It’s that time of year where everyone offers up their version of a Mother’s Day Gift Guide. While I appreciate the intentions and I know they are just trying to be helpful, they are usually way off the mark.

Case in point, this list for the “Deep In It Mom” from Goop. I’m not calling out Goop just to call out Goop, in fact I really appreciate the wide range of price points on gifts for Mom. However, as soon as I saw the spirializer I about lost it. This particular Mother’s Day list is for the mom who is “in the thick of it and going a million miles an hour, meaning that it’s the little luxuries—many with a stress-busting, life-simplifying bent—that will help her to take a breath and slow it the eff down.” A spiralizer is as opposite as you can get. Have you ever used one? There’s a million pieces and then you have to clean them all. If you have the handheld one, you’re taking off a nail or knuckle in the process. When I have a super busy day the last thing I want to do when I get home is get out the spirializer and make veggie noodles. Seriously.

Here’s the thing. No matter if your kid gets out the crayons and scribbles a picture or if you scour every Mother’s Day give guide, mom will appreciate the thought. But the list of what a busy mom (especially a busy mom with young kids) truly wants for Mother’s Day is pretty short.

All mom really wants is one of two things:

1. Meaningful time with her family. That she doesn’t have to plan.
2. Time alone, completely by herself. The whole day.

Want to have the kids make mom breakfast in bed? Want to take mom out to for a lovely brunch? Fabulous! But please do the before and after work too. Clean up the kitchen. Wash and put away all of the dishes used to make mom the super sweet breakfast. Heading out? Make the reservation way ahead of time. Then go a step further and make sure she can spend the morning drinking a mimosa and not worrying about the teeth brushing, hair brushing, and adorable outfit picking out and wrestling kids into said outfit.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my family more than anything. But want to know what sounds like the best Mother’s Day in the world to me? A day alone. In a fancy hotel with room service and mimosas. Bonus points for spa services. Why a day alone in a fancy hotel? I don’t have to make the bed, pick up after myself, do the laundry, shop for the food, make the food, or do the dishes. It’s just one day but sometimes mom needs a break from all the mom stuff.

On Mother’s Day, let mom truly have the day off. She will be rested, refreshed, and good to go until next Mother’s Day!

Fellow Moms with young kiddos – what is on your Mother’s Day wish list? Is one of these on yours??

…{NOTE: sparkly tasteful jewelry is always good too}