What would make your perfect Mother's Day? When I had my fourth baby I was lucky enough to be surrounded by amazing people. Friends that gave me gifts that I will always treasure and will try to replicate for my friends when the appropriate time arises. These gifts were not bought, but given with love and time - the kind of presents that your children and other halves can maybe repeat. 

So perhaps stick this list up somewhere obvious in the lead up to Mothering Sunday...

#1 Time – holding the baby and entertaining the children for an hour so you can have a bath, a nap, a meal or just time to read a book in peace, or if I'm more realistic a trashy celeb mag as the brain doesn't necessarily let you read a good novel 'just like that'!

#2 Food – a homemade meal. You can not live off beans on toast forever. There are some brilliant recipes easy enough for children to concoct, maybe with a little help from an adult! Or if a whole meal is pushing it a little, then what about lemon drizzle cake or flapjacks? Both will give you a warm fuzzy feeling.

#3 Doing the School Run the day after Mother's Day – taking your children to school or nursery so you don't have to get dressed and leave the house at ridiculous o'clock is such a treat. You can stay in your pjs until pick up time! (and eat another slice of drizzle cake...)

#4 Pairing socks and sticking a wash on – the tediousness of the laundry can really get you down. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a few washes were miraculously done and put away over a weekend? Or sheets changed on the beds – there's nothing quite like slipping into a clean bed...

#5 In the same vein: sparkling clean bathrooms! Cleaning the loo has got to be one of the most revolting jobs mums have to undertake. Especially if you have little boys. Enough said there.

#6 A chat - It's really hard for mums to not be mums for half an hour. Meeting with an old friend for a good girlie chat, not one that revolves around the children's school reports or rugby team, but a laugh and lots of “OMG”s and “No Way”s!

#7 Appreciation - All those other things that a mum does from day to day (booking appointments to the dentist, doctor, optician, walking the dog, food shopping, school forms, fancy dress costumes...) A lovely 'Thank You' means so much.