If you have opened your emails recently, or walked past a shop, you more than likely will be acutely aware that Mothering Sunday is coming up on 10th March.
As someone who is sadly no longer fortified with a mother or a mother-in-law, I can selfishly just experience the day as a recipient. With 3 smalls and a good decade of Mother's Days under my belt now, I feel reasonably confident in bestowing the following advice; you don't need to buy your mum stuff.
Bath bombs, hand creams, scarfs, candles or, heaven forbid, appliances/cleaning products? Save your pennies. There's a cost of living crisis and if times are tight, there is something you can gift that will mean more, cost less and last longer than a box of chocolates.
Give that mother time. It's free and it's precious and chances are, she will treasure it more than a hastily purchased garage bouquet.
If she has small children, give her time to herself. Take those nippers out to the park and give her time to sleep. To have a bath, to read a book, to watch terrible tv or scroll without interruption.
Older kids? Give her your time. Face time. Proper conversations with eye contact time. Screens down, one to one time.
And involve food. Make her breakfast/lunch/dinner (or even better, all three).
Yes, it can be triggering, Yes, it's become commercialised. Yes, for those lucky enough to have an absolute diamond in their corner, they should be celebrated every day of the year. But for one day, if you can, treat those mamas like the queens they are.
Regardless of what Mother's Day means to you, it shouldn't mean having to spend money you don't have on stuff she doesn't need. Give her your love, give her a call, give her your time and by all means give her a hand made card (even if it might end up in the recycling bin the next day).