As Mother’s Day approaches, so does the annual struggle to figure out just what to get the most important women in our lives. For the person who never puts herself before her children, this day is the time to honour the unconditional love of mothers, grandmothers or any maternal figure.
Finding the right way to show your gratitude can be a challenge, though — that’s why we’ve rounded up the crucial steps to finding, choosing and delivering the perfect present for your mum this year.
1. Set a budget
If you do have some spare cash to celebrate the woman who raised you, your mother will no doubt enjoy a treat. There is no minimum spend here, but be mindful that typical gifts increase in expense due to great demand over this holiday. However, a reasonable spending plan for gifts such as these should stick to any rules you normally set for yourself.
If you don’t already have a monthly budget, the 50-30-20 split system is a good place to start. Your after-tax income is divided into 50% needs (food, rent and bills) 30% wants (clothes, books or other nice things) and 20% for savings or debt repayments. If you haven’t remembered to save up in time, either a decent portion of your 30% ‘wants’ budget, or any savings that aren’t needed to cover any debts, can be used for securing that special gift. After all, Mother’s Day only comes once a year.
2. Do your research
Having a hard think about what she will want, not just in terms of gifts but for the whole day itself, is probably the least you can do. We’re not just talking about trawling online for ideas, but also subtly asking questions — she might appreciate breakfast in bed, flowers, or a roast dinner. By taking adequate time to think about how to find the right gift and plan out the day, you can communicate to her just how important she is to you.
To prepare to make your choice of present, consider what theme or type you want to go for: will it be something sentimental, lavish, or hand-crafted? Though the idea may end up being quite simple, you should leave a healthy amount of time — about two weeks — to figure out your options. Perhaps a little longer if the gift will take extra preparation.
3. Pick a gift
Here’s where to use the thoughtful planning you’ve already done. While it’s easy to fall into the trap of cliché, there are good reasons why flowers, chocolates and jewellery are time-tested ways to communicate love and gratitude. If it’s within your budget, why not try a personalised engraved bracelet. Alternatively, on top of the main gift, the florists at Bloom & Wild offer a great selection of wonderful bouquets especially arranged for Mother’s Day, which can be ordered straight to her door if you can’t be there in person.
4. Wrap it up
After having made your decision and purchased the gift, the fun doesn’t end there. Creating a memorable present takes special care and effort, but conceiving of a unique wrap isn’t so easy. For inspiration, however, consider using twine instead of an ordinary ribbon. You could also include a polaroid picture of the family tucked into string around the wrapping paper, or even stick pressed flowers on top of the package. If you’ve decided on giving jewellery, the supplier will no doubt have an elegant box to present it in — try to choose paper that matches the design and colour of the case that they’ve stored the item in.
5. Decide how to give the present
While the best thing to do is meet up with your mum to give her the gift in person, if this isn’t possible, you may need to get it delivered. If it’s hand-made, you can use a next day delivery courier to ensure it gets there on time, as this is suitable for when, as CitySprint suggests, the delivery is “urgent but not time-critical for same-day delivery”.
This option also comes with track and trace, along with notifications when the package is in transit, which will be especially useful if your parcel is fragile or expensive. It also allows you to pick the perfect point during the day for her to receive it, for instance, by coordinating it with a flower delivery in the morning.
