A homesteading Mama ain't your typical Mama. Instead of diamonds and pearls, most of us have our mind focused on seasonal produce, bountiful garden baskets, and the latest electric fence tester. Hence this top 10 gifts for a farm lovin' mama.
I know. I know. It's a pretty romantic life.
I've been secretly stashing away fun gift ideas for Mother's Day and Father's Day, both of which are right around the corner. And since I'm a homesteader, and a Mama thrice over, I feel extremely qualified to bring you my Top 10 Gift List for A Farm Lovin' Mama's Mothers Day.
You know, ahem, just in case someone (Stuart) decides to read this (read this Stuart!) and purchase any of the suggested items (buy them Stuart!) as a surprise for me on Mother's day (do it, Stu!). I am, after all, his baby Mama.
Top 10 Gifts For A Farm Lovin' Mama
1. A homemade breakfast.
Does that count as a gift? I think so.
Life on the farm, at least on our farm, includes a large daily breakfast prepared by yours truly. Oatmeal, eggs, bacon, fresh bread, biscuits, fruit, fritattas – the works. Every day. It's how we fuel our bodies for the work ahead! A homemade breakfast is, in my opinion, one of the simplest and kindest ways to show your appreciation for the lady who so often sets that warm plate in front of your sleepy face. And, let's face it, nothing says I LOVE YOU like bacon.
HERE ARE some delicious recipes that you can check out for inspiration.
2. A new pair of gardening gloves.
No one likes to squish cabbage worms with their bare hands. NO ONE.
Your farmin' Mama will most likely spend the next three to four months pouring over her vegetable garden – weeding, planting, tending, harvesting, preserving. Pamper the ‘ol work horses that she so relies on – her hands! I use these gloves and absolutely love them. They don't get all hot and sweat inside and they fit… wait for it… like a glove! Their not clunky like a lot of gardening gloves out there. It's like your working with your bare hands which is a huge bonus.
3. Fresh flowers.
For free. Or for purchase.
It just so happens that Mother's Day coincides with the blooming of my favorite flower – the lilac. When I worked as a florist, I always looked forward to this delicious smelling time of year. Fresh flowers brighten up a house in a way that is only matched by a sparkling kitchen and vacuum lines in the carpet. I try and keep a vase on hand always – primarily wildflowers plucked right from the hillside. When Georgia brings me a sweaty handful of grasses and weeds from the pasture, my heart melts. It doesn't have to be fancy. It does need to be thoughtful.
If traditional flowers are more your thing, check out this wonderful line of organic flowers which you can easily order online. So beautiful!
Or (this would be fun too!) order a wonderful flowering bush to plant on the farm! Fresh flowers for years to come. Which reminds me – I need to plant approximately 1,492 lilac bushes. Pronto.
4. BOGS.
And then, order a pair for yourself too.
If I could only have one homesteading “tool” in the entire world, it would probably be a good pair of BOGS. These are like no other farm work boots I've ever worn. They're so comfortable, like house shoes. They're incredibly resilient. Warm when they need to be warm. Cool when they need to be cool. I've been wearing mine every single day for the past two and a half years and though they look a little rough, they're still perfect. A new pair of easily slipped on BOGS garden clogs is on my Mother's Day list for the dozens of quick-trips-to-the-garden I take during the summer.
Every farm girl in the world should have a pair of BOGS. That is my mission.
5. Essential Oils.
You know us farmers tend to be down to earth.
And what a better way to celebrate that than with essential oils that can be used on the animals, around the house in cleaning products, diffused in the air to purify and freshen, and even rubbed on as perfume. I can't imagine our homestead without essential oils – they're a huge part of how life functions on the farm! From teat sprays to bubble baths to wounds, they're utilized for just about everything.
We only use the best essential oils here (after all, we value our health and our animal's health greatly!) which is why we stick to this brand of oils. You can read more about purchasing them HERE.
6. From Scratch. Or Family Table. Or Welcome to the Farm.
What kind of author would I be if I didn't suggest that you purchase my cookbook From Scratch or perhaps my cookbook Family Table, or hey, why not make it a trio and get Welcome to the Farm, too? They are such a fantastic gift for Mother's Day – the cookbooks are full of from-scratch, whole food recipes that are easy and don't take too much time to prepare (and Welcome to the Farm is loaded with how-to wisdom for homesteading). Us homesteaders love cookbooks and homesteading books.
Mama will love it. I promise.
Hear me out, now.
I know it seems a bit weird, but on the farm, you'll use a pocket knife approximately 58 times per day. Whether it's opening a bale of hay, cutting produce in the garden, or chasing off bugs, there's always a use for one! I constantly carry one in my apron pocket. Just because Mama is a girl doesn't mean she shouldn't have a knife. After all, she's out there with the best of 'em putting in her hard work on the farm. And a good knife is what you need 99% of the time. The other 1% is more coffee. HERE'S THE ONE I'm lusting after.
8. A new, clean, stainless steel bucket.
You know that farm Mama – she's always hauling slop to the pigs, milk from the barn, or feed to the chickens. And even though she's got a stash of approximately 19 buckets sitting on the porch at all times, it's hard to beat a new stainless steel milk pail. She'll be able to see her smiling reflection in it for at least 36 hours before it's dented and destroyed. Let her savor those few minutes of feeling like her life is in order and doesn't revolve around weather and manure. Please and thank you.
Preservation season is right around the corner, and most likely, the farm Mama in your life has been utilizing the same canning supplies since approximately 1962. I inherited my grandfathers, which I'm pretty sure were made 102 years ago. Their rusty and in need of some repair. Truthfully, part of my canner is held together with an old, metal coat hanger. Hence the reason a few new canning supplies are on my list! There's an array of canning supplies, but here are the basics:
– Reusuable canning lids (oh how I dream of the day!)
A few of these will really put the pep in her step as she stares at that thirty pounds of asparagus she just purchased from the roadside vendor with dreams of pickled product in her near future. Ahem.
10. Your words of encouragement and love. And other's too.
There's a reason that these farm Mamas slave over their stoves, gardens, and barnyards each day. It's for the people that they love. Meals are made with their children's tummies in mind. Animals are cared for selflessly. Husbands are encouraged, loved, fed, and clothed in clean clothes. There's no greater job for a homesteader than caring for her land, animals, and family. Take a few minutes to encourage her in the battle that she fights each day against dirt, bugs, exhaustion, and farming heartbreak.
If she's a reader, here's a few books that I've found particularly encouraging and helpful in this farming journey:
Mel
Agree completely – To all 10! I think I may forward this very post to my farm-loving hubby. Thanks Shaye – I always knew you had my back. 😉
Kristina Purvis
Confession: I was innocently looking through your list, got to #10, and clicked through to the book Animal Vegetable Miracle. And then I read the reviews, and then I bought it. It looked too good to pass up! I’m retaining this list for future reference btw, for ideas to spoil myself in the future!
Amy
My husband bought me raspberry bushes one year, (as he has unintentionally destroyed some in the past) and that would rate up there for me in the top 10.
Rose
Shaye. Shaye Shaye Shaye. I love you, but you’re wrong. THIS is the knife you REALLY want.
http://www.sogknives.com/everyday-carry/knives/vulcan-tanto.html
My beautiful, fantastic, gloriously perfect husband bought this knife for me a couple of years back and it is THE. BEST. pocket knife ever in existence so there amen.
Love all of your mother’s day ideas; reminds me of the story wherein my father-in-law attempted to buy my mother-in-law jewelry for her birthday. She cried. Because she wanted a tiller. So the good man (Lord bless his soul) went out and got her a tiller.
Farm girls for the win!
Tammy
My husband usually tries to get me some lil collectible trinket or chocolate or flowers. I’ve been asking for a push mower, post-hole diggers, spray washer, carpet shampooer, pressure canner and some new cast iron cookware. This year I got beautiful lillies :), spray washer :), shampooer :), pressure canner and 2 cast iron pans :)! I love that man and my boys!
I have to say though, chocolate is perfectly fine! 😉
Patti
I enjoy your blogs so much. I just have to make a comment on this one. You gave some examples of what we would use a pocket knife for. (Oh, BTW I carry one in my purse, been doing it since my teens. I’m 62, lol) Anyway, knife uses. .. . . yes
chase away FLIES! Flies??!! You must have some dang big buggers out there! Hahaha, Loved it!!
Keep it coming dear one.
Ashley B
I don’t have the homestead of my dreams (yet!) but I’m swooning over every item on your list! Beats jewelry any day!
Kathy
We have trouble with Copperhead snakes at our newly built cabin site. Do you think Bogs will help prevent the snakes from piercing to the skin when they strike?
Thanks,
kt
Shaye Elliott
Eek. I don’t know about that. That’s terrifying! We do wear ours even through the summer here because we have rattlesnakes. I’m not sure if they’d protect you like snake boots but it’s sure a better bet than flip flops or tennis shoes.
Allison
I got french toast, loads of flowers, and canning supplies. It made my day.
Shaye Elliott
YUM!
Judy
Just thought you should know that it’s impossible to subscribe to your blog. When I try I get an error message that says “The feed does not have subscriptions by email enabled.”
Also, it would be nice if you put an “about us” paragraph on your blog. I just discovered you and would love to follow your blog, but I have no idea who you are or where you live and anything about your homestead. I tried going back and reading some older entries but that didn’t help.
I’m a homesteader wannabe. Some year I hope to have a small farm too. Right now I do what I can with where God has placed me and I try very hard to be content. 🙂
Shaye Elliott
Judy, you should be able to subscribe via RSS feed here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheElliottHomestead
Or you can subscribe to our newsletter here: https://www.facebook.com/TheElliottHomestead/app_100265896690345 or in the right hand column of the blog.
Madelyn
Holy cow! The BOGS! They come in size 12! They come in size 12! They come in size 12! Praise. Thee. Lord.
Sarah
Love the variety! The bogs are a must on the farm. The kids have a pair too. Splurge hubbies they are worth every penny! Oh and your cookbook is on my list. If I don’t get it then I will have to buy myself a Christmas present;)