Gifts: When Your Mother Turns 60

This month saw my mother turning 60! She has been talking about this milestone birthday for months, not because she was excited about a big party and lots of gifts, she was actually more interested in getting a railcard as she would save a fortune when coming to visit my sister and I in London. Whilst she was planning her next visit to the Big Smoke, my siblings and I were trying to figure out how we could make the occasion special and memorable for her. We actually started discussing it months ago and even though there was no huge lavish party or holidays abroad, a lot of thought went into it and I thought it might be fun to share some things we did which made the weekend special.

Buntings and Banners

My brother and sister woke up early on the morning of her birthday to hang bunting and banners in the kitchen. We have a big, beautiful kitchen with high ceilings and lots of windows and a few rows of bunting above the Aga looks so pretty. When my mum came downstairs in the morning, she saw all the colours and loved it! She loved that my siblings had made the effort to decorate the kitchen for her.

Dinner Date

No special occasion is complete without a feast! My brother booked a family dinner for us all and he wanted to make sure it was at a restaurant which my parents had never been to before. He knew new would be so much more special and memoriable. He visited the restaurant a few months before to check it was the right place and that way when he booked the table he would know which part of the restaurant he would want to be seated at.

Surprise!

Whilst my mother isn’t the kind of woman who would want a big surprise party, we did want to give her a little surprise! First up, we told my mum I wasn’t able to visit that weekend and I would drive up over the next few weeks instead. The second surprise was that they would be taking her to a country pub she often goes to with her friend for lunch. She was so happy to discover her whole family had visited and planned a special dinner!

Champagne and Flowers

My sister wanted to make sure there was plenty of flowers and champagne. She bought her favourites, Veuve Clicquot and Lilies. My brothers fiancé also bought lilies and she enjoyed them for the whole of her birthday week!

Treats

My boyfriend and I spent weeks and weeks discussing what we should give my mum. I wanted to get her a package of all the things she loved (candles, beauty, perfume, homewears) whilst my boyfriend wanted to get her a hamper from Fortnum & Mason filled with all her favourite foods. Eventually we decided he would get her the F&M hamper with all the teas, jams, shortbread and treats she would love, and I topped buried all the home and beauty items in the hamper which I knew she would also love.

Fortnum & Mason Hamper – Whilst many F&M hampers come pre-filled, you can also shop for your own selection and they will fill a hamper for you. My boyfriend and I shopped the fabulous foodcourt of F&M and picked out all her favourites; Tea, jam, honey, chutney, shortbread and so much more! Long after all the food has been eaten she can use the hamper for storing the Winter throws and blankets.

Jo Malone London – My mother loves Jo Malone London just as much as I do, so we headed to Selfridges to pick out some treats for her to enjoy, her favourite perfume and a room diffuser. It was so beautifully wrapped up, I couldn’t bare to open the bag to photograph it!

Aga Cookwear Oven Gloves and Gauntlet – Those who have an Aga in their kitchen will know how essential their oven gloves and gauntlets are when cooking. Aga’s have deeper ovens and they are seriously hot, the gauntlet glove will protect your hands and arms from the heat when using the top oven. Whilst the double oven gloves are perfect for the warming oven and moving around pots and pans. These pretty prints are from the new collection and I knew she would love using them every day!

True Grace Hand Wash & Hand Cream Duo – My mum spends a lot of time in the kitchen cooking and she is constantly washing her hands and applying hand cream. I got her this True Grace Duo to sit elegantly by the sink and be used every day and give her a little rose scented joy every time she uses it!

True Grace Candle – My mum loves True Grace Candles and I often treat her to one. I couldn’t resist this Wild Lime candle for high Summer as the warm limes are so invigorating and wonderful. Somehow it cuts through the muggy atmosphere and transport you to the Mediterranean.

Phytomone Pause Hydra Creme – Remember this blog post about how much my mum loved Phytomone Pause Hydra Creme? She mentioned a week ago she had just finished her last bottle and I thought it would be nice to treat her to another. This skincare range is developed for women aged 35+ to combat the effects of changing hormones, it has given my mother incredible results and if you are a little older and looking for some new skincare, I would highly recommend this cream.

Decleor Aroma Sun Expert – My boyfriend is a huge fan of Decleor products and he loves this SPF 30 sun oil. It feels nourishing on your skin like a body oil and as with all Decleor products it smells beautiful. Hopefully it will be perfect for her Summer holidays as well as afternoons in the garden!

Crabtree & Evelyn Soap – It’s just a little extra treat, but a luxury soap is so much nicer than regular soap. My personal favourite is Crabtree & Evelyn’s triple milled soaps, I have a feeling these will be popular with my dad too!

Jurlique Hand Cream – My mum recently told me Jurlique Rose hand cream is her very favourite, it’s rich, velvety and smells incredible. Hint taken, happy birthday, mum!!

Joan Collins Contra Time Eye Serum – If it’s good enough for Joan, it’s good enough for my mum! I really like everything I have tried in the Joan Collin’s Timeless Beauty Range and I have read amazing things about this eye serum, so I thought I would give it a go. If it’s great, I will see if I can get my mum to do a review for me!

Happy Birthday Mother!!