Mother's Day Gift Ideas

I always look forward to celebrating Mother’s Day, particularly because I have the best one. I realize this may sound biased but if you know her, you know I’m not exaggerating. There is nobody that loves, nurtures, cares, feels, or provides more than her and because of this, I consider myself one of the lucky ones. This year though, is even more special, because as I enter my 7^th month of pregnancy, I am busy trying to wrap my head around the fact that I too, will soon be someone’s “best one” (I can only hope). So many tell me I’m already a Mom and I understand what they mean but for me, it will really ring true when I see that tiny, sweet face for the first time and realize, he is mine forever. 

My Mom is my best friend. They say that happens as you get older but when I look back over the years, I realize she always has been. Our activities and routines may have changed, but the relationship and support we offer each other remains the same. I am grateful to have memories of eating turkey sandwiches and watching Barney with her after a day at Kindergarten…enduring middle school field trips and high school dances with her unfailing support… and these days, sharing everything from coffee dates to morning walks and most recently, frequent baby advice when it all seems a little overwhelming. I am truly grateful for every stage we've experienced thus far and look forward to passing on the same kind of long lasting love to my baby boy.

There's a lot of pressure to pick out the "perfect gift" for Mother's Day, but to me, all you need is something personal to her that shows you put thought into (or something handmade, which is even better!) I will admit, I did have my Mom in mind when I picked out these items but there is something for every taste at various price points so have fun shopping! 

SHOP THE GUIDE:

One: Mom Coffee Mug | Two: Wellness Mama Cookbook

Three: Bloom Vase | Four: Flowers for Dreams

Five: Monogram Tray | Six: Brownie Bars Recipe Bundle

Seven: Floral Yoga Mat | Eight: Blush Satchel

Nine: Floral Notebook

Ten: BONUS - Instead of a material item, plan an outing for the two of you. For my Mom's birthday last month, I planned a weekend coffee date. We love trying new coffee shops in the area so I figured we could bring our laptops, order some tasty treats and spend a few hours discussing all things blog-related. My Mom is a blogger too and constantly amazes me with her great ideas and use of technology. Seriously, some of my friend's parents don't even text. "She's not a regular Mom, she's a cool Mom"... ;) 

Thanks for reading! Xo

My Mothers Kitchen

Mom's blog states: "You can usually find me entertaining. Whether I'm preparing a meal for weekend guests or organizing a get together for my wonderful Family, both top my list of favorite activities."
Wonderful, indeed. 
Starting with my earliest memories, I can recall the sweet smell of chocolate chip pancakes being prepared on Sunday morning alongside freshly brewed coffee which Mom never goes a morning without. This was (and still remains) one of my favorite treats and nobody prepares it better than her. That’s because when it comes to a homemade meal or Family gathering, she is hard to beat. In my mind, Mom always knew how to cook. We rarely, if ever, sat down for dinner to a “heat & eat” meal or something from the drive-thru. We feasted on meat, potatoes, veggies and always dessert…“it’s just something small,” she says. 
Being a whiz in the kitchen also means this woman is never without anything! Whether I'm missing one ingredient for a recipe or can't seem to find my zester (again!), she has me covered. Her stock of kitchen utensils is that of a professional chef and not to mention, she has an entire cabinet dedicated to baking mixes and I should mention, it's never empty. She seldom follows a recipe and that’s how you can tell when somebody truly enjoys the process of cooking…it’s something that comes from within instead of being forced or just routine. The same goes for the atmosphere and presentation when she’s entertaining…nobody else in this world could you feel so loved through a piece of pie or hand-written card. Selfless and sincere, she adds a personal touch to everything…you can’t underestimate the impact of a perfectly placed birthday banner or welcome sign for guests on the 4^th of July. It’s these things that people grow to count on because they contribute to making an unforgettable memory and that’s what she continuously does for us.   Between the birthday brunches...

...and the Christmas morning feast straight out of a 1950's ad, you can see how Mom's passion for entertaining and love for her Family comes to life. 

But when it’s our turn to spoil her, be it her birthday or this coming Mother’s day, she insists on no gifts – just time spent together, spent around the table or underneath the backyard trees. There’s no way we could repay her for all our treasured moments over the years, but I’m hoping that using her recipe for a homemade stack of pancakes is a good place to start.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! Thank you for everything. 
P.S. Check out one of Mom's "DIY" meal stations for our Family weekend in Wisconsin. ..perfect for the weekend!

Thanks to Wayfair for inspiring this post! Check them out for all your kitchen & cooking utensil needs!

Because Kaitlyn Hosted Mother's Day Brunch!

My husband and I hosted Mother’s Day brunch at our house on Sunday. After a week of family group MMS texts spent trying to coordinate 13 people’s schedules and restaurant reservation times, I suggested we do a meal at home, just the way my Mom has always beautifully done for us. We have all been very busy lately so she wanted something low-key that enabled us all just to be together and talk so I thought this was the perfect solution.

sign, tablecloth & runner 

Can we talk about the donut tree? I have seen it on Pinterest so many times and decided it was time for one of my own ;)

It was a beautiful day in Chicago (a rare gem lately!) so we took advantage and had the party outside. My husband tore down our old deck last summer after our wedding and just finished re-building when Fall was approaching, so we were excited to show it off. 

I baked homemade banana bread and made individual Greek yogurt cups with a granola and fruit topping station and everybody brought something special ranging from a hash brown/egg casserole, these AMAZING Italian sandwiches and gluten-free muffins.

I feel extremely proud and honored to be the daughter of such an amazing woman and aspire to follow in her footsteps with every move I make. Nobody is a better example of a Mom or best friend. 

Jumpsuit: TJ Maxx (similar) // Sandals: Piperlime // Sunnies: Old Navy // Bracelets: Forever 21 // Ring: Francesca's 

The family had a great time running around with the kids, getting some sun and stuffing ourselves silly. 

How did you spend Mother's Day?