A child giving a present to a woman wrapped in gold paper.

Show your love with a perfect Mother's Day gift

(Post in collaboration with Very).

"Every mother?" I hear you say.

Really.

How can I be so sure?

I am confident that what every Mother wants, heck what every person wants, is to feel loved and appreciated.

“I love and appreciate my mum/ mother figure/ mother of my children” I hear you say. I’m sure you do, but the question remains, does she actually feel appreciated?

Because I can assure you that on school mornings when I am trying to get my children out of bed and dressed while they shout and moan at me, I do not feel loved. On those days they come home from school and proceed to unleash all their frustrations at me because I’m their “safe space”, I do not feel appreciated.

And yes of course you should be trying to make sure your mum feels appreciated every day, but reinforcing the message on Mother’s Day is a good way to make sure her happy feelings are topped up.

How To Choose The Perfect Mother’s Day Gift

Start With Your Message

So how can you make your Mother figure feel loved and appreciated with a gift? Start with taking some time to think. Putting some thought into the gift is far more important than how much you spend. The ideal gifts are those that share a message and will continue to remind them of your appreciation in the year ahead.

What Do You Want To Say?

While I am not adverse to a new mug (especially as my husband's love language is a cup of coffee every morning), a mug emblazoned “Best mum in the world” rings hollow for me. I shout, I lose my temper, I have been known to hide in the bathroom to have a break from my children. If I am the best the world has to offer when it comes to motherhood then quite frankly I am a little worried, but I also know I am far from the worst and I try my best. Every person who is trying their best should be valued for it and empty platitudes don't do that. So what is the right message to send? Ultimately that will be personal to you, but I think a good start is wanting your mum to feel loved, comforted and valued.

To deliver this message I recommend practical gifts that bring an element of luxury to their life. Items they don’t buy for themselves because they make do with the basic versions, or they stick with old worn out kit because it still does the job, even if it doesn’t spark joy.

A mum opening a slipper box and smiling at a black UGG slipper with a young boy standing next to her

Deliver a message of love with the perfect gift

Gifts to Avoid for Mother’s Day

Before discussing what to buy in more detail, I thought it would be helpful to share some popular presents I recommend you do not give this Mother’s Day.

The number one gift to avoid is anything that creates work for them. I’m not talking vacuum cleaners here (personally I love a new cleaning tool or appliance, but Mother’s Day is not the day to gift them). I’m talking about anything that requires organisation, planning or assembly (LEGO excluded).

Experience Vouchers

An afternoon tea or spa afternoon sounds like the perfect gift for a break and slice of luxury right? Well maybe, but if you hand over a voucher what you are also handing over is the pressure of finding a suitable time, organising childcare, working out who goes and choosing the right clothes, all within the time constraint of a year before the voucher expires. That’s a lot of pressure and just puts more on the plate of a woman who is probably already a little overwhelmed. If you want to give a gift like this, you need to deliver the whole package, by which I mean you have to be the one doing all the organising. The only thing you should ask them to do for their present is turn up and enjoy it.

Decorative Gifts

Cute fluffy plushes, vases and home-made art work all have their place and definitely make a sweet gift, but these gifts come with pressure too. The gift receiver has to find somewhere to display it and ensure it is kept safe and looked after forever more (or at least until their children have forgotten its existence).

Every available surface in my house, that is not storing toys or books, is already stacked with sentimental items I am trying to keep safe, I don’t know where to put anything else. If handing over a decorative gift it needs to come with the commitment of finding a suitable home, which might involve sorting out shelves or hanging a new picture hook.

If you are an adult and buying for your mum then she will have the dull luxury of surfaces free from toys and no risk of a flying football, so a decorative gift is a more suitable choice. However if your mum has embraced her own style since you left home she will only really appreciate the gift if it matches her aesthetic so choose carefully.

Close up of a gold wrapped present being handed over

Gifts are a great way to show your appreciation

The Perfect Mother’s Day Gifts

Perfect gifts for Mother’s Day are items which are practical, but also luxurious. The message they send is: "you deserve something special, you deserve to have a touch of luxury even as you go about everyday activities" and these gifts do this. They all keep giving the message day after day, helping remind her how valued she is. You can easily buy these gifts and more online from Very so you won’t need to sneak out to the shops or spend hours wandering around a shopping centre.

A celebration of Mother's Day with gifts from Very

Satin Pillow

She might be hitting the pillow after the fourth wake up of the night, but believe me she will feel the difference between a smooth silk or satin pillow and a basic cotton one. Satin not only feels great, but with reduced friction hair gets less messed up overnight and the low-absorbency improves skin health, and prevents spots.

The Silver Cloud Satin gift set from Very makes a great present as the satin pillow is nicely presented in an (easy to wrap) box with a matching eye mask and scrunchies. The satin fabric is infused with Silver Ions to reduce bacteria growth, helping to reduce those peri-menopause breakouts. They have different colour options so choose whichever matches their favourite bedding best.

Sleep in style with this Satin pillow, mask and scrunchie set

Perfume

Perfume makes a great gift because our sense of smell is so powerful. Scent can evoke strong memories, but also influence our mood. The right perfume can make the wearer feel energised, relaxed or sexy (maybe only choose the last type if you are her partner and buying on behalf of your children though).

Wearing perfume is an easy way to add a bit of luxury to her day. It only takes a few seconds to put on, but in the morning rush many women don’t take any time out to do anything for themselves. Adding a spritz of perfume is quicker than applying make up or having breakfast so it’s actually achievable, and the scent will stay with them all day raising their spirits like a warm hug.

You can easily buy women’s perfume from Very by choosing if you are looking for: floral, fresh, spicy, fruit or woody scents. Then decide if the perfume is right for your mum with a description of the: top, heart and base notes.

Perfume is a great gift that can be used evey day

Slippers

Slippers have a bit of a boring reputation, but it’s absolutely not deserved. If the word conjures up a tartan polyester nightmare your grandparents used to wear, then you need to move with the times. Slippers today mean soft and snuggly footwear that keep your feet cozy in style. For ultimate luxury choose something stylish in natural fabrics like lambs wool which will keep feet warm, but not sweaty.

For extra practicality choose a design with hard soles. They prevent soggy feet in the bathroom (why can’t children wash without leaving puddles on the floor?) and also mean she can pop out to the bins or to get forgotten items from the car without changing her shoes. Slippers make life easier and more comfortable, and with Very stocking women’s slippers brands like Barbour, UGG and Crocs they will make her feel more stylish too.