Celebrating All Mum's This Mother's Day.
Mother's Day is a mere week away and the shops and supermarkets are full of flowers and cards and chocolates for you to treat the woman who brought you into this world when no present will ever be good enough.
How do you buy a gift for the woman who birthed you? For the woman that raised you? For the one who kissed your grazed knees and brought you warm soup when you were off school ill. For the woman who ironed your uniform and saw you off to uni with a care package from home and welcomed you back with open arms 3 years later when you were full of debt.
In celebration of all Mum's - here's a few of my favs.
Blog Mum - Hannah Gale.
I mean she was my fav blogger before she became a mumma so it's no surprise she's topped this list. Ya'll probably know Hannah anyway from the Blogosphere cover last year and for her blog and YouTube and generally being an A class Instagrammer but if you don't follow her work closely you might not have seen her latest production; baby Atticus. Hannah had her baby boy just in the new year and she broke the internet with her return after maternity leave and has seemingly bounced her way into motherhood with the swish of a metallic midi skirt. Follow for a heady mix of fashion and lifestyle content combined with the honesty of a new Mum and the cutest baby leopard print leggings you've ever seen.
Instagram Mum - Susie Verrill.
The first person on my Instagram stories bubble always. I first found Susie through an old Hannah Gale recommendation as it turns out but if you don't follow her already (start now), she''s a blogger and ex journo who's baby daddy is Greg Rutherford. Her Instagram is full of insights into their life in the countryside with all their building work and chickens and woodland walks combined with her taking the piss out of Greg, herself and basically everyone else. She is undoubtedly the funniest person on Instagram ever and is a huge supporter of other Mum's and small businesses and brands and comes highly recommended.
Fashion Mum - Erica Davies.
Does everyone on this list have some kind of connection to Hannah Gale? (Clue, Kris Jenner is on the list later and as far as I know, her and Hannah have not met). Winner of most fashionable Mum in my books is Erica who has the dreamiest house and wardrobe I have ever seen. The amount she talks about (and features) leopard print is very much a winner for me, she has a palm tree in her home, she is the biggest enabler and bad for your bank balance but oh lord you'll look divine when you're finished shopping her links. She also has the staircase of my dreams so if that's your thing then deffo hit the follow button.
Creative Mum - All That Is She.
Dominque, the face behind All That Is She is maybs the most creative Mum I have ever had the good fortune to stumble across. Her blog is well known for it's creativity, artful styling and unique take on sponsored content but it's her Instagram that really takes the proverbial biscuit. Her best loved photos are those that include her two girls, Amelia and Penny and the hashtag that plays on her blog's name #allthatisthree. The photos feature her and her daughters in similar setting or clothing or hairstyle and reflect their week or what they've been up to and they are SO beautifully styled and oh so creative.
Music Mum - Beyoncé.
Arguably the most famous half of the world's most famous couple, musical Mum had to go to Queen Bee didn't it? She had Blue Ivy and we were all like k that kid is cute you slay Bey, and then she went and casually dropped twins on us and the internet lost it's mind. Creative famous names? Tick. Hideously successfully rich? Check. Absolute girl boss? Nailed it. Singing, dancing, performing, being an icon, touring, raising kids, sorting out that marriage, being pals with the Obama's and casually raising awareness on women and POC's rights? Beyoncé got your back.
TV Mum - Gwen West.
Gwen West - Stacey's Mum from Gavin & Stacey, she's just the epitome of a Welsh Mum isn't she? Always there to pick up the pieces after her daughter's messes, house open to all Stacey's pals, full of witty one liners, available to cry at weddings/births/anything else and always with an omelette on hand. She's a proper cosy homely kinda Mum, the kinda Mum people always liken to my own mother and is a very underrated and unassuming character in the programme. Highly commended goes to Pam Shipman (Gavin's Mum) for all the drama and unconditional love that woman has for her son.
Fictional Mum - Mrs Weasley.
I thought about going for Lily Potter because ya know, sacrificed her own life for Harry, protected him with her love and all that but no - Mrs Weasley wins the crown as best fictional Mum. If you can keep the Weasley brothers in check, run that home, cook for the five hundred and knit with magical knitting needles then you're a top Mum in my books. I feel like we all kinda wanted a Mrs Weasley in our lives, a best friend's Mum who's house you always ended up in, probably with a big home cooked meal steaming on the table. Plus she was played by my hero Julie Walters in the films and delivered the single best line of the franchise "Not my daughter you bitch!"
Celeb Mum - Kris Kardashian.
Think what you like about Kris Jenner, you can't deny that woman knows how to have successful money making kids. I actually really dig the Kardashian/Jenner clan and I think you get a grand old perspective from watching their show that you maybe don't get if you just assume they're money grabbing nobodies made successful by their Dad and that sex tape. I mean sure, the Momager Kris knows just how to milk her kids for all they have (what a hideous image) but christ she knows how to make something a success and she might be the best PR manager I have ever witnessed at work. Combine that with the fact that her love for her huge family and her willingness to do everything for them and I don't think she's allllll that bad.
Historical Mum - Marie Curie.
Sure, she's best known for that little lesser known thing as being the first woman to win a Nobel Prize but did ya know she also raised her girls on her own after her husband died in 1906? She managed to combine mothering with being a hugely influential scientist and one of her daughters went on to co win a Nobel Prize for chemistry with her husband - so she didn't do too shabby at raising amazing daughters too. Pretty remarkable woman if you ask me.
My Mum!
And uhm, the best one on the list imo. My Mum wins the award for raising a pretty excellent daughter (me) and an alright I spose brother for myself whilst basically parenting everyone else in her life too. She gave up her job to look after us when we were younger, she never missed a single sports day, never forgot our PE kit on the right day, always hand sewed our nativity costumes and made the best cakes for the PTA meetings. She kept our house open to all and any friends from when we were 8 and had half the village in to when we were 18 and hosted the feasts to end all feasts for a rabble of hungry teenagers. I couldn't ever do enough or say enough to articulate what she has done, and continues to do for us and I can only be thankful that as you read this, I'm swanning around Venice with her and some of our best pals and if that's not an early Mother's Day treat then I don't know what is.
For the Mum's, the Nan's, the Auntie's, the friends, the Dad's that played Mum and the Mum figures - on March 11th we toast them in the way they'd like most; with a cuppa tea, a fresh bunch of flowers and a biscuits or three.
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