Mother’s Day Lavender Honey Giveaway!
Written by joythebaker on May 6, 2009 – 8:29 am -
I’ll be the first to admit that I had some pretty ugly teenage years.
Sure. I had awkward limbs, a face full of acne, and was otherwise unfortunate looking, but I’m talking about what an utter brat I was for a solid two (plus) years.
Did you go through some seriously bratty years? Just say yes. We’ve all been there, right? If you try to tell me you were a perfect angel, I just won’t believe you.
I seem to remember the distinct feeling that I knew everything there was to know about the world at the ripe old age of fifteen. I thought most everything was beyond “annoying”, and I used that word… to death. If eye rolling were an Olympic sport… gold medal… me.
I also had this obnoxious habit of assuming that everything that belonged to my mother, somehow also belonged to me. From her favorite stationary, to her hidden stash of chocolates and the entire contents of her jewelry box, I acted as though it was all up for grabs. Terrible, right? Only when I was out in the world trying to save up my pennies to buy myself a nice box of tea, or my favorite rose lotion, did I realize that my mom deserved to have her treats without my mittens all up in them.
While I can take my obnoxious teenage years back, I suppose my real penance will come when my own teenage daughter pillages my valuables. Until that joyous time, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to give one of you a jar of beautiful French Lavender Honey.
Leave me a comment in this post and tell me this:
Tell me how your mom is spectacular, despite your possible teenage indiscretions.
I know a lot of you are moms, tell me what makes it all worthwhile.
I’d really like for this lovely honey to go to a Mom… it is, after all, Mother’s Day. Maybe that means you’re a hard working Mom and need a tea and toast break. Maybe that means you win this honey and give it to your Mom as a “thanks for being awesome” gift.
Comments close Thursday at midnight Pacific Standard Time and the winner will be chosen by the Random Number Generator. Happy Mother’s Day!
Tags: giveaway, honey, mother's day
Posted in Holiday, In the Kitchen, Thoughts, giveaway | 301 Comments »
Oh, man, was I a brat in my teenage years. I was a brat to my siblings and to my parents, but one thing sticks out. My mom, who would NEVER buy new clothing for herself, would buy me the prettiest, cutest outfits. She would lay them on the bed, and I would come home from school to find them laying on my bed for me to be surprised. I would totally turn my nose up at them, preferring to only wear the colors pink and black. Too bad…I probably could have been the “best dressed teenager.” My poor Mom always tried and I love her for that.
My mother was always very patient with my brother and I and rarely yelled at us. Being a mom myself, I don’t know how she stayed so patient. I take back all the mean things I ever said to her as a rotten teenage daughter. As difficult of a job as it is to be a mom sometimes, it is all worthwhile when they tell you how much they love you, totally and completely unconditionally, even if you have just punished them. It’s also a joy to see them grow and laugh at all the funny things that they say. I wouldn’t trade it for the world and I’m sure my mom wouldn’t have either.
I certainly have racked up my fair share of indiscretions as a child, but so has my Mom as a mother. Neither of us were or are perfect and we still work hard on our relationship. In fact, we had a pretty substantial argument last night, but we were able to work through it and reach an understanding. I love my Mom so much, and I know that she loves me. And I love how she is constantly apologizing and making up for mistakes (no matter how small or seemingly insignificant) past and present. It makes me want to do the same. Of course I forgive her, just as she forgives me, and we love each other all the more as a result!
Geneva… what can i say. She’s just a great mom. She is the backbone of my family and she is the one everyone depends on even though she is the 2nd of 8 children. She took in two of my cousins because their parents passed away, and were not fit to take care of them. She put 2 of my sisters and I through college (great universities here in New York) with no help from anyone including my dad. She took care of grandmother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease until she passed away. She is just the epitome of what a mother is supposed to be. Loving, caring, and will do anything to support her children and family. She never missed a recital, graduation, any event we had to do. I love her for that because there aren’t to many parents who support the decisions that their children make. I love you Mommy!!!! Thanks Joy for allowing me to express the love I have for my mom.
Joy, my mom is no longer around (she died when I was 7), but she was amazing in so many ways… As a kid, I refused to eat… So she would make small “traps” around the house for me: several kinds of fruit (something I liked), in small pieces and free of seeds, in little plates. She place these plates at the places I played and I would eat a bit here, and a bit there…
I am taking a little creative license in answering this question. I’d like to tell you about my “adopted” mom. My ex-boyfriend’s mom and I continue to have a relationship. Mostly because she really means it when she says that I am FAMILY. Words cannot adequately describe the beauty of this woman. She is someone who gives of herself tirelessly and generously to her family and friends constantly. I have always felt embraced by her, particularly during an especially difficult time I was having with my own mom who could not accept who I was dating (i.e, my adopted mom’s son). Can you believe that she has never said one ill word against my mom, despite witnessing her son’s hurt and anger at the unfair lack of acceptance? I have learned so much from her and value her continuing presence in my life. Although her son and I did not make it through all of the ups and downs, she is always there.
My mom, Anne is now my best friend, and yes like you said I was a brat and totally took all her good stuff. Despite that she was always loving, ALWAY selfless, and she showed unconditional love to three of my friends who didn’t get that at home (how annoyed I was when I would find one of my friends having a heart to heart with her) she let all of them live with us at different times, even though things were tight, and made everyone that came into our house feel special. Now as a mama myself I am in awe of her even more.
Thanks for inspiring me to think of these times.
My mom is amazing because she gives me ginseng tea (and always adds a ridiculous amount of honey) when I’m sad, knowing that the strange taste will make me smile. She told us that “children are like pancakes: the first one always comes out a little weird,” when my older brother complained about how I got better grades than him. When I was an awkward and gangly teen, she would tell me that real beauty comes from within, and I believed her because she almost never wore make up or fussed with her hair, and she was beautiful. She is completely willing to make my favorite soup and bully my dad into driving her to my school so she can give it to me…. I don’t know. I could go on for hours probably… long story short, she’s incredible
My mother’s deep sense of humility is what continues to move me, to this day. She was and continues to be the most selfless person I have ever encountered in my short 27 years on this earth.
She also taught me how to cook! Not a huge fan of cooking or baking herself, she knew that if she could inspire my sister and me, then we could take over the cooking responsibilities! It worked and we were pretty much in charge of Thanksgiving dinners, family get togethers etc. We loved it and I owe my love of being in the kitchen to her.
She took her own life last fall and every time I step into the kitchen, I am very aware of her presence. I have found myself doing more baking since she’s died and I hadn’t really stopped to think about it until now. The feel of a warm kitchen comforts and sustains me.
it’s been 27 years now, but my mom still remembers exactly how i like to cook my bacon, and if i ever go visit my parents, i’ll always wake up to perfectly cooked bacon strips <3
Love this post, my teenage years were tough and i took it out most on my mom, but through it all she still loved me..We loved to bake, its where i get my love of baking from, my dad was always the cook but my mom was the baker of the house, so no matter what we would bake cookies
it was my favorite thing i remember doing with her. She is strong, the one thing i can say about my mom is that shes so strong. growing up and to the day i hope i get half of the strength she has, she is my best friend.
When i was in my early 20s she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and at the time i lived 1000 miles away. When i got the phone call i rushed home, the day i got home she had just had her lumpectomy and when i walked in the house she was laying in the recliner and i had never seen her so sick. it scared me i just walked over to the recliner and cried and she put her hands on my head. it was like a scene out of a lifetime movie lol but it was like a moment where i realized even how strong my mom is, she isnt invincable i stayed home and helped take care of her through her chemo treatments.She went into remission and has been in remission for over 10 years now!!
This moment in my life changed who i was and changed how me and my mom are. closer then ever. she is the one person i can count on when my life is upside down.. I love her..
I’m going to break the cycle and brag about my mother in law! Since my husband and I begin dating she has taken me into her family and between her and my now husband I now have the close knit family I’ve always dreamed of.
She has horrible self esteem and my husband and I have made it our goal to make her realize what a beautiful, caring, and giving lady she truly is. She runs an at home day care and takes care of many children with no close grandparents of their own… she has gladly stepped up and given them a grandma figure, she is an excellent grandmother to our nieces and nephew and puts them first in every aspect in her life, she takes care of her own mom….and don’t even get me started on all the things she does for her kids and children in laws!
She has raised 2 daughters, one of them with autism who she accepts in every way, and one who has grown up to be an amazing mom as well. Of course she also has the 2 boys, one being my husband, who are the most kind and generous men ever. Thier dad was not the best role model but their mom stood up for them and ultimately taught them that they deserved better in life. They are an amazing family thanks to her.
She has given me everything I have ever dreamed of. She raised the most amazing man in the world who is now my husband, she has welcomed me into a big and amazing family that I really needed, she has given me a big binder of family recipes, and every person she meets I believe is better for it! She is the best mom ever, and I’m lucky to say that my Mother in Law is someone I love and someone that my husband is so proud to call his mom.
My mom is incredible for managing to put up with my hovering and questioning in the kitchen while I was growing up! If she had made me get out of the way (I do realize that I was in the way) I would have never learned to cook!
What a rotten hover-er I turned into as a teenager! I was constantly complaining that the mashed potatoes were too dry, and making her add extra milk, butter, or sour cream…anything to make them better! Now it seems mashed potatoes are the only thing that NEVER turn out when I make them, but ALWAYS turn out when she makes them. Serves me right…
She loves lavender, and she loves honey. Lavender Honey sounds like heaven!
My mom always made me feel special. She taught me and my brother how to appreciate the essence of simple things such as a good book, a rainstorm, or just time sitting together. I never knew how little we had when I was young because my childhood never suffered from it. She was always making sure we had fun things to do and discover while keeping several jobs. We are so close now we talk the same way, we make the same gestures, and we even finish each others sentences. I love her to bits and one day for her is just not enough.
My Mom is great because every year I was in school (yes, even my bratty years) once a year, whatever day I chose, we would skip school and go shop, get our nails done and go out for lunch. Even the years we weren’t getting along, I still looked forward to that day! Thanks for hosting the giveaway
My mom was a single mom raising 6 children. I, as a young child, was not all that helpful either. I still remember how I would expect a nice, hot meal in front of me everyday and I wouldn’t even wash up my own dishes. I am amazed that my mom put up with me all those years. I appreciate and love my mom very much!
Oh, it is my “Other Mother” who I’d like to tell you about…
She came into our lives when I was four and I loved her from the first moment I saw her standing there in her “bug” dress. The fabric was unbelievably fabulous with all sorts of butterflies and such.
Over the years she taught me how to be a good mother myself and if there was ever a selfless person, it had to be her.
She never was a stepmom, always my other mother and….
She taught me loyalty,
She taught me patience,
She gave me undying love,
And healed a little girls broken heart.
I miss her.
My mom is a rock!
She put up with me, and my sister’s selfish stages, when we were in our late teens early 20’s and I think she new it was part of us becoming a strong and independent women like her.
She left her job and her home to sit at my bedside for months after I was in a terrible accident, and still dotes over me when we visit, and really it should be my turn.
She is now starting a new life after losing my dad and the love of her life of 40 years.
I can’t wait to see her this weekend and take her out to our favorite restaurant!
My Mum’s wonderful because she admitted at the age of 48 that heavy metal might actually have some merit.
She can’t cook, but always likes to have a go.
Mostly, she’s just one of the nicest people I know, and makes an incredible cup of tea.
‘Nuff said.
;o)
She had me…she must be spectacular!
This seems like a safe place to leave my feelings for my Mother. How I miss her on Mother’s Day…. well everyday really. Lately I’ve eavesdropped on mother and daughter conversations while shopping. They’re all age combinations, and most of us can relate to all of them. The very young daughter trying to make Mom understand that she is a separate human being with her own ideas (even though she may not really believe it yet herself). The teen that has brought along her very old-fashioned mother… and so on and so on. We daughter’s are always trying to let Mom know that things are done differently now, these are modern times. It’s funny I don’t recall listening to these conversation’s before, but that’s because I didn’t miss her yet. Our Mothers, that person in our lives, that ALLOWS us to treat her that way, because she knows what it takes to raise a strong woman, a woman that can stand on her own two feet and step into her shoes when she is no longer here. I’m grateful that my mother lived a long full life, but how I wish she was still here, because if the truth be told, we wouldn’t act this way with anyone but Mom, no one else would LET us.
I am most thankful that my mommy was always available to be with me when I needed her most, or whenever i just felt like spending time with her. Thank you mommy, for being such a great mother and friend.
I think the thing about my mom is that I was rebellious during my 11th grade year in high school…she was patient and tolerant…and I can only imagine now that I am a mother how difficult that must have been! The best thing about being a mom now is showing my children is teaching them to love God more than themselves!
My mom is awesome because she raised 10 children, was a stay-at-home mom who never gave us any reason to doubt that she resented being “stuck at home”, and never made it seem that having so many kids was a burden. Because of my dad’s job, she basically did most of the household management and child-rearing on her own. She’s still got 3 kids at home, she volunteers every week, she runs the church nursery, and she still finds time to call her kids who are scattered hither and yon. I don’t know how she does it!
the best thing about my mom is the fact that she downplays how horrible i was as a teenager
lately i’ve been having the “woe is me if i have a daughter like myself” conversation pretty often with my mom and each time she assures me i wasn’t that bad
i know she’s lying, but, hey, a girl can hope, right??
My mom is awesome for so many reasons, but especially because she is not afraid to do what she wants: at the age of 61, she just decided to take a new job with the Department of Justice in D.C. At the same time, she is one of the most generous people I know and has always been there for me, no matter what. I don’t think I could ask for a better cooking partner than she!
When I was growing up, my mother always made me feel that she would rather spend time with me than anyone else.
At the end of the day when they say “I Love You”
My mom is awesome because she knew when to let go. Once I decided I wanted to enlist in the military she signed the paperwork for me to enlist at 17. I knew that she wasn’t happy about it, but she didn’t try to stop me.
I am now the mother of 3 beautiful children and respect and admire my mother all the more. Hearing ‘I love you mommy’ and those tiny arms wrapped around my neck when they hug me and tiny kisses make my heart melt.
My mom is very creative When we were little we’d collect leaves in autumn and make scrapbooks, she encouraged me to write by giving me an orange typewriter, and on and on. She could always come up with ingenious ideas on rainy days and most of all encourage us to come up with our own.
When my children were little, I was a single mom and had to work a lot. We still had some fine adventures in the parks and some great pots and pan bands. My youngest son is now an excellent guitarist
Thanks for your blog
having grown up in a tropical part of the world (thailand), we had problems with mosquitoes. if i would wake up in the middle of the night with mosquito bites and buzzing mosquitoes in my ears, i would crawl out of bed, knock on my mom’s door, and then crawl back into bed. while i dozed back to sleep, my mother would stand in my room sleepy-faced looking to kill some mosquitoes. : )
my mom is spectacular because she is my mom. she listens to my drama without a single eye roll, works hard with little or no recognition, loves me unconditionally, and makes fun of me when I bake horrible cookies.
Wow. This is a great contest. I can’t wait to read the entries.. First though, I wanna’ get this down for my mom.
Her name is Amelia. When my parents had me, they lived in a trailer park on the outskirts of Montgomery, AL. We didn’t have a lot of money, but I learned a love for plants and animals and was taught my mom’s love for amazing food.
My mom’s a self-taught cook on a mission for transcendent food.. When she puts food on her fork, she does it purposefully and mindfully. She doesn’t like to eat until she can shake her head and squinch her eyes together and go “MMMmmmm.” and then chuckle at herself. We didn’t need a lot of money when my mom was cooking to feel loved and well taken care of.
We evolved and moved out of the trailer park to rural Florida on a dirt road near a state park, where she taught me to appreciate critters and all the little systems that make the Earth work. She began teaching first little kids and then fourth grade science, but she never stopped learning to make amazing food. My cousins have asked her to cater their weddings, which she loves.
Now I have my own budget obstacles and creative structure in the kitchen but I can never unlearn the love I have for perfectly harmonic flavors and the thrill I feel when I get them just right.. And no matter how far away she is, squinching my eyes together and “Mmmm”ing never fails to make me feel like she’s right here.
I will always look up to my Mom for raising two spoiled brats on her own. I think we came out pretty alright coming from a broken home.
My son is two and when I see his face covered with cream and strawberries from the dessert he snatched in the fridge makes it worthwhile
You lovely people change my world for the better every single day. Thank you so much for sharing your touching stories of your mothers and grandmothers and mother in laws. I read each and every one of your entries, and they all put a smile in my heart. You make the world better with all that love… thank you! Winner to be announced soon. Happy Mother’s Day!
My Mama died when I was just 29 years old – almost three decades ago. Over the years I have had to do so many things without her: getting a divorce , having surgery, raising a disabled child and her three siblings alone. Mama missed so many of the pleasant things too: college graduations (mine and my girls!), her granddaughters’ weddings and the birth of my precious grandchildren. How excited Mama would have been to welcome them into the world.
This Mother’s Day, like all mothers days for so long now, I will think about my earliest Mother’s Day memory – sitting in church beside Mama, each of us wearing a red carnation, and whispering in her ear to ask why some of the ladies wore white instead. White carnations are for those whose mothers have died she explained.
So, this year I will buy a white carnation and place it on Mama’s grave. (Carnations don’t wear so well with jeans and T-shirts.) The rest of you, enjoy your mothers every day of the time they are with you. They are a long time gone.
My mother was always there for me 100 percent, when I was good and when I was bad. I couldnt have asked for a better mother.
Cathy
My mom is always there for me, she pushes me to do better things and wants me to strive for the best. She wants the best for me and never stops GIVING! My mom has been handicapped for most of my life and while it may have slowed her down in walking and moving around, she has only sped up in providing for my sister and myself. While my sister and I wanted to explore the world she kept us focused on the important things and now that we are out of college she focuses on us becoming mothers as well! I think she is ready to transition from mother to grandmother…
So, your question made me start thinking about all those things that I take for granted. Now that I HAVE two teenagers (and 3 more little ones) in the house it sure helps me realize what moms do for their little ones.
My mom was no exception to the rule. She not only tried to teach me right from wrong but about responsibilities and proper money management. I didn’t even get my drivers license until two weeks before graduation. During my senior year I had 4 jobs that my mom took me to and from every day. I look back on that and think “WOW and I only filled the gas tank a few times.”
But I can tell you that the thing I remember most about my momma is that she went to every swim meet there was. she sat in the pool that was SO HOT I thought she would have a heat stroke and not only cheered ME ON…. she took over being team mom for everyone. she cried with all of us when we missed a time and she was there to hug us when we beat our time. She even sat through my first 500 yard swim EVER. It took me 22 minutes. And she cheered every excruciating minute of that 500. While bitting her nails of course.
Don’t get me wrong mom and I butt heads, ALOT… but she no matter what has taken on being the best mom that ever was. NOT only to me. but to those that needed her. Even when I ran my first Triathlon last year. IT was my MOMMA that meet me at the end with my husband to scoop me up and tell me how proud they were of me. My mom even made a sign and held it up PRIDE full on her face.
I only hope that I am HALF as good as my momma….. she continues to support me & my children as they are in the pool or on the track or when they need just that extra hug because they got a C on a test instead of an A. She was an A+ momma and now she is an A+++ grandma of 9 grandchildren!
Thank you momma for being YOU. We were blessed to be given you.
D~FLY
All mom’s have that unconditional love thing going on and my mom was no different. But, one of the things I took for granted growing up that I have come to really appreciate was how my mom always (always) had breakfast on the table (by 6:30 a.m.) and lunches packed each day. And a yummy dinner each night – yes we always ate dinner together. She set a wonderful example for me.
I love your site and have just discovered it. Herbs are my delight! Lavender…I needed to think of that today and remember the smell while in a stressful work situation. See what you have done for me…..Blessings your way!
I definetly fell into the bratty teenage category and I was always in trouble. My mom not only put up with me, she never gave up on me! Plus she is the best grandma to my three boys. Who else would watch them for free!
Quite a response you’ve generated here
I think too many of us can relate to the awful bratty teenage years but I can honestly say that the older I’ve gotten the closer my mom and I have become. My parents moved to Mexico about three years ago (for my dad’s job) and are finally on their way back here to Texas as of this weekend! I’m so thrilled I can’t even explain what it means that she’ll be back in the same zip code with me but I can certainly say that the last few years have been very tough without her and I’m fantastically lucky she’ll be home soon! She’s an amazing woman with so many talents that over the years she has shared with my sister and I, loving and generous, my mom is someone that I am lucky to know, much less be related to.
The greatest blessing in my life is motherhood – suffering from thyroid disease and infertility and other issues I was told by my doctor I’d never get pregnant so when a HPT turned positive, the doc told me not to count on it – that there was probably something else in my system creating a false positive; fortunately, she was wrong. Now blessed with 3 yo boy, I have a new found respect for the worries I caused my mother growing up.
My mom had this knack for working on the daily little life lessons and letting the big stuff work itself out. I wish I walked that line half as well!
My teenage years were no picnic for either of us but she gracefully taught me about eating well and following through on the small tasks (homework, setting the table) trusting that she was teaching more about life that way than by taking the easy road of fighting over the things that felt hugely important to me (boyfriends, after-school job, car). She thought I’d learn about that stuff best by working it out on my own. And as usual, she was right! She was always there to listen but held her tongue until I was ready to hear what she had to say. It made me crazy too because she was always giving my friends GREAT advice–she just wouldn’t tell me what to do. I hope I get how she did that figured out by the time mine are in their teens!
My mom and I have a really great relationship. More often than not, we act like friends rather than mother-daughter. We have a really similar sense of humor and like to laugh a lot. The woman also has the strangest sens of taste ever, mixing flavors which we all though were disgusting, but which she would like anyways, like sour cream on my 6th birthday cake (I was not happy about that). But I appreciated her willingness to experiment and take risks in cooking, and she is probably one of the reasons I find cooking so wonderful and interesting today.
True story: last night before putting our toddler to bed, after reading “Llama Llama Red Pajama” for the first time, my husband asked if he could say “mama” and out it came: “ma ma ma ma ma” and a finger point in my direction. Damn! Motherhood is worth it every. single. day.
Happy Mama’s Day to all.
(Also, our kid likes honey!)
JOY! I swear I do not usually laugh aloud while on my laptop but let me tell u when you described yourself as a teenager i laughed……and laughed…..and laughed. YOU ARE AN AMAZING WRITER AND NEED TO WRITE A BOOK PRONTO. AND NOT NECESSARILY A COOKBOOK EITHER.
Maybe part of the reason i am so amused is cuz ‘annoying’ was once my favorite word too, and yes, I used to steal my mother’s stuff…for me it was mainly her chocolate and cookies stash.
HAHAHAH This really made my day. Thank you so much!
By the way, I think part of your magic as a writer is that you know how to connect with the silly little kid inside each woman.
My mom and I are best friends. We sew together, shop together, garden together, and bake together (of course!). I’m graduating from college in a couple of days and I can’t wait to return home and wake up to the smell of my mom’s blueberry almond muffins, fresh out of the oven! Your blog has been a great inspiration for many of our mother-daughter baking projects. Thanks so much!
Since I am quite old now and will no longer have to answer for my indisgressions I will confess to snagging a pack or two of my mothers stash of double mint chewing gum. This is the only gum she ever chewed her whole life and she always kept packs and packs of it on the counter in the little jar marked tea bags. Ha…. and she thought no one would bother to look in there. Thanks for the chance to win some honey!!