Author: Emily

This afternoon, I was driving through a small town (not the one where I live, fortunately, or even the one next to it) and happened to notice a new dance studio. The parking lot was full and lots of little girls in tutus were heading to and from class.

As I drove by, I caught sight of a family out of the corner of my eye.

I spotted them just as the dad hauled off and hit the mom on the arm. Not playfully, not jokingly. He hit her violently. In a parking lot full of other people, as she held the hand of her little girl.

I gasped as my hand flew to my mouth, which alarmed Kate. I had no words for what I had just seen – none that I could tell her, anyway. I made up a clumsy story about a dog running out into the road.

The vision is burned into my mind.

Here’s what I keep thinking. Until today, I had never seen such a thing. I had never seen a man hit a woman. Truly. I’d never seen it. I’m 30 years old.

That three-year-old can’t say the same thing. Her little eyes have seen it. She saw it today and has probably seen much worse countless times. More than likely, she will continue to see it. She might even think it’s normal.

It breaks my heart.

In addition to the great Mother’s Day gift ideas we brought you last week in our gift guide, we have a few further suggestions, thanks to our friends at Lands’ End, who sent us a few things to check out.

In case we haven’t mentioned it 9,000 times, we love Lands’ End. Really. Because even though we’ve been lucky enough to review many of their items on this here blog, we’ve become loyal customers and have bought tons of their stuff in the last couple of years. I was pretty much obsessed with the puffer jacket I bought last December, and Jenny threw out all her jeans in favor of the Lands’ End pairs she found on sale at Sears! Ok, I’m rambling, but you get my point.

In any case, they have some great possibilities for Mother’s Day Gifts (which is THIS Sunday, btw) – and, listen up guys, you don’t even have to know her size!

You may not know this, but Lands’ End has a great selection of jewelry. Jenny and I first tried it out last summer at BlogHer, when we had necklaces and earrings to give away all weekend. They were a hit, and Lands’ End’s new line is just as fun. I like these bangles. You can’t tell from the picture how substantial they feel, but you can see how cute they look!

Lands’ End has always been known for their totes, but these Ragtop Snap Totes are a little fancier than the regular ones – the color on the bottom has just enough sheen to make it sparkle, and the snaps at the top allow you to change the shape of the bag, which makes it very cute!

Another favorite Jenny and I discovered last summer is the scarves from Lands’ End. I have gotten SO much use out of mine – I wear them all the time! I love these linen scarves. They’re gauzy and lightweight, and they’re long enough to tie them any way you want. Here’s a tip – get one to match the Ragtop Snap Tote!

Lands’ End always has great sales going on. They offer free shipping quite frequently, and the “Overstocks” page is full of good deals. Follow @landsendchat on Twitter or sign up for their e-newsletter, and you’ll never miss a sale. Don’t forget, a lot of Sears stores carry Lands’ End merchandise too… so if you’re in need of a last-minute gift on Saturday, you’ll know where to go!

*This just in! Starting this morning, you can get $10 off a single purchase of $50-$99.99, $25 off a single purchase of $100-$199.99 or $50 off a single purchase of $200 or more of regularly-priced merchandise. Excludes gift cards, special services, duties & taxes. At checkout‚ on the Billing Information page‚ go to the section labeled “Promotion Code” (above the credit card payment box) and enter the Promotion Code MAY6 and PIN 1009 in the space provided.*

So whether or not you’ve been inspired by our Mother’s Day ideas, I’m curious – what’s on your Mother’s Day wish list?