It's Mother's Day & She Doesn't Want A Coupon Book
A list sure to have something for you, your mom, your mother in law, & just about every other overworked & under appreciated woman your lifeš
Moms deserve to be pampered every year on Motherās Day, but ladies let me tell ya...weāve earned something extra special with all the corona crap weāve been dealt this year. I mean we carry the family all year, pushing aside our own hopes & dreams, & even our own well being most of the time in our efforts to help them thrive. Weāre bottom of the pyramid cheerleaders. We always have to be focused, strong & supportive, & we ALWAYS have to be smiling-no matter how heavy the load.
But dang it, mommas, every year, for about 12hrs one day, we get to be top of the pyramid! š All our cheering, suffering, & struggling to hold everyone & their crap together is recognized with breakfast in bed, homemade crafts, & if youāre lucky some of the goodies shared below š.
Mothersās Day 2019
But this year, we can really milk this day for all its worth, am I right? In the last few months weāve added even more to our already full plate: homeschooling & having to be the constant, never ending, entertainment for our children. Thereās no babysitters or grandma drop offs these days. Thereās no play dates, mornings at the library, no extracurricular activities or playground trips. Thereās not even the dang beach! Factor in being robbed of our mom nights out, our gyms closing, & having to keep our kids quiet while our husbands work from home, & itās clear that things are just a lot harder on us moms right now.
More messes, more fighting, more ācan I have a snackāās, & thereās literally no time to get ahead on ANYTHING, especially cleaning. Yesterday, after buffing marker out of my quartz countertop from one child, I had a moment of joy...literally a moment. I think I may have even had time for my mouth to start the form of a smile as I felt relief & success. And then I turned around. Deflated, because down the hall, I could see my son, who managed to get the top off his sippy cup, standing in a puddle of chocolate milk & pouring it all over the dogs back. Oh, & as I was cleaning the floor & preparing to bathe the dog, I smelled the nasty load my son dropped in his pants for the SECOND time that morning. Like I said, thereās no break from the cleaning of house & humans these days.
I get that even if we wanted to run away, thereās no where to go with the hotels & bars being closed, but we could have said peace out to our families, grabbed a bottle of Prosecco, & headed out back to drown ourselves in a kiddie pool of tears. But we havenāt, or at least if we did, we came back, & that alone at least earns us number five on the listš
So take a gander at all the things I love, essential & not š for being the kick butt moms we are all year. Some I have & some Iāll be asking for. Tag or share it with your momma friends, highlight it for your husband, heck, just click the links yourself & āadd to cart.ā You carried, birthed, & nursed human beings, & they & your husband have made it clear they would die without you, believe me, youāve earned everything on list plus a week long, all inclusive, beach vacation. So go on girl, treat yo self!
#1 Cruiser Bike
Huffy 26" Nel Lusso Women's Cruiser Bike (Get it here)
This is number āļø on my heart & list for its practicality & beauty. Coronavirus has been great for my quads, but my hooha & booty canāt take one more quarantine ride around the neighborhood on my jank bike seat. Momma needs a new seat for real, know what Iām sayin? This ones built for comfort & is stylish to boot. Plus that basket is perfect for toting the 17 snacks my kids need to make it around the block. Matt knows Iām a sucker for anything pretty & practical, & that even though Iām no mom or wife of the year; I could certainly be worse, so you just may see me ridin pretty in a couple weeks.
#2 Cute & Cozy Jammies!
Pictured Set w/sleep mask (get it)ļ»æ
Okay, maybe Iām the only one harboring a weird obsession for fashionable sleepwear, but I just feel more put together when Iām rockin a matching set. Like maybe it makes it okay that I donāt make it in the shower & into real clothes until well past noon some days..okay, most days. But seriously, even my friends have called me out for having a problem when they open my jammie drawers ( yes plural..drawers š¬). That being said, I think it makes me an expert on the subject, so hereās a few of my favs...
#3 Noonday!
Much to my husbands dismay, I never need an excuse to shop noonday, but Motherās Day is a pretty good one! All their accessories are unique, handmade, beautiful pieces that always draw compliments! Whats more amazing though is the story-created by Artisans in the most vulnerable communities across the globe, your purchase helps them build better lives for themselves & their families through dignified work. Noonday doesnāt stop at supporting the creation of fair trade jobs; it also helps fund dozens of adoptions each year. Itās not very often a cause & product are both a home run, but noonday hits it out of the park. Well worth the money for the quality & knowing the impact of your purchases. Oh, & did I mention Iām lucky enough to know the consultant youāll also support by using this link? Check out her entire site, youāll fall in love!
#4 Matching Aprons
Most moms love cooking, or at least they to do it anyway, & we all love our kids...enter mommy & me aprons! Get them monogrammed like I did for Nana, Mommy, & Kylie last Mothers Day, & whip up some memories.
#5 Wine, Wine, & You Guessed It, More Wine
Yāall knew my most favorite past time would make the list, but arenāt you impressed I waited till #5, ya it was hard but I did it. If youāre a mom, no matter of how many or what their ages, you need wine, & trust me your family wants you to have it too. Scout & Cellarās clean crafted, organic, vegan, & gluten free wine, is better for the environment, your health, your waistline, your morning after, & it comes in bottles & cans shipping right to your door.
#6 A Relaxing, Hot Bath
My dad just so happens to be the cutest little beekeeper in the lowcountry, & his homemade bath salts are truly the best you can buy. My personal favorite is his Purple Label made from Dead Sea Salt, harvested from the southern part of Israel where the mineral content is the highest. French Gray Salt, harvested by hand, from the Guerande region of France, Lavender, & Clary Sage. His organic soaps & body scrubs are equally as impressive, but the salts are my go to gift for moms.
#7 Oversized Key Chain Ring
Life savor yāall! I stick my hand in my purse juggling the baby, the dog & whatever else, & itās near impossible to not locate this bad boy in half a second. Wear it on your wrist or clip it on a cross body purse & youāre all set. Super cute & incredibly useful.
#8 Clear Cross Body Purse
Clear bag-leather strap (get it)
Iām looking at you moms of college kids! This purse is stylish for everyone because apparently itās the 90ās & clear is cool again. I personally love this look with the right strap, but I especially love that itās game day friendly! Perfect for toting all your essentials & not having it hijacked by stadium security. I bought the 1st one for my mother in law last year, & she loves it.
#9 Joanna Gaines New Cook Book
If youāre getting item #4, youāll need this to go with it. I mean who doesnāt love Joanna & food? My mother in law gifted me her 1st one last Motherās Day, & along with being full of great recipes, it also looks precious displayed on my kitchen counter.
#10 Lilly Pulitzer Headphones
Headphones (get it)
This one will come in handy when you grab #ās 5 & 6 to lock yourself in the bathroom & need to tune out the sound of your son whining at the door & your toddler & husband arguing over the homeschool packet.
#11 Dry Shampoo & Pretty Much Anything Cute To Hide Our Dirty Hair
I wonāt admit how rarely I wash my hair, but I can tell you that Iām kind of an expert on dry shampoo, & batiste is the winner. And who doesnāt love a cute hat or headband?
#12 Quality Makeup & Skincare
Letās be real, our makeup days are few & far between, if not non existent these social distancing days, but someday weāll re-emerge into society & hopefully not have forgotten how to apply eye liner. In the meantime, we can get our skin the best itās ever been with a completely clean skincare line that dramatically improved my face, & have fun testing out some new looks with their professional grade makeup.
#13 Things For The Kids, But That Make Us Smile Too
āMom loveā clothes & leak proof sippy cupsā¦a boatload of them. Whatās more adorable than a kiddo sporting an I heart mom tee? Nothing, thatās what. Sippy cups may be confusing to some of you, & Iām envious of that. That means you donāt go irate & teeter the edge of sanity every other day demanding your children find their cups or water bottles. I canāt yāall! I just canāt.
#14 The āI Am Not A Cowā Reminder Bra
Cosabella Women's Never Say Never Mommie (Get it)ļ»æ
Thank heavens Iām out of these āas hot as they can be for nursingā bras, but if youāre still there...These ones are super comfortable, but also remind you youāre still pretty. Nursing or not, you donāt want your undergarments to look like your great Aunt Gertrudeās.
#15 The āWhat Muffin Topā Jean Shorts
High waisted jean shorts (get it)
High waisted! Can I get an amen? I donāt know what fashion guru made high waisted cool again, but me & my post baby body could kiss them. Tap the link for my favs.
#16 The āMaybe l Workout, Maybe I Just Like Being Comfortableā Yoga Pants
Never again will I buy pricey workout pants since finding Arieās! Hands down the most comfortable bottoms for the yoga mat or Netflixing, whichever suits you
#17 Yoga Towel
If you do happen to use those āļøpants for yoga, particularly hot yoga, like I prefer, than you need this towel. Even in my heated classes, I donāt need a towel till summer. Once May rolls around I use this to keep me from slipping out of my downward dogs every two seconds. This towel has pockets for your mat, so it wonāt scrunch up on you mid flow.
#18 A Break
Southern Graces gift certificate (get it)
I like pretty things, but ya know what I really want? More than anything, I donāt want to be responsible for my familyās meals every dang night! Get your lady a stack of take out gift cards to pull from anytime she needs a break. For my local mommas, no matter how much you love cooking, we could all use a break with quarantine. Southern Graces to the rescue, delivering a healthy, delicious, gourmet dinner to give the mom in your life a much needed break. They even include a fun, family activity to do together while gathered at the table.
#19 Spa Day
Duh! The tried & true perfect Momās Day gift. It will be extra appreciated this year when quarantine lifts, & she can finally escape yāall & soak up every relaxing minute.
#20 From The Heart
Obviously this list is all good stuff, but honesty, if I could only get one thing, I would choose some handmade arts & crafts. Hands down, some tiny handprints will put the biggest smile on any momās face. Plus itās something we can cherish forever, unlike things 1-19. So, grab some paint & construction paper & give it your best effort, sheāll appreciate anything made with love.