From bandaging banged-up knees to helping you with your homework, your mom has been there for the big — and small — moments of your life. This Sunday, treat her to some well-deserved R&R. We’ve done all the legwork for you with our 2016 Mother’s Day Gift Guide. From retreats to luxurious milk + honey products, you can’t go wrong. We promise.
With Mother’s Day fast approaching, we asked some of our milk + honey partisans to share with us their favorite Mom-isms and memories. We love our Moms! Keep reading.
In my eight-year career as a licensed massage therapist, I have worked with a lot of mothers. From relaxing and ache-relieving prenatal work for expectant mothers, to women who are balancing a full plate of job responsibilities and child-rearing, to stay-at-home moms, those who are nursing newborns, coordinating their schedules around the school drop-off and pickup times, managing a household, fundraising, PTA-committed, and after-school ferrying to this lesson or that soccer team, the to-do list of a mother is literally endless.
Even when the kids grow up and move out on their own, it’s a lifelong bond that sustains throughout our whole lives. Beyond the day-to-day minutia and the emotional labor of mothering, there is so much that is culturally wrapped up in the archetype of “Mother.” And as human beings, we start to “should” on ourselves about what it is to be a mother. Not only do we try to measure up to what society dictates what motherhood is, we try to shoehorn that into our own identities, expectations of ourselves, and busy schedules. Being a mother can be an emotionally complex roller coaster ride: a constant dance of your child’s needs vs. your needs.
It can be very hard to justify self-care as a mother. There will always be something that your children need, and it is easy to prioritize those needs without a second thought. But at some point, because we are all finite human beings, our energy stores run low, and our giving power dwindles. There is a popular analogy I like to use in the treatment room with those who are mothers or caregivers: in the event of an emergency on an airplane, the oxygen masks are released from the upper compartment. You are always instructed to put the oxygen mask first over your own nose and mouth before attending to your children. Why is that? Because, as caregivers and mothers, if we cannot breathe first, we cannot help anyone else. Past a certain point, it can become nearly emotionally impossible.
Here’s hoping no one ever has to experience anything like the above scenario, literally or figuratively. And all of this is to say that self-care is, at the end of the day, just as crucial as the oxygen we breathe! So if this rings true for you, or if it’s bringing someone to mind whom you know and love that would benefit from some much-needed self-care, guess what? In celebration and support of mothers everywhere, milk + honey is offering exclusive Mother’s Day packages and specials. It’s one-stop shopping for services to help you or someone you love create a day of relaxation, love, and gratitude.
Contributor: Kelly M, one of our talented 2nd Street District massage therapists.
“I have a lot of great memories with my mom from as far back as my memory serves, but ultimately, I love being able to know her as an adult. I’ll always be her child, but now that we’re both adults, it’s nice to be able to enjoy a drink together and have mini adventures when she visits me in Austin! We’ve been able to paddle board, hike Pedernales Falls, swim in Hamilton Pool, and stroll through downtown. Plus, it’s always fun to see your mom let loose and enjoy a cocktail!” — Katie A., Arboretum Market manager (with her mom, at left)
“My mother has always been obsessed with creams! I remember her always have a tub of expensive cream on her night stand and a tub of high SPF sunscreen for the morning. Her skin is absolutely gorgeous, so I have learned to hydrate and protect! When I was about six or seven years old, she walked into her bedroom and saw me there by her night stand. I was so proud because I was using cream just like her — I used a whole jar of $100+ eye cream on my face!” — Alanah M., 2nd Street District assistant manager
“My mom is my BFF, and we have always been close. Growing up in Washington state, near the Puget Sound, was an incredible influence on me. My mom has always been active and loved nature, and tried to share that with me. We used to go on long hikes, see the waterfalls, and just talk. As a teenager, I thought I was humoring my mom — I was talking about my current crush, or what so-and-so did at school that week. The more I talked, the more we walked. We could spend half a day walking and hiking, and I wouldn’t even realize it. Looking back now, those are some of the most special moments I’ve shared with her. Now, I am a nature lover and will take a mountain, trail, or a waterfall over a mall any day. I didn’t realize then how special those walks would be, building trust and a solid relationship between us. She recently came to visit me here in Austin, and I was so excited to have someone to go hiking with! We drove out to Dripping Springs and visited Hamilton Pool Nature Preserve. I loved sharing some Texas nature and impressing her with the beauty of the pools. We hiked half the day, talked, and bonded just like we used to. I miss those times, and appreciate that she influenced me to love nature as much as I do. And I even taught her how to take a selfie. :)” — Teresa S., Hill Country Galleria manager
“My mom’s best beauty advice? Wear your sunscreen every day. She looks 15 years younger than her age, and to this day, I wear sunscreen every single day!” — Summer L., general manager (with her mom, above)
“Even at the height of my experimental makeup phase — we’re talking bright blue glitter eyeshadow and too-dark lip liner — my mom held her ground. She’d always advocate for ‘less is more,’ which didn’t appeal to me then, but now, I couldn’t agree with her more. And while she’s obviously biased, it’s nice to know that she has always loved me for who I am, and not how I look from the outside.” — Marisa T., marketing manager
