The Gift Guide: Mother's Day 2024

Sunday March 10th; a day for flowers, cake and cards with exceptionally long verses we didn't actually write ourselves.

Mother’s Day can be a sensitive time for people, that’s something I’m acutely aware of. This post is therefore going to live here on Substack for all who might find it useful, but won’t however be sent out in an email newsletter.

Growing up Mother’s Day wasn’t just about my Mum, we celebrated my Grandma and my Aunty and I guess, any female figure who’d had a hand in bringing us up. That’s what I see this day as being, ultimately.

I don’t know that it has to be a day about the technical, biological mother we have, but rather, someone who’s there for us in that capacity. After all, for so many people it is the chosen family that has become the reality.

1. Monica Vinader Friendship Bracelet, from £100
   
   I know for a lot of people their mother is often their best friend too. Monica Vinader’s jewellery is - across the board - really beautiful. There’s a simplicity to it that means it can suit pretty much anyone’s style.
   
   The luxe take on the friendship bracelet is a sophisticated take on the idea of sharing that your mum is even more that. It can also be engraved, so you can make it even more of a personalised experience.
   

2. Jo Malone London Rose Amber Cologne, £86
   
   Rose Amber is a new addition to their rose line up. The amber and clove notes pull some of the more typical rose notes down, grounding it unexpectedly into something a little warmer. 
   

3. H&M Home Glass Vase, £17.99
   
   When it comes to ordering flowers, I think we’re all fully aware you pay more for the concept of it arriving via a courier than you would if you were to go and pick up the exact same bouquet in store. For me, I’d rather buy a beautiful bunch of flowers in person and present them in a vase. It’s just a bit more of an event and I’m pretty sure it’ll still come out the more cost effective option.
   
   I absolutely love the shape of this H&M vase. If it were me, I’d present it with a ribbon tied around the neck in a bow and full it to the brim with tulips. All of which I’m sure you could do beautifully for £30.
   

4. M&S Mimosa Bouquet, £30
   
   If you are going to be buying some flowers online however, might I suggest this incredible bunch of mimosa from M&S. I love the chaos of a vase of mimosa; the scent is just a bonus. I will admit they’re not the most long-lasting of flowers, but the incredible pop of yellow makes up for it in my eyes.
   

5. Jo Malone London Mimosa & Cardamon Candle, £56
   
   Mimosa & Cardamom. An unsung hero of the Jo Malone London collection if you ask me. I light this candle a lot in the spring months; it’s almost golden in its fragrance. It’s powdery and musky, with sandalwood running through it to give it that feel of a warm afternoon in the sun. Perfect for teaming with a bunch of mimosa too. It’s like I planned this.
   

6. Katie Leamon Vintage Photo Album, £40

   
   Each Christmas I give my mum and my Grandma a photo that’s been taken that year as part of their present. It might be of Charlie, or one year it was Bingley, or it might be of a place we’ve all been to. I think there’s something so lovely about real photos.
   
   This photo album from Katie Leamon makes me happy. The old school design, the beautiful mustard yellow colour… This would be something I’d start off for someone, rather than fill. I’d pop in a few treasured memories, a pack of photo corner mounts and tie it up with a bow.
   
   Or, maybe if your mum is inclined to fill it herself, I’d team it with a camera to capture new memories on. If you’ve got children your parents look after, I think that’s an excellent gift.
   

7. John Lewis Mother’s Day Beauty Box, £45
   
   John Lewis are coming for the Cult Beauty edit boxes. This £45 gift has a value of £130 and features products from Sunday Riley, Laura Mercier, Kiehl’s and Elizabeth Arden. It’s a sweet little gift set if maybe you’re unsure of what your mum might use exactly.
   

1. Natural Wine Duo, Drop by LOCAL, £29

   
   In my experience, mum’s like wine. This natural wine duo comes in a lovely little box and is from a lovely little independent shop right here in Newcastle.
   

2. The Tree Of Love Gift, £44.95
   
   I’ve been shouting out this brand for a few years now as I love what they do. The Gluttonous Gardener creates beautifully packaged plants that mean something. A fig tree to symbolise family, or a Wild Pear Tree, said to symbolise treasured memories and longevity.
   
   You can customise the gift with an engraved slate market too, so wherever it may end up the message it was originally gifted with remains with it.
   

3. L’Occitaine Almond Gift Set, £43.50

   
   My mum loves L’Occitaine. I love L’Occitaine. It’s a win/win. If there’s a bottle of Almond Shower Oil in the bathroom when I go home, it will get used. It’s called an oil, well, because it is, but it immediately turns to a foamy milk like texture when the water hits it. It smells incredible.
   

   It’s also a commonly acknowledged fact that mum’s love hand creams and that L’Occitaine do the best hand cream on the market.
   

4. Grandma Memory Journal, £23
   
   I feel a bit of an unbreakable bond between me and my Grandma. As a small child I spent most of my time with her, whilst my mum worked. She’d pick me up from nursery each day, she’d make me cheese on toast and we’d sit and watch Neighbours together. I love her to pieces.
   
   It’s a relationship that I’m now watching play out almost exactly with Mum and my nephew Charlie. They love each other to absolute pieces and both countdown the hours until he runs through her front door and spends the day playing with his best friend. It’s exactly how I remember my childhood.
   

   I bought this journal for my Mum to complete and pass on to Charlie when he’s old enough. It’s essentially a history of who she is and her life, somewhere for her to write down all of the things that led to her having a grandson called Charlie.
   
   There’s sections to fill in on who her parents were and spaces for photos of her as a child, as well as journaling sections for memories of them together. It’s kind of lovely and I love the idea of it being a gift that then gets gifted. It’s also available in a Mother’s version, to pass on to a child. 
   

5. Claynote Ceramic Mugs, from £23
   
   I’ve had Claynote Ceramics bookmarked on my Etsy page for a while now. I love a handmade mug. I don’t need mugs to be a set at all, I’m all for it being a collection of different designs. Obviously I’d like that collection to have a cohesive colour palette, I’m not an animal.
   
   Anyway, I’ve yet to find a mum who doesn’t enjoy a hot drink, be it coffee, tea or a hotty toddy when no-one’s watching. For me a handmade mug is a great gift teamed with a bag of coffee from a local brand, or a fancy tin of hot chocolate.