Someone once interviewed me and began with asking two questions: What it means to me to be a mother, and how that answer has been impacted by my own mother.

Answering both of these questions gave me pause: the enormity of recognizing she who has helped to shape me and who I am helping to shape are mutually tethered by who I’ve been, who I am, and who I will become; the humility and gratitude that comes with true understanding; the vastness of hindsight, and the cockiness that accompanies foresight.

In my family, Mother’s Day was never a day we celebrated in its full glory. There was that constant refrain: “Every day is mother’s day.” Now really, WHAT does that even mean? I am the youngest of eight – my mother worked full time, dinner was wholesome, reliable and delicious, we were clothed (matching!), and bathed on a clockwork schedule.

There is no way to understand the machine that is the mind of a mother organizing eight different schedules, routines, moods, and personalities, until you have one (ONE!) of your own. You sit back, you take a second, the gravity of comprehension hits, and you say, “Oh.” All those years come full circle in the cognizance that accompanies your own evolution into motherhood.

Every day is mother’s day?! This CEO deserves even just an hour that says: Hey, we see you. We get it, even if our understanding is limited now. How can we take care of you today?

For a mother like mine who is constantly in motion and terrible at delegating, carving out time for self-care is of Everest proportions in its goal setting. That is why I was thinking bringing some of the self-care to HER would be equal parts bossy and appreciated.

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Here I’ve included:

Wellness Goodies:

• My favorite-smelling soap by Molton Brown 

• Feminine perfume by Valentino 

• A rose quartz roller (Benefits include reducing inflammation and puffiness of the skin, reducing the appearance of under-eye circles – especially if your roller is cold – stimulating the lymphatic system and blood circulation, brightening complexion, tightening pores, helping reduce the appearance of fine lines, and allowing skincare products to penetrate more deeply.)

• Hydrating eye gel cream, to use in conjunction with the roller, by Fresh

• Cream lip treatment by Fresh 

• A gift certificate to a nail salon, coordinating polish by Deborah Lippmann

• Flowers, because food for the soul

• A journal and a beautiful pen

• Pink citron-scented candle by Voluspa

• Cookbook about foods that extract health and beauty from within, Beauty Food by Maria Ahlgren

• Pink Himalayan salt lamp (Benefits include improvement of breathing, relaxation and sleep; increases concentration; reduces allergies, cold and flu.)

Treats and Sweets:

 Of course, one of my favorite ways to show love is by cooking or preparing a meal for someone:

• Baron Herzog Rosé wine because: Brunch! 

• A fresh, crusty baguette to be enjoyed with brie, Parmesan, Emmental cheese, and the wine 

• Water and seltzer by Tuscanini

• Coconut and orange biscotti thins by Heaven & Earth

• Custom cupcakes and chocolate lollipops by Lollicakes Toronto

And I just had to include something healthy:

• My version of one of my fave chia seed puddings, Strawberry Chia Seed Pudding, topped with your favourite granola (Gefen French Vanilla Granola Cereal recommended):

Strawberry Chia Jam

• 4 cups fresh strawberries, diced
• 1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup, as needed for sweetness
• 1/4 cup chia seeds, plus more as needed, to thicken

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the strawberries to a saucepan and set over medium heat.
2. Cook until the strawberries break down and become liquidy, about five to 10 minutes.
3. Mash the fruit with the back of a spatula or a potato masher.  You can make it as smooth or as lumpy as you’d like here for the texture of the jam.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the honey. Taste, and add more honey, as needed, for additional sweetness.  If vegan, use pure maple syrup instead of raw honey.
5. Add the chia seeds, and stir to combine.
6. Let stand five to 10 minutes, or until thickened.  The jam will continue to thicken, especially once refrigerated, but if you’d like a thicker consistency, particularly with very high-liquid fruits, you can stir in more chia seeds one tablespoon at a time.
7. Once the jam has cooled to room temperature, transfer it to a jar or sealable Mason jar.

As always, my goal in curating something beautiful is always to encourage my own, and hopefully others, creative energy to flow and provide a source of inspiration. Take the premise of a self-care package, or even just one of two of the elements, and your mama will be undoubtedly touched you took the time to show your appreciation.

Flowers: @popupflowershopinc

Baguette and macarons: @haymishebakeryto

Cupcakes/chocolate/confections: @lollicakesto

Photography: @shaindel_biren_photography