Mother’s Day Gift Guide

Hey hey hey, it’s no secret that I really love to shop, so that means I really like making gift guides as it’s like shopping without spending! I’m breaking it’s down into a few categories and price brackets so hopefully there is something for everyone! I’ve also made a very conscious choice to support small businesses  and shop local for these ideas. Particularly in a time when the economic climate is unsure, this can make a huge difference to people.

Sporty Mum

Save It’s no secret that I like things that are personalised, I’m basic, ok! As someone who is just getting into exercise I would say one of the few legitimately essential  things is a water bottle and I don’t know why my son cannot resist stealing my water! The solution is to get it personalised so there is a legit answer to it hasn’t got your name on it..!’
Spend This bag is perfect for taking your gym gear wherever you need to go whilst letting the world know how awesome you are!
Splurge Now, the price or these leggings isn’t crazy, but you’d be mad to not get matching for your little one! And how cool would you look at your mumma baby workout class... or more like chasing them across the park!

Homey Mum

Save I love these! The possibilities are endless in how you could personalise them and then use them in different areas of your home for styling! A big one with blankets in the lounge labeled SNUG, or a smaller on in the bedroom by the bed with mums essentials? I love it!
Spend I have two Pebble Art pictures in my home, they are timeless and the wording can be customised to perfectly reflect your family! I would highly recommend them!
Splurge If your lady is a bit of a Hincher then some labelled homeware may be right up her ally! I bought my bathroom bottles from this Etsy site and they are lasting well and really smarten up my bathroom!

Arty Mum

Save If your arty mum is looking to try something different then ‘By Charlie’s Hand’ do digital downloads for paper cutting! They may be a labour of love but when complete they will make a stunning piece of decor!
Spend I love the idea of a fun family portrait that will reflect this moment in time forever! I’ve been a long time admirer of ‘Winding The Bobbin Up’s’ style on Instagram as it feels young and fun which is very appropriate for young families!
Splurge I think any art lover would appreciate the work that would go into these customised Russian dolls! They would make awesome decor!

Feminist Mum

Save Everything Sweet uses iconic logos and mixes them with a feminist message and these badges are a great way of getting a taste of the brand but there is LOADS on the website I love and currently it’s all on sale!
Spend Lioness Not Princess is a great brand, the quality of the clothes are great and the designer is amazing! I’m in love with the new limited edition designs!
Splurge I’ve bought a few things from Black & Beech and they have always been great quality, if you are looking for feminist  merch to suit all budgets then I would urge you to check them out!

Pamper mum

Save I saw this and thought it looked very luxe, a lovely leather look personalised make up bag. I often have a little pouch in my bags for the essentials as mums end up carrying the world around with them! At least this way it’s done in style!
Spend A local afternoon tea can be a nice treat for the mum that wants to be pampered. Time to get away and relax, or time to spend with the each other! Try and find a nice local place and enjoy a cheeky slice of cake
Splurge I fantasise about having a makeover day! Get my haircut, check my nails! Maybe a facial, wack on some eyelashes and my god I could take over the world. If you got some dollar and some organisational skills I think that could be the ultimate treat, a day away from the kids in which you know they are going to comeback feeling invincible!

New Mum

Save When you have a baby it really is like joining an elite club where suddenly you have a new gang, and this pin embodies that! Mere Soeur is a really cool brand and there is lots to pick from for the insta mum!
Spend A few of my new mummy friends have requested this personalised silver teething ring for their Mothers Day gift. It’s stylish and when they are through with it, would be a nice addition for the babies memory box!
Splurge I am OBSESSED with this gift box! For £50 you get a great selection of products and any new mum will certainly be a member of the Tired Mums Club!

1st Birthday Present Ideas

Having recently had Chloe’s birthday it is  fresh in my mind as to what makes a nice present and things I’d like to get for mine and other babies! So without further ado, here it is!

Books

• That’s not my... - these touchy feely books are classics, I’m yet to find a baby who doesn’t like them.
• Little people, BIG DREAMS - I bought Clo two of these for her birthday, although she is too young to properly engage with them I think they make great decor and is something nice to grow in to.
• Calm Down Boris! Both kids love this book! The puppet on the front makes it interactive and it’s a fun book to read!

Clothes

• Pyjamas - one of the joys of babies becoming toddlers is them starting to wear pyjamas, it makes my heart melt when they look like little people! 
• Luxury items - not necessarily high couture fancy items but things that are a bit special and make you feel like your baby is getting a treat.
• Personalised items - I am a sucker for something personalised, it’s the feeling that something is made just for her that makes me feel fuzzy  inside.

Toys

• Tea set - For Chloe’s birthday we got her a tea set and almost instantly she started to engage with role play, one almost thinks it’s like she has spent a year watching me have a coffee cup permanently in my hand  
• Little People - Another hit has been the Fisher Price Little People, Clo was already playing with Toms old Batman figures and now has some of her own to add to the fun. The sets really vary in price depending on what size you get but have recently been on 2 for £15 at Argos .
• Baby Doll - We were lucky enough to be given a selection of toys from a friend that didn’t need them anymore and included were several dolls which Clo really took to! She loves patting them and giving cuddles (and lobbing them on the floor).

Other

• Plate Set - my sister has bought both my children Emma Bridgewater plate sets for their first birthdays and they are simply beautiful, a nice gift that gets daily use!
• Personalised puzzle - my sister also got Clo this puzzle when she was christened, it’s a lovely gift to grow with her and should assist when it comes to reading and writing her name!
• Something to make - we received a set to make for Chloe as part of her present and it got me thinking how lovely it would be to receive a hand made item. Someone investing time and effort into a gift is just the nicest thing! 

I hope these ideas were helpful and I would love to know if you have anything to add! 

Making social media work for you

As we all know social media is a double edged sword, it can be an amazing supportive environment and it can create a toxic environment which can have deadly consequences. A few years back I felt like I just had my gates open to anything on social media and would let in the good, bad and anything in between and began to feel overwhelmed, sometimes surrounded by things that wasn’t a positive influence and just generally wasted a lot of time looking at crap. So I decided to take a more mindful approach, I semi regularly cull who I follow and seek out things that bring sometime positive to my life. Here are some people that I find their content to be enriching, I’ve included Instagram names so you can find them too! 

Families:

I have found that I like content creators with bigger families, they usually provide good budgeting content and cooking ideas. They seem to share my values of time. Some examples are:

Ashley Bailie  @ashleybailie

She is an Irish mum to 5 children and often posts meal planning/prep/ideas on YouTube. She is budget conscious but makes amazing looking food. Just generally a ray of sunshine!

Jordan Page @jordanpage

An American mum to 6 kids and is currently pregnant with twins! Her focus is more around budgeting and tips. I enjoy her family values and the unity of her and her husbands approach to family life. And she is all about the organisation life!

Money 

I haven’t found a british blogger that I really connect with when it comes to talking about money which is frustrating as it means some of the advice I see isn’t applicable, but it’s still helpful to get a better general understanding or good tips and hacks. 

The financial diet (TFD) @thefinancialdiet

I particularly like TFD as it is run by woman around my age so it just feels relatable, they discuss their experiences and are honest about mistakes they have made. They also tell it how it is and sometimes you need that! 

Debt Free Dana @debtfreedana

I think I came across this lady when I was considering cloth nappies for Clo (hasn’t happened), she offers really good tips and advice on money saving, but also has just got a nice outlook on life and enjoying the simple things! 

Real woman 

I also like to follow people I consider ‘real’, a few accounts I’ve unfollowed because it all feels a bit staged and leaves me feeling ‘less than’ which isn’t doing me any good. But there are some women out there who show their authentic selves and I’ve built engagement with as I find them relatable 

Mikhila McDaid @mikhilamcdaid

Ive been a fan of Mikhila for a long time (it’s a whole thing), I find that she shows that motherhood is part of her life but not all of it which I agree with. I enjoy that she would rather be herself than fit a mould, which again I agree with! And she likes to shop, ding ding ding that’s three for three. She is also working on small fixes to be more eco conscious which is really interesting.

SunnyNayRay @sunnynayray

I love NayRay because she is truly sunny! She never fails to make me actually laugh out loud. She is hugely inspiring with her weight loss journey, but again she is so much more than that. She is genuine and warm and caring and very very funny. 

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing a small section of people I find positive influences on the big bad web, who do you follow that brings you joy? 

Kids Clothing Hacks

This isn’t aimed at any particular age but just a few tips and tricks I use that make life easier or save money! 

1. Labels 

Now, you don’t know what you don’t know but, goddam I wish I had worked this out sooner! When buying labels for your kids stuff order just the SURNAME! this way when your kid grows out of it you can pass it on to siblings and cousins etc without relabelling it! I find this useful with labels on water bottles that are shared by the family too! 

2. School Underwear

This makes me a really lame mum, but I kid you not this makes my life so much easier. Specifically for school get your kids plain pants, vests and plain black socks. Plain boring underwear. It helps with socks that they are interchangeable so you are never short of socks, I like Primark as they have the size printed in the rim so it’s easy to pair up and keep track of. For school I am happy for Tom to wear cheap vests as he grows out of them quickly and they don’t particularly get seen. Where as for school holidays and weekends he has patterned socks and vests which much nicer, for me there is an unconscious indication of work and play time. It just works well for us! 

3. Prep clothes

I accept this is a bit extra but if you can make your life easier in anyway but investing time where you have it then do! An example is that when I take off Chloe’s baby grow I don’t unpopper the legs, so when it’s been washed and is being put back on it slips on and saves fighting her when she is kicking her legs and crawling away! I dry Toms school shirts on hangers, it helps the creases come out and can be hung straight in the wardrobe which removes a step elsewhere! 

4. Shop big; shop classic, shop smart

You will naturally find shops you prefer to gets kids stuff from, and I am all for that but equally there are times I will particularly gravitate to certain shops for items as I know they are sized big and made well so will last. We have a tradition for Tom to wear a certain T shirt from Next when we go on holiday, it’s been 4 years and still fits (I think this is it’s last year *sob*), if you shop smart and take care of the items they will last for a very long time. If you want a seasonal or a trend item then it’s not as important but something classic it’s worth investing in.

5. Pick a colour palette

This goes alongside thinking of clothes lasting a long time and thinking of a bigger picture. If you find a colour palette that suits your child’s style and generally shop within those colours/styles then clothes can be easily mixed and matched and will have a longer life span. This is also very helpful when your child starts choosing their own clothes for the day, means they can only go so rogue in what they look like. Tom likes dark blues, khaki, grey, black and the occasional pop of red, he also really likes camouflage. Chloe suits dusky pink and an autumnal set of colours but time will tell what she likes! 

I hope you find these useful! Do you have any tips and tricks to share?