Stuck for the perfect gift for Mum? With Mother's Day is fast approaching (this Sunday, May 10) you might be thinking of steering away from the traditional slippers, chocolates and flowers. How about something to keep Mum connected to the people around her, make her feel beautiful or sharpen her mind? Here at ConnectedWomen we've picked a few products that we think Mum's will love, appreciate and actually use. And to all the Mum's out there- feel free to forward this edition to your kids- hopefully they'll get the hint! 

Memory update

Would your mum like a Nintendo DS Lite?

My mum isn’t extremely technical, she has trouble navigating through her mobile phone and I would have to say (sorry Mum!) she doesn’t have the best memory. However there is one product that can improve your Mum’s memory- her brain in fact- and she doesn’t have to be a “tech head” to use it every day. 

I’m sure you’ve seen the ads on TV showing Olivia Newton-John and the More Brain Training game available on Nintendo DS? Well that’s what I’m suggesting- these little devices can help your Mum build her brain power back up after having to deal with raising children for years and years. Who says portable gaming is just for kids? 

More Brain Training is a series of interactive games that tests and exercises your brain- the more you play (it is recommended to play at least 10 mins every day for the best results) the lower your brain age becomes. And it is actually fun! Nintendo has released a limited edition Rose pink DS Lite console bundle pack just in time for Mother’s Day. The pack retails for around $250.00 and includes the console and the More Brain Training Game. 

Or a Sunbeam Heated Throw?

Warm and fuzzy
How would you describe your Mum? Warm, comforting, great for a hug? Well in winter even Mum’s can feel the cold! One way to warm her up in luxury is with a Sunbeam Safe & Sound heated throw, and before you say “it’s just an electric blanket…” stop. It’s more versatile than that. Made from a plush micro fleece fabric, the Safe & Sound Heated Throw is like a portable electric blanket. With flexible heating wire Mum can wrap it around herself while watching TV on the lounge, reading a book in her favourite chair or taking a nap all with ultimate “cosiness”. 

With a fast-heat up time of just 10 minutes, the Safe & Sound Heated Throw takes the chill-factor out of winter, without the expense of heating the entire room. It is also available in two luxe colours, chocolate brown and the new cherry red. RRP: $109.00. 

TV heaven
Mum’s need chill out time- and watching a favourite TV show is one way to achieve that- but taking into account the time consuming task that mothering is- your mum may not have the time to sit down at 7pm to watch Master Chef Australia (or whatever particular show she fancies). Solution- TiVo! TiVo is a media device that connects to your TV - it enables you access to more free-to-air channels (digital channels) and makes you digital TV ready. But that’s not all. 

With the unit’s Season Pass feature you can find your favourite program, hit record and TiVo will automatically record every episode onto its clever little hard drive. So whenever you Mum wants- she can hit play and watch her faves. 

There are plenty more things to do on TiVo though, you can program what you want to be recorded remotely (via the internet), download movies straight to your device (for a fee) thanks to TiVo and Blockbuster’s recent partnership. As a bonus- there are no additional costs for programming available once you have your TiVo- it is a one off payment to purchase the unit. You do have to pay for movies and your internet connection, but everything else is free for you to enjoy. RRP: $699. (But head over to our Giveaways page and you could win one!) 

Or the perfect automatic coffee machine from Nespresso (Nespresso Citiz pictured here).

Pick me up
Mums spend so much time getting us ready for whatever life throws at us- but when was the last time you made your Mum a GREAT coffee before she starts the day? My mum is really fussy when it comes to the perfect coffee- but with a Nespresso, maybe even I can impress her. 

Nespresso’s latest range, Citiz, features three units all available in chic, sleek colours- one of which I’m sure will be perfect for your mum. Nespresso Citiz is a single-head automatic espresso machine, Nespresso CitiZ&Milk is a single-head automatic espresso machine with a built-in fresh milk frothing device and Nespresso CitiZ&Co is the first ever double-head machine designed for in home consumer use. The range uses Nespresso’s unique coffee pod system that uses a patented extraction and brewing system, controlling all the elements required to create the perfect coffee.

There are no messy beans to grind and literally no guess work. Pop the pod in the machine, press the button and in about 30 seconds you have your coffee, however you like it. Nespresso demonstrates regularly (you can taste the coffee) in department and electronics stores on weekends so head down to your local Myer, David Jones or Harvey Norman to try before you buy. RRP: starts from $369.

So spoil your mum on Sunday and while we can’t show all our appreciation in just one day- a thoughtful gift is one way of saying I love you! To all the Mum’s out there- the team at ConnectedWomen wish to thank you for being wonderful nurturers, role models and fantastic strong women that lead us through our lives. We literally wouldn’t be here without you! Happy Mother’s Day!