Why I don't subscribe to Mother's Day.

For most, Mother's Day signals its time to blow the lint off our 'savings' and splash out on gifts for our mums and grandmas. Our Lifestyle editor, Lisa, isn't so sure. To her, it's not about what you spend that counts - it's the effort behind it that matters.

Mother’s Day: The only day of the year we are allowed to show affection for our mums, or a great holiday that has become over-commercialised?

Either way - to me, it’s not worth all the effort that some companies try to make us all think it is. The email reminders calling for people to ‘not forget Mother’s day this year’ and ‘show your mum how much you love her’ start weeks before the big day. It’s just too much.

Every year brands cash in on trying to persuade consumers that they need to shell out hundreds of pounds to reassure our mums that we value how they raised us into normal citizens. 

No-one should spend all their money on an iPad in an attempt to show her that they care on one day out of 365. Instead, she should already know how lost they would be without her because she has been showered with hugs, appreciative texts and appreciates the effort spent to make time for her throughout the year. It’s effort that counts, not the price tag.

Cue Jessie J. It's not about the price tag...

For some reason card shops think that we need a specific day to show our mums how much we love them. It's as though, surely we can only express how thankful we are to one of the people that raised us in one 24-hour period. And we can only express this by buying a card, overpriced flowers and maybe even a box of chocolates. It may be cynical to suggest that this day is a way of tiding over the profits of gift and card shops from Valentine’s Day to Easter, but that’s really all it is.

While Mothering Sunday is a good excuse to make the journey home and spend the day dedicated to being with family, that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t go home at other parts of the year as well.

In the first few years of University when you’ve just flown the nest for the first time it can be hard on a parent, but that should prompt semi-regular visits home, plus calls and texts rather than using a commercialised holiday to force you home.

After all, a mum is for life – not just for Mother’s day.

If you want an easy and cheap way to wow mum this Mother's day, take a look at our breakfast in bed recipes.

What's the nicest thing that you've done for mum?

Give mum breakfast in bed

OK, so we admit we'll probably end up dashing to the shops on Saturday night, hoping there's a card left for us in time for Mother's Day. If you're as last minute as we are, you'll be relieved to know there's a chance for us all to redeem ourselves on Sunday morning. Our very own Nigella, Emily Robinson, has listed three quick, easy and cheap breakfast ideas to make mum breakfast in bed (if you can get up early enough). 

With Mothering Sunday a few days away, it is very likely that a few of you are panicking about what to do to treat your mum. Let’s face it: it’s can be a pot-luck heading to the local shops to see what is left of the flower arrangements this close to the day itself, and with most of the boxed chocolates having been replaced by Easter treats, you may be a bit stuck for options. So why not show her how much you care with one of our selection of homemade breakfast ideas, created to show her just how much she means? I have created three simple breakfast ideas without even having to venture to the shops, so there’s no need to worry: just tie those apron strings and get cooking.

Unlike the haphazard breakfasts-in-bed that my brother and I used to whip up on Mother’s day, these recipes are easy enough to make on the morning itself, to give your mum a truly welcome surprise when she wakes up.

Greek yoghurt with easy granola

Ingredients:

·         1½ tsp of vegetable oil

·         1½ tsp of maple syrup

·         A few drops of vanilla extract

·         150g porridge oats

·         Handful of chopped walnuts

·         ½ tsp of ground cinnamon

·         About 4-5 tablespoons of Greek yoghurt (plain or flavoured, whatever you prefer)

Method

1. To make the granola, pre-heat the oven to a low temperature, around 150ºC/Gas Mark 2.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the oil, syrup and vanilla extract until well combined, then mix in the oats, walnuts and cinnamon, making sure that everything is well coated.

3.Spread the mixture out onto a small baking tray, and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, or until the mixture is golden brown and quite dry to the touch.

5. Put the yoghurt in a bowl, and mix in any flavouring you might want (I stirred in 1 tsp of clear honey, but you can add dried or fresh fruit, nuts, etc).

6. Sprinkle a healthy amount of the granola on top of the yoghurt, and you’re done.

Stewed apple porridge

Ingredients:

·         1 tsp of butter

·         2 eating apples (I used galas)

·         1½ tsp of ground ginger

·         2 tsp of sugar (brown is better, but any will do)

·         50g of porridge oats

·         200ml of whole milk

Method:

1. To make the stewed apples, start by peeling one of the apples (leaving the skin on one will give a nice texture to them), then coring both and chopping them into roughly 1-2cm cubes (it’s nice to have a bit of a variation in the size of the chunks, so some bits melt in your mouth, and others give a bit of a crunch).

2. Put the butter, ginger, apples, and sugar into a small saucepan, and heat on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the apples start to soften.

3. Pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the saucepan by about 1-2cm, and turn the heat to low. Stew the apples for about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, and topping up the water if the bottom of the pan becomes too dry.

4. Meanwhile, make the porridge. Mix together the oats and milk in a bowl, then heat in the microwave on high for 3 minutes (keep an eye on it! – although I am an advocate of the microwave porridge method, you have to be careful to make sure it doesn’t boil over and create a huge mess).

5. When the 3 minutes are up, take the porridge out of the microwave and stir it, and heat again on high for another minute, or until it’s at a preferred consistency.

6.Once it’s ready, stir through half of the apples, top with the rest, and serve.

Classic scrambled eggs with maple-bacon

Ingredients:

·         2 rashers of unsmoked bacon (streaky is better, but back bacon works well too)

·         1 tbsp of maple syrup

·         1 tsp of caster sugar

·         2 eggs

·         Milk

·         1 slice of bread

Method:

1. Trim the fat from the bacon then cut into about 6 even-sized strips. Sprinkle the sugar over the bacon, making sure it is evenly covered then pour over the maple syrup, cover and allow to marinate for about 15-20 minutes in the fridge.

2. In a jug, whisk together the eggs with a splash of milk (a wise friend of mine once told me 1 capful of milk per egg is pretty much perfect, for some reason) and season.

3. When the bacon is ready, heat a small saucepan on a low heat and a frying pan on a medium heat. Add a small splash of oil to each pan.

4. Once the oil is heated, add the bacon to the frying pan, and fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes to get a good caramelisation around the edge.

5. Flip the bacon, and add the eggs to the saucepan.

6. Leave the eggs for about 30 seconds to start cooking, and put the bread on to toast.

7. After 30 seconds, stir the eggs, and keep stirring until they are cooked through, and there are no uncooked parts.

8.Butter the toast and arrange all the elements on a plate.

Nothing beats bacon... except maple-bacon.

Enjoy!

Did you make any these tasty treats for your mum? Let us know what you thought. 

Brits Basking in the 'Sun'

Bare legs and summer sandals have been spotted in the multiples over the past week. It would appear us Brits lose the jumpers and jeans as soon as one ray of sunshine can be seen from our bedroom window.

With newspapers running headlines like 'HOTTER THAN AFRICA', Zoe Cassell looks further into why us Brits just can't seem to keep our clothes on. 

Inspirational Women: can we choose only one?

Proposed to me, was a feature signalling towards writing about one, individually inspiring woman- a tough challenge.

There is the cliché, my mum. She is a role model and inspiration to just cherish those moments and care for all with one-hundred percent of your heart, and help them an equal amount when they need it most. You never know the when the moments will slip from your fingers, people – especially.

Mary, is a woman that has taught me to just be happy, take everything as it comes, work hard and to look up and ahead at all times. My mother, has been an inspiration to me to be a selfless person. Although we all struggle, (hands up – I do) with this concept, to be inspirational to others – you need to focus on them, not you.

Yet, we have the alternative cliché. A celebrity? An individual at the top of their game, inspiring women to reach for the ultimate goal, no matter what this may be. Say, Angelina Jolie maybe? However, for me – she is inspiring because worldwide, she has taught women that being a ‘female’ is merely a title. It is not defined by our ability, physically – but more mentally. We should not be labelled as a less-effeminate merely because we don’t have breasts or a vagina, surely?

Taking on a double mastectomy, as well as a career, three adopted children, three biological, a whole host of humanitarian work and a long term partner – how can this tomb-raider fighter not notate that the fighter onscreen also can continue off screen. No less of a woman with her recent decision, she emulates to women that although, yes we may be scared, to leap into the next step and be safe, and happy is what we should all strive for. Be strong. Be independent. Be inspired.

  

So, we have those close to our hearts, close our screens. But there are the women who, at our tender age may have passed us by in their greatness, for there have been many. One, came into my path recently on desert Island Discs Episode. Reverend Rose-Hudson Wilkin. Heard of her? Perhaps you have…perhaps you haven’t.  A remarkable character, she is the first black, female chaplain to enter into the House of Commons and the first Chaplain to the queen as well. She actively rejects the increasing issue of ‘institutionalised racism’ within British society,  and has overcome the many ignorance of many towards her gender and colour.

In the recent feature of Desert Island Discs she said this about her life, ‘this is the dice that life has thrown at you, and you will get on with it.’ A statement and a half, no? She inspires people to make the best of what life has and to not dwell on matters, because if we do that – how are we helping ourselves to be the best that we can be? Inspiring me to change my attitude towards a lot of upfront affairs that challenge so many of us, she has made me open my eyes and has been a constant reminder that the world is a beautifully diverse place that we must embrace.

Three strong women in my life, I cannot tell you just ‘one’ inspirational woman. I do not think that we can ever find just one, and really what we should take into account is that all women are inspirational. Each one individually can offer us a new breath of air that others may not. It is not failing, not having that quality. Remember quality over quantity. Combined, and joint in force we can seek to improve ourselves, and then – hopefully be another part of female inspiration.

So ladies, really what I am trying to say to you is embrace your femininity, but also absorb those sisters around you. This is not a point of call to say be hard core feminists and forget men all together, and grow out your hair…. No. Personally, I’m not supportive of that movement at all. Just look after yourself, and fit the mould you want to be, and be inspired all the time. Most of all, be the change you want to see.

What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

Mary Smith takes a look back at International Women's Week...

Supersize vs Superskinny presenter Emma Woolf began her inspiring talk on positive body image and self-confidence at the Students Union as part of International Women’s Week, with this thought provoking question.

Every day women are surrounded by images of beautiful women in the media and are made to believe we should look and act a certain way. It’s no wonder that with all this pressure, women are constantly obsessing about body image and eating disorders are on the rise.

Emma, who struggled with a decade of anorexia herself, reminded us that we need to give up on perfection (particularly in the physical sense), face our inner fears, challenge ourselves and pursue what truly makes us happy.

Whilst it remains true that women are still subject to misogyny and objectification on a daily basis, we must not let this deter us. We must focus on creating our own successes as many women have before us.

Emma then gave seven strategies of coping with the struggles and barriers that women struggle with on a daily basis, which I found to be particularly useful:

1.       FIND YOUR FLOW- Find something that makes you happy, whether big or small and immerse yourself in it

2.       TRUST YOUR GUT- Your body often knows what to do before you’ve figured it out

3.       PLOUGH YOUR OWN FURROW- Admire your individualism and be authentic

4.       FEEL THE FEAR- Allow yourself to take risks and remember, whatever happens, you’ll be okay.

5.       BAN THE BITCHINESS- Bringing down other women won’t make you any happier

6.       STOP SAYING I’M SORRY- Don’t apologise for your successes

7.       LEARN TO TAKE CRITICISM- If there is honestly and value in the criticism then use it and learn from it.

Emma then concluded laying particular emphasis on how we should also celebrate other women and their success and help and support each other whenever we can, rather than feeling like we are all in direct competition.

This speech was just a small snapshot of International Women’s Week, with many more inspirational talks by inspirational women. 

No Makeup Selfies: the £1 million campaign that divided social media

Anyone who has been on Facebook recently will have noticed the trend for no makeup selfies, the cancer awareness campaign that everyone is talking about.

Newsfeeds around the country are currently covered with fresh-faced images of women, who have shunned the slap in favour of a more natural look, all in aid of cancer awareness.

Recipe for the Weekend: Spiced Carrot and Green Soup

Although it’s coming into the spring, we still can crave those warming meals to savour us from the miserable Sheffield weather that this crater of a city is notorious for.

What exactly is St Patrick's day?

Lisa Preece gives a run-down on what the yearly tradition actually means...is it just another excuse to have one too many?

Inspirational Women: Florence Welch

Just because us men are pretty great, that doesn’t mean we don’t have female role models. Mine, for example, is Florence Welch- lead vocalist of Florence and The Machine.

Inspirational Women: Malala Yousafzal

In October 2012, the attempted murder of 15-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai shocked the world.  This chilling crime was a response to Malala’s tireless dedication to the campaign for girls’ education: Malala had been blogging about the situation in Pakistan, and had taken part in documentaries and interviews.  

Inspirational Women: Angelica Cheung

Here at Liberty Belle HQ, we’re loving all of the women’s day buzz. In honour of the ultimate day of girl power, our writers are sharing their female inspirations. Starting with Angelica Cheung by Lily James…

5 Things That Make London and Sheffield Very Different

Fashion Editor Megan Sutton went on a little jolly to London recently, and it’s fair to say she felt a million miles away from our steel city. She came up with five stand-out reasons why the capital is very, very different to Sheffield…