All I Want For Mother’s Day Are These 11 Things I Can Buy For Myself
Do yourself a favour and don't ask for anything this year
I can buy myself flowers
It’s Mother’s Day, and the family has banded together to buy you X item. A toaster perhaps, a piece of jewelry. You receive such item in bed, with a card, preferably hand-made. An hour passes and the day reverts back to normal. Maybe you’re on mall drop-off duty, maybe the dog needs a walk. There’s the school lunch payment that’s due. Oh, and we should probably invite our own mothers over for dinner, and make something nice.
There is no time for a leisurely bath or an afternoon of slow shopping. The family WAS being nice to you, but subconsciously, a box had been checked, and what you really wanted, deep down, was a day off. A day when the tables turn and everybody does YOUR regular duties while you get to run around and have fun or heaven forbid, do nothing at all!
Call me selfish, but this year, I’m not asking for shit. Instead, I’m buying a Mother’s Day gift for myself. And for that, here are 11 things I may just order from the tub.
A Maxine McCrann original from my personal collection
Original Artwork
Anyone remember the wonderful Jane Dashley (née Aldridge) from the circa 2007 blog Sea of Shoes? She was a total OG in the fashion blogging space, and every outfit post (shoes especially!) was as unique as a Carrie Bradshaw showstopper. In case you missed it, Jane is now a mother, a wife and an incredible artist. Her original pieces are as fantastical as were her dreamy posts, and they sell out in minutes. (Sign up for her newsletter to catch the next drop.) Elsewise, Toronto-based Maxine McCrann’s bright and whimsical pieces are an optimistic delight.
Diamonds
The maximum feminist flex surely is buying your own diamonds, and with lab-grown brands like Dorsey making flashy pieces ever more accessible, they’re most definitely topping my personal want list. This Petite Bessette White Sapphire Baguette Gold Riviere Necklace is a beauty, and while we’re wishing, I’ll gladly tack on some Classic Martini Round Cut Studs to wear every damn day.
Fine Fragrance
Back in Sedona on a press trip earlier this year, celebrity makeup artist Ash K Holm held a masterclass and offered up the following hack: to make fragrance last longer, apply a smear of Vaseline stick upon your wrist and spritz your favourite perfume overtop. To demonstrate, she gifted us each a tiny vial of Le Labo’s Another 13. With notes of jasmine, moss and “ambroxyde” – a synthetic animalic musk – I’ve been addicted to it ever since.
Another fave face mask, Masque Vivant by Biologique Recherche
Face Honey
As a longtime beauty editor, I get a shit ton of products gratis. But there are still some, beyond the reach of my PR contacts. What I desire is pure manuka honey, known for its natural ability to soothe inflammation, rosacea discomfort, acne and wounds. I’ve been eyeballing Activist’s Manuka Honey Mask, which takes its certified, upward toward medicinal status very seriously. Flamingo Estate’s Manuka Rich Cream seems the perfect follow up.
Non-Cloying Candles
Much ado has been made over fancy smelling designer candles, and yet, for us sensitive types, odourless candles deserve their flowers, too. Try enjoying just the warm glow of these tapered, clean-burning Beeswax Candles from Ballerina Farm, and smelling the yummy aroma of your dinner instead.
Pickleball Shoes
I’ve been trying pickleball out lately and have nearly twisted a limb a few times due to a lack of proper shoes. Court shoes couldn’t come fast enough, and I recently spied these Staud + Keds The Court Sneakers at a surprisingly reasonable price, considering how cute they are.
Momming it in Paris with these two in a most comfy pair of Staud x New Balance sneakers
Actually Comfortable PJs
I have plenty of pairs of The Great’s, seamless, drop crotch jersey cropped pants that don’t slice my labia when I sleep to one side, leg jackknifed upward. But sadly, my husband can barely look at me when I wear them. Naturally, I wear them anyway, but these Negative Supreme Jogger Pants could be a fair alternate with its lightweight material and “harem pant” drop rise. Cloud Cotton Tank with blessedly built-in bra sold separately.
Yet Another Silk Eye Mask
As far as sleep hygiene goes, comfy jammies (see above), cooler temperatures, a king-size bed for maximum sprawling and blackout blinds reign supreme. On that last note, I now even like to block out ambient light from air filters, alarm clocks and such, which is where silk eye masks come in. The only thing is, they’re as apt to getting lost as a single sock. The re-up: Slip’s fantastic Silk Sleep Eye Mask.
From the bathroom at the Sunset Tower Bar in LA
Indulgent Hand Soap
As a Canadian, I couldn’t have been prouder to find Vancouver-born Sangre de Fruta Head of Roses Botanical Hand Wash in the bathroom at the posh Sunset Tower in Hollywood last week. Cleansing Rosemary Extract, Soothing Chamomile Extract, Cacao Seed Butter and fragrant essential oils are 100% organic, and the scent is nothing short of 5-star.
Grown Up Tableware
There’s never a good time to upgrade from the Ikea set you bought straight outta the nest to a “proper” dinnerware set, but as I turn 50 this year I realize, “how about now?” I have my eye on this glazed clay Coupe Place Setting Bundle from Jono Pandolfi, used at restaurants like Girl & The Goat in LA and Jean Georges. Alternatively, Belgian-based Serax partners with top designers for beautiful, quality dinnerware with an official store on Amazon.
Computer Protector
Last but not least (and admittedly random), I do covet a computer case. That’s because I’m a klutz, and my computer is often the victim. My last Airbook was left at the airport in Sedona, so I bought a new one recently, and as it sits naked and open to coffee spills, I realize that I really ought to take better care. I rather like this Mansur Gavriel Zip Leather Case, though the Original Vandel Puffy Laptop Sleeve is a fraction of the price on Amazon – and a lot more replaceable.