In case you haven’t been anywhere near a shop in the past few weeks, this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Haven’t got present for the most important woman in your life yet? Don’t fret, it’s not too late – and by that we mean that there really is no excuse for picking up some flowers and chocolates from a service station on your way over to your Mum’s…
Fancy dinner
Check out special offers, find out what’s on the menu and even make a reservation through websites such as Lastminute.com, Time Out, Squaremeal.co.uk, and London-eating.co.uk. All feature tips on where to go to make a real impression on mummy dearest, but also suggestions on swanky bars and pubs to have some celebratory champagne in this Sunday, or plush hotels where you can take her for some afternoon tea.
Say it with flowers
Sending a big, fat bouquet of flowers to your Mum is the next best thing if you can’t be there to celebrate Mother’s Day in person. The big names to look out for are Interflora, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Flowers Direct. Most offer same day delivery but it is of course best (not to mention cheaper) to place your order as soon as possible.
Chocolate
If your Mum has a soft spot for anything containing cocoa, why not surprise him or her with some handmade artisan chocolates? Hotel Chocolat has a good selection, and independent retailers such as Malagasy, Montezuma, Aphrodite Chocolates, and Paul A Young are sure to wet her (and your) appetite.
Gifts
If you’re still stuck for ideas, check out the gift section on the Love (Red) website. Gifts include DVD subscriptions, theatre deals, fashion items, health and beauty, and the obligatory chocolate. Redletterdays.co.uk is also a good option for all-round gifts.
For the more techie Mum, why not run down to your nearest Apple retailer and pick up one of the newly beefed up Apple iPod shuffles? They come in a range of colours and start from just £32.
And if she’s a fan of old crooner Terry Wogan in the mornings, a FM/DAB radio should be a welcome pressie. We like the new Sony XDR-C705 DAB radio alarm clock. It has space for 20 preset stations, an adjustable dimmer and three brightness settings.
There’s also the Pure Chronos iDock which lets her tune in to either FM/DAB radio or listen to her favourite tracks off her Apple iPod. Sleek and stylish, it features four independent alarms, so that she can wake up to either her Apple iPod, an alarm, DAB or FM.
Motorola has released the H375 Bluetooth headset just in time for Mother’s Day. It frees up your Mum’s hands when she’s nattering away on the phone so she can get on with other stuff at the same time.
A digital camera is usually a good bet for most people - Panasonic has just released the Lumix FX-35 which looks like an excellent compact snapper. It's a handy 25-100mm equivalent and features 4x optical zoom, 10.1 megapixels, 720p HD video to film all those birthday parties for the grandkids.