Fashion – Lauren Cathleen

The Top 5 Mother’s Day Gifts

If you’re like me, then every year, around this time, you start wondering what you can possibly get your mom for Mother’s Day that will be … sufficient.

Sure, there’s flowers. But, she gets those for every other occasion, not to mention the probability that your father and/or siblings are planning on a bouquet, as well. So, what’s out there that’s not cliche or tacky, that she doesn’t already have and that somehow manages to convey how much you love and appreciate her?

Don’t worry, friends; I’ve got you covered. I always strive to get my parents gifts that are beautiful, personal and cherishable. I’m kind of a gift whisperer. So, I’ve gathered my top 5 gift choices for Mother’s Day — no matter what your mom’s interests are, she’d love at least one of these!

Perfume

I’ve recently fallen in love with Jo Malone’s fragrances. Each scent is beautiful, flattering and complements her other scents. You can wear the Peony & Blush Suede cologne with the English Pear & Freesia hand lotion and smell absolutely divine, not cacophonous as you might when mixing other scents.

Miracle Serum

Ok, maybe “miracle serum” is a big claim, but, honestly, this is one of my favorite products in the world. Designed for all skin types, Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair is meant to combat signs of aging (don’t tell your mom), but it does so much more! It actually repairs skin to also fight dryness and dullness, and is our go-to medicine for small burns. It instantly soothes the sting after you got too close to the oven and helps skin heal faster.

A Classic

My mother has always loved Waterford Crystal, but has never gotten any for herself. In high school, I had the opportunity to visit the Waterford factory in Ireland. She asked me to bring her back some crystal; I, not knowing a thing about crystal, got her a thimble. As an adult, I can appreciate the beauty of classic pieces, and better know what she’ll be able to love and admire for years.

Jewelry

I know I promised no cliches, but what’s better than a beautiful piece of jewelry that’s unique to your mom? Mark & Graham is one of my favorite sites for gifts because they offer free personalization. Whether you want a monogram on a suitcase, children’s names on a necklace or the family name on a bocce ball set, the site is full of wonderful, personable gifts.

The Perfect Purse

One of the beauties, I’m sure, of having your children all grown up is that you no longer have to tote around their diapers, snacks, crayons, toys and more. Another beauty is that your grown up children can get you real gifts (instead of sweet, adorable handmade cards), like this beautiful Rebecca Minkoff Clutch. Nothing says “my kids are all grown up” quite like an extremely impractical, un-motherly, stylish clutch.

What about you? What are you planning to get your mom this Mother’s Day?

Gwynnie Bee

I love fashion. I always have. Even when I was an overly opinionated co-ed and declared fashion merchandising a waste of a degree, I loved it.

I loved finding new ways to wear old pieces. I loved creating unexpected color combinations. I steered clear of the vapid wasteland of Vogue and InStyle, never realizing that the fun I had with my clothes meant I actually belonged with the lemmings.

But, let’s be real. Plus-sized fashion isn’t a thing. Obviously there are so many more options out there than there were even a few years ago, but you have to look for them. More than that, you have to know where to look. At the Houston Galleria, I can count on one hand (even if I were missing a few fingers) the options I have to shop plus size, let alone plus size I like.

Most of your plus size options are online. But, when you’re plus sized, how can you be sure that anything will really fit? Though I’m big, I still have an hourglass figure, which is completely different than my apple-, pear- and banana-shaped sisters. (I am a bit grateful to not be qualified as a food item. But I suppose Oreo-shaped would work.) And their bust-to-waist-to-hip ratio is vastly different from my own.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s say I adore everything at Torrid, Seven7 or Rue107 and they all fit me perfectly. My weight is still always in flux. I went from a size 12 to a size 22 in one year, and now I’m a size 18. (That’s a whole blog post in itself.) I honestly don’t want to buy new clothes every time I change sizes.

I mean, I do. Of course I do. I always want new clothes. But I don’t want to out- or under-grow them in a matter of months.

Enter Gwynnie Bee.

I first heard about Gwynnie Bee through a Facebook Ad when I was a size 12. It wasn’t for me then, but I logged it in my memory and have been making excellent use of it for about a year.

Gwynnie Bee is basically Netflix for plus-size fashion. You pay a monthly subscription fee, determined by how many outfits/articles of clothing you want at once, shop in their online store to fill your closet/queue, and let them do the rest.

They’ll send you the first outfit you chose that they have available, along with a return envelope. Wear it as little or as much as you want and ship it back. Then wait for your next piece of clothing to come. They take care of everything — postage, item selection and even dry cleaning!

If you really love an item, you can keep it and let them know to charge your card. Bonus: because everything is pre-worn, you can buy everything at a significant discount.

I love Gwynnie Bee because I basically have a rotating closet with them. I’m always receiving new clothes that fit, and I don’t have to commit to them unless I truly love them. When my body changes as it inevitably will, I simply change my size selection online.

Gwynnie Bee is the plus-sized fashionista’s dream.

Do you have any favorite shopping spots and secrets?