Mother’s Day Wish List

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. And what a lovely idea it is, Mother’s Day—a day to acknowledge all the hard work, trials, tribulations, and immeasurable love of mothers everywhere. Although I know my husband and children will try really hard to do the cooking and cleaning for a day, let me sleep, and shower me with handmade tokens of their appreciation, I’d be willing to bet that I still will be out of bed by 7:00 A.M., breaking up fights over a pink toothbrush and finding the “right” bowl for my kids to eat breakfast out of on that Sunday morning. And I am grateful to have the opportunity to do it. I love my family and my role within the chaos, and although I certainly need a day off from time to time like anyone else, I also can appreciate how many dishes are dirtied in the creation of a single breakfast in bed. In an attempt to save everyone a lot of hassle this year, I have created the following list for my husband and daughters. Please feel free to share it with your loved ones as well.

This year for Mother’s Day I want a happy and healthy family, good friends, and maybe a little time to breathe. But, if you are really feeling the urge to put something in a box for me, make it Mom Jewelry. More accurately: more Mom Jewelry, for my small but special collection.

What is Mom Jewelry, you ask? I will define it as an accessory that also serves as commemoration of one’s motherhood, often with a symbol of one’s child or children.  

These days I rarely wear any jewelry at all, as can be proven by the way my daughters stare in awe and grasp at it on the rare occasion I don any. Usually, my telltale “I’m a mom” accessories are stickers, princess Band-Aids, or mystery stains. But, with some stylish Mom Jewelry I can flaunt my love for my children in a cleaner, less sticky way. Big Sister loves to touch my necklaces and loooves to read her and her sister’s names on them. It makes getting ready for the occasional date night special for her too, since she feels like at least her name gets to come along.

The following is only a small sample of all the amazing stuff that’s out there, and these are very much my style, so I apologize if certain styles are underrepresented. I tend to lean toward jewelry that is as fitting with a tee-shirt as it is with a little black dress. And I love wearing jewelry that also has meaning, as if it justifies the frivolity somehow! And so, here is my Mother’s Day Mom Jewelry wish list (for this year, at least):

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HOT MAMA by JillianBDesigns ($40)

I love this piece for a number of reasons. It is simple and classy, and the textured sterling silver square disk adds a touch of funkiness. I like the sentiment too—for the times I am feeling like a hot mama, it will match my mood, and for the times I’m covered in yogurt and princess stickers, the irony will make me smile and remind me that I am still a hot mama.

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MOTHER DAUGHTER BUTTERFLY by Carrie Saxl ($88)

I love the concept of this necklace: the “daughter” necklace is created out of the “mother” necklace. (And they do take it out of us, am I right?!) There is something poetic about the negative and positive shapes creating a whole piece together but standing beautiful on their own, shaped and shaping the other. The butterfly is also a favorite of mine; I like to see it as an embodiment of the beauty found within inevitable change.

The lovely sentiment on the card reads: “Butterflies. Flowers that fly and all but sing.” —Robert Frost

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BIRDS AND LETTER LEAVES by Sparrows Trove ($30, which includes two leaves)

I love bird motifs. Always have, always will. The personalization available on the leaves makes this necklace an excellent gift for a parent of two—twins or one at a time—as each leaf can represent a bud off the ol’ family tree, watched over by the parent birds.

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TREE WITH BIRTHSTONE by Vintage Stamp Jewels ($32, which includes one crystal)

Sometimes I want to represent my children without giving too much information away. Using birthstones instead of names or initials preserves some of the mystery while still keeping my children close to my heart. The tree symbolizes family, and you could even go beyond the representation of children and include stones for other family members as well.

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STACKING RINGS by HipMomJewelry ($23 per band)

I think these look cool. For now, I have only two kids. But it would be easy to add another ring to my finger, right? If only adding a third kid could be so simple!

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STELLA & DOT by Christina Welch

My sister-in-law introduced me to Stella & Dot when I had my first baby. I think it was my first piece of Mom Jewelry, and I was hooked. I like the mix-and-match option and the way it is easy to “layer” necklaces. Charms and engravables allow for a million variations (I didn’t actually do the math, so “a million” is a rough estimate). Adding a charm or even a necklace to your collection can be an easy way to update, whether adding a new family member or simply changing favorite colors.

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PANDORA CHARMS ($20–$770)

I never had a charm bracelet growing up, but I always coveted one. As an adult I must have put the vibe out there to the universe because I am now the happy owner of two PANDORA charm bracelets. I use one for each daughter, with their corresponding initials and birthstones (when they give me charms I add them to the respective bracelet). I like the PANDORA style of charms: not too jangly, but still playful. Another perk? You can actually let the kids choose the charm and, because of the eclectic nature of the piece, a totally strange choice won’t mess it up! The Santa Bear works just as well as a Mother’s Day Heart charm. The more random, the better! And the meaning comes from the thought of the child. Adorable. Learn more about PANDORA and our upcoming event, as well as a giveaway here!

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HANDMADE ($3 or maybe $4 for the chain and leather lanyard; the rest was found in my garage and under my sink!)

I love when my daughter comes home from school with a necklace she has made for me. It truly melts my heart, and I wear it immediately and for the rest of the day. However, painted pasta and plastic butterfly beads only match veeeeery few items in my closet, so I thought I’d seek out a DIY necklace that my one- and three-year-olds could accomplish without it necessarily looking like a preschooler made it. And here is my find: washer necklaces. A quick search on the Internet will prove that there is a variation for every age and skill level, and even my 18-month-old daughter had a blast making these.

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I had the girls (carefully!) use nail polish to decorate metal washers of different sizes. The more polish globbed on, the better it looked when dry. We did the second side the next day. When everything was dry I looped a couple of them on a lanyard, and voila! Something I might actually wear out of the house.

My alternate version used embroidery floss to bind a washer. I let my daughter choose the color, so pink it is! This took a little more in the way of fine motor skills, so I ended up doing most of it, but it would be great for an older child. There is also a seemingly infinite number of options to bind your washer: string, twine, fabric strips, washi tape, and so on.

I like this washer craft because it can be done by almost anyone! I think the resulting jewelry might even be able to pass for something I got at a craft show.

I will now forward this list to my husband, and maybe print out a copy to place under his pillow. Feel free to share with your loved ones, or make a list of your own! I wish you all a wonderful Mother’s Day. May your Mom Jewelry shine brightly, and may your heart be full of love![hr]

These pieces of jewelry were selected because of their uniqueness. We reached out to each of the jewelers to see if they might want to participate in a giveaway…..and they did! We are so excited to be offering these giveaways from some of these jewelers!

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Jessica
Jess was born in Florida but also lived in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and, finally, in Los Angeles, before moving to San Antonio. She was in the last semester of a graduate program in English Literature when she found out she was pregnant with her first daughter. (Which means, gentle reader, she finished her studies with neither coffee nor wine! Be amazed!) Jess and her husband, a San Antonio native, have since welcomed their second daughter. In her previous lives, Jessica has been a college professor, an actor, and a restaurant manager. She is currently enjoying turning her obsession with taking pictures of her own children into a modest photography venture. You can check out some of her work at Mewborne Photography.

7 COMMENTS

  1. I love all of these. My favorites are the stacking rings, birds with letter leaves, and hot mama… and the stella and dot… Too many choices!

  2. So many to love, but here are my favs -STACKING RINGS by HipMomJewelry ($23 per band); HOT MAMA by JillianBDesigns ($40); BIRDS AND LETTER LEAVES by Sparrows Trove ($30, which includes two leaves) & MOTHER DAUGHTER BUTTERFLY by Carrie Saxl ($88)

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