Fresh is Best! A Mother's Day Hint. #FYBF

*This is a sponsored post.*

For those of you that are mothers you might be really looking forward to Mother's Day next month.  Or for those of you that have mothers (or a mother-in-law) you are either planning the perfect gift or tearing your hair out because you're afraid of getting it very, very wrong.

I think there's way too much pressure on gift giving. Some people go to a lot of trouble and think that the more lavish the gift, the more the giftee thinks you love them.  But guess what? Mothers are different (well most mothers anyway).  They'll most probably just be glad you remembered them.

When my kids were little I loved that they went to the trouble of making a card and picking some flowers from the garden. As they got older I would give them $5 to buy something from the Mother's Day stall at school, which would invariably be some lavender hand cream, a coin purse or a glass figurine you have to hide in a cupboard for about 40 years.

I often used to get a version of this home made treasure:

(from here)

Now that they're older and, I assume, a lot more capable of taking themselves up the shops and spending their own pocket money on a very heartfelt gift they would spend weeks thinking of .... ,  in reality they mostly leave it to their Dad to buy a present on their behalf. Sometimes I let them know what I would like but I secretly wish they could magically know and present me with the perfect gift. 

So I have become that Mother. I've become bored with being a matyr and now demand their love be demonstrated by a gift chosen (and sometimes purchased) by me.

As I do quite a bit of online shopping for gifts for family and friends (OK mostly for myself), I've started to subtly email links of my wish list to my husband and kids when it gets close to special occasions, like Mother's Day!

But it would be wonderful if they were to plan a bit more than a day before that special Sunday and actively go to a website and buy something beautiful delivered in time that they could present to me while I languish queen-like in my bed eating smoked salmon omelette and champagne (or in reality, burnt toast and cold tea).

Which brings me to FreshFlowers - this is a total hint, family! - absolutely beautiful bunches of blooms (and chocolates!) that can be chosen from the privacy of their room, delivered same day or next day, hidden in their closet and sprung upon their wonderful Mum first thing on Mother's Day.

Also it is the perfect solution for that mother-in-law that is impossible to buy for - you can even leave it for the last possible moment!

FreshFlowers also offer a great Reminder Service where you can sign up to receive an email for all those birthdays and anniversaries that get forgotten until the last minute. You'll look like a star! Personally, I think I"ll sign the hubby up to receive the reminders, that way he'll never forget the 101 anniversaries we have (first met, first went out, first started living together, wedding - you've got to celebrate!).

Hint, hint!

Aside from offering Mother's Day flowers, another big plus for me is that they support Daffodil Day and Heart Research Australia. Love it when a company gives back.

On top of all that they have great prices. I know with previous experience in sending flowers through work that many companies charge an arm and a leg for flowers which are pretty ordinary, but FreshFlowers are not only very reasonable every day, they have regular specials like:

Find out here!

Lastly, FreshFlowers know the joy that a surprise bunch of flowers can give someone and after reading 'Flowers and Faith in Humanity', I think I'll be sending a bit of that joy more often.

Or if you'd rather, send yourself a thank you for just being you, signed 'Anonymous Admirer' - think of the attention you'll receive from your partner after receiving that!

**Joining With Some Grace for #FYBF**

Things I should have asked my Mum

Not to start on a downer, but today is the second Mother's Day without my Mum.  In the last few years she really wasn't aware what day it was any day of the year, so actually for the last 14 years Mother's Day has been all about me.  Don't get me wrong, I used to buy her a gift and wished her a happy day, but it would more than likely confuse her more.

Today I started thinking about what I would have liked to ask her when she was alive and aware. She was a fairly secretive woman and would occasionally come out with a little snippet of her past or some saying or advice which wouldn't be accompanied by an explanation. For example,

• "Don't volunteer for anything"
• "Bloody Harpers" (some mysterious family history there that I didn't find out till years later)
• "You get on my wick!"
• "Don't hang around like a wet week"
• "When you get your period you will finally be able to swim" (apparently tampons have magical powers in the pool)
• And the inexplicable "Don't put anything in your whatsie that you wouldn't put in your mouth first"(???)! 
• Whenever a car would honk their horn outside she would say dryly "Can't come out tonight, the old man is home".  
• "Weeee!" whenever a champagne/Spumante cork popped (which was more often than you would think!).
• "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" (I say this all the time!)

So to commemorate Mother's Day, here is a list of some questions I would have liked to have asked my Mum:

• What advice and stories did your Mum and Dad tell you?
• What was your favourite toy as a child?
• What was your favourite book?
• Did your Mum read you stories?
• Did you jump in your parents bed in the morning, like we did and like our kids do?
• What was your first job?
• Who was your first love?
• How did you cope when your first child passed away?

These are questions I will never get to ask her (and some others that are too private to put here).  Why didn't I ask her when she was alive. Probably because I knew she would give me a flippant answer and brush me off because she had a "sick headache". Not one to get deep and meaningful, our Mum. And she was a bit scary in her heyday!

So the lesson here is make sure you talk to your Mum while she's still around.  Even if you don't get on, what's there to lose? Don't leave it till it's too late, she can't talk to you from the other side (though my brother begs to differ!).  But if she CAN hear - if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.

Happy Mother's Day Mum!  Cheers!

*Joining up With Some Grace for Facebook Lovin' Sunday*

I don't do mornings

I think, no wait, I know, that I'm a bit stuck in my ways.

For instance, I'm not a morning person.  No matter how much I wish I could bounce out of bed at the crack of dawn, I don't think I'll be starting that habit anytime soon.

And I would love to be one of those super organised Mums that have special charts on the wall for my kids' activities and chores, what they will be having for lunch and dinner all month and a goal setting spreadsheet with little gold stars for rewards.  OK that might be going a little too far.  How about I just know what everyone is doing every week? And a walk around the Bay in the mornings.

There are several factors in my make up that prevent me being this ideal person.  For one, I'm a Pisces, known as being a bit vague and dreamy.  More are a kind of 'wing-it' kind of girl.  Secondly, in sibling order I'm the last of five which for some means irresponsibility and rebellion.  I don't fully agree of course and cannot for the life of me think why my sisters and brother think I was the favourite and spoiled silly.  Ridiculous!

Despite all this I do have the ability to parent (mostly) responsibly and have a steady and responsible job (have hardly ever been unemployed in the past thirty years!).  I've never smoked (cigarettes), I don't drink and drive, and I'm a loyal wife (so far!).

So why the hell can't I get out of bed in the mornings!

Tomorrow is the Digital Parents Conference 2013 and my room buddy Rachel (The Kids Are Alright) is coming over at 6.30am so we can catch a lift with Mr Moneymaker so I can be at Curzon Hall in time to take up my duties as one of the Door Bitches (OK, usher but that doesn't have the authority it needs!).

And of course I haven't packed (what time is it now - oh shit its 9.46pm already!).  I did achieve the Care Australia 'Walk In Her Shoes' challenge around the Bay this evening with Brenda, Grace and Jess.  Which reminds me, I better link up now with #IBOT!

Goodnight and maybe see you tomorrow - and don't forget if you'd like to help out with our challenge you can donate here.  Thankyou!