When in doubt, think about the 4 P’s — is it pretty, personalized, practical or pampering? Then you’ve probably got a winner!

Pretty Ideas: You can never go wrong with pretty! Flowers in a gorgeous vase (think Homegoods or even Target for vases at great price points) or jewelry, are always always a good idea! For my first Mother’s Day gift last year, Keith got me a necklace from Etsy with her name on it.

Other great ideas: Alex&Ani bracelet, Kendra Scott earrings, or even a birthstone/mother’s ring. One day, I would love a band with emeralds (Gracie’s birthstone).

Pampering: Give the mom in your life a few hours off and send her for a day of pampering! A facial, massage or mani/pedi is a great way for her to relax and unwind. And let’s be real, moms always put themselves last so this gift would be an extra special treat.

Personalized:  I love personalized gifts! Maybe a photo book filled with photos of you and your mom over the years, or for a younger mom – a “mommy and mini” photo session would be treasured for years to come.

Practical: Look, I love pretty things as much as the next girl, but the true way to my heart? Something that makes my life easier. I keep saying how much I would love to hire a cleaning service every month or try out a meal delivery service. Cleaning and (all things around) cooking take up the most of my time, time away from my family.

In honor of Mother’s Day, I’ve teamed up with Just Add Cooking to offer a gift card valued at $79 to one of my readers!

Note: They are a local company, so this giveaway is open to MA residents only.

Just Add Cooking is the perfect solution for busy moms who don’t have time to meal plan or grocery shop, but want to stay on track with eating healthy. All recipes take less than 30 minutes, so even after a long day at the office or with the kids, cooking a delicious meal for the family is simple!

What mom wouldn’t love to get this as a Mother’s Day gift??

To enter: follow Leopard&Grace on Instagram and Twitter! Contest runs until Sunday May 3 – winner will be announced Monday morning.  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I was contacted by Just Add Cooking – I received a week of meals and was given a gift card to offer as a giveaway to my readers. I will be posting my full review on the blog later this week!

The post Mother’s Day Gift Ideas + A Giveaway!! appeared first on Leopard and Grace.

Being a parent is the hardest job that I have ever, and probably will ever do.

I go to bed exhausted, and wake up exhausted. I look at old photos of Keith and I, and hardly recognize ourselves! Now we look so tired with permanent bags under our eyes, and we have a few extra pounds we could stand to lose. But I look at those photos and think ‘Man, I can’t even remember life before her. We had no idea then, the blessing we would be given.’

Gracie has made us the happiest we’ve ever been! The way she lights up when we walk into the room, the sweet way she cuddles our shoulder when she is sleepy, and now when she smacks her lips to kiss you. My heart overflows with love.

Yes, it’s hard. A lot of things have changed and priorities have shifted. But I know this time is fleeting and before we know it, she’ll be off to kindergarten, and then graduating high school.

I don’t really have a point of this post  but I think all too often we feel that as moms we have to have it all together, all of the time. And I think it’s okay if we don’t. We have great days, and not so great days but always remember:

Happy Tuesday my friends!

The post Tuesday Talk: Mama Ramblings appeared first on Leopard and Grace.

Sadly, April 19 came and went – with me still very much pregnant – and so I returned the adorable newborn dress. That makes Easter this year, Gracie’s very last first holiday.

In typical female fashion, she owns several Easter dresses of which I cannot decide what she will wear. You never know with the weather around here – we could have snow, or 70 degrees. But hey, at least she is prepared

I had a lot of fun picking out items for her Easter basket, and I kept it pretty simple since I doubt she will really understand the concept this year

I chose a personalized basket from Pottery Barn Kids. I then added a bathing suit, headband, pacifiers, a stuffed bunny, a sippy cup and some snacks. I really wanted to get her the Pottery Barn Kids Anywhere chair, but I think I will wait until her birthday for that!

What are you putting in your littles Easter basket??

The post Gracie’s First Easter Basket appeared first on Leopard and Grace.