This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CelebrateAmazingMoms #CollectiveBias
I’ve got a thing for moms.
I think moms are some of the most amazing, brave, inspiring, selfless human beings around. There are a lot of different kinds of moms, but I have a thing for one kind in particular.
Single moms.
Any time I am babysitting, I think… what if this was my life? What if I was the sole caretaker and provider for these children? What if every day looked like this with no break and no other person to share the responsibility?
Whoa.
So when we talk about celebrating amazing moms, I think of single moms. Two in particular.
One of my friends took custody of her cousin’s daughter when she was in need of a stable home. She went from living a very spontaneous and adventure-filled life to being the surrogate, single mom of a very sassy little girl. There was no baby shower to prepare her, no established history of discipline or experience.. just Anna and the child. I have watched her cry and brag and laugh about what her life looks like now, and I am so proud of her for giving up what was her “normal” life so that a child could experience one.
Another one of my friends is a single mom of a 4-year-old and a 1-year-old. Her 4-year-old girl is fighting cancer. A few weeks ago I got to see all of them, and I carried her kids around. She told me I could put them down if my arms got tired, but I kept thinking…Â if I could have carried her, I would have. What a brave life she is living. She had the baby shower and has the history, but still her life requires so much strength. I am so proud of Annie.
They’re the ones I think of when it comes to amazing moms. American Greetings has a treasure chest of ideas to celebrate amazing moms this Mother’s Day. Â I decided to make them little purse emergency kits. I wanted them to know that I am thinking about them, I love their children, and I’m in their corner!
I collected things that I thought they could use and need at any given moment and I came up with this list:
- All-purpose wipes
- tissues
- Fruit Snacks
- a small box of crayons
- a first aid kit
- stain remover wipes
- hand sanitizer
- lotion (for mom!)
- Dove promise mint chocolates (for mom!)
I stopped by Walmart to pick up the supplies I would need, and while I was there I grabbed some American Greetings cards and gift packaging. I loved that there were options that celebrated ALL moms – I found two brilliant, beautiful cards for my friends.
After I bought the items, cards and packaging, I laid everything out, grabbed two travel-size bags and stuffed them. I made sure to top them off with the Dove promise chocolates because my guess is that if they were needing to grab anything else, they could also use a piece of chocolate first.
The most important part of the whole thing, in my opinion, were the cards. The bags were cool, but I wanted to make sure I was filling them with encouragement and support, love and bravery. I picked the cards out very special to each one, and wanted to make sure they were aware of how much I admired them.
Once the cards were done, it was time to package them. One of the women lives a few miles away, but the other one lives all the way in Idaho! Hers obviously is being packaged with a bubble envelope, but the other one was wrapped in fun American Greetings tissue paper and put in a beautiful bag.
I can’t wait to let these wonderful single moms know how proud of them I am and to make sure they are fully and rightfully celebrated this Mother’s Day. Even though I am not a mom myself, I have always worked with children and know that the business of raising human beings is no joke. It can be tireless and thankless, so they need to be reminded of their strength and bravery.
Since most of us know multiple moms that deserve celebration, be sure to check out a Walmart.com offer for $2 off a $5 American Greetings purchase and don’t forget to visit the other great Mother’s Day ideas from American Greetings.
You can also take a quiz and see what kind of mom you are! I’m not a mom, but I took it anyway and I am apparently a Health and Wellness mom. What kind of mom are you and what amazing moms are you celebrating this year?
Wow, these mamas definitely sound like they deserve a treat. Good for you.
One (of the manyyyy!) thing(s) I love about you is that you see the marginalized. I can’t remember what other post had me like, “wow I never think of that,” but this one definitely struck that chord with me again. Moms who do it all on their own without a spouse? I don’t know how they do it (except through God’s grace!). This is so tough! And especially the circumstances you mentioned for these women.
Also, you have a beautiful knack for writing authentic sponsored posts without sounding (or being!) a sellout. You’re the best.
What a beautiful way to celebrate these moms – and especially single moms! {client}