Mother’s Day will be upon us this Sunday. If you, like me, are a last minute present buyer when it comes to Mother’s Day, do not fear as the HerUni Gift Guide is here!
Your mum is the most special woman in the world: your best friend and a person to turn to when things get rough. Personally, I tell my mum practically everything and she’s always there with an ear to listen and a hand to hold. So, how about all us girls give a little bit back this Sunday. It doesn’t have to be the most spectacular present on the planet because, as poor students, we are all a little bit strapped for cash. Therefore,
HerUni has created an affordable gift guide for a last minute special something.
Here are the top ten things to buy/do with number one as the cheapest and number ten as the most expensive.
1. Make your mum her favourite meal.
This will cost you less than ten pounds at your local ASDA store. Simply buy all the ingredients of your mother’s favourite meal and cook away! Granted, this is not the easiest of tasks for many students who are used to cooking food via microwaves and takeout. However, you can do it! Follow the recipe and you will put a smile on your mum’s face this Sunday. Not only will she be eating her favourite meal, she will appreciate the effort you have gone to and a night off from cooking a family dinner.
2. Spend the day together.
By spending the whole day together, you can have a mother/daughter bonding session. It doesn’t matter how old you are to have one of these, especially if you live away from home. You can do whatever you want, whether it is sitting in the living room and watching chick flicks all day, or going shopping together with a spot of lunch. It is completely up to you! Remember that it is Mother’s Day, so you should offer to pay for everything. Nevertheless, if your mum insists that she pays for something, simply agree. It is her day; therefore she has to be right. Plus, we are students!
3. Put a memorable photo in a frame.
This might be the most cliché present to give on Mother’s Day but it is a classic! Buy a frame of your choice. TK Maxx always has an excellent range for cheap prices. Or, look in Debenhams if you want to have a little extra cash. After (or before) the frame has been purchased, choose and print a photograph of your choice. A lovely idea would be to print off a picture of you and your mum when you were a baby as well as a recent photo to show how much you have both grown.
4. Buy her a candle of her favourite scent.
You might be thinking a candle? This is the easiest gift to buy. Go to Matalan (the cheaper option!) or Zara Home, or Debenhams and scour the shelves of candles to find the scent of your choice. Your mum will appreciate it after a long day of work, or housework, and whatever else it is that our busy mums do every day. With the candle, she can soak up her favourite smell whilst watching a bit of telly. This will put an instant smile on her face.
5. Buy her a Body Shop gift set.
The Body Shop is the classic woman’s shop. We all love to smell lovely and clean, and use products that are fruity, fresh and fabulous. An extra bonus is the fact that all The Body Shop products are made with love and care through the shop’s collaboration with Fair Trade. On the store’s website, you can find a tab specifically for Mother’s Day. Simply click on this and there, in front of your eyes, will be a great amount of gifts. There are even specific tabs of ‘Gifts for the home’, ‘Gifts for travellers’, ‘Gifts for garden lovers’ and if a younger sibling needs a bit of help, ‘Gifts for children to give’. Prices vary from £5 to £25. Visit the website at www.thebodyshop.co.uk.
6. Take her to the cinema.
Everybody loves a good old trip to the cinema. Nowadays, with ticket prices at around ten pound per person, it is a bit more expensive than what it used to be. This is the reason why I have put it as number six on our top ten. If you go on a Sunday afternoon, chances are that there won’t be many people in the screens. But, I could be wrong. For example, a film that is a must see this week – which both you and your mum will enjoy – is Oz The Great And Powerful. It is released this Friday so beware of the queues. Or, if you still haven’t seen it yet (where have you been?!), go and watch Les Miserables, one to watch for both you and your mum. TOP TIP: Take your own munchies. We can’t afford paying more than £3 for a bottle of water.
7. Buy her favourite flowers from ASDA.
The website (www.asda-flowers.co.uk) is something that I stumbled across during my first year of university. I sent my mum a bouquet of lilies (her favourite) on her birthday when I couldn’t go home. Now, it is a recurring thing. Plus, the lilies last for a long time so I would recommend that you buy them if your mum likes them. There are tabs which let you choose the occasion and price range for a quick find. Right now, there is also a collection of flowers especially for Mother’s Day. Prices range from £10 to £52. There is also Sunday delivery available especially for Mother’s Day!
8. Buy her a Gift Owl card.
Gift Owl works in three simple steps. First, you give a gift owl card to your mum, who will fill in the questionnaire in order to find out what she likes and what she doesn’t like. Second, Gift Owl does all the work for you as they hunt for hidden gems to suit their wants, whether it is accessories, crafts or books. Last, your mum will receive a brown paper package, full of lovely surprises! This is a great idea if you are stumped for ideas, or it is ‘too last minute’. Prices range from £12.99 for a Mini Gift Owl, £24.99 for a ‘Classic Gift Owl’, and £49.99 for a ‘Jumbo Gift Owl’. For more information, head to their website www.gift-owl.com.
9. Take her out for dinner.
If you want to go out to celebrate Mother’s Day, or if you can’t cook, head out to a restaurant and let the chef take care of it. Goodvalueformoney.com shared offers for three top restaurants which are all over Britain: Ask Italian, Nando’s and La Tasca. Ask Italian has a special Mother’s Day menu of two courses for £14 and three courses for only £16. You mum will also receive a free glass of Prosecco too! Nando’s are giving a free dessert away for their Mother’s Day special. La Tasca have a Mother’s Day Menu for just £12.95. Head over to the restaurant’s websites now so you don’t miss out!
10. Go on a trip to the West End.
This is for people who have a lot of money to spare and want to pull out all the stops for their mums! If your mum loves the west end, and you live relatively close to London, why not see if you can find a deal for a night watching some theatre. There is a massive variety of different shows in the West End where you and your mum can laugh, cry, scream or giggle. Head over to the London Box Office (www.londonboxoffice.co.uk) for amazing offers on all the shows, including up to 70% discounts.
Whatever you do or buy, I am sure your mum will appreciate it. Don’t forget to buy a card, too!
