For the first year in QUITE some time, I’ve decided not to do a Mother’s Day gift guide but instead write about intentional gifts to give. I love gift guides; I love reading them and creating them and working with the wonderful brands to help spread the word about their products and I can’t wait to dive into all the Mother’s Day gift guides my blogging pals will be creating this year.
But I’ve decided against one this year because at the time of writing this, I’m going through some very heavy mental sh*t in regards to my own self worth, my career, my blog – basically everything. And gift guides are a LOT of work. And I just don’t have that energy reserve in me right now to create a well thought out and beneficial guide.
Update 10th February 2023: My mental health is a lot better now than it was a year ago, yay!
Not the topic of this blog post, I know. But given that I’m going to be sharing some INTENTIONAL gifts that you can give this year, I felt it was appropriate to share. As it’s a very intentional decision on my part, not to create a guide this year. And I think living with more intention is something we all need to do a bit more of.
So let’s talk about intentional gifts to give your Mum or Mother figure this year for Mother’s Day.
Meaningful gifts don’t have to be physical items. They don’t need to be expensive. They don’t need to be elaborate. And I also think that giving more meaningful gifts can also help us save money in the long run too – especially after the last few years where I think everyone is a bit more cautious about their spending.
Taking a more minimal and intentional approach to holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day can be extremely rewarding and beneficial for you and your loved one. So here are some easy suggestions on how you can do just that!
5 intentional gifts to give this Mother’s Day:
Time
Let’s start with a good basic one. And that’s time. God, we could have a whole series of posts on time couldn’t we? But in a time where everyone is just SO BUSY and there’s so much going on with our work, relationships, personal lives, travel, self care and more, it’s not a surprise that we struggle to find the time sometimes.
So this Mother’s Day, try carving out some time to spend with your Mum or Mother figure. Dedicate some uninterrupted time to doing whatever you want together. It can be tempting to skip the “time” aspect of a holiday but it won’t be the flowers you bought her that she’ll remember – it’ll be the time spent with you.
Attention
And following on nicely, is the gift of attention. We can all spend time with people – but are we paying attention? Are we taking our Mum or Mother figure out for Mother’s Day but spending the whole time on Instagram, taking selfies or texting our partner? Time is great. But attention is better.
I think we’re all familiar with the feeling of going out for a meal with someone, only for them to be sitting on their phone the whole night whilst you’re not eating. It’s hard, I get it. Especially when so much of our lives are online now. But some of it isn’t. Some of it is right in front of you.
Interest
A bit of a different one but let’s try giving your Mum or Mother figure the gift of interest this year. What does she love to do? What does she enjoy? What are her interests? Perhaps you can base the TIME you spend with her around one of those things that she loves?
Can’t think of anything or don’t really know what she loves? Then now’s the time to TAKE an interest. Talk to her. Ask her things. Learn about her childhood, what she liked to do, what she STILL loves to do. Have a conversation, over a coffee, in the park, in the sunshine.
Bonding
If you’re the kind of person (like me) who likes to be *doing* something, then that’s no biggie. My Mum and I can rarely just *do nothing*. We feel like we’re wasting our time. So if that sounds like you then perhaps do something that’s going to be a lovely bonding activity between you.
This can incorporate almost all of the above points into one; spending your TIME together, giving your ATTENTION to the task at hand and also doing something of INTEREST to them. So get creative, what can you do together that’s fun and bonding?
Food
And finally, food. I bloody love food. I love going out for meals or cooking at home. I genuinely think food can be one of the most wonderful things to share with others. I wish the UK put more of an emphasis on mealtimes, like places like Italy and Spain do. In some countries, it’s standard to spend 3 or 4 hours having dinner with each other. How beautiful.
Related reads:
- Best Rocky Road Recipe: Quick, Easy & Delicious
- Quorn Chilli And Cauliflower Rice Recipe
- Easy South-Western Seafood Recipe
So whether that’s her favourite restaurant or you decide to cook dinner at home and put your love and care into preparing a gorgeous meal, food can be an incredibly wonderful and intentional gift idea this Mother’s Day.
Remember, that gifts don’t have to cost a thing. Seasonal holidays, like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, even Halloween have been increasingly commercialized over the years and whilst I think it’s nice to have these special days as a reminder to show someone you care, you certainly don’t need to break the bank to do that.