Heaven forbid, a beauty product free Mother's Day

Last year was my first Mother's Day as a mum. I remember, in the lead up, wondering what presents I would get because, as we all know, Mother's Day is all about the presents! As kids, our Dad would take my sister and I out to do our Mother's Day shopping and would offer us advice as to what to get - 'your mum hates her old iron, maybe a new iron'; 'how about a new toaster?'; 'these earrings look nice' (of course they were clip ons - Mum had pierced ears). When we got older we wisely stopped taking Dad's advice and started buying our own presents - and that's about when we first started getting her some kind of beauty product for Mother's Day - a fragrant bubble bath or a new perfume or the blush she had pointed out. So naturally I assumed that I also would get some kind of beauty product for Mother's Day, as everyone knows how obsessed I am. But what to ask for? I wanted Lush's The Art of Bathing Gift box - stuffed full with over 10 bath products...but then I hadn't had a bath since the night before I gave birth, nearly 4 months previously, so that obviously wouldn't get used for a long while. Maybe a new perfume? I do love perfume. But then I was still breast feeding at the time so had stopped wearing perfume as I thought it would be cruel rubbing my son's face on a chest covered in fragrance. Makeup? No - I wasn't going out anymore to wear it, and I'm not a Stepford Wife who gets made up for when her husband gets home...so again, a no goer. So, I decided to not ask for anything and just wait to see what my son got me...

Big mistake! What did I get? Nothing. I asked hubby why he didn't get me a present and his response was 'You're not my mother'. Well yes, true. But at 4 months of age Isaac was hardly capable of getting a present on his own. Actually, I did get a lovely card that Isaac cleverly managed to write on himself. It said 'I love you, Mummy (but Daddy is cooler)'. Thanks, Isaac. I have to admit that although my first Mother's Day was devoid of presents, I still had the most fabulous day. The whole family got together, we ate a tonne of food and a good time was had by all - and the best bit? Hubby was on nappy duty all day so I didn't have to change a single nappy that day! I might have even learned that Mother's Day is not entirely about presents (but hubby and Isaac, if you are reading this, they are still very welcome!).

So, with my second Mother's Day approaching, I have taken steps to ensure that it will not be free of presents. Since subtlety didn't work last year, this year I helped Isaac set up his own email account so he was able to email his Dad to ask him for help in buying me a present. I didn't ask for beauty products this year as, through trialling products and winning comps, my bathroom is overflowing (see here). So, if my efforts to get a present fail again this year I have one final plan. They say in their first couple of years of life that babies are sponges, absorbing everything you teach them. I will spend the next year intensively training my son on everything beauty related so that by next year, when he can finally talk, he can tell his Dad that he thinks that his Mum's skin is looking dull, with visible pores and some pigmentation and that he needs help buying a mask that promotes luminosity, a pore minimising toner and a serum that tackles pigmentation for Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day everyone, whether you are a mother yourself or are celebrating it with your mum, have a wonderful day. Enjoy this bunch of flowers I found - it tickled my fancy!

From Summaya

So, did you give your mum and beauty products or receive any from your kids this Mother's Day?