Category: Special Moments Page 6 of 8

How much do you really know about your mum? Okay, so you might know a decent amount about her life since you were born, but how often do you take the time to talk to her about her life as a child, her own parents and grandparents, her hopes and aspirations?

This Mothering Sunday, why not ask your mum some questions about herself? You might discover a secret career as an international ballet dancer, a hidden dream of travelling the world by motorbike – who knows?

You could ask pretty much anything you like but in case you’re not sure where to start, I’ve come up with 23 questions that should get the conversation flowing.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Source: flor_ru

1. What’s your earliest childhood memory?

2. What was your favourite toy as a child?

3. How old were you when you learned to ride a bike and what was your first bike like?

4. At 16 years old, what were your career aspirations?

5. When you were seven years old, who was your best friend? What did you like most about them?

6. Who was the teacher that made the biggest impression on you?

7. What was your most memorable childhood holiday?

8. How did you feel when you first found out you were pregnant with me?

9. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what would be the very first thing you would spend money on?

10. How many times have you been in love?

11. What was your first pet?

12. Have you ever broken the law?

13. What’s the one thing you’re best at cooking? (And can I have the recipe?)

14. What’s your biggest regret?

15. What do you love most about yourself?

16. What was your life like before you had children?

17. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would be top of your list?

18. What was your first car and how did you get on learning to drive?

19. Who was your first crush?

20. What parts of yourself do you see in me?

21. Looking back, is there anything you would do differently now as a parent?

22. Do you think it’s easier or harder to be a mum now, compared to when I was born?

23. Who’s your favourite child? (Only kidding, probably best not to risk this one…)

Guest post: Jo Middleton, mum of two, living in Somerset, and creator of the award-winning blog Slummy Single Mummy.

Flowers and breakfast in bed are lovely ways to celebrate your mum this Mother’s Day. But if you’re looking for something a bit more unique, take a look at this list of fun, creative ways to show Mum how much you love her.

Make a memorable meal

Chances are, you’ve got a handful of dishes you love just because Mum made them for you when you were a child.

But maybe you’ve never thought about what her special dishes were when she was young. What did your grandmother make your mum when she was sick? When she accomplished something? When she came home from college?

Ask your mum about what those dishes were, and then try your hand at making a couple. Even if they don’t turn out just the way Mum remembers, she’ll surely appreciate the thought.

Clean the house and give her a day off

It may seem mundane, but it just may be that the thing Mum wants most of all is a day off from the daily chores.

Let her know that you notice and appreciate everything she does by giving her a real day off. Clean the house, cook dinner, take the kids on an outing – just give Mum some time to herself. Not only will she get the chance to read that book she’s been meaning to, but she’ll also get to enjoy the happiness of your return home – after a reasonable amount of time, of course.

Make a Simnel cake

Why not go extra-traditional and make Mum a Simnel cake for Mother’s Day? This medieval cake was traditionally made for Mothering Sunday, when servants and others were allowed to travel to their home church to worship with their families.

Now that Mothering Sunday has generally morphed into Mother’s Day – at least in the UK – Simnel cakes are more representative of springtime, rebirth, and of course, mothers, than anything else.

These cakes aren’t terribly challenging to make. They’re a layered cake filled with dried fruit and garnished with marzipan and dried or fresh flowers. Just make sure Mum likes fruit cake before you make one for her.

Invest in quality time by signing up for a class or course together

The best gift you can give any mother is time, so give Mum some of yours by finding a class or course that the two of you can take together.

That could be a fitness class like barre or Crossfit, or a course in photography at your local community center. Whatever you choose, just make sure it’s tailored to Mum’s tastes, not just your own.

Create a special slideshow for Mum’s digital frame

Digital frames like the Nixplay Seed are a wonderful way to stay connected to Mum even if you live far apart. Since you can send photos to the frame instantly, from anywhere in the world, Mum can share in your everyday moments more easily.

But for Mother’s Day, go beyond simply sending pictures and make her a special playlist. You can include pictures of your children, of you and your siblings, or of the family vacations you’ve all taken together over the years.

Another great idea is to make a playlist that celebrates Mum herself with pictures from her childhood, young adulthood, or early motherhood. She’ll love taking a walk down memory lane, and seeing moments from her life before she was your mum.

Mum deserves something extra special this Mother’s Day. After all, she lives the other 364 days of the year taking care of her family. Return the favor with one of these unique ideas. For more ways to celebrate Mother’s Day, read our post “5 Surprises for Mom This Mother’s Day.”

It’s a well accepted cliché that as we get older, as women, we turn into our mothers. For a lot of people the thought of this is a little horrifying. You’re young and cool right? You don’t want to start staying in on Saturday nights knitting blankets and complaining about traffic do you?

Well, maybe.

I’ve been giving it some thought and I’ve decided that perhaps it’s not actually so bad to turn into your mother after all. She’s actually pretty nice really isn’t she?

Here are 13 reasons why it’s really okay to turn into your mum:

You’ll always have a container for leftovers

Mums always have Tupperware don’t they? Never again will you have to ferret through the kitchen cupboard looking for a lid that matches a tub. (What happens to all the lids?!?)

Source: nita_tandon

People will know you care

You know how your mum always makes you text her to let her know you got home safely? That’s quite a nice feeling isn’t it? It shows she cares about you, and when you start making other people to do the same for you they’ll get that fuzzy feeling from knowing someone is thinking about them.

You get to watch Pointless

And all those other TV programmes that are allegedly for ‘old people’ but are actually just really good.

You may master the art of the roast potato

Mums seem to have an instinct for roast potatoes, which means they are always amazing. Perhaps turning into your mum will mean you suddenly can make the best roasts ever?

Source: dalewhybrow

You’ll give great cuddles

Because everyone knows that mums give the very best cuddles, whatever the circumstances. It’s no bad thing to be the person known for giving great hugs.

Crochet is cool

Crafts are big right now, so staying in knitting a hat or crocheting a toy frog is no bad thing. It’s a handy skill to have, and your creations will make great content for Instagram.

Source: coffeeberrycrochet

It’s okay not to want to go to nightclubs

At last! It’s okay to say ‘no thanks, I’d rather stay in and watch the Antiques Roadshow than go to the pub’. Hooray!

You feel happier

As I get older, I definitely feel more comfortable in my own skin. I see my own mum not caring what other people think of her, happily going about her business, and I want a piece of that.

You’ll always have a tissue

Which is always handy. Mums always have a handbag full of useful things like tissues, paracetamol and change for car parks ticket machines. You’ll be ready for anything.

Source: anweediya

Your home will look beautiful

Rather than getting by on hand me downs and Ikea bookcases, as you turn into your mum you’ll want to invest in good quality, long lasting furniture and proper grown up saucepans. Gone will be the days of posters on the walls and mismatched crockery.

You’ll never forget something important when you go on holiday

Because you’ll have made a list, rather than just throwing six bikinis in a bag and hoping for the best. Everyone will love you because you’ll be the person who remembered sun cream, insect repellant and a corkscrew.

Source: imnotthereblog

You get to wear comfy shoes

I must admit that I’ve never really been a girl who feels comfortable in heels, so I love that as I get older, and more like my mum, it becomes more acceptable to shop in the wide fit section of Clarks.

Your mum is ace

She’s your mum! You love her to bits and although she might be annoying and make you cringe at times, you can’t think of a better role model to aspire to.

Source: mrsbrownuk

Guest post: Jo Middleton, mum of two, living in Somerset, and creator of the award-winning blog Slummy Single Mummy.

 

St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world on March 17 and commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland.

The holiday was originally celebrated by going to mass & having a quiet day. You might be surprised to hear that until the 1970’s the pubs in Ireland were actually closed on St. Patrick’s Day! Irish American culture heavily influenced St. Patrick’s Day & today worldwide celebrations often include parades, festivals, wearing green & having drinks.

It’s a great opportunity to teach your kids about another culture.

Here are 5 ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a family:

1. Leprechaun Treasure Hunt

We all know that Leprechauns are big fans of the money pot at the end of the rainbow (who wouldn’t be?). And, kids are big fans of chocolate coins (again, who isn’t). A fun way to teach the kids a little Irish culture is to create a fun & easy Leprechaun Treasure Hunt.

You can be as elaborate or as simple with this game as you like. A leprechaun can leave the kids a note telling them he dropped some of his coins around the house for them to find. Or you can simply tell them there are coins to find around the house.

There’s an easy game & a harder game depending on the ages of your kids. For little ones, simply hide the chocolate coins around the house or garden. For older kids, you can hide the chocolate coins out of sight & write clues they need to solve in order to find them.

If you are hiding more than a few coins, write down where you put them – trust me. Then you can play hot & cold to find any remaining chocolate coins.

Source: hmd231975

2. Sport Some Green

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a little green!

With some green cardboard, the world is your oyster in terms of crafts. You can make shamrocks decorations for the house or to wear on your clothing. Or you can make leprechaun hats.

Another option is to decorate some plain t-shirts using fabric markers. You can create your own Irish works of art to wear to your local parade.

If you aren’t crafty, you can buy some Irish gear online or in the shops to get the family in the St. Patrick’s Day mood.

Source: sweetlittlemess

3. Attend Your Local Parade or Festival

Check online to see what parades or festivals are happening in your local area. So many towns have parades you can attend or get involved with. There has a been a movement towards family friendly fun on St. Patrick’s Day with lots of fun activities taking place for kids of all ages to enjoy.

Heading into town or into the city for celebrations is a fun way to soak up the fun atmosphere & enjoy some Irish culture.

Source: yourlivingcity

4. Enjoy Some Irish Food

A great way to teach the family about Irish culture is to try some Irish food! A few simple & tasty things you can make are brown bread, shepherd’s pie or Irish stew.

For dessert, you can make or buy some tasty cupcakes with Irish decorations or green food colouring on them.

Source: foodbymars

5. Learn Some Irish Culture

The four ideas above are all great ways to teach the kids about Irish culture while also enjoying time together as a family.

For older kids, you can sit & tell them more about St. Patrick, who he was & why his day is celebrated. Irish culture is fun to explore. There is plenty to read online & kids books available too.

Source: thegiftboxshoppe

Enjoy your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations! Let us know what you get up to in the comments or tag us on social media we’d love to hear from you.

Guest post: Becky, wife & mom of three kids. Originally from NY, Becky & her family now live in the beautiful West of Ireland. Becky is the creator & writer at Cuddle Fairy which is a positive space on the internet with the motto: There’s positivity around every corner.

Whether or not you’re part of a couple, some of us just aren’t that into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. Hearts, Cupids, chocolate, roses – they’re not for everyone.

But that doesn’t mean you have to skip the holiday altogether. If candy hearts aren’t your thing, try one of these alternative ways to spend Valentine’s Day.

Celebrate With Friends

Valentine’s Day is not only a great day to celebrate romance. It can also be a great day to celebrate friendship.

The great thing about celebrating this way is that you get to show the friends you care about how much their friendship means to you. You can even give small gifts – mini boxes of chocolates, keepsake photos, or potted miniature roses, for example.

And if it takes off, why not make it a tradition?

Plan a family Valentine’s Day

Families with children can take Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to celebrate love – which is what the day is all about, anyway.

Have a special breakfast as a family, either out at a restaurant or at home, and then spend the day doing fun activities together. Visit a museum, go on a hike, head to the zoo – it really doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’re connecting and spending quality time together.

Arts and crafts are another fun way to spend time together. A few days before Valentine’s Day, sit down with your kids and make homemade Valentine’s cards. Little ones can make masterpieces with construction paper, glitter, and markers.

If your kids are older and school or extracurriculars take up most of the day, have a fun Valentine’s evening together playing board games, watching a movie, or just taking the time to have dinner together and talk about your day.

Celebrate with photos

If you have a Nixplay WiFi Cloud Digital Frame, consider making a playlist celebrating love. And not just the romantic love in your life – add in pictures of friends, family, even pets.

A Valentine’s Day playlist can make a great pick-me-up for any time of year, not just Feb. 14. Play it when you’re feeling blue to remind yourself of all the wonderful people – and animals – whom you love and who love you back.

Plan a wilderness or outdoor trip

Getting away from all the hustle and bustle of modern life can be a welcome respite any time of year – but on Valentine’s Day, it can make for an extra romantic retreat.

Without your regular everyday distractions, the two of you can focus solely enjoying each other’s company. In the beauty of nature, it’s a lot easier to relax and let go of any stress, freeing you up to do nothing but remember why you love each other.

Volunteer

Loving your neighbor is just as important a part of life as loving your friends, family, and partner, so why not head out into the community and give back to those in need?

Feeding the hungry, spending time with the sick and elderly, or helping fix up your child’s school can be great ways to share the love. Volunteering as a family can be especially rewarding, as it will teach your children that love is something to be acted upon, not just felt.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean going out to mean champagne, roses, and a fancy restaurant. There are lots of ways to celebrate love – maybe this is the year to try something different. For more ideas on how to celebrate Valentine’s Day, check out our post “The Best Valentine’s Day Photo Gift Ideas.”