Mother's Day 2012

There isn’t a job in the world like being a mum. The hours are long, the demands often unrealistic and the pay terrible. There is no induction period, no opportunity for advancement and the performance reviews are daily (if not hourly & undertaken by your worst critic - yourself) But, the rewards are endless. And it’s the rewards that drive mothers to work hard in order to achieve a balance between their duties at home, and those outside of it. It’s those rewards that get women through long days at the office, followed by hours of work at home. It often leaves them feeling guilty, undervalued and exhausted.

That’s why we love Mothers’ Day. It’s often the one day of the year when mum gets a sleep in, a cup of tea in bed and a little TLC. The one day of the year that mum gets a little pat on the back and some acknowledgement that she’s doing a great job.

Now, we live in a consumerist society, and it’s often tempting throw money at fancy gifts and a card filled with soppy sentiment. But we can do better than that, so here’s our top 5 tips for making Mothers’ Day special.

1. Handmade

Whether the kids are 3 or 23, nothing says love like a home-made Mothers’ Day card. A simple hand crafted card (Adobe Creative Suite assisted is ok too) with the words ‘thanks mum’ says more than any Hallmark card ever could.

2. Quiet

If there’s one thing that kids are really good at it’s making noise! I know many mums whose daily soundtrack includes hearing ‘muuuummmm’ several hundred times, along with other favourites such as ‘stop it’, ‘he did X’, ‘she did Y’, ‘No’, ‘why’ and so on. Add this to the nauseating repetition of children’s television programs and the gentle hum of the washing machine/dryer/dishwasher - it really is enough to make the most stable woman quite mad. So do mum a big favour on Mothers’ Day and turn the volume down, I know that the mute button might not be an option, but believe me, mum will appreciate a little peace and quiet.

3. No Cooking

The only thing in a mothers’ life more reliable that noise, is the daily battle in the kitchen.  Deciding what to cook, the process of cooking and then cleaning the kitchen is nothing more than a chore. No matter how much your mum enjoys cooking, years of ‘I don’t like that’ or ‘what’s that’ is sure to wear thin. So cook mum breakfast, take her out for lunch and/or dinner and give her the day off.
NOTE: And yes, this does include a break from scraping the pancakes off the ceiling after failed attempts at tossing them in the air.

4. A little thought

A little thought goes a long way. It’s not always about the grand gestures and expensive treats. Just take some time to notice the little things that mum might need, you know, the things that would make her life a little easier or more comfortable and run with that. Don’t get sucked into slippers and dressing gowns (or kitchen appliances) just because they appear in a catalogue. It’s the little things that will make the biggest difference and bring the biggest smile to mum’s face.

5. All about mum

Most importantly, just make the day about mum. Every other day of the year she puts her family’s needs ahead of her own, (in ways you might not even notice). So for one day of the year (& feel free to do it more often) spoil her, you know she deserves it.

Enjoy Mothers’ Day and feel free to leave a message for your mum on our Facebook page - we’d love to see them.

Women's Travel

(Image - diabetesaustralia.com.au)

As we touched on in our Choices post, the range of products and services available to us today can be overwhelming. The area of personal travel is no different. Over the coming months, we’ll be breaking travel down, focusing on what we like to call ‘genre-travel’, tailor made travel for adrenaline junkies, environmentally ethical travellers, foodies, and all different age groups and genders. So, with Mothers’ Day coming up, we’d love to kick of the series with our guide to travel for Women.

In the many roles women play, wife, mother, sister, employee etc, a lot of what we do involves taking care of other people. For many of us, it’s in our nature and we love to do it. But, when we travel, those roles often travel with us. We still need to take care of the planning, packing, and general running of the family travel. For mothers in particular, a holiday can simply become a change of location and a continuation of the seemingly endless mothering duties. As difficult as it can be to do, taking a trip with the girls is often just what we need to recharge, reconnect and give our best to those we love. However, getting the girls together at the same time can be difficult, and boutique travel tours are a great way to get a group of new friends together to share the experience of travel.

Travelling ladies club operate women only tours, including a European Christmas Market tour and cruise through Antarctica! They also offer a travel companion service. Just register with TLC and they will put you in touch with other women with similar travel needs who may like to join you on your next trip. For those who don’t necessarily want to join a tour, or whose friends or families don’t share their desire to explore the temples of India or the streets of Milan, this could well be the perfect solution!

Or if boutique travel tours are more your style, our favourite has to be Travelling Divas. Imagine this ... cocktails on 5th Avenue, a Broadway show, exclusive shopping experiences, diamonds and champagne! Sounds divine, right? Well that’s just part of Traveling Diva’s Quintessential New York Tour. Or perhaps you’d prefer cooking lessons in Tuscany, dinner and drinks in Rome, and a guided walk in Siena? The Divas offer that too, and so much more! Catering just for women, their tours go the extra mile to make your trip memorable.

According to their clients ...

'This tour was a really lovely way to see New York and the exclusive events were the icing on the already delicious cake.  The ease of friendships that formed so we didn't look like a big bus tour group but a group of friends traveling together - this is the reason I would return to Traveling Divas.' 
Diva Glenda, November 2011

'Best holiday experience ever.  Loved everything!  I would not have changed a thing.'
Diva Jenny, November 2011

The hardest part may well be deciding on a destination, Bali, Hong Kong, Spain, Africa - why just chose one ...

Tell us, what’s your favourite holiday destination and why?