Thrilled beyond words to be featured in one of our fave city guide's, Broadsheet.
Whether you plan to splurge or go for something a little simpler, we’ve got you covered for Sunday May 10. And it’s not too late to grab a gift for mum. Express shipping? Tick.
Mums are the best. And this year in particular, they deserve some extra love and thanks. With schools and creches closed, more than a few millennials moving back into the family home, and kids’ need for constant reassurance and support, mums around the country have been heroes.
So use this Mother’s Day as an opportunity to treat them just that little bit more.
We’ve chosen some of our favourite Australian-made and designed gifts for mum – and there’s something here for every budget.
Mineral bath tonics by 39 Degrees – from $12.95
Give your mum the gift of relaxation with this mineral hot-spring bath experience by 39 Degrees – a dash of the Melbourne brand’s signature bath tonic will transform her soak into a luxe milky bath. The blends are made with 100 per cent essential oils (such as lemon, bergamot and basil) together with what’s said to be the purest form of magnesium chloride (a mineral that can help relax your muscles, and may improve sleep) sourced from the ancient Zechstein Seabed in northern Europe. The paraben-free tonics are made in small batches in Melbourne, and they’re not tested on animals. There’s a single-use 100 milligram soft pack for $12.95 or bottle for $14.95, or a 500-milligram bottle for $39.95.
39degrees.com.au
Long-lasting flowers from Everbloome – from $15
Flowers are beautiful, sure, but the joy that comes from a bouquet of fresh blooms is relatively fleeting – they might last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. New Melbourne company Everbloome is creating eye-catching arrangements from preserved, re-coloured and freeze-dried flowers that can last up to seven years. And they’re pollen-free, which is good news for allergy-prone mums.
everbloome.com.au
Cookbooks by Broadsheet – starting at $29.95
You can’t take mum out for lunch right now, but you can give her a taste of some of Australia’s best restaurants with any one of Broadsheet’s cookbooks. The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook has 80 Italian recipes from Australia’s best restaurants, cafes and bars, and also includes a range of special features on cheese, wine and more. It’s a recipe trove, history book and visual essay in one.
The Melbourne and Sydney cookbooks also feature recipes by top local talent in each city. And our essential guides – Broadsheet Sydney Food and Broadsheet Melbourne Food – outline the best purveyors and producers in each city. Or you can snap a few titles up in a bundle.
broadsheet.com.au
A one-month membership to Universal Practice at Home – $49
Melbourne-based physiotherapy studio Universal Practice, which also specialises in Pilates and yoga, has some of the most stunning spaces in town, but it had to halt in-studio classes due to coronavirus. The silver lining? Now everyone in Australia, including mum, can get some Universal Practice action at home. Sign mum up for a one-month pass and she’ll get unlimited to access to a whole heap of sessions led by qualified physiotherapists. Classes cover Pilates; stability; strength and conditioning; prenatal and postnatal fitness; and over 65s. There are even guided meditations. New sessions are added weekly, which you can stream from your smartphone, smart TV or web browser.
universalpractice.com.au
Two of a Kind Set by Everleigh Bottling Co –$59
A taste of one of Australia’s best bars at home? Delicious. Glassware mum can keep long after Mother’s Day? Even better. The Everleigh’s Two of a Kind set includes two bottled cocktails made with exacting ratios, and two glasses to match the drink. Pick the cocktail mum loves best – a Negroni, Manhattan, Martini, Old Fashioned or Coffee House (a boozy cold-brew liqueur number) – and a pair of them will be dispatched with the appropriate vessels. If you want to have a socially-distant drink with mum (and you both love a Martini), go for the Together in Spirits option – order a Two of a Kind Martini set and you’ll receive a code for a second set at half price.
everleighbottling.com
An Iso Love You pack by Ivy Muse – $80
Each gorgeous-looking gift pack by Melbourne-based “botanical emporium” Ivy Muse includes your choice of a small devil’s ivy or monstera; a handmade ceramic planter by Melbourne’s Leaf and Thread; a 100-gram bag of potting mix; and a block of vegan, gluten-free Pana Chocolate (either mint or salted caramel). Plus, the Ivy Muse team will hand-write a note on your behalf – just leave your message in the comment field at checkout.
ivymuse.com.au
“Share Tea With Mum” gift packs from T Totaler – from $85
This Sydney-based artisan tea company has created two “Share Tea With Mum” gift packs so you and mum can have a cuppa together – even if it’s over Zoom or the phone. When you buy a gift pack, the family-run company sends one package to you and one to your mum. The $85 box includes six test tubes filled with various black and herbal teas (including an Australian-grown herbal blend ideal for bedtime, and a take on a G&T that’s excellent hot or on ice with a slice of cucumber), plus a strainer. The $120 box comes with the Australian Breakfast black-tea blend (in one of the brand’s elegant amber-coloured apothecary jars); a test-tube taster of Unwind, a herbal blend; a ceramic Japanese cup; and a stainless-steel strainer (plus free delivery). There’s also this lovely option just for mum for $45.
ttotalertea.com
A Mother’s Day wine and chocolate gift box from Good Pair Days – $90
Bar Liberty co-founder and former Attica head sommelier Banjo Harris Plane is part of the trio behind Good Pair Days, a fun wine subscription service, so you know the bottles will be good. If mum loves wine and chocolate, these packs are a no-brainer. You can pick from three wine options – all reds, chilled or mixed – and alongside three bottles, mum’ll get three single-origin Hunted & Gathered chocolate bars so she can do a little tasting trip through Ecuador, Belize and the Dominican Republic. Each box comes with tasting notes, details about the winemakers, food-pairing recommendations and matching recipes for each bottle.
goodpairdays.com
Mother’s Love handwash and moisturiser gift packs from Leif – $99
This Sydney-based company makes skincare, soaps and shampoos from native botanical extracts and essential oils, all packaged up in stylish, contemporary bottles. The Mother’s Day gift packs are perfect for this time of extreme handwashing – and the ensuing extremely dry skin – with beautifully packaged handwash-and-balm duos (both in 500-millilitre bottles). Buddha Wood is an earthy, woody option, while Lillypilly contains refreshing hints of eucalyptus and tea-tree oil. (There’s also a gift pack for the same price with a body cleanser and lotion.) Each set comes with a beautiful blank card with a photo by Bondi-based photographer Rosie English, and a reusable drawstring cotton bag.
leifproducts.com
Detox kit from Grown Alchemist – $120
The brothers behind local skincare label Grown Alchemist believe beauty comes from skin that’s functioning at its best, and they champion products with more natural ingredients and fewer chemicals than many others. This kit includes a deep-cleansing mask, a toner, an oil-free serum and magnesium bath salts, so mum’s skin can take a little holiday (until she can take one herself). Hopefully this’ll be the only Covid-19 Mother’s Day, so consider going all-out and adding some hand sanitiser ($55 for 500 millilitres).
grownalchemist.com/au
A stylish stability ball by Esfera Designs – $129
Stability balls – great for your core strength, not so great aesthetically. Sydney-based Esfera Designs felt there was a middle ground, creating a fabric-covered option that encourages good posture and an activated core but also looks good in the office or at home. Mum can use it at her desk, watching TV or for exercise. The material is 100 per cent polyester, so can be machine-washed, and there’s a nifty sewn-in handle that makes it easy to carry from room to room (plus there’s a ring at the bottom of the ball that keeps it from rolling).
esferadesigns.com.au
At-home facial from Little Company – $199
Little Company is a day spa that’s all about helping us learn about our own skin, and how we can better look after it with natural and Australian products. Help mum find a new, less-is-more beauty routine with an at-home facial pack. It includes a 20-minute skin consultation, after which a suite of products – designed just for mum and enough for four facials – will be mailed out.
littlecompany.com.au
A “Comforting Moment” gift set from The Memo – $199
A soft linen robe from In Bed would be, by itself, an excellent gift. Add to that a body scrub by Australian skincare label Ena Body and a room spray from Milligram, and you’ve given mum an at-home day-spa moment. All of The Memo’s Mother’s Day sets also come with a “feel good bonus card” – so you can offer mum something money can’t buy, redeemable now (a few extra Facetimes) or at a later, less socially-distant date (a hug). For a gift set that’s less than $50, we love the Smooth Night In pack for $45, which comes with an Ena Body salt scrub and an Australian handmade candle by Black Blaze.
thememo.com.au
A Broadsheet Edition photo print – from $220
A turquoise pool beside swirling sea caps. An intriguing moment at a marble bar. An unexpected winter sunset. Broadsheet Editions features almost 100 works – spanning landscapes, portraiture, candid snaps and travel imagery – by some of our favourite Australian photographers. The images are sourced from Broadsheet’s archives as well as the artists’ own, and whatever your mum’s personal style, there’ll be a striking image she’ll love that’ll transport her somewhere else – something that’s especially compelling right now. Each print is made to order using gallery-grade materials. Frames are made with locally sourced, sustainable Australian hardwood and museum-grade plexiglass. Unframed prints begin at $220 and framed prints begin at $350, shipping included.
broadsheet.com.au
Monochrome stripe silk shirt and pant set from Maison Essentiele – from $399.95
Inspired by the designer’s grandmother’s vintage nighties and robes, this Aussie label makes luxe, 100 per cent silk sleepwear. Think loose-fitting shorts, roomy boyfriend-style pyjamas and curve-hugging slips. The striped silk shirt and pant set has a satin finish, with pearly buttons up top. If the striped look isn’t your mum’s bag, this set also comes in ivory, black and aqua (the latter trimmed with ostrich feathers).