This competition has now ended. Congrats to Lizzie B and her whimsical, fun-loving, imaginative mum!
You know you want to.
Pana has caused a bit of a stir recently with its little packs of cacao goodness, and found devoted, life-long fans among us.
Made only from cacao solids, virgin cacao butter, dark agave nectar, raw cacao powder, virgin coconut oil, wild carob, cinnamon and pure himalayan crystal salt, it’s a guilt-free way to indulge.
And they’re open and accountable for the production process, from cacao grown in an organic environment, to being mixed and packaged by hand into boxes straight to you.
They want to make excellent chocolate that is good for you and good for the Earth’s sustainability. it is low-GI, vegan, and gluten free with no dairy or soy. They also eschew preservatives and artificial sweeteners. What’s not to love?
If you’re into that sort of thing, then do please enter the giveaway to win a box of delicious chocs for your mama (and one for yourself!). The I Love You Mum gift box contains a pack each of the Mint, Rose, Raw Cacao, and Coconut and Goji flavours, and is valued at $28.95.
All you need to do is leave a comment answering this question: What is a lovely little thing your mum used to do for you when you were a kid?
Answers are based on creativity, and the competition will end on June 25 at 5pm EST. The winner will be notified by email and announced in this post.
Go ahead – make mum’s day!
amandagorton says
One of my favourite childhood memories is of Mum teaching us sing-a-longs in the car, while she would lead we would follow. Many of the songs I still hum along long to while driving in the car today.
tessa : down that little lane says
My favourite memory with Mum was Pooh Sticks..
We used to potter off to the farm bridge and she would find us as many little sticks as possible and then we would drop them over one side of the bridge into the water and run with glee to the other side and see who’s came out first.
Old fashioned fun.. she was fabulous at that
Katie Rainbird says
My mum was pressed for time (6 kids) but when I was sick and home from school she’d bring me a plate of Sao’s with lots of butter and Vegemite. The best. This makes me a bit sad actually, realising that Mum was so busy all of the time that I can only remember special little things that involved me being crook! :))
Lizzie B says
My favourite memory of my mum was when we used to walk to my kinder together and every week I’d make her stop at this little bridge and re-enact the ‘3 Billy Goats Gruff’ story, which involved me ‘clip-clopping’ across the bridge as all three billy goats, and mum lying almost under the bridge to play the part of the troll – including singing a troll song we made up. All of this would take place right next to a busy road, so we must have got some strange looks! She did it every week without fail – that’s some commitment! We still sing the troll song sometimes 20+ years later!
Tara Bailey says
Right up until I left home to move to Melbourne, mum continued
a wonderful breakfast tradition that only occurred every four years.
Every Saturday and Sunday morning during the Olympics, mum
would get us up out of bed, fill the lounge with blankets and pillows, and
serve us toasted and buttered croissants with ice cold orange juice. We thought
it was the most delicious breakfast in the world, with the rarity of the treat making it even
more special. Eating a croissant as part of a normal day activity feels like sacrilege
even now. Any time I see a croissant in a bakery window I see mum’s excited
face as she handed us our Olympics breakfast.
Lisa B says
My mum always has been and always will be amazing. She wasn’t necessarily super creative or anything, just consistently lovely and caring. As a kid I was convinced I was going to be the next Kate Cebrano, so on long car trips mum would (VERY selflessly) switch off the radio and let me sing. For hours!
She’s really into dollhouses and miniatures and I remember one time she made a beautiful fairy garden in our backyard for me.
When I was sick, she would rub vicks on my chest and sing “goodbye blinky bill”. When ever I was good she would buy me a book, which is why I know believe I am a librarian with a wide range of reading interests.
Even now she takes care of me. Im currently in bed with a virus, so last night she brought lasagna over for hubby and I – beef for him and vegetarian for me.
Sometimes I worry that she’ll never really know quite how much I love and appreciate her. Im so grateful for her every day.
This is a lovely competition by the way, Stacey 🙂
elle rampling says
My Mumma was a single mum for many years (until she met and fell in love with my wonderful step dad) and she always managed to create a wonderful and warm environment for my brother and I. One of my favourite memories of time with my mum was school pick up time. We lived close to our small primary school and she would walk up every afternoon and meet us at the gate. As we walked home we nibbled on treats she had packed us and talked about our day. My hope is one day my family will live in a small town where I can meet my children at the school gate of an afternoon.
Becky McClure says
I always remember my mum stroking my forehead and hair whenever I was sick or couldn’t sleep and massaging my feet…(yes hubby, you have my mum to thank for my constant nagging for massages!) It wasn’t till I had my own kids that I realised the patience and love that goes into sitting on your child’s bed for an hour after a looong day of working, cooking, cleaning etc to sooth them to sleep. Love my mum!
kookla123 says
She was my Santa, my tooth fairy, and my Easter Bunny for a start,
And she’d hang up my drawings like they were works of art!
She’d buy me my favourite toothpaste, the one that didn’t ‘burn’
She’d let me win at board games or give me an extra turn
She’d yell out from her bedroom each night “Darling, I love you!”
She did all of these things out of love that’s pure and true
Jay - Moodie Foodie says
I don’t even know where to start! Wiped my tears when I’d had a fight at school, made me soup when I was sick, took me shopping when I needed girl time, took all my teenage crap with grace and poise, poured me a glass of bubbles when I’d had a fight with a boyfriend, helped me plan my wedding, looked after my first while I was having my second, loved my kids unconditionally, sent me flowers just yesterday when I was sick along with a virtual bowl of soup because she couldn’t be here, and has held my hand either physically or over the phone whenever I’ve needed her.
disqus_lXAb0LR5kg says
Before mum made the bed with clean sheets she would let me hop in and make the sheets over the top of me. That way I’d always be snug as a bug in a rug. 🙂
Lisa Mckenzie says
I think the nicest little thing my mum did for me when I was young was on our Birthdays we got to choose the dinner and get a little party at the table,with smiths crisps and chocoloate and a few lollies and a soft drink.this was a big deal beacause we never had food like that and to this day I love salty and sweet together and it reminds me of my Mum.
Rooey5 says
When I got flown to Sydney as a kid (too sick to be treated in the Canberra hospital), Mum brought me a fresh fruit salad from the markets every morning when she came in with Dad. Then she’d sit next to my bed all day.
SlapdashMama says
Mum had lots of reassuring traditions at Christmas time that still warm the cockles of my heart today, old and jaded as I am. We always made the Christmas cake around November, and it couldn’t be put in the oven until everyone in the family had stirred it. We always put the tree up on the 1st December, and we always had the same angel on top of the tree. Everyone had to give the angel a kiss before she was allowed to be placed on her high perch. She made Christmas incredibly magical and I STILL feel that way about it. I love how she was able to create a feeling of joy and excitement, and I try and copy her. She wasn’t perfect but she did this beautifully.
Skye Tiernan says
My Mum has always been such an inspiration to me as as a woman, wife and mother she has always gone above and beyond to make me feel loved but one memory I do look back fondly was the simple joy of being given 50 cents every Friday to spend at the local milk bar and having that quality time with her enjoying my prized mint leaves, freckles and musk sticks!
Chantel says
This would be great for my mum due the the fact that as she has become older, she has started to have so many food intolerances and has been diagnosed coeliac, so there is not much fun food she can have anymore. My favourite memory of my mum was that she would drop anything to read to me if I wanted it. It is something I try to remember with my son, no matter how busy I am, how grumpy I am, if we can read together, he will get so many good skills and memories from it – as well as the all important passion for books 🙂
Rebecca Sharp says
Mum took my sisters and I to see Michael Jackson’s BAD tour in 1987!
Danielle says
My mum would always share any of her food with me, including Easter and Christmas treats even if it meant she could not have any herself.
Cara says
Rain, hail or shine my mum would always pick us up from school. We’d jump in and be asked to tell her the best five things from that day. No matter how bad a day we’d had, we always had to supply her with five positives. She would literally lock us in the car until we had each reached five. I remember sitting in the car in our carport wracking my brain on so many occasions. Desperate to get out of the car, I’ll be honest, there were a few positive fibs thrown in here and there. But it gave me such a positive outlook on life from such a young age, that I think it’s one of the loveliest things my mum ever did for my brother and I.
Nyssa says
My mum use to stay up all night making amazing birthday cakes for us as kids so it would be a surprise for us on our birthdays. One day the belly got in the way with one of my brothers in it and squashed it and no one would have known the next day! As she continued to make it perfect!
Monica Glaister says
My mum was Scottish and we grew up learning all these beautiful old traditional songs, my sisters and I sing them all the time and now my 2.5 yr old can sing some on her own (with a few funny alterations!). Mum’s not with us anymore but to hear her songs come out of my daughter’s mouth is just magic, I feel like they know each other with ever meeting 🙂
Laura says
My mum would always save me the cake beaters to lick when baking! As I grew older baking became something that we did together. I still got the beaters, and developed a love of raw cake mix that remains with me until this day.
Simone says
She always used to let me have treats that I wanted, but would bake me a healthier version which I can now thank her for! People really have no idea the impact some junk foods have on their body.
Eunize says
My mum would throw the most amazing birthday parties! She’s a very talented cook and quite creative with her decorations. No matter where we were she would never skip a beat – I had the best birthday party in the Philippines with a balloon incorporated into my cake (it was like a hot air balloon with the cake as the basket) AND people dressed as some of my favourite characters 🙂
Kelley @ magnetoboldtoo says
Now if it was my DAD I would have a million. Like he used to collect smurfs from BP services stations for me and sneak one next to my bed when he got home from work so I would have a lovely surprise when I woke up. My Daddy rocks.
Fen says
I used to make my Mum french toast every year for Mothers day – and she ate it for 23 years. 23 years…! Then on the 24th year, she finally plucked up enough courage to tell me that she actually doesn’t like it. So the cutie ate every last crumb for 23 years, even though she hated it. Cutie!!!!!!!!!!!! I now make her toast and tea and she assures me thats a winner!
marypreston says
My Mother made birthdays extra special. Favourite home-cooked meal, favourite type of birthday cake, favourite home-made sweet treat, no chores on your birthday. I do the same with my children, because this is a tradition I want to keep, to re-live the happy days of my childhood.
Sarah says
A surprise for my sister and I when we got home from high school were an azalea flower each in old vegemite jars. Mum would leave them on the table, picked freshly from the garden. It taught me how to be thoughtful!
Heather says
This isn’t creative sorry – just my story 🙂 All through high school Mum was an organic health nut and I used to rebel as much as possible, which lead me to gain quite a bit of weight. Growing older I wanted to loose this and started the whole “diet” thing which ended up going too far. I was hospitalised with an eating disorder and am still recovering. She has stuck by me every step of the way and without her I don’t think I would still be here. Every night her and I watch TV and have 2 squares each of Panna Chocolate with an apple and a cup of tea – it is our tradition. I love her so much as she offers me so much support when things are tough, yet I can still relax with her and momentarily forget about the demons in my head.
Cath @mybeardedpigeon says
Mum would read us a book EVERY single night. She would do all the voices of the characters. Now when I read the to my daughters I hear those voices she did in my head and read them the way she read them to me.
K Jetson says
My mum would sit with me for hours doing crafts.
Cassieopia Robertson says
She would always encourage me and inspirer me by saying you can do anything your heart desires, she would always leave me little notes in my lunch box to remind me to have a good day or “I’m thinking of you”, “I love you more then anything”. I miss those days of opening my school box.
I now send her those reminders as she is not well to encourage her everyday to fight the cancer that she is better then at. She would be so grateful to have Pana chocolate.
Cherie Alika says
My Mum would nurture our creativity. She would include us in whatever arts & crafts project she would have on the go despite needing to stop every 2 secs to help us -we would have easels set up beside her, make clay “sculptures”, accompany her to the ceramics warehouse and get our own figures to paint, make our own silver jewellery and we’d always create some part of the costumes she would sew. Because of her, my sister and I had magical, wondrous childhoods 🙂
Louise Rhodes says
Mum used to haul herself out of bed early to tempt my fussy taste buds with her gorgeous pikelets – 30+ years on I still crave them!
Tasha says
My Mum never bought a house or had her own car raising us, she put away her savings for our university degrees. Her love of education, questioning the world and making changes has meant I am grateful for every moment of my university life today! Learning is such a beautiful gift.
Instead of a television at home, we had a huge bookshelf. Summer or winter, we would ride to the library to pore for hours over books and read under the trees. We’d saddle up the bikes again with our paper treasure and peddle home with new world to explore. I would like someday to be a writer.
sansis says
As a little girl I loved my dolls and my mum used to always be making me new clothes for my dolls
Jess M says
My mum is a nurse (shift worker) so when she was home at night she would always sing to me to put me to sleep. A lot of the songs would be made up – songs about how proud she was of me or how much she loved me and my brother. So cute! <3
Kaz Taylor says
I had an awful high school experience. Four years of bullying resulting in major depression, post traumatic stress disorder and an on going anxiety disorder. My Mum works as a counselling psychologist. She fought when I couldn’t and brought a sense of worth and determination into my life. From making my bed, to cooking intolerance friendly meals, to joining a gym with me she worked endlessly to bring health and happiness into my days. She contributes to the continuum of beauty and strength in all people, not just her daughter, everyday. To give a small, surprise token back to her would be lovely. <3
Sara Floyd says
We would read together
Peppermintpig says
Growing up my Mum was very health focused and our cupboards were full of lentils, raw honey, prunes and dates. I absolutely hated it. I wanted the chips and McDonalds that everyone else got to eat and I was sick of fish curries and mung bean salads. She wouldn’t budge and every day I was sent to school with her special homemade muesli bar made of flax, raisins and oats that I would throw straight into the trash. I’m 26yrs old and after a few years of daily McDonalds rebellion in my early 20’s I’m back to healthy eating. I’m grateful my mum was so focused on our health because now I have her example to follow and there are mung beans sprouting on my bench and flax meal and raw cacao in my cupboards ready for baking.
Victoria Vilches says
My mum used to pat us to sleep after a nightmare, the last time she did that I was 18.
Sonia says
Mum and I used to take long walks together when I was a teenager. It was a brilliant bonding time and gave us space to talk about girly stuff away from the boys at home. I still like going on walks with my mum. <3
Gemma says
Anytime I was being a bit of a sook about not feeling well as a child, the advice was always ‘have a glass of water and put some socks on your feet’. Just the right mix of sense and tough love! But when I was actually or properly sick, her tenderness really came out as she would nurse me through it with such care. And our special tradition was that she would always make me my favourite cake for when I was better, a zucchini and walnut cake. Coming out of the fog I would know it was waiting for me and I would devour a piece. I can still remember the taste, the rejuvenation, so clearly. Now I do the same for my son (as well as always handing over a pair of socks).
Lee Tancredi says
I used to love it when Mum would make scones for us for afternoon tea when we got home from school 🙂
Sophie Stevenson says
On rainy days we would get back from school and there would be a pot of soup and homemade scones ready and waiting to warm us up! Mum was too sick to pick us up from school so I think it was her way of doing something to make up for that.
Raana says
From a fairly young age, my mum would include me in the decision making process. Not just little things like ‘chocolate or vanilla ice cream’ but big things- ‘Allan has asked me to marry him, what do you think about this’ – before she’d answered.
It always made me feel valued as well as loved, which I think is nice.
Cyndie says
My mum has always worked full time, 6 days a week, with only Sunday off. However she would always take a day off every year to take me to school on the first day of a new term. Even when I started University she walked with me to go there on the first day!
Jen Gaitskell says
my mum taught me do everything to the best of my ability. give it a shot. and if things didn’t work out at least I gave it ago.
Donna Allen says
Mum always sings she would always sing to us to make us feel better or just happy!
Stacie Michelle says
The thing I remember most about childhood is my mother and I spending time after school reading together. My mum wasn’t the most academic as a kid, so she wanted to ensure my brother and I enjoyed reading and learning from a young age. I appreciate it now, as there truly is nothing better than curling up with a good book.
Julie Green says
When I went to bed, she’d sing to me and my favourite went like this: “Lucy grasshopper dressed in green, lives in the grass and can’t be seen. Her face and hands are always clean. Lucy grasshopper dressed in green.” No idea where that song came from!
I have mum to thank for the way I eat and see food – She always made sure I ate plenty of veg and got my nutrients. I was the kid with a healthy lunch when most others had a bag of chips, nutella sambo and a popper, for example.
Kim m says
My Mum has only ever sewn me one piece of clothing, a pair of grey pants for winter, I was in high school and I was a tomboy and I loved them! Looking back though, they were horrible, she wasn’t a sewer at all, but had made her own pattern so you can imagine, she was nice enough never to sew for me again, so that I didn’t make a fool of myself again!
Michelle says
When I (or one of my 6 siblings) was ill, my mum would let us get into her double bed for the day and bring us white bread, butter and vegemite sandwiches with the crusts cut off and a glass of lemonade (a real treat as we could not often afford such a luxury!!) Now, whenever I am feeling a bit sad and sorry for myself, a vegemite sandwich reminds me of my mum and makes everything better!!