Mothering Sunday

Those of us who are lucky enough to be able to see our Mums are probably aiming to see her on Sunday and probably give her a small present to say “thank you”.  I hope to be able to see my own mum and spend some time with my daughters too.  Who knows, I may even get breakfast in bed……..

Of course we shouldn’t just spoil our mums just once a year – a quick straw poll in IM Towers shows that we are all grateful to our mums and try to show our gratitude as often as possible.  The trouble is, we don’t all have the budgets to take mum for tea at the Ritz, so how do we show mum how much we love her on Mother’s Day and still have some change in our pocket?

Flowers are always well received and by that of course I don’t mean petrol station chrysanthemums bought on the way over for dinner, but a specially chosen bunch can say a lot.  My mum loves daffodils and they are in abundance at the moment and usually around £1 a bunch.  Buying several bunches of the same flower makes a very impressive display and you can achieve maximum impact for minimal spend.  Supermarket flowers are increasingly attractive and cost effective too.  A single potted orchid always looks special and will keep flowering for months and will re-flower year after year with some TLC.

Chocolates are a traditional Mothering Sunday treat and once again can be bought very reasonably.  A friend of mine makes her own truffles and they always look and taste superb.  Go on – give it a try! You could discover your inner Nigella.

I’m a mum and one thing I love is a fabulously long bath – preferable with a good book on my kindle and a chilled sauvignon blanc (hint, hint daughters of mine!)  I can’t be alone in this so perhaps you could buy your mum some luxury  bath treats or that good book to read in the bath.  Please note the bathroom is not an obligatory setting for the reading of a good book. We mums can multitask and read anywhere – it’s the opportunity we value the most!  There are some fantastic online discounts for “pamper” products and if you don’t know whether your mum is a Fifty Shades fan or would prefer something more akin to National Geographic, there are always book tokens and gift cards.  Ebooks are particularly inexpensive and if your mum is a 21^st Century lady, you could probably give her enough e-reading material to last her until Summer!

One thing that, in my humble opinion, cannot be bought “on the cheap” is perfume.  If it’s too cheap it’s either because it’s not the genuine article or because it may have been acquired by, ahem, less than honest means.  Having said that, once again there are some great offers on line and I have seen voucher codes for some very famous perfume houses.  Perhaps mum can have her signature scent without it breaking your bank after all.

[Reader warning: another heavy hint aimed at Author’s daughters coming up] If mum loves clothes and accessories, or if you know she’d had her eye on a particular pair of shoes, look out for flash sales  - online sales which are held for just a few hours and can have discounts as large as 80%. A good place to start is to register with a site such as www.retailfetish.com and start watching the bargains roll in.  Be warned  - it’s addictive!

There’s a huge trend right for “pre-loved” clothing – yes, it may be second hand but it’s often unworn or has been very well looked after.  A popular site is www.buymywardrobe.com .

Of course, the best things in life are often the simplest and are often free.  A sure fire way to keep mum happy is breakfast in bed.  If you’re 39 and left home 20 years ago, breaking into your parent’s house to whip up eggs benedict without tipping mum off to the surprise may be a little difficult, so make mum lunch or a scrummy afternoon tea instead.  Bake her a cake and serve tea in dainty china cups – it’s the effort that makes mum’s day.

We mums are simple beings and it’s often the smallest gesture that means the most.  How about giving mum a day off and the rest of the family can take over the cooking and cleaning.  Better still give mum a glass of wine and have Iron Maids on speed dial!  You know it makes sense…

To all the mums out there – have a wonderful day and thank you for everything you do for us.