That time of year is coming round again where thoughts are drawn to Mother’s Day and what the hell to get the mum in our life. Of course, being the purveyor of hamper gifts for mums, I am of the opinion that mothers should be celebrated every damn day of the year, but I do get the trickiness Mother’s Day brings. After all, I am a daughter and have the same quandary myself when trying to find the perfect gift for my own mum. Here’s a little run down on what I think makes the perfect gift (and no, I’m not going to tell you to just purchase a Mum’s Back hamper, I promise)
Something that recognises her as a person not just as a mum
I started mumsback.com because the new mum gifts I received when I became a mum were all either very baby focussed (and lovely! Don’t get me wrong!) or very “mum” orientated. It was like people expected me to be a totally different person now I had procreated. Yes I’d had a baby, but it didn’t mean I must now enjoy floral patterns, lavender bubble bath and muslin squares. It was at that point I was really confused about my identity, and who the hell I was now supposed to be. What would have been fab was a little something for me that recognised me AS still ME (if that makes sense?!). It would have been fab if someone had come round and gone, “here you go Sal, I know you like The Chemical Brothers, so I got you their new album…well done for getting through childbirth!”. But understandably, no one did, because it’s not really the done thing.
I see Mother’s Day as a similar kind of thing. We are under societal pressure to get something “mumsy” on Mother’s Day, like breakfast in bed, or a bunch of flowers, or a massage in a spa. Now if you know she’s the kind of person to love that kind of thing, then GREAT, go for your life. But if she’s the sort who’d rather, for example, have tickets to go and see The Sleaford Mods….or learn to brew her own beer, then for god’s sake get her that!
Her version of indulgence
People have different ideas on what luxury means to them. For some it could be a 3 course dinner at The Ritz. For others it’s the opportunity to have an hour’s peace walking in the country. Some may just want to scoff their face with gin and cheese (no prizes for guessing which category I fall into!). Maybe she just wants some time being HER again, not just a mum (often the case for new mums deep in the thick of those unrelenting early days of parenting I’d say!)? The point is to understand what makes her tick and try and deliver her version of luxury, not the textbook branded version of what luxury on Mother’s Day means.
Bought with heart
We all know we can get some pretty good shizzle from the big brands and from Amazon Prime…and all incredibly quickly too. Maybe even the night before! BUT….it can feel a little….soulless. A gift from an independent seller feels so much more special. It’s obvious when things have been hand packaged or curated by an individual. Even better if you can get a gift with some kind of social or charitable aim behind it. Of course at this point I will mention that £1 from every hamper from mumsback.com goes to PANDAS Foundation, but I’m not making this point because of that. I do that because I had a bad time with PND and now I want my business to do something to help others going through something similar. It shows the real heart, soul and story behind the brand, and I’m sure it’s the same with many other retailers that do a similar thing. It feels great to receive a gift that you know is doing good in the world.
Time Together
Of course gifts are lovely, but what gifts can’t give is actual quality time together. So whatever gift you choose, make sure you take time out to actually spend with her. Even if it’s just extra time on the phone, or a lunch out, or a weekend visit. There’s no better way to celebrate the love of motherhood than by actually being with her.
Of course I believe a Mum’s Back hamper fits the brief of the perfect Mother’s Day gift. We are all about the lady, not just the mum. We are about luxury and indulgence (so if basically if the mum in question loves a tipple, chocolate, prosecco and cheese you’re onto a winner with us). Mum’s Back is a small independent business, and supports other small independent businesses via our suppliers. At the very heart of our business is our social aim to raise more awareness of perinatal mental health issues and £1 from every hamper goes to support the brilliant charity PANDAS Foundation. But whatever gift you buy, take a step back and think about HER, not just the concept of Mother’s Day and what we all *think* it should entail.
It would be rude not to tell you that we are currently running an offer for Mother’s Day. Every mum gift hamper you order between now and Mother’s Day will include a Raspberry and Prosecco Lip Balm in a Rose Gold gift box absolutely FREE (as pictured below). Delivery is always free (to mainland UK).
You can pre order now for the big day now (just let me know when you’d like it delivered when prompted). Have a fabulous Mother’s Day everyone!
