift. He gave me a tree that we planted in the garden that day. It has grown alongside my daughter and has the most beautiful little flowers on it in the spring. Every time I see it, it makes me smile.’
2. A CD of all of my favourite songs
‘I’m a big fan of singing in the car, so my son (with some help) made me a CD with all of my favourite car ballads in one spot. I have never taken it out of the car, it just gets played over and over.’
3. Vouchers for some mum-time
‘My partner printed out these cute vouchers and my children decorated them and put them in a card for me. So the vouchers are for things like a 60 minute uninterrupted bath (complete with bubbles, a cup of tea, and a soothing playlist), an afternoon nap, a neck massage, or breakfast in bed.’
4. A painted family portrait
‘I got so teary when I opened this. My son had painted a gorgeous family portrait for me, without me knowing! It was organised at his child care centre, and they framed it and managed to slip it home with my husband in the week prior so that I wouldn’t see it. It has pride of place in my bedroom and I look at it every day.’
5. My twins were born on Mother’s Day
‘My sons were born a few weeks early, and ended up arriving on Mother’s Day. It was my first pregnancy so it was a most welcome gift. Years later it’s so nice having their birthdays in May around the same time as Mother’s Day, so that we can all celebrate together. I always tell them that they were the ones that made me a mother, so their birthday is extra meaningful to me.’
6. A window basket for herbs
‘I love cooking but haven’t got a garden, so I was so happy when my kids got me a window basket, soil and seeds to grow our own herb garden. They helped me plant them, water them, weed them, and now we pick them when we’re cooking.’
7. Fridge magnets with photos of the children on them
‘I take thousands of photos of my kids, but never print them! Last year my husband ordered a ton of little magnets for our fridge, with some of our favourite photos of the family on them. I love them so much and everyone who comes into the kitchen comments on them.’
8. A special activity with each of my children
‘Every year my husband arranges it so that I can have some one to one time with each of my three kids over the Mother’s Day weekend. He looks after the other two so I can skip off with one child to enjoy an outing together, doing something that we both love. For instance last year the activities included a swim and a milkshake; a visit to the nail salon followed by tea and cake; and a round of crazy golf and an ice cream. It was perfect.’
9. A sleep-in followed by breakfast in bed
‘This is my present every year. I love it mostly because I can hear the little patter of their feet coming up to the door to see if I’m awake, and the excited chatter as they make me breakfast. They won’t let anyone help them. So despite the toast having been spread with an excessive amount of Vegemite, and that the cup of tea has been made with water from the ‘hot’ tap in the bathroom, it’s my favourite breakfast of the year.’
10. A hand-decorated coffee mug
‘My daughter made me one of those hand-drawn mugs at her child care centre years ago, and it’s still my favourite mug to this day. It’s got a colourful drawing of the two of us on it in a field of flowers. My mum still has the decorated plate that I made for her at child care 30 years ago! I hope my mug lasts that long.’
We were so inspired by the thoughtful gifts that these mothers mentioned, that we wanted to make it easy for families to create something special for their mothers.
Happy Mothers Day!
With the help of Toddle’s Little Monsters, we have gorgeous Mother’s Day cards. Children can add their own messages and personalise the cards with their own artistic flair.
Click to downloadThere are also some printable ‘vouchers’ that Mum can redeem from the family. The breakfast in bed voucher is surely going to be very popular. Click HERE to download and fill out your vouchers. Don't forget to share and tag us on Instagram and Facebook.
Here’s to all the mothers this Mother’s Day, we hope you have a lovely day with your families.
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