#MySundayPhoto 15/03/2015

Happy Mother's Day!

This is my third Mother's Day but my first as a mum of two. I feel so lucky to have such awesome children in my life. C said, "Happy Mother's Day" to me today for the first time ever which was lovely. This photo was taken today and it's a rare photo of me with both children as it isn't a selfie! I think it is one of my new favourites.

I felt so loved today. I was able to have a lie in, Chris made me and Ulster fry (yum!) and I received a beautiful bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.

I hope all the other mummies reading got absolutely spoiled and had a lovely day!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Baldwins

Baldwins is London's oldest herbalist with George Baldwin opening the doors in 1844. In addition to health foods, they also stock a selection of own brand and big brand natural and organic products for all of your inside and outside needs.

They also offer some gorgeous gift ideas which would be perfect for Mother's Day such as essential oil burners, candle making kits and soap making kits.

My absolute favourites have to be the Moisturising Gift Box and the Revitalising Gift Box. 

Both boxes are very similar with the only differences being what the items do - revitalise your skin or moisturise it. The boxes both contain 250ml body wash, 250ml body balm, 25g soap, a candle and a natural cotton flannel.

I received the Moisturising Gift Box and firstly, I love that it was presented in a plain brown box, tied with a plum ribbon which has 'G Baldwin & Co' written on it.

As soon as I opened the products out, I had to have a little sniff of them and, my goodness, they are divine. I love anything citrus so I was delighted when I saw they had an orange scent. They really do leave your skin feeling so soft and hydrated. The cotton flannel is also soft and the candle is a lovely little addition!

Both gift boxes can be purchased from Baldwins for £24.99 each which I feel is a really good price given the quality of the items.

(Disclaimer: I received this gift box for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own).

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Salter Marble Collection

Ever since Chris and I moved in together and had the children, I've found that I get excited about things that usually wouldn't have excited me before. It was my birthday on Monday and specifically asked Chris to buy me a slow cooker and when I opened it I couldn't wait to get cooking. I imagine that I'm not alone and many mothers feel similarly.

I recently received the Salter Marble Stone 3pc Pan Set (containing 16, 18 & 20cm saucepans) and 24cm frying pan and they would make the perfect Mother's Day gift for mums who love to cook.

Firstly, how beautiful do they look? They are a far cry from block coloured cookware which in my eyes makes them more exciting.

They are aluminium but marble coated with an aluminium induction bottom. The handles are soft touch Bakelite. The marble creates a non-stick surface so I was eager to try this out. It states that they are to be used with little or no oil. I was so worried about ruining the bottom so I did use one quick spray of low cal cooking oil but my food cooked perfectly. Heat is distributed evenly and they are just a delight to cook with. 

I did have one occasion where I overcooked mushrooms in the frying pan which left a sticky brown residue. I washed it straight away and it all came away without me having to make a fuss. The pan looked as good as new!

The pans come with steam-vented lids too.

The 3pc pan set retails at £69.99 and the frying pan at £24.99 and they can be purchased at No1Brands4You.

(Disclaimer: I received these items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: One4All Gift Cards

I always struggle with buying Mother's Day gifts because I never want to buy something that she won't use and will lie around the house. This year, why not give your mum a gift that she'll really want with a personalised One4All giftcard?

With a One4All giftcard you can treat your mum to a girly day shopping, a delicious meal or even a spa or experience day with Red Letter Days! It can be used in 21,000 stores nationwide such as John Lewis, House of Fraser or Debenhams so she'll really be spoilt for choice. You can go the extra and make it extra special by personalising it with a photo or loving message. The card can be loaded with anything from £10 to £400 so it makes a lovely gift no matter what your budget is.

You can visit the Where to Spend page on the One4All website to see which stores you can use the card it. It even lists local stores too!

You can purchase a One4All giftcard at the Post Office and you don't need to spend all the money at once. It is a great idea for you and your siblings to club some money together and gift to mum or just a gift from yourself.

(Disclaimer: I received a £30 One4All gift card in exchange for this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Zippo Candle Lighter

Candles seem to be in the 'in' thing at the moment. Yankee Candles have always been a popular choice but now we have the addition of Scentsy and tons of other companies stocking wax burners, it would be hard to find a home without some type of candle.

My house is filled with them. Chris seems to like them more than me, I reckon, but he'd never admit it! Zippo, the leading lighter brand, have developed a lighter specifically for lighting candles which means no more burning your fingers! It is perfect for setting the scene for a romantic dinner or having a relaxing bath.

Not only is it extremely practical and hardwearing, the sleek and stylish appearance will fit seamlessly into any home. There are three colours to choose from - Champagne, Harvest Brown and Candy Apple Red - so you are sure to find one to suit your mum.

The Zippo Candle Lighter features an advanced soft touch ignition system, adjustable flame dial, a patented child-resistant safety button and it is 6.5 inches from base to top. It also comes with a three-year warranty. For optimum performance, use the Zippo Premium Butane (sold separately).

Usually, I'm very cautious using lighters (flames scare me!) but this really is easy to use. I love that you have the option to change the strength of the flame and the child-resistant safety button is perfect for mums. Although we obviously do be as careful as we can but accidents do happen. It is great for peace of mind, just in case.

The Zippo Candle Lighter retails at £13.75.

(Disclaimer: I received a Zippo Candle Lighter in exchange for this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Guide: Alcoholic Gifts (& a sneaky little non-alc one!)

Mother's Day is a great day to celebrate your mum and tell her how much she means to you. No celebration is complete without a lovely glass of something nice!

Echo Falls have recently released their new Fruit Fusions wine which is perfect for those with a sweeter palate. I'm not usually a wine fan. I stick to fruity ciders simply because they are so sweet but the Summer Berries version of the Fruit Fusions is divine. It is definitely a new favourite. It is a rosé wine that has been blended with natural flavours of summer berries resulting in a zesty and refreshing wine. It is also available in Raspberry & Cassis and White Peach & Mango flavours. You can purchase the Echo Falls wines from Tesco and Asda for £5.75 each.

If she only tends to have a glass of something with a meal then why not take a look at the following?

Kumala Reserve Chenin Blanc is perfect alongside a roast chicken or delicate salad. It is refreshing and aromatic with notes of ripe melon, pear and green apple. The Kumala Reserve Chenin Blanc can be purchased from Morrisons and Tesco for £8.99.

Hardys Stamp Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay is the ultimate treat served chilled with cupcakes or macaroons. I'd never tried a Chardonnay before but it definitely won't be my last - beautiful! You can purchase a bottle for £8.99 from Asda.

Kumala Cabernet Shiraz goes beautifully with a hearty roast lunch of lamb or beef. It is a dark ruby red wine which is delicious on its own but the spicy barbecue notes and forest fruit flavours make it perfect to accompany any red meat dish. It can be purchased from Sainsburys at £8.00 per bottle.

William Hardy Chardonnay is gorgeous on its own but is also a lovely accompaniment to a creamy pasta dish or seafood risotto. It has a fresh and lively palate with flavours of stone fruit, peach and lemon zest. A bottle will set you back £9.99 and you can find it as Asda, Tesco & Ocado.

Finally, if she isn't a big drinker or is a mum-to-be, Echo Falls have a lovely Tisane Sparkling Infusion 0% Alcohol drink. It is made from a delicate combination of fermented grape juice and green tea infusion. It retails at only £3.49 per bottle and it can be purchased at Tesco.

(Disclaimer: I received a bottle of Echo Falls & Chardonnay in exchange for this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Cadbury

Mother's Day, like many other gift giving times, is dominated by gifts like chocolate and flowers.

Rather than regular boxes, Cadbury has released a limited edition Milk Tray especially for Mother's Day. I love the original Milk Tray - I even have a little order in which I eat the chocolates; strawberry and orange ones at the end because, you know, best for last!

The Mother's Day Milk Tray box is huge, with a lovely 'Best Mum' ribbon printed on the front. Best of all, there are two layers! It still contains everyone's favourites so it's sure to put a smile on your mums face!

The limited edition Cadbury Milk Tray is available from Tesco and Morrisons nationwide for £12.99. 

(Disclaimer: I received a box in exchange for this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Made with Love Designs Cards

Last month, I wrote a post about Made With Love Designs Valentine's cards and I'm back now to introduce their fabulous Mother's Day cards.

They had such a gorgeous range of Valentine's cards so I was excited to see what Mother's Day designs they had and they didn't disappoint. I loved them all so much that I couldn't decide which ones to choose so I had two surprise ones sent and I couldn't have been happier.

Firstly, I received the Scrabble Shabby Chic 'Mum' card (£3.50). This card is available in either 'Mum' or 'Gran'. I love the girlie duck egg and floral background and it is perfect for all ages!

Secondly, the Venice Pastel Sparkly card (£4.95). I absolutely love the diamanté addition to this card. It would be brilliant for a glam mum!

The Made With Love Designs cards are such great quality and come with their own envelope. You are able to edit your card with a personal message if you wish to. Their Mother's Day range has something for everyone. 

You can find out more about Made With Love Designs at their website, Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received two cards for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: HoMedics Elle Macpherson

Mother's Day is the perfect day for us to give our mums a bit of a pamper. Before I had children, I really took the time that I had to prim and pamper myself for granted. These days, I'm running around the kids all day and I'm exhausted when they're in bed. There is no way I'd be able to go for a spa day!

Elle Macpherson's range with HoMedics brings a little bit of that salon-feel to your own home.

The Elle Macpherson Wet & Dry Face and Body Brush (£39.99) is perfect for exfoliation. I never exfoliate. I've always seen it as too much faff and too time-consuming. This brush provides a 4 in 1 body treatment and it's a simple way to keep your skin exfoliated. It is waterproof so can be used in or out of the shower. Usually I'm a bit iffy about bringing items battery powered items near water but I haven't had any problems. The angle of the handle is great for getting those hard to reach places. It comes with four different heads (cactus dry brush, loofah, pumice stone and facial cleansing brush) so you can choose what's best for your skin type.

This has made exfoliating, for me, a lot quicker and easier. My skin is feeling more soft since I've been using it.

The Elle Macpherson Heel Smoother (£19.99) is amazing! Neither Chris or myself drive resulting in us walking everywhere so my feet have seen better days. Since using the heel smoother my feet feel and look brand new. It's a great shape to hold in one hand and the rotating blade gently removes your dead skin. The skin is stored in a separate compartment for easy emptying. After removing the skin, the smoother comes with six buffing discs to smooth your feet.

Both items can be purchased from Argos, Amazon, House of Fraser and Look Fantastic.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Pocket Money Ideas that Won't Break the Bank

I find that when it comes to occasions such as Mother's Day, people feel obligated to buy big, expensive presents that they can't really afford and others feel bad that they can't buy anything deemed "nice" if they'r short on cash. I've put together a little guide of gift ideas that are lovely but won't leave you out of pocket.

Thorntons have a lovely range of smaller chocolate gifts that are sure to satisfy a sweet tooth.

You can get their 63g 'I Love Mum' cups for only £3.50, their 100g Heart Plaque or 350g Vanilla Fabulous Fudge for £5.00 each.

Hawkins Bazaar have a fantastic selection of unconventional Mother's Day gifts.

I'm forever taking photographs of my children but very rarely do we have pictures together. If your mum is anything like me and into gadgets, a selfie stick (£7.00) would be a great idea as she can have lots of family photographs (including her) that aren't just faces!

For the music-loving mum, you can treat her to some very cute Flower Earphones (£3.49) so she can listen in style.

If you'd rather not stick to the standard box of chocolates, why not try a gift the Russian Roulette Chocolates (£6.00)? Eleven chocolates are praline but one is a powerful chilli chocolate. Fun and delicious at the same time!

At Beauty @ Creightons you can find some great value items to pamper your mum.

The Squeeky Clean beauty range which leaves you feeling fruity fresh and full of zest can be purchased from Poundland for, yes, just £1 each! You can choose from a Scrubaholic Face Scrub (100ml), Pore Pow Wow Face Mask (100ml), Movie Matte Photo Finish Moisturiser (100ml), Daisy Fresh Shower Detox (250ml), Body Better Body Lotion (200ml), Super Strong Nail & Cutie Cream (100ml), Glow Stopper Instant Tan Matte (100ml) and Saint or Shimmer Lotion (100ml). I love the vintage style labelling and they smell divine!

The Argan Smooth range has been specially formulated with Morrocan argan oil which is rich in anti-oxidants to nourish your hair and body. Each item in the range also costs just £1 and you can find them in Home Bargains or Poundland. You can choose from Deep Moisture Shampoo (250ml), Deep Moisture Conditioner (250ml), Handwash (500ml), Gradual Tan Body Lotion (100ml), Creamy Bath (500ml), Shower Gel (150ml), Body Cream (200ml) and Hand & Nail Cream (100ml).

Finally, you can pick up the Beautiful Brunette and Beautiful Blonde shampoos and conditioners for £1 in Poundland too! They are formulated to improve manageability and combat colour change, dulling and dryness.

(Disclaimer: I received samples of these items in return for this post.)