Sending gifts to your Mum on Mother’s Day
In the UK, Mother’s Day is held on the fourth Sunday of Lent; exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday – it usually falls in the second half of March / early April. Mother's Day 2018 lands on Sunday 11th March.
Why not surprise and delight your mum this Mother's Day by sending her a meaningful gift in the post. You can also get 10% off our Extra Small and Small UK parcel delivery service between 1st March and the 9th March 2018 with code: MUMS10.
There are plenty of options for more heartfelt gifts that also provide a departure from the norm – so why not try to go a little ‘extra’ this year – and see how impressed she is.
Mother's Day last posting dates
To ensure your gift arrives on time, please take a look at our last posting dates for sending in the UK or Internationally.
UK deliveries*:
You can send up until 9th March and still get your parcel delivered in time for Mother's Day. Please note that you must select 'Saturday service' from within the booking form.
International deliveries*:
2nd March - Australia, New Zealand
5th March - Canada, China
6th March - USA, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands
7th March - Germany
For all other countries, please use our quick quote for estimated delivery days.
*Please note that bookings need to be made at least 24 hours in advance of the collection date listed in the table and below. All dates are based on our Air/Express service. When sending to non-EU countries, these times do not include delays that may be possible for Customs clearance.
First things first - not all Mother’s Days are the same
Well, of course they’re not, but in this case we mean around the world – so if you live in the UK but your mum lives in the
US,
Canada or
Australia, you’ll need to send your greetings and gifts in May – while October is the month for mums in
Malawi,
Belarus and
Argentina – so if you don’t already know, make sure you check when Mother’s Day is celebrated where your mum lives.
When is Mother’s Day?
Along with the UK, the countries that follow the fourth Sunday of Lent rule include
Ireland, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Jersey and
Nigeria.
Perfume for Mother’s Day
Perfume is a tried and tested favourite on Mother's Day, often featuring in the arsenal of gift-givers. It needn't be predictable, however, with just a little creativity and looking further than the local pharmacy.
For example, there are a number of perfumeries on the market which allow people to design their own scents from scratch. You needn't be an expert either, as doing so is easier than it may appear, thanks to handy guides on 'top notes', 'middle notes' and 'base notes' which can all be tweaked to create a fragrance that’s both beautiful and original. Create a scent that isn't too much of a departure from Mum's favourite (to alleviate risk), with the end product a little different in the process.
Note that perfume is on the ipostparcels
prohibited items list – and many countries don’t allow perfumes through customs, no matter what the size – so you’ll need to have it sent directly from the supplier, or take it to her personally if you chose to give perfume.
Mother’s Day chocolate gifts
Another Mother's Day staple, chocolate can also be gifted in a way that doesn't look like it was the final box on the shelf, picked up in a last-minute dash.
Buy a box of chocolates that comes emblazoned with a photograph; perhaps of the gift-giver with their Mum or a personalised message to her. Alternatively, individual letters can be purchased to spell out a specific message, or a slab of chocolate can be iced with a unique message, often free of charge. Small touches maybe, but ones which make all the difference on the day.
Note that chocolate in original and unopened packaging can usually be sent via ipostparcels, but some countries don’t allow food of any kind to be imported through customs. We advise you check our page on sending food and drink in the post and the information for the specific country you’re planning to send to before booking your parcel with us.
Giving flowers to Mum
The last of the ‘big three’ Mother's Day gifts is of course, flowers. Just as with perfume and chocolates – they can be given a much more sincere twist by simply moving away from the tried-and-tested bouquet.
A great way of doing this could be to purchase a bouquet of roses that share a name with their Mum. There are ready-made kits on offer for those who want to name a new rose, but that's not the only option. Many roses have already been given feminine names, so a quick search is likely to provide just what you need. Then, a Jean, Helen, Susan, Christine – and many others - can receive a floral gift that's immeasurably more thought-out than a garage forecourt bunch of carnations.
Note that flowers and bouquets can usually be sent throughout the UK with ipostparcels, but some countries don’t allow any plants of any kind to be imported through customs. We advise you check our page on
restricted and prohibited items, as well as the information for the specific country you’re planning to send to before booking your parcel.
Sending your Mum jewellery for Mothers Day
Mother's Day jewellery needn't start and end at a new necklace or pair of earrings. Instead, a more heartfelt gift may come in the form of a 'Russian ring', which is made up of two (or more) rings that intertwine to symbolise a constant, never ending bond. Russian rings can then be worn on the fingers or around the neck attached to a necklace.
Those really looking to push the boat out could even get the rings engraved with their Mum's name and their own, to make the gift even more personal.
Note that jewellery can usually be sent throughout the UK with ipostparcels, depending on the value of the item. Remember though, some countries don’t allow any precious metals or stones of any kind to be imported through customs, so we recommend you check our page on
restricted and prohibited items, as well as the information for the specific country you’re planning to send to before booking with us.
Giving the gift of beauty for Mother’s Day
Often, mums prioritise the needs of everyone else before themselves, which means they sometimes go without the pampering they might really deserve.
Sending some of her favourite cosmetics, lotions or skin care products can seem like an easy option, but will usually be very well received for Mother’s Day.
You might also like to think a little further on from this – especially with the
restrictions on sending cosmetics and liquids through the mail – and spoil her with a luxury facial, manicure, pedicure or massage from her favourite salon. Or go all out and book her a Spa Day for two so she can enjoy it with her bestie; she might even take you along!
Experience Days for Mum
Experience days have become hugely popular in recent years, so much so, that packages can be easily picked up from many retailers on the high street as well as online; there are dozens of companies offering experiences of all kinds and budgets. This has the added impact of being a gift likely to be remembered for years to come - the opportunity to go hot air ballooning, rally car driving, afternoon tea or even a comedy night will not only be great fun on the day, but something to look back on fondly.
Sending a voucher or gift card loaded with an experience day is easy as can be with ipostparcels; just remember to make sure you cover the true value of the gift when booking your parcel. UK cover is free for articles valued up £25 but can be increased as required.
Photography gifts for Mother’s Day
New technologies mean that deciding how to have photographs printed stretches much further than just 6x4 or 7x5. Now, it's possible to get images on fridge magnets, box canvases, mugs, placemats and more. Seeing as most photos are taken on digital devices these days, it can be a lovely surprise for Mums to get their hands on physical copies – she’d probably love to be able to see you every day, and this way she can!
Most of these ideas are fairly robust and so can be sent without worry through ipostparcels; just remember to make sure you package the items well –
see our helpful tips on packaging here – to ensure they arrive safely.
Mother’s Day gifts for book lovers
Buying Mum a book can be a bit of a risk at the best of times. Whilst everyone has their favourite genre, it’s sometimes difficult to say if she'll enjoy the book you choose, or hasn't already read it. That's not to say books should be avoided altogether, especially if your mum is a big fan of a particular series that you know has a new volume coming out, but there are alternative routes to take.
For example, gift-givers who know their Mum's all-time favourite book may be able to purchase a framed print of its cover to be hung on the wall. Most of the classics have been rendered this way, so if her favourite book is a well-known one, chances are it should be easy enough to find. Other options include the 'Spineless Classics', which print the entire text of a well-known book onto a single poster, wrapping this text around a shape which plays a central role in the book.
Gardening gifts for Mother’s Day
For green-fingered Mums, something for the garden could go down very well indeed. It could also be emblematic to really make the gift a thoughtful one.
The appropriately named roses gift idea noted above could be a good start, or perhaps a sapling that will one day grow into a full-sized tree. Other options include growing flowers, plants or herbs which could be used later on down the line in craft or cooking. Maybe a strawberry plant including a promise to use the harvested fruits to make a jam once they are ripe.
As with flowers and bouquets, living plants can usually be sent throughout the UK network with ipostparcels, with careful packaging, obviously! But some countries don’t allow any botanicals of any kind to be imported through customs. We advise you check our page on
restricted and prohibited items, as well as the information for the specific country if you’re planning to send internationally before booking your parcel with us.
Wine for Mother’s Day
Another old favourite gift for mum is wine, conveniently bulking out the flowers or chocolates with a bottle of vino. As this can be picked up at any supermarket or corner shop though, it sometimes looks impersonal or even indifferent. Instead, with a little effort and forward-planning, gift-givers can instead brew their own special batch of wine for their Mums.
Starter kits are easy to come by and can be infinitely customisable – according to preference. So for a Mum that loves raspberries, they can be added during the brewing stage for something really different from the norm. Be careful though, as fruits contain sugar which is what's turned into alcohol during fermentation, so watch out you don’t make it over-proof! Adding a home-made label to the bottle can finish the whole thing off with a flourish.
Unfortunately, alcohol is on the
ipostparcels prohibited items list – and many countries don’t allow it through customs either – so you’ll need to deliver it personally if you plan on sending mum something alcoholic, or if you’re ordering a tipple online, have it shipped to her directly.
No matter what you think is going to suit the lady in your life you think of as mum, all of these suggestions should illustrate one key point: even some of the more common Mother's Day gifts can be tweaked and reworked to make them much more personal and heartfelt. There’s no need to spend hundreds of pounds on your Mum to make an impact, just give it a little thought and preparation in advance.
Related information: