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The gift that keeps on giving, magazine subscriptions are a thoughtful way of extending the Mother's Day present to all year round. Depending on your choice of magazine, your Mum could be receiving her gift every month for a year! Select subscriptions purchased before 28th May 2013, will also grant an automatic entry into a competition to win one of four trips to a health retreat, so there's a little something for yourself too ;)

Personalize an everyday item with a beautiful message. There are so many handmade treasures on Etsy, this is one is one of my faves.

Another gem from Etsy, this gorgeous spoon features a hand-stamped message.

Something for home or work, this bright red mug will sure bring a smile to Mum's face every time she sips her tea or coffee!

Help Mum in the kitchen with this practical gift pack which includes a stylish recipes folder, limited edition recipe cards and more!

The perfect present is often something nice to have, that they wouldn't typically buy for themselves. It's never a "need", but once your Mum has this iPad stand, she'll wonder how she ever cooked without it! For the techy Mum that cooks, this stand will keep her iPad clean and ensures the screen is upright for easy reading.

OK, this one isn't edible but it contains parsley seed extract and offers significant skin restorative properties! Aesop's Parsley Seed skin care is the result of extensive research and development into the most effective way to deliver anti-oxidants, vitamins, and other actives to the skin. This pack contains six highly efficacious products to provide a complete facial care regimen.

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I'm an online shopping addict but ordering dinner online isn't something I do very often. My first thoughts of takeaway food are 'cheap and greasy'. A meme that has been doing the rounds lately is "You are what you eat - so don't be fast, cheap, easy or fake!" which I think says it all.

So when I was invited to trial Eat Now's online ordering system, I was both surprised and delighted that fabulous local restaurants such as Il Grappolo were featured! Who knew takeaway food would become so decadent? 

I just needed to enter my postcode in the search bar on the Eat Now website and it listed all the Sydney restaurants and takeaways from my area available.

All my years of online shopping on ASOS, Modcloth and Net-a-Porter seems to have led to this moment. I've mastered the art of discipline and easily navigated between menus and ensured I didn't over-order or order something I would later regret.

Within minutes, my order was placed.

Step 1: Browse menus and place the order online

Living in a cashless society, I love that the Eat Now system accepts both credit card and Paypal as well as the standard cash on delivery.

Step 3: Order confirmation

The real test of an online business is when something you order isn't available and funnily enough, that was what I experienced! My sautéed green beans, with pancetta and eschalots weren't available but I instantly received a call from Eat Now's headquarters in Melbourne and I was able to update my order over the phone. I ended up changing the side dish to sautéed broccolini with lemon and garlic which was the same price.

Miscommunication diverted, I received a text message with the order confirmation and estimated delivery time.

The waiting time was well spent doing important chores such as the laundry (how domesticated have I become!!).

Arriving within the estimated time, we spread out the dishes on our make-shift coffee table aka ironing board and enjoyed a gourmet TV dinner while watching an episode of The Mind of a Chef, my current foodie show of choice.

Casually thrown into double paperbags, the Patatine Fritte (hand cut chips, $8) don't look very appetising but looks are deceiving because they're actually moreishly crunchy and fluffy.

The Spaghetti ai Gamberi (saute prawns, cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic, chilli & olive oil, $22) is simplicity at it's best. The pasta is perfectly cooked and the kick of chilli is spot on.

The Saute Broccolini with Lemon and Garlic ($8) is a tad overdone for my liking but the Salsiccia e Funghi pizza (sausage, mushroom, chilli and Fior di Latte, $19) is satisfyingly good! Definitely not your run-of-the-mill delivery pizza, this one features a scrumptious thin base with the perfect chew and a winning combination of toppings. The fior di latte mozzarella bounds together the richness and saltyness of the sausage, the fragrance of mushrooms and a tangy vibrant tomato sauce. 

It's rather fancy for a TV dinner but sometimes a quiet night in is all I want. I'll be keeping Eat Now up my sleeve for another lazy weeknight dinner soon!

For more information, visit Eat Now - Order takeaway and food delivery online

This post is sponsored by Eat Now. All opinions are my own.