5 Things I Want for Mother’s Day — and the Amazon Alternatives for the Real World
Mother’s Day is less than a week away and I’ll admit that I’m already eagerly awaiting a handprint craft and a fill-in-the-blank exercise where one of my kids says I’m 2 years old and cooks the best chicken nuggets (alas, neither of these is true … Easton staunchly refuses to eat the nuggets I cook at home even though I buy the exact same brand he inhales at his best friend’s house).
A mom can always dream … so here’s a tongue-in-cheek list of what would top my Mother’s Day wish list if the sky was the limit. But because I’m a mom and therefore a realist, I’m offering some (ahem, more affordable) alternatives I’ll gladly accept in lieu of fantasy life — hint, hint, #DoneWithFun Daddy if you happen to be reading the blog this week.
The handprint craft and handwritten Easton original story though, those are 100% non-negotiable. There’s only so much a mom is willing to settle on.
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What I Really Want for Mother’s Day … and What You Can Prime in Two Days or Less to Make It Up to Me
1. A day (or weekend!) at the spa.
Don’t mistake this for greed … but the amount of time it takes the average mom to actually relax and unwind is way longer than the average massage. So while I’d never turn down a massage, an entire day or even weekend at the spa is my ultimate mom de-stressing fantasy. Hours of pampering in a quiet, serene, child-free setting is exactly what I need once in awhile to emerge feeling like a whole new mama.
But the reality of #momlife is, I don’t often have a whole day to give up for self-care, and I can’t remember the last time I had a whole weekend. This is what “spa day” means in my house:
I don’t even need cucumber slices for my eyes. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Give me the hottest bathwater, 30 minutes to myself, the tub freshly scrubbed by someone other than me, and I’ll be floating in heaven.
Just add soaking salts ✔️
It’s not a whole spa menu of options but you’ll still have to pick if you want the straight-up heavenly relaxation of Lavender Serenity or the muscle tension-easing power of energizing Eucalyptus Mint. Spoiler alert: There’s no wrong answer here.
2. A night in a hotel — by myself.
Does this even require an explanation? King size hotel bed to sprawl out on. Maid service to change the sheets and turn down the blankets. An entire night’s sleep, uninterrupted. Let’s be real, if given this opportunity, I’d probably go to bed at 8 p.m. and still be up blindingly awake at 7 a.m. without my kids, because that’s how much they’ve ruined my sleeping abilities. But it would be quiet at 7 a.m. instead of the dull roar of whining for Netflix-iPad-milk cup-snacks, and I’d still have gotten nearly 12 straight hours of beauty sleep.
How to bring a fraction of that hotel luxury to your everyday life? Amazon to the rescue!
A fluffy new cooling gel pillow ✔️
Some crisp, cool sateen sheets with a thread count higher than your kids could ever count to ✔️
My favorite sheets are the Kirkland Signature sateen sheet set from Costco. My Amazon back-up is a less expensive bamboo set — so cool and soft for summer:
3. Perfectly manicured nails all the time.
I admit it: I’m jealous of my friends whose nails are always immaculate. My nails are never immaculate — I bite them and pick at my cuticles when nerves get the best of me.
I especially love the transformative power of a manicure to make me feel grown-up, put together, polished and professional. It’s just rare that I actually have one.
If only I had the time for a standing weekly appointment at the nail spa. Instead, I stick with my DIY mentality with these Amazon-available essentials for easy at-home manicures:
Kiss imPress Press-On Gel Manicure Kit ✔️
Recently, another mom recommended the imPress nails kit as an inexpensive solution to salon dip manicures. I was skeptical — picturing the Lee press-on nails from my childhood. But these imPress stick-ons are the real deal: Applied easily, in under 10 minutes; natural-looking without that trashy press-on nail feel; a functional but polished length (I ended up clipping and filing mine slightly shorter after a day’s worth of wear); and some serious lasting power. I got a full seven days out of one 10-minute, under $8 application.
There are lots of colors and options to pick from, and all sets include fun “accent” nail options, but there are enough solid nails included that you can skip the accent nails if you want an understated final effect.
A luxurious shea butter hand cream ✔️
Nothing compares to the moisturizing power of L’Occitane shea butter hand cream to soften and soothe hands that are chapped from constant washing. The fast-absorbing version with 20% shea butter is just as nourishing as the original, but leaves your skin is less greasy. You know, so you can get back to scrolling Instagram quicker.
4. A little mommy makeover nip-tuck (i.e., hello again perky boobs)
Hello, mom bod. There are some things that it seems no amount of working out will ever fix after having kids: the squishy tummy, that odd combination of extra skin and extra fluff, for one. The boobs down at your belly button after months or years of breastfeeding, for another. Our bodies grew humans and now they, well, look like they’ve grown humans. Some parts would just look so much better with a little lift here or a shot of Botox there. Gravity takes its toll on moms, am I right?
The reality is, I wouldn’t go for plastic surgery even if I could afford it — undoubtedly a tummy tuck is too good to be true and I’m a giant baby about pain and discomfort. So what’s the alternative?
Some time to yourself to work out and some killer shapewear ✔️
Athleisure is unequivocally a mom’s best friend. Top on my list right now: These Lululemon knockoffs. There’s a reason the blog world is exploding over these and the black is on back order in most sizes until June: They’re amazing. I want a pair in every color for every day of the week.
The leggings are lightweight but super stretchy and hold everything in place – hello, automatic tummy tuck courtesy of high-waisted styling. Better yet, they stay in place, fit better as you wear them longer, and don’t sag when you’re hauling ass on the treadmill or on the way to school dropoff. And they’re under $30 and make my butt look amazing. BRB, buying myself six more pairs.
Not Amazon but worth every penny – a bra fitting at Nordstrom ✔️
When was the last time you were fitted for a bra? Like measured by a professional? If you can’t remember … the time is now. I go for fittings every 6 months to a year and invest in really good bras because really good bras feel good and look good. Better yet, they make me feel good and look good.
Not convinced? The Nordstrom bra fitters will tell you that most people are wearing the wrong bra size — and that the right size can make you look 10 pounds lighter. So a bra fitting is basically like that nip-tuck I wanted, just a little less invasive.
5. A perfect latte — sipped hot.
Some mom fantasies are so close you can almost touch them … almost. A pretty latte, like my favorite turmeric-honey-cinnamon or new favorite honey-lavender from Blackberry Market, is easy enough to come by on a Sunday morning. It’s the “sipped hot” part that might be a challenge.
I’d rather have a gourmet ready-made latte for life (on someone else’s dime, obvi) but a really good latte that I get to sip hot, in my pajamas, in bed, is a close second.
Here are my ingredients to a brew a perfect Mother’s Day cup courtesy of Amazon:
Cheap-o milk frother for my oat milk ✔️
A mug that makes me smile (and can be microwaved infinity times in pursuit of that hot coffee goal) ✔️
Just add (hot) coffee and enjoy. Bonus points if your hubby and/or kids froth the milk for you without trashing the kitchen. (Here I go with the fantasies again…)
The sappy reality of mom life is even on your hardest, most frustrating days, you love the little people who made you a mom so much more than you’ll ever love hot coffee, or hot baths, or sleep, ever again. So, enjoy a moment of fantasizing about your ultimate Mother’s Day gift (and share it with me on social media with #NeverDoneWithFun), but know that the minute you became a mom, the lifetime of snuggles and giggles and little moments will complete you more than any grand gestures ever will. And embrace it. Motherhood is messy, exhausting, emotional, and so beautiful all at the same time.
Cheers to at least one of your wishes coming true this Mother’s Day, whether it’s sleeping past 6 a.m., an uninterrupted hot shower, or peeing alone (us moms know how to dream big). Keep following on Instagram and Pinterest for more ideas and inspiration for creativity amid the chaos of #momlife.
