Typecast

When Mum was alive I made a special effort to keep in touch with her regularly because we lived in different towns. A recent study by Sainsburys Mobile  found that the average woman will spend the equivalent of two months of her life chatting on the phone to her mum.   You know I love a few good statistics so here's what the research found: Women make an average of three calls a week to their mum  with each conversation lasting just over 16 minutes.  Incredibly, more than one in ten ring their mum at least once a day (some admit that their conversations last at least half an hour each time they pick up the phone).  Poor old dad is treated to just one phone call a week, lasting less than seven minutes a time - that's probably when he picks up the phone, has a quick chat, then passes it to mum... This study of 2,000 women found that in an average week, they will speak to a friend, relative or work colleague on the phone fourteen times, with each of ...

Are annual celebration days a bit cliqué or are  you constantly surprised by the attention you receive from your loved ones?  We are all a bit traditional in this family with it comes to gifts to commemorate occasions such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Easter and, as this infographic shows, we're not the only ones.   Have a read through of the fun facts and tell me if you're a stickler for tradition or whether you break the boundaries and amaze your family with thoughtful and unusual gifts   Or, dare I say it, do we spend too much on specific days to show our love when we should be saying it every day.  Let me know in the comments.   View full image This is a sponsored post. Please see my disclosure policy for more details.

Sometimes... just for a split second, I move to pick up the phone to call Mum with some news about the family, what I’m doing at work or just for a little cry.  But then I stop. I get used to her not being here but then something reminds me of her and I feel guilty for going such a long time without the memories.  There is so much I could say about her and then I’m lost for words. I want her patience and wisdom.    She is my inspiration and my guide.   Today is a celebration in her memory.

With Mothers Day approaching so quickly everyone begins to panic about what gifts they can buy their mothers this year. For most people they find that they end up buying the same present each year for their mothers and therefore want this year to be different, to buy something that is extra special and thoughtful. The top 5 gifts for Mother’s Day can vary each year, but the number one gift for everyone seems to be flowers. With a wide variety of flowers available, from the humble daffodil to the more exotic orchid, choosing flowers is a safe choice that will be guaranteed to bring a smile. The second top gift to buy is clothing; a woman can never have too many clothes. Of course this can be risky if you do not know the type of clothes that your mother would like or her size, but if you do, this is a great gift idea for you.  Candles and bath essentials are always popular and make the third top gift this mothers day. This is a usual gift for boys to buy thei...

We all know what I think about Mother's Day  and I've written before how life is hard without Mum here to run things by.  It doesn't matter who the matriarchal figure in our life is but what is important is that we ensure that we value the work that the mum-figure in our life does for us.  I've been taking part in a debate about how we reward our Mums over on Parentdish .  You've still got time to vote in that debate (as long as you're voting for my viewpoint) which includes the chance to win a trip to a spa!!  Click the banner image to find out more. MoneySupermarket.com have pulled together this infographic which (according to survey results) puts a monetary figure on the work of a mum.  I'd say we're worth much more than this... priceless, in fact. This infographic is featured content and was supplied by moneysuperermarket.com For more details please see my disclosure policy

This post has been written as part of a debate with  Maggie from Red Ted Art and Laura from Littlestuff .   We're inviting you to vote on your favourite viewpoint of Mother's Day over at Parentdish .   Full voting details are at the end of the post.