Mother's Day 2014 Gift Picks

I have fond memories of the Mother's Day stall at my primary school. Dad would give my little sister and I about $10 each, which was plenty considering the average price per item was less than about $3. The trestle tables seemed to stretch for miles, and were piled with all sorts of frilly flowery stuff that we all thought our mums would LOVE!

How wrong we were.

When I was in the second grade, mum was in her early 40's. I have three older sisters who are currently of this age group. Now that I think about it, I can be certain that if any of my sisters were to receive any of the peachy pink, pot pouri stinking, lace coat hanging, toilet roll covering, rash inducing, soapy bullshit that I bought for my mum back then, they'd probably disown me as family.

Then when I was a teenager, sensible Mother's Day gift ideas shifted toward foot spas and pyjamas. It was leaps ahead of the crapola we bought at the school sale, but still lacked any real thought or consideration for who my mum really was. "Well every mum needs to sleep, and they probably all have sore feet too!' - No shit.

The older I become, the more I appreciate, love and respect my mother. Even if I became a millionaire overnight, no gift or experience would ever be enough to honour the woman she is, and the woman she is becoming.

So this mothers day, I decided to put a simple guide together to offer a little inspiration to those of us who have once again left things to the last minute, and to hopefully look beyond those flannel pyjamas and matching slippers. Cute idea, really! But it's not the only last minute option...

Mr Earl Tea The gift that keeps on giving! A gorgeous boutique subscription for the tea lover, available in 1, 3 or 6 month packages. 3 different varieties of tea will be delivered to mum's door step along with info cards to explain exactly what she's drinking, origins, and precise instructions for the perfect cup of tea. You can even arrange to have the gift sent directly to mum and print out a gift card so that she knows it's coming. 1 month $20 3 months $45 6 months $78 mrearltea.com.au

INIKA Certified Organic Makeup This complete collection of natural mineral makeup is exquisite. Not only because the application is gorgeous, but also because each and every ingredient is certified organic, free of nasty chemicals, and importantly for pooch loving mums like mine, not tested on animals. Free from synthetic ingredients, INIKA products are amongst the best performing natural cosmetics in the world. With a recent launch of delicious winter shades of deep rose and aubergine, you can shop for INIKA online or visit your local Myer beauty department.

Jamie's 15 Minute Meals Cook Book I don't think I've ever met a mum who doesn't want to own a book that is entirely made up of recipes that only take 15 minutes to whip up. Fast, fresh and wholesome, these recipes are perfect for the mums who are busy, but love to cook on the daily. And I've never met a mum who doesn't love a bit of Jamie! RRP: $39 Available at Dymocks Books, or visit online dymocks.com.au

PLENTY, a Cook Book by Yotam Ottolenghi This is for the vegetarian mums who are looking for a beautifully curated collection of plant based recipes. Big on flavour and mediterranean influence, this cook book is exactly as the name suggests. What's most interesting is that Israeli born chef Yotam is not actually a vegetarian, but has created this anthology as a means of drawing both vegetarian and meat eaters around the same table to enjoy wonderfully wholesome and flavourful meals. RRP $55 Available at Dymocks Books, or visit online dymocks.com.au

Duvenage Silk Scarf I've always loved giving mum beautiful timeless accessories. Duvenage is a Melbourne-based fashion house that create some of my favourite accessories: the timeless and humble scarf. Known for exquisite silks and imaginative print designs, these pieces are a fool-proof purchase for accessory loving mums.  Floral Exoticism Silk Twilly $39.95 duvenagedesign.com

A little DIY home pamper Sometimes I need to force my mum into treating herself... does that sound familiar? If you're still feeling stuck for gift ideas, please don't resort to the foot spa yet. Instead, make up a gift bag with DIY beauty treats that she can use in the shower or bath, like this coffee body scrub by Frank. Throw it in a gift bag with some good chocolate, and an Ecoya candle, and you've just given mum a reason to take an extra long shower - body scrub, candles and all! Frank Coffee Scrub $14.95 frankbody.com Ecoya French Pear Candle, Metro Jar $29.95 ecoya.com

Wear Red and Kiss Goodbye to MS MS Reseach Australia has launched its national Kiss Goodbye to MS campaign for 2014. With the support of easy, breezy, beautiful Covergirl, Aussies all over the nation are being encouraged to do three things during the month of May: 1. Get sponsored to wear red lippy (Pictured: Covergirl's LipPerfection in Hot Passion) 2. Dare to do something out of your comfort zone 3. Share the love by holding a fundraiser, and spread the word on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using the hashtags #kissgoodbyetoms #covergirl

To get behind this incredible cause, download the app Kiss Goodbye to MS - snap a picture of your mum wearing red, upload a snapshot and donate a kiss for $10, $20 or $50 on your mum's behalf. Find out more at kissgoodbyetoms.org