Five lessons I learned from my mom & Mother’s Day gift ideas

With Mother’s day 12 days way, I wanted to dedicate this blog post to my sweet mom (seriously, how gorgeous is she?!) I have a never-ending inventory of names that I call her. Still, my preferred title is momerlla simple because she is a straight queen and could do no harm. What fun names do you guys call your mom? I want to add some new ones to my list lol. I could write a whole freaking book about everything that she has taught me, but I’m going to share the five most important things she has taught me.

Be a leader, not a follower: Ever since I was little, my mom encouraged me to be authentically myself even if that meant I was standing all alone. She challenged me to stand up for what was right and hold my ground when I didn’t believe in something but be open to hearing new concepts. It was engraved in my head to lead by example, and that means not just saying the right things but by doing the right things. I love that she urged me to apply for roles I thought I didn’t have a chance with, sit with the person who didn’t have anyone to sit next to at lunch, and speak up when my voice needed to be heard. 

You can’t please everyone: The older I get, the more valuable this statement becomes. I’m 100% a people pleaser and would much rather have the people around me be happy even if the consequence is my own happiness declining. She used to say that matter what I do, there will always be someone dissatisfied, and that’s OKAY! As long as I am content with my work and actions, I should be proud. With that, just because someone says something different, I shouldn’t take it to heart and continue to involve myself with actions that only better me as a person.

Be the light: I wanted to include this one because I think it speaks volumes to who my mom is as a person and how she raised me. You always hear the term “treat people the way you want to be treated,” but my mom took that to the next level by reminding my sister and me, that the vibe you reflect into the community brings you your tribe. She established us to be ” the light.” For a better lack of words, she inspired us to be warm, welcoming, and have a glow that makes people feel important. There is always so much darkness in the world, and by teaching us that we can create our sunshine, we can spark a movement for others to realize they have that unique light inside of them too.  

Nothing worth having will be handed to you- Fight for what you want: Raising a house of two girls, she would remind us that we already have a disadvantage for success just because of our gender. We didn’t really know what she was talking about at the time because we thought everyone was treated the same, but she prompted us to put our heads down and work our tushes off 24/7. All of the grindings paid off in school, chores, sports, internships, and community service. We were taught to ask questions, learn as much as we possibly could, create relationships with people, and believe in ourselves. Now my sister and I are BOTH running our own businesses. Talk about major girl power over here in the O household. Being taught to work hard has increased my passion and desire to be a full-blown powerhouse. I’m grateful for her making us work hard even when we didn’t understand it at the moment. 

Always wash your face and put sunscreen on: LOL I had to end with this one because my mom was so serious about taking care of our skin to prevent signs of aging and to end the day with a little me time. Let it be known; I wash my face every day and night even when I don’t feel like it because I know it will make a difference one day!

I’m so grateful to have the best mom in the whole world and don’t know what I did to deserve such a positive figure in my life. This is why I love Mother’s day so much because I get to show her how much she means to me! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite mother’s day gift ideas to help you spoil your cute mama on May 10th. Click on the items you want to check out, and it will take you directly to the site!