MOTHER’S DAY SUNDAY 11 MAY 25

Every mom is unique, and her celebration should be too. This Mother’s Day, move beyond generic gifts and discover personalised ways to show your appreciation, crafting an experience that speaks directly to her heart.

Mini-holiday: Plan a weekend or night away. Look for a charming B&B or self-catering cottage. If your mom is outdoorsy, go camping. If you can’t afford to go away, plan a staycation filled with pampering.

Share a hobby: Think about what you both enjoy and book a hands-on class, such as cooking, gardening, painting or dance classes.

Capture your love: Get a professional photographer to take family
photos and have the best framed or create a personalised video
montage of special moments.

Flowers have always been a much appreciated gift for women, and even more so for mothers. Spoil Mom this Sunday with a beautiful flower gift from these local businesses:

• Foodzone, Schoemansville
• Pick n Pay Harties, Village Mall
• Dreiers
• Islands Superspar, Brederstroom
• All Fresh, Broederstroom Shopping
Centre
• Waterplant, Broederstroom
• Sittigs Nursery, Melodie
• Aloe Farm, Hartbeespoort

*The most children ever born to a single mother is a staggering 69. Feodor Vassilyev’s wife, a Russian peasant, gave birth to this number in the 18th century, delivering 16 sets of twins, seven sets of triplets, and four sets of quadruplets across 27 pregnancies. This record is in the Guinness World Records, which writes on its website: “Although this seems to be a statistically unlikely story, numerous contemporaneous sources exist which suggest that it is true. The case was reported to Moscow by the Monastery of Nikolsk on February 27, 1782, which had recorded every birth.”

*About 50–80% of women experience ‘mommy brain’, which is like mental fog during and after pregnancy. Studies are mixed, but one large review shows memory and thinking problems are common, getting worse as pregnancy goes on. A study in 2016 found that pregnant women lose some brain grey matter, and this lasts at least two years. However, this loss might help moms connect better with their babies, as those with more grey matter loss showed stronger mother-child bonds. * Source: Smithsonian Magazine

Flowers aren’t just pretty and a much appreciated
gift on Mother’s Day – they’re fascinating too! These natural wonders have some surprising secrets. Here are some fun facts that’ll make you see your garden in a whole new light:

Sunflowers Move
Young sunflowers track the sun from east to west during the day, a behavior called heliotropism. At night, they reset and face east again—nature’s own solar panels!

Chocolate-scented flowers
Chocolate-scented flowers exist: The Chocolate Cosmos, a deep maroon flower native to Mexico, smells like rich dark chocolate. Sadly, it’s extinct in the wild—but you can still grow it in your garden.
Native to North America, Chocolate Flower is a small, daisy-shaped yellow blossoms that blooms from spring through early summer.

Tulips Were More Valuable Than Gold
In 17th-century Netherlands, “Tulip Mania” drove the price of some tulip bulbs higher than houses.
It’s often considered the first recorded economic bubble.

Blue Roses Don’t Exist Naturally
Despite their popularity in art and literature, blue roses don’t occur in nature. Scientists have only recently been able to create them using genetic engineering.

Flowers Can “Talk” to Bees
Some flowers create electric fields to attract pollinators. Bees can sense these fields and use them to find the most pollen-rich blooms.

Whether you’re growing a garden or picking up a bouquet, remember—every flower has a story!