The HerKentucky Mother's Day Gift Guide
Gifts mom will actually love!
While we've been busy planning Derby and Cinco de Mayo and all the early May events, y'all did remember that Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 14th, right?
I'm sure you did, but here are a few absolutely great ways to celebrate your mama!
Elva Fields Earrings
Emily Maynard, the designer and owner of Elva Fields, is a dear friend of mine and one of the most compassionate, creative, cool ladies I've ever met. She's also an incredible mama to two darling girls. So, when Emily sets out to make a Mother's Day present, I know it's going to be something special. These earrings from Elva Fields are so lovely, y'all. They're just the kind of understated, everyday earrings that make a fantastic present. Even better, by purchasing these earrings, you're making a difference in the Louisville community. A portion of each purchase of this style will be donated to one of these three charities (you get to choose!): The Cabbage Patch, a 106-year-old organization that reaches at-risk families and youth through recreational, educational, and service-based programs and opportunities from tutoring, mentoring, after-school classes, scholarships, and much more; Kentucky Refugee Ministries, which provides resettlement services to refugees through faith- and agency-based co-sponsorship in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into the community; or The Healing Place, which reaches men and women suffering from drug and alcohol addiction through one of the nation's most effective and hopeful programs, providing tools for recovery and restoring productive lives. They're a fantastic little thank you to your mom for raising you right.
Lilly Pulitzer Scarf
I'm guessing that you and your mom share at least a bit of your personal style. My mom shares my love for bright Lilly Pulitzer prints, and I find that a scarf like this one is the right little pop of color to share as a gift.
Draper James Trinket Tray
A trinket tray in a bright pattern is an adorable way to brighten Mom's day every day of the year. The Mother Knows Best pattern is adorable, but my very favorite is the You Are My Sunshine tray!
Anchal Project Makeup Pouches
These makeup/ accessory pouches are soooo gorgeous, y'all. Anchal Project is such an amazing company based here in Louisville. They employ women in India, many of whom formerly were exploited through commercial sex work, as designers and artisans who recycle the material old saris into scarves, quilts, and small dry goods. The designs are stunning, and the story of female empowerment is so inspiring.
Shop Local Kentucky Tees
photo courtesy Shop Local Kentucky.
For the mom with a sense of humor, "Kentucky's Okayest Mom" is the best title ever. Shop Local Kentucky has a tee that offers up that title.
Now y'all have absolutely no excuses for sending Mom an extra-special gift!
Kentucky Born and Bred
For Sarah Stewart Holland, it was important that her sons got the right start in life -- as Kentuckians.
Sarah Stewart Holland of bluegrass redhead first published this essay on HerKentucky in 2012. She has since added a third son to her family; he is also a proud Kentuckian! -- Heather
Recently, I was talking to two close friends about birth options in the Louisville area. Apparently, most women who would like to give birth with the assistance of a midwife and avoid an increased risk of medical intervention take the bridge across the river to Indiana.
"That's not an option for me," I told them.
"Why not," my friend asked.
"Because my child has to be born in Kentucky."
They insisted that their children were still Kentuckians really. They argued it doesn't really matter where you were born.
Maybe for some but not for me.
Both of my children are ninth-generation Kentuckians. For over two hundred years, almost every branch of my family tree has grown tall and strong in the fertile soil of Western Kentucky. Kentucky is in my blood.
There is something poetic and important about knowing you took your first breath on the same land as generations of your ancestors. There's a reason I get angry at Illinois - the supposed Land of Lincoln. Your land is where you were born and Abraham Lincoln was born IN KENTUCKY. (Mitch McConnell wasn't. Draw your own conclusions.)
Kentucky Born & Breaded Onesie via Kentucky for Kentucky.
I know it might seem silly or antiquated but I do believe there is a certain magic to the place of your birth. Not that you can't make another place your home. I first visited Washington, DC, when I was in middle school and my best friend remembers me saying dreamily, "I want to live here one day." And I did. And it will always hold a very special place in my heart.
But where Washington, DC might hold a little piece of real estate there, Kentucky has taken over every remaining crevice and corner like kudzu.
Deep down, I hope the state holds the same draw for my boys. I want them to grow and explore and travel all over the world but then - if I'm being honest - I'd like them to come home. Every time someone asks where they are from or where they were born I hope the answer draws them closer.
"I was born in Kentucky."
~ Sarah Stewart Holland
{As always, any political opinions expressed on a post belong to the individual contributor; HerKentucky, LLC does not endorse any political candidate.}