Parenting

Alternative Mother’s Day Gifts

A a chronic forgetter of Mother’s Day, I am trying to be organised this year. Mother’s Day in Germany is not till the middle of May. Without all the shop windows and TV ads to remind me of Irish Mother’s Day in March, I generally forget and end up texting my sister to let me join in on her gift at the last minute. In an effort to be a better daughter (and sister) I have been thinking of gifts I can arrange online and have delivered or send by post myself.

After much deliberation, I have come up with the following ideas. All I need to do now is narrow this list down to what would best suit my mother then get on with ordering it. If some of you could remind me a week or two in advance of Mother’s Day, that would be much appreciated.

Letterbox Flowers

In the past I haven’t had great experience with the mainstream flower delivery companies, whether being on the receiving end of a delivery (my 30th birthday) or being the giver (my mam’s 60th). Over the past year I’ve changed over to sending flowers with Bloom & Wild and I have been delighted with them. The range of bouquets is stunning and I love how relaxed and pretty they look, not at all stiff and formal. I’ve sent flowers with Bloom & Wild for birthdays, weddings and new babies and everyone has loved them. What’s great too is that they have a range of flowers that come in a box that fits through a letterbox, ideal for situations like mine where I have no idea what time my mother will be at home to receive a delivery.

To get €10 off your order, you can use this link or enter my name [Fionnuala Zinnecker] in your order.

 The Bloom & Wild bunch I sent my sister for her birthday

 Gin School

Ireland’s one and only gin school is located at Listoke, just north of Drogheda. I haven’t been to the gin school yet (ahem, just saying) but I know people who have. I’ve only heard good things about it so far. I can vouch for the the gardens and cafe at Listoke though. A trip there makes for a lovely afternoon out. But back to the gin – over on the Listoke Distillery website you can buy vouchers for a distillery tour, tasting and gin-making class. A child-free day out with lots of gin, plus you’re supporting a local enterprise. What more could a mother want?

Chalk Painting

So chalk paint has been around for a while now, but it doesn’t look like it is going to be disappearing any time soon. As a lover of all things upcycled, antiqued, salvaged, reclaimed or just given a fresh look, this is a gift I would really appreciate – a chalk painting course. There are half-day and one-day courses available almost everywhere now. Even for those with experience of chalk paint, there’s still tons to learn in terms of technique, product combinations and how to go about achieving the look you want for a certain piece of furniture. Why not give a voucher for a course or, even better, sigh yourself and your mum up to take a class together?

Time

This’ll come out sounding all cliched, but time is a wonderful present. Take your mother for coffee and a walk on the beach. Or visit and sit and chat without the radio on or phones in the way. Go out for a drink or to the cinema or even just spend an afternoon getting her garden back in order after winter. Potter. Have a cuppa or two. Take some time.

[Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links]

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