Borders mum fronts Mother's Day campaign to encourage local shopping

Lauren Jamieson, 42, is a mum of three and founder of The Colourful Edit, colour and confidence styling for women.

“I grew up in Galashiels and, after living in New Zealand and Australia for over a decade, moved back to the Borders because I wanted my family to grow up close to family and experience the Scottish seasons.

"Having had my own styling business in Australia, I set up The Colourful Edit when my children were little. I knew the employed work-life balance would have been challenging to navigate with young ones so close in age. So, I went solo and gave myself a five-year plan.

“I’ve helped many women at key milestones like big birthdays, career changes and becoming a mum. As a mum, especially a new mum, you can sometimes lose your way because you become so absorbed in the little person you care for, but that's OK because you get it back over time. There's too much pressure on us to have it all.”

Lauren is taking part in the ‘more than a mum’ campaign on behalf of the Scottish Borders Gift Card, which can be spent in more than 110 businesses that accept the card, including shops, restaurants, attractions and more. The initiative is backed by the Scottish Borders Council and part of the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card initiative from Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Miconex.

A Scotland Loves Local Gift Card survey with over 370 mums has shown that 77% of mums say they feel guilty spending money on themselves. Clothes, shoes and bags are the items that 76% of mums feel most guilty spending money on, followed by beauty treatments, nights out/days out and holidays, meals out and the gym/health/fitness activities.

Some 92% of mums have wished for more time for themselves and 78% have wished for more time with their friends. A massive 69% of mums are working into the evenings and weekends. Almost a third of mums are spending more than 90 minutes each day on household tasks, with a quarter of mums saying they get just 15 minutes each day purely to themselves.

Meanwhile, 95% of mums said they worry more since having children, with children being what tends to worry mums most, followed by finances, partner/love life and work.

A huge 96% of mums surveyed said they’d like to receive a local gift card for Mother’s Day, with beauty treatments and a meal out being the top items mums would spend their gift card on.

Lauren, who has worked with hundreds of mums, and is also the creative driving force behind the Heartland Market in Galashiels, says that being a mum comes with new experiences, but it doesn’t have to mean losing who you are.

“I’m pleased to be a part of the ‘more than a mum’ campaign because I think it’s a powerful message," she says.

"For mums, I think it’s about finding joy in little things, going gentler on themselves, and still trying to carve out time to do what makes them happy, professionally or personally. I enjoy the seasons, take time for a hot drink at a local independent cafe, walk in nature, or make something with my hands.

“Colour analysis can impact how you go about your day, and It doesn’t have to be massive changes either; it can be as small as wearing a coloured t-shirt to lift your mood, creating a wardrobe that can be easily rotated for timeliness and shopping pre-loved or at a swap party are also great ways to achieve an affordable wardrobe. However, it's never really about the clothes!

“There is a lot of financial pressure now, especially with the cost of living, but also with the unspoken 'load' put on mothers. I understand why mums can feel guilty about spending money on themselves, but I believe that things start to fall apart if you aren't looking after 'you'.

“The Scottish Borders Gift Card is a super initiative. If mums are given a Scottish Borders Gift Card for Mother’s Day, they can use it to have lunch with a friend, a pampering treatment, or a colour analysis and styling session to feel confident inside and out. Not only that, but it’s supporting many other small and female-led businesses in Galashiels, which is a positive thing.”

Scott Hamilton, executive member for community & business development at Scottish Borders Council said:“We are fortunate to have a wealth of wonderful local businesses in the Borders, with over 110 represented through our Scottish Borders Gift Card. This Mother’s Day, choosing our local gift card gives mums that chance to really treat themselves to the things they might otherwise think twice about buying, providing tangible support for our local businesses at the same time.”

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex: “Our Mother’s Day research aligns with much of what we know about gift cards. 92% of people prefer giving gift cards because they encourage the recipient to treat themselves. And when it comes to spending gift cards, we see them as ‘free money’ and are more likely to spend them on a treat.

"This Mother’s Day campaign is a useful reminder to think about what mums really want and need this Mother’s Day, giving them the benefit of the whole Scottish Borders through one gift card.”