Give Mom what she wants on "her" weekend

 

What if Mom doesn’t want indulgence on Mother’s Day? Maybe she wants the family to clean out the garage. Can you handle that? Ask what she really wants, then listen! But hey, I’m down with these “traditional” selections that have brought me joy:

What’s a Whimsey Piece? – It’s a “puzzle” why we don’t relax more. I had the best time challenging my brain to assemble “On the Shelf,” Crissie Snelling’s image of a cat lounging on a bookshelf, along with cat figurines. And the whimsey pieces (Victorian throwback phrase) are cut into cat shapes. It’s cat on cat on cat with this Nautilus Wooden Puzzle. I know plenty of puzzle fans who would appreciate this well-made, boxed gift set. It’s a pleasure to open, unbag and snap those tricky pieces into place. Non-puzzlers may scoff, but soon admit to the addictive challenge. It was a textual and visual pleasure:  www.nautiluspuzzles.com 

The “Basic” unicorn wears a plaid button down. I like Shabby the Narwhal but you’ve got to watch out for Glitter Tornado, Rainbow Aura and Double Dutch. Unstable Unicorns is just a game, but you can build an army and betray friends. www.unstablegames.com will fill you in on what you’ve been missing if you’ve been sticking to Old Maid. What’s that behind you? It’s sparkly.

Beauty stuff:

Ambered Ember – Apricot oil we know. But I got a quick lesson on silica from the earth when trying the great smelling, light plumping serum with the stuff. L-Arginine is also a main ingredient in this little bottle that seemingly reconnects one with the earth. I feel very special when I take a moment to use and appreciate this plump.  www.amberedember.com

Sweetwater Labs 

d they’ve healed me.  I’m keeping a jar of eucalyptus shower steamers by my meditation chair. These pure white, sparkly chunks are to be thrown in your shower so you inhale that good steam. Healing vapors are doing me right. What else are they doing over in those labs? Rose oil, rice water and cucumber are foodie ingredients for your face. Look here. 

“The pharmacy’s mixture” of Sweden evolved into the feel-good compounds at www.acoskincare.com. Apotekens Composition since 1939 is still trusted. Renewing face oil and daily cleanser from this line offer “nourishment” and “purifying effects” from bottles printed with multiple languages, so women have been coming back for how fresh it makes them feel. Coco&Eve offers a host of body products boasting cruelty-free and vegan care in attractive packaging. I received a generous sample of the product I’d be least likely to use: Bronzing face drops in dark tan. I tried some on my leg with actually good results. I may get a little more experimental. 

Style on the Go – Stash your liquid product right in the handle of the Sisi Spray N’ Style brush you can take on a plane or carry around to look good for dinner with friends after work. A mom created this wide-vented-curved brush with boar and pin bristles to calm her child’s sensitivity, and adults are way into it, too. Not every product works the way it claims to, but the sisibrush.com does, for me. Just the brush alone goes through my thick curls, but the “secret” is a refillable spray bottle tucked inside the handle. Detangle kids’ hair or style your own in a breeze. Thanks, mom. 

 

Give Mom a day back. Donna McGeorge’s book asks readers to consider how they’d like to be remembered on their 80^th birthday and how we can be less busy. “The One Day Refund” challenges to take back time and spend it wisely. Tip: You probably really do make your best decisions in the morning, so get on it!

 

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie and mom to one little Jazzy. And I’m proud of her. darraghcastillo@icloud.com