What moms really need and want

The Prelude:

This week we are going to do things a little bit different. In honour of Mother’s Day (next Sunday), I, like every other person and company, thought it would be a great idea to think of some gifts that moms, like myself and my mom, really want. I went to my trusted friend Google to find some inspiration and came across a sea of scented candles and PJs. I quickly realised that there was not one list with things that both my mom and I would want. Uugghh. After talking with my sister it became clear that obviously my mom and I don’t want or need the same thing (with the notable exception of her handbag collection). We are in completely different phases of our life. Wanting to do something for all women and their families who are looking for useful gifts, I decided to create a list of must-haves for mom’s according to what phase of motherhood they are in. While this post happens to coincide with Mothers day, the intent of this list is to provide inspiration for all gift-giving occasions (including a gift to yourself for just making it through the week)

The Point:

Go grab a drink and a snack and enjoy the journey called motherhood:

Phase 1: New-born & Infancy

"Mama, I’m hungry. Mama, I’m sick. Mama, I pooped"

Pure exhaustion. As your baby needs you every waking and sleeping moment, this phase requires the following:

You won’t know the difference between day and night. This means that you will need simple things that require no thinking. Loungewear, in a solid colour, will be your best friend.
FYI you still don’t fit your old clothes and you don't want to be reminded about that the whole time. An oversized sweater, a flowy dress or anything that isn’t too fitted will help make you feel like a human again without reminding you about...well, you know..
Also, you will be puked and peed on. Therefore, pieces that aren’t too expensive that can be thrown in the wash are essential. Asos, Zara and H&M are great places to shop for those items.

Phase 2: Toddler & Preschool

‘Help me! No, stop. I can do it myself!’ (screams + end of world).

They call this the first puberty for a reason. As your little one starts to become more independent (extreme happiness) and then realises they can’t do everything (extreme frustration), this phase requires the following:

You have to be ready at all times to ‘bail them out’. Not in the jail sense, but more in the sense that you will be the one climbing up the jungle gym to help them down. Tops with no frills, a sturdy pair of jeans and simple jewellery, like stud earrings, are essential.
The extreme ups and downs means you need to have everything you can possibly imagine handy at all times. A cross-body bag that fits everything and still keeps your hands free will be the one most important object in your life.
For some reason the little ones are really fast and tend to escape. This constant game of ‘catch me if you can’ means you need a good pair of sneakers (sooo happy that they are trendy at the moment!).

Phase 3: School

"Today is football, tomorrow is piano, Friday is the school play and I forgot my homework"

In addition to your 9-5 (paid) job you have suddenly also become a (unpaid) personal assistant and Uber driver to your child. Managing everything from after-school activities to parent-teacher conferences on top of your career will require the following:

You will be running from one meeting to another to-wait, one more meeting- without time to change. To avoid looking like an idiot (fade in Bridget Jones in her bunny outfit), you will need to wear outfits that can be easily dressed up or down. Key pieces include a good pair of black or dark wash jeans, a blouse (solid or printed) and some statement jewellery that can be easily thrown on or tucked away in your purse.
Heels are so cute, but when you are running the ‘mamathon’, not so much. A winning pair of flats, slides or mules will take you straight from the office to your other mama jobs with ease (and without blisters!)
You wish that you could spend more time freshening up in your own bathroom but, you can’t. A good travel-sized makeup pouch with all the essentials will help you power through those long days. Pro Tip: Carry mini or sample-sized versions of your favorite beauty products to prevent unnecessary bulk! A fave staple in my make-up pouch is a mini perfume atomiser that I got from Amazon.

Phase 4: T(w)eens

"You know nothing, I know everything"

Congrats! you have entered the lovely phase where everything, and I mean EVERYTHING is a discussion and you are pretty much told that you are wrong all the time. Breathe and let’s see how we can make this more doable:

You need to find an effective way to deal with the frustrations of living with a t(w)een. One way to do this is to go to the gym. Get some new workout clothes, a yoga mat (or boxing gloves) and sweat out that anger...and get in shape at the same time.
Your t(w)een wants space from you, and you want space from them. Thank god for friends and sleepovers. This much-needed space means, for the first time in years, you have time to reconnect with your partner. Remember, the one who also thought it was a good idea to have kids? Yes that person. A date night outfit, like a little black dress and cute heels, will help reinvigorate your romance and make you feel like a princess for a night.
I hate to say this, but I’m not going to lie to you. Around this time your body might start changing and things won’t fit the same way they used to. This is the most frustrating thing ever and can really mess with a girl’s self confidence. But the good news is that bags and jewellery still fit. So when it's time to go shopping and nothing fits, focus on those accessories!

Phase 5: College & Job

'"Don't call me, I'll call you"

What happened? I lost my purpose in life and what do I do with all that freedom? Or at least that’s what you think for the first 30 seconds before the realisation that if you have a child in college then you must be how many years old?! Clearly there must be a mistake in the math. While your urge will be to go out and buy a crop top and mini skirt to prove that you are not that old-please don’t. Try the following instead:

Stick to classic pieces and release that rebel in you by going bold with colours and prints. A bright coloured or leopard printed cardigan with a solid shirt will make you feel like you are 20 again while also saving you the agony of squeezing into a mini skirt.
With the ‘bird(s) out of the nest’ you can finally go on that vacation you always wanted to go on. Whether it was the kids not wanting to go or worrying about spending money on a trip for the whole family, now is your chance to book that dream vacation. To take advantage of this newly found freedom, invest in a good travel bag and sunglasses. Aloha!
you are probably counting the days until you can retire or start you new career. Every day it is getting harder to get yourself out the door and into the office. To get out of that mindset and make the most of the last years invest in a good trench coat. Throwing on a good coat will help you get out of the door and briefly forget about where you are going.

Phase 6: Grandma

"Mama, what do I do?"

The work of a Mama is never done, especially when your children become parents themselves. “ (s)he won't stop crying, what do I do?" "why is the poop green?". The good news is that you have been there before, and can impart your well-earned wisdom without breaking a sweat. So,

sit back, enjoy being a grandma and think about the following:

As your child is (more or less 😉 ) financially independent and doesn’t require you to carry around an ‘everything’ bag, it’s time to start investing- in bags that is! It’s finally time for you to enjoy that bag you always dreamed of buying but never got for a million different reasons.
Since you aren’t the one who has to clean the dirty diapers anymore, you can finally wear rings! Im not talking about the cute stackable ones, but the ones with the sparkly stones. These ‘rocks’ are a perfect way to add a bit of class to any outfit.
I have been told and have seen that (grand)mom’s LOVE scarves. For the evening or afternoon drinks there is always a scarf. Whether it’s a silk scarf knotted around your purse handle or a Pashmina around your shoulders, scarves are a great and versatile way to add a bit of colour and print to an outfit.