By Kim Lenaghan

Take it from me, the way to your mum's heart on Mother's Day is not through the kitchen gadget - however useful or labour saving it might appear to you. Most mothers already feel they spend more time in the kitchen than they should, so it's probably a good start to think pampering rather than practical.

Bearing that in mind you could do a lot worse than to say it with flowers. Ok, so it's not the most original idea, but that doesn't mean to say the gesture won't be appreciated. There are numerous sites to choose from but you can't beat that old faithful Interflora, in delivery terms the martini of florists - any time, any place, anywhere. They have a special selection for Mother's Day ranging from a pretty hand tied bouquet of roses and carnations upwards to some rather more exotic, not to mention extravagant arrangements of lillies.

Then of course there are chocolates - surely the way to any mum's heart. If you want to push the boat out, not to mention the waistline, then log on to the site for Thorntons which is just mouthwateringly gorgeous. The great range of gifts include hampers of chocolates and rose champagne, the 'Rosewater Hatbox' with lots of lovely rose scented toiletries and a big chocolate heart or the 'Mother's Day Gift Pack' of Continental chocolates in a lilac heart shaped box accompanied by these fabulous little chocolate cups that spell out 'I Love Mum' - almost too pretty to eat...but not quite. Then there's my own, personal favourite - a year's supply of chocolate! Every month Thorntons will send your mum a new
confection appropriate to the season, from Easter eggs to after dinner mints. They all sound entirely delicious and you never know, if you're really good, your mum might even give you share.

And so, while she has her feet up anyway enjoying her chocs, what about a
year's subscription to her favourite BBC magazine. Food, gardening, homes,
antiques, history - whatever her interest there's a publication to match and, as with both the chocolates and the flowers, they can be sent straight to her door.

Perfume and toiletries are another popular choice. Check out the site for Woodruffs of Winchester who offer gifts in some lovely fragrance ranges ideal for mums. The old fashioned Crabtree & Evelyn products are really lovely and there is something very special about the traditional soaps, lotions and potions from Floris; with old fashioned names like 'Edwardian Bouquet', 'Lily of the Valley' and 'Rose Gernaium' they look as good as they smell in their distinctively different packaging. And if yours is a trendy mum, Woodruffs also feature a great range from Blooms whose 'Sole Mate' gift pouch for soothing and smoothing your parent's tired tootsies really is a fantastic treat and the sort of thing she'd never buy herself.

Perfume wise FragranceBay.com is hard to beat for designer smellies at
discounted prices - and they offer a free gift wrapping service. But if you are going to buy perfume it's important to know what your mum likes or uses; don't just guess or your gift could end up unused and gathering dust on the dressing table. Or what about vouchers for a spot of pampering at the local beauty salon or a trip to the hairdressers. Mind you, be careful how you phrase a gift like this - you don't want it to look like a suggestion she's looking rough and could do with a makeover!

Finally, you really could do a lot worse than breakfast in bed or a nice lunch out; just as long as on Mother's Day your mum feels special and knows that you think the world of her - and after all, it's the thought that counts.

Useful Web Sites

www.interflora.co.uk
www.thorntons.co.uk
www.handmadechocolates.co.uk
www.woodruffs.co.uk
www.BuyByPost.co.uk
www.FragranceBay.com

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