Mother’s Day is upon us. Being a mom is one of my biggest life blessings. How sweet to celebrate such a special day with my own little ones!
Today on the blog, I will be sharing some of my favorite aspects of being a mom, the differences between Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday, and a few of my top Mother’s Day gift ideas (using thrifted finds).
In this post, I also want to share some of my family traditions that are special to me. Plus, how I make those traditions even more special with inexpensive thrifts and finds. (To see my traditional Mother’s Day bread and butter pudding, click here.)
Come along with me, for an amalgamation of English Mothering Sunday traditions- and American Mother’s Day traditions. So, without further ado, let us get started.
~On Being a Mother: My Hope~
When I was a little girl, if someone were to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have unreservedly told them that I wanted to be a mom.
It was always my dream.
It still is my dream.
I am so thankful to be a mom/mum to four precious children- for they are some of my biggest blessings. It is not an easy job, by any means, but I believe it is the best-most important- job God has given me.
In view of this fact, Mother’s Day is extremely special to me!
~Mothering Sunday verses Mother's Day: ~
Mother’s Day in America is similar to Mothering Sunday in England- but, they do have different histories. (Generally, America celebrates Mother’s Day in mid-May. England, on the other hand, observes Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent).
As I understand it, England’s Mothering Sunday is a much older occasion. It was started as a Christian day, when people of the time would go away from their families to work. They would return to their “mother” churches, and incidentally-their families and mothers– where they would share a special time/meal together.
America started the Mother’s Day holiday in the early 1900’s, as it was meant to recognize mothers and their work in the family. Today, Mother’s Day has become quite commercialized in America and many other countries around the world.
Both Mother’s Day and Mothering Sunday are now celebrated in similar ways.
~My First Mothering Sunday/Mother's Day~
With each new Mother’s Day, I am reminded of my very first Mothering Sunday.
Craig and I were living in England at the time, and I had just given birth to our first daughter in Oxford.
I remember waking that morning to a lovely cuppa tea, and two smiling faces beaming at me.
My husband, and my first daughter, were there to celebrate with me.
Oh, how I had dreamed of this day!
We spent the day together enjoying a lovely picnic lunch in Stratford (home of Shakespeare- and also where we got engaged), and I was given the most beautiful necklace to mark the occasion. How thankful I was that God had allowed me to be a mom/mum.
My first Mothering Sunday was naturally notable, but of course, every Mothering Sunday/Mother’s Day is special.
~Our English/American Mother's Day Traditions~
As I think back to my first Mothering Sunday, I wanted to share some of the ways my family and I like to spend Mother’s Day (now in America.) It is a special day for all of us, as each played a part in making me a mother.
My favorite Mother’s Day lunch is simply made up of sandwiches, chips (crisps in England), sparkling pink lemonade, and some sweet treats. If we can eat this on a picnic blanket outside, we do!
Craig and I have many memories as newlyweds- of packing a picnic lunch and going to Stratford or Warwick Castle in England- and just enjoying a lazy day out in a beautiful setting.
There is not much better than that in my opinion- good, simple food-lovely, outdoor surroundings- and being with those you love.
~A Mother's Day Activity in the Great Outdoors~
Retailers place a lot of value on buying things for mothers. And while I certainly do appreciate a thoughtful gift to show an appreciation for motherhood, I also believe Mother’s Day gifts do not always come in the form of a commercialized item.
Recently, my dad (fondly called “Popski” or “Pop-Pop”) kindly gave my children a strawberry plant.
This lovely little strawberry plant has been a part of our recent homeschool science lessons. It has been fun to watch the strawberries grow and appreciate their sweetness. The excitement that a ripe strawberry can bring (to a child watching it grow) is amazing.
What a fun idea for Mother’s Day… to give the gift of a live plant. For a fruit plant produces nourishment, but also fosters time together and an appreciation for new growth.
Perhaps a strawberry plant may be a good option for a Mother’s Day gift?
~A Mother's Day Craft~
I also could not resist sharing this cute Mother’s Day homeschool-art opportunity.
We got this sweet stepping stone (painting) kit from Aldi for $4.99. Bargain! (We love Aldi!) If you never visit Aldi’s weekly isle of fabulous finds-you really should start. I don’t think you will be disappointed, and you will be hard pressed not to find something wonderfully useful. And all for a great price.
*Note: this stepping stone kit was purchased last Mother’s Day. However, I am happy to report (that this year) Aldi still has a heart stepping stone kit for sale. (Slightly different, but largely the same).
The children and I enjoyed painting this sweet stepping stone together outside.
Afterall, the time spent with my children is the true gift. (See more on this here).
*To see more posts featuring crafts for children- check out my homeschool tab or click here or here for two fun outside activities.
~The Mother's Day Stepping Stone Finds its Home: ~
Now every time I am able to have a quiet moment sitting on our garden bench, I can look at my lovely stepping stone and breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for the gift of my beautiful children.
~Psalm 127: 3~ “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.”
~How to Use Vintage Thrifts, Paired with Flowers, to Make the Ultimate Mother's Day Gift~
Now, for a few Mother’s Day gift ideas to share with you (before you are on your way): these gifts are beautiful, resourceful, and inexpensive.
Why not search for vintage vases or trinket boxes next time you are in a thrift store? These little cuties are not only lovely, but they can make wonderful gifts.
~Vintage Vases: ~
~A Vintage Vase and Some Vintage Lace~
A vintage vase… and vintage lace…now this sounds like my happy place!
The best part about this simple home decoration? Both the vase and the lace were thrift finds!
All I did was hot glue a bit of the lace to the top of my vase. This was totally unnecessary, but I wanted to accentuate my favorite subtle part of the vase…the sweet scallops.
~How to Transform a Vintage Trinket Box into a Mother's Day Centerpiece: ~
Do you recognize this box?
Yes, I featured it in my post for my daughter’s birthday table as well. You can see the link for that post here. I love being resourceful and using items as many times as I can.
For Mother’s Day, I decided to use this trinket box as a table centerpiece with dried flowers. (Note: If you dry your fresh flowers, you can continue using them in various decorative ways. Again- an opportunity to be resourceful.) *See my post on dried flowers here: Also, see my dried flowers as a homeschool activity here.
All I used for this project was a Styrofoam block for flowers (bought from the Dollar Tree), my dried flowers, and my thrifted trinket box. I layered in my colors and then placed the new/old floral arrangement on a lace table runner.
That was it. Perfect, to celebrate a mom you love.
Dried flowers are perfect for any season! For more flower arrangement ideas- see my Easter post that uses a terracotta pot and dried flowers to create a lovely table piece.
~Final Mother's Day Thoughts~
As I close this post, I would like to recognize my own mom… and all the wonderful moms out there, (and to the ones who long to be mothers or have lost mothers or children…we see you too). May you feel celebrated and cherished today.
I know that this day, while often filled with joy, can also be filled with pain for some.
I am so thankful for this day and my children, but I also want to always be empathetic to those around me.
May we see others and consider them.
I will conclude by saying that I hope this Mother’s Day post gives you a few ideas on how to make a special mom feel cherished.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Oh, and be sure to like, subscribe, comment, or follow along on my Facebook and Pinterest pages for more ideas and inspirations. To read more about I how I use thrifted items (like vases and trinket boxes in my home) see my Ultimate Guide to English Cottage Thrifting here.
Until next time,
~Elizabeth~
