Breakfast in bed, at-home spa experience and a surprise: Here's how I pampered my mum like a queen for Mother's Day this year

With May upon us, one occasion that I hold close to my heart is just right around the corner – Mother's Day.

It's a day dedicated to one of the biggest rocks and figures of strength in my life. Independent, warm and steadfast, my mum has always been someone I look up to and embodies the traits I hope to emulate in my life.

Growing up, there have been times when we didn't see eye to eye, but I know deep down that she would always be rooting for me.

While I've made a conscious effort to regularly spend time with her, with work piling up, I have to admit that it's been difficult lately. This is why I came up with a game plan to pamper her this Mother's Day and give her an experience befitting of a queen.

Right off the bat, I knew I had to include some of her favourite food and activities on this day of indulgence – a good cup of coffee, dedicated time to unwind and a delicious treat consisting of all her favourite food.

With these in mind, it dawned on me that I had the best ally to pull off this plan – the trusty delivery platform foodpanda. Boasting an array of food delivery options, more than 4,000 retailers, and even dine-in and pick-up options, I could tick off my to-do list for Mother's Day without breaking a sweat (or the bank).

From a cosy breakfast in bed to a home spa experience, here's the early surprise I planned for my mum for this special occasion.

9am: Rise and dine

Since I was in primary school, my mum would be up every day by the crack of dawn to make sure breakfast is ready for us. All we have to do is to pick up the pre-packed food and get on with our day.

After all these years of her getting up bright and early for us, it's due time for a reversal of roles and to pamper her with a meal fit for a queen.

I hopped onto foodpanda to scour the various breakfast options and chanced upon a homegrown bakery, Bread and Butter Bakehouse. With freshly-baked pastries and aromatic coffee, it seemed like the perfect homely option.

I went for the foodpanda exclusive combo for two, consisting of cheese butter thick toasties, a turkey ham and cheese sandwich, two muffins and two cups of coffee. The store was also eligible for foodpanda's promo code 'LIKEAPANDA', allowing me to shave $6 off my bill (with a minimum spend of $28). What a steal!

Within 45 minutes, the food had arrived. Not only did I succeed in surprising my mum with this huge breakfast spread, but the food also lived up to expectations and was a satisfying meal to kickstart this special day.

10.30am: A mid-morning surprise

Midway through breakfast, the doorbell rang – my second surprise of the day was here!

Sentimental and timeless, a bouquet of carnations is the quintessential way to show one's love and appreciation for the maternal figure in our life. Needless to say, I knew I had to weave it into my plan today.

While I was scrolling through the app, I quickly realised that beyond food delivery, the app also offers an extensive range of shops selling anything and everything as part of their online marketplace, foodpanda shops. Think electronics, household products, gift bundles and of course, flower bouquets.

With a delivery time as short as an hour, it was a piece of cake to pull off this surprise, even at the last minute.

After scrolling through various flower shops on the platform, my final choice was a bouquet of red and pink carnations from 1 Florist & Gifts. Not only were the flowers in my mum's favourite colours, but the symbolism behind red and pink carnations was also a testament to my love and gratitude for her.

Delicately packaged in pink and purple crepe paper with a striking red bow, the bouquet arrived fresh at our doorsteps.

I got to say the surprise was worth every cent and effort when I saw how my mum's face lit up at the sight of it. Plus, after snapping multiple photos of the bouquet, she immediately looked for her favourite vase to display the flowers in our living room. 

2pm: Rejuvenate with a home spa session

Remembering that my mum has been lamenting about her dry skin lately, I thought there was no better time than today to spoil her with a relaxing at-home spa experience.

Besides, with her toiling day in and out to take care of our family, my mum rarely has time to unwind properly and take a break.

I decided to turn to my trusty assistant for the day – foodpanda – to stock up on all the necessities for this "spa session". Of course, the wide variety available on foodpanda shops made it a breeze to materialise my idea.

I got a couple of hydrating face and eye masks from Watsons, along with some nourishing rose tea and preserved plums from Eu Yan Sang for the full experience.

With the masks, floral tea and preserved plums ready, all that's left was for my mum to sit back and relax. And believe it or not, she was in the midst of vacuuming the house and I actually had to convince her to take a breather.

As we finally lay down on the sofa with our sheet masks on, it was also a rare opportunity to finally catch up on each others' lives. Though it was a short 45 minutes, I relished every minute of quality time with my mum.

6pm: Sharing a mouth-numbing and heartwarming dinner

The last agenda for this day of celebration was none other than to share a delicious meal with my mum.

My mum is a huge spice lover who needs chilli in every meal so a natural choice was one that involved some mouth-numbing spicy food.

As a subscriber of pandapro – foodpanda's subscription programme that offers exclusive savings and deals – I thought it would be a good idea to channel typical 'Singaporean auntie behaviour' by picking a restaurant from one of the participating restaurants on the app. Dining in at these restaurants will score an additional 20 per cent off my bill, which I'm sure my mum would also be pleased about!

My final choice was Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant Chen's Mapo Tofu which serves classic Sichuan dishes with a fresh spin. Just looking at the fiery-looking dishes scattered with dried chilli padi was enough to make our mouths water.

We shared the signature Mapo Don – piping hot rice topped with a generous amount of mapo tofu with minced meat – spicy Dan Dan Mien, mala fried gyozas, as well as a refreshing glass of calamansi juice to cut through the oil and spice.

We left the restaurant with happy and full bellies, and safe to say, my mum's craving for spice was well-satisfied.

Make everyday special for all mums out there

The long day of activities left us knackered, but it was worth every moment when I saw that my mum was able to let loose and fully indulge herself. Plus, having foodpanda as my trusted partner in crime made the process all the easier.

If you're looking to surprise your mum with a line-up of her favourite food and activities this Mother's Day (or any other day), let foodpanda help bring your plans to life.

With food delivery options aplenty, dine-in and pick-up discounts, as well as a plethora of stores and products available, there's no sweat in giving your loved ones the celebration they deserve.

This article is brought to you in partnership with foodpanda.

yukiling@asiaone.com

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