Mother’s Day & the Power of Small Self-Care Rituals
I’m a mum of two — my little ones are two and four — so right now my world is nursery runs, forgotten water bottles, and last-minute panic about what’s going in for show and tell.
My mornings aren’t calm. They’re a blur of tiny socks, toy negotiations, and someone inevitably needing a different coloured cup.
And by the end of the day? I’m touched-out, talked-out, and usually stepping over toys I was sure I’d already tidied.
I love this season of life. But it’s full.
And finding time for myself often feels… unrealistic.
The Reality of Self-Care With Little Ones
Before children, self-care felt simple. Now, with a toddler and a preschooler, it has to fit into the smallest gaps of the day.
There’s no such thing as a long, uninterrupted bath.
There’s no leisurely morning routine.
There’s five minutes while Peppa Pig is on.
Or ten minutes after bedtime — if no one gets up again.
I’ve realised that in this stage of motherhood, self-care has to be easy. No planning. No booking. No effort.
It has to happen in the middle of real life.
My Five-Minute Reset
One of the smallest but most powerful rituals I’ve built into my day is lighting a candle in the evening.
After nursery bags are unpacked.
After dinner is cleared.
After the final “Muuuumyyy!” from the bedroom.
That tiny flicker of light changes the whole feel of the room. The day softens. The noise fades. My shoulders drop.
It’s not dramatic. It’s not Instagram-perfect. There are still toys everywhere.
But for those few minutes, I breathe.
And as a mum of two under five, that pause matters.
Why I Created Refillable Candles
When I started Casa di Ovia, it wasn’t just about creating something beautiful. It was about creating something practical for homes like mine — lived-in, busy, slightly chaotic, but full of love.
I used to burn through candles and feel frustrated throwing away perfectly good jars. It felt wasteful. Especially as a parent, thinking about the kind of world we’re leaving for our children.
That’s why refillable candles made so much sense to me.
You invest in a timeless vessel once. And instead of discarding it, you simply replace the refill when it’s finished.
It’s one small shift — but it reduces waste and turns a simple candle into something long-lasting.
Much like motherhood itself, it’s about building something that continues.
A Different Kind of Mother’s Day Gift
As a mum, I can honestly say this: we don’t need extravagant gestures.
We want to feel seen.
We want someone to recognise the mental load of remembering nursery days, spare clothes, snack preferences, and which cuddly toy absolutely must come to bed.
A thoughtful Mother’s Day gift isn’t about how big it is. It’s about what it represents.
A refillable candle becomes part of everyday life — lit during bath time, during a rare quiet coffee, or while folding tiny leggings for the third time that day.
And because it’s refillable, it doesn’t disappear after one burn. It stays. Just like the role of motherhood itself — constant, evolving, enduring.
Self-Care That Fits Into Toddler Life
With a two and four year old, self-care has to be realistic.
It doesn’t always look like:
Leaving the house
Booking childcare
Finding hours of free time
It has to work in the in-between moments.
Lighting a candle takes seconds.
Breathing deeply takes seconds.
Choosing to pause — even briefly — takes intention.
That’s the kind of self-care I believe in.
Simple. Sustainable. Repeatable.
Teaching Our Children Through Small Choices
One thing I’m more conscious of since becoming a mum is how much our children absorb.
They see how we treat ourselves.
They see how we treat our homes.
They see the choices we make.
Choosing refillable over disposable is a small but meaningful lesson in valuing longevity over waste. In caring for our environment. In being intentional.
And choosing to take five minutes for yourself? That teaches them that mums matter too.
This Mother’s Day
If you’re in the thick of toddlerhood — nursery runs, show and tell stress, stepping on Lego at 9pm — I see you.
You don’t need a whole day off to deserve rest.
You don’t need silence to justify a pause.
You just need five minutes. A small ritual. A soft glow at the end of a loud day.
From one mum of two little ones to another — you deserve self-care that fits your real life.
Not the filtered version.
The beautiful, messy, toy-filled one.
And maybe this isn’t about waiting for someone else to gift it to you.
Maybe this Mother’s Day is about giving yourself permission. Permission to choose something that isn’t for the children, the house, or the never-ending to-do list — but for you. A refillable candle isn’t indulgent; it’s intentional. It’s a small investment in creating moments of calm that you can return to again and again.
And if you’re reading this thinking of a mum who feels permanently “on” — the one juggling nursery pick-ups, remembering show and tell, wiping faces, answering questions, and carrying it all — this might be the gentlest way to say, I see you. Not with something fleeting, but with something that becomes part of her everyday rhythm. A quiet reminder that she deserves care too.
f this sounds like the kind of ritual you’d love in your own home — or in the home of a mum you care about — you can discover our refillable candles here.
