What This Mama Wants for the Holidays!

I admit that I’m a hard-to-buy-for Mama, usually offering few suggestions of what I’d like for the Holidays.  But ask me what I want for the kids, I can instantly rhyme off clothing, books and learning toys for my entire brood.  This is often the case with us Mamas who put our families first, and ourselves last.  So I’ve decided to make a wish list for the Holidays, and cease being the difficult one this year.  Press “Like” if you have a hard-to-buy-for Mama on the list, or you’re hard-to-buy-for yourself!

A Sleek New Laptop! – I own 4 laptops, all broken in different ways.  We have the computer that the kids snapped off all the keys to make “alphabet soup”, one with spotty wifi connection, the antique that’s incompatible with today’s technologies, and the one I’ve dubbed “The Matrix” due to the strings of binary code it displays.  I want a great new laptop, one that’s thin and sleek, with a touch screen, and an awesome sound system for my favourite tunes.  Specifically, I would like the HP ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4!

Mama Massage with Mani-Pedi – I have a beautiful vision of absolute peace and relaxation, as I enjoy a deep tissue massage with no kids running around me fighting and screaming.  To add to the bliss of this fantasy, I would love an exfoliating pedicure for my tired Mama feet, and a manicure that says “woman”, not “mommy”.  Please send me on a spa retreat like the ones offered at the Elmwood Spa in Toronto! 

New Threads for Mama! – After having 5 kids in 5 years, my pre-pregnancy wardrobe just won’t cut it anymore.  I don’t need labels like Gucci and Prada, just a couple of nice outfits that shout cute and sophisticated.  If anyone from Jacob or H&M or is reading, please make sure my husband comes home with some elegant dresses, figure-flattering blouses, curve-hugging skirts and stylish slacks! 

Beautiful Baubles! – Once upon a time I had a beautiful pair of diamond earrings.  How elegant I looked with sparkling lobes!  Sadly, the kids got into my jewelry box and lost one of the earrings forever.  Fitfully, I would like a new pair of elegant evening earrings with matching necklace.  I love long, dangly silver earrings with a simple design.  If the jewelry has stones (real or faux), please let them be diamonds, amethysts or in a turquoise colour!  Etsy has lots of hand-made jewelry that would fit the bill.     

Book Me! – I sometimes forget that I once read for personal interest, with all the storybooks I read daily to my kids.  This Mama loves to read Science Fiction and challenge her vision of the future!  Buy me any book from my favourite UK author Alistair Reynolds and you will have found me the perfect gift!  I’ve also read Science Fiction anthologies by Gardner Dozois for the past 2 decades, and would love another volume.  E-book version please!   

Dinner & a Groovy – Dinner and a movie is absolutely underrated, especially if you’re the Mama of 5 little kids!  Set a date, book a babysitter for the evening, and let me pick the movie and the restaurant of my choice.  I would like to see an action flick like Skyfall and eat at one of the great Italian restaurants in Toronto, like Centro.  Afterward, if you find a hot nightclub that really grooves, that would be the cherry on top of the sundae!  Bring your dancing shoes, this Mama’s getting down!

This article was written by me, Jenna Em, and appears in the Sunday, November 25th, 2012 issue of the Huffington Post!