Solo Mum Society - Mystery Mama Mother’s Day Gift Exchange 2026

For Australian solo mums · Registration closes Wednesday April 16

Mother’s Day and the Mystery Mama Gift Exchange is one of my favourite things we do in this community — and this year it's open to everyone in Solo Mum Society, not just our Facebook group.

The SMS Mystery Mama Gift Exchange is simple: you register, you get matched with another solo mum in Australia, you send her a little something she'll love for Mother's Day. And someone else does the same for you.

It's a small thing. But there's something really special about receiving a gift from a woman who just gets it — someone who understands this life in a way that most people don't.

Here's how it works:

  1. Register below by Wednesday, April 16

  2. You'll receive your match via email by Thursday, April 17

  3. Complete your Elfster wishlist so your gifter knows what you'd love

  4. Spend $30 on a special gift for your recipient. Postage is additional

  5. Post your gift by Wednesday April 30, so it arrives before Mother's Day on May 10

  6. On Mother's Day, open your present and enjoy a bit of love from one solo mum/solo-mum-to-be to another

No pressure. No perfect gift needed. Just a little kindness from someone who understands.

A few things to know:

This exchange is only open to Australian solo mums. If you're based in New Zealand — scroll down to the FAQ. We may run a separate NZ exchange if there's enough interest.

You'll complete a wishlist in Elfster (our gift exchange platform) after you register — this gives your gifter ideas for what you'd love, and what to avoid. Nothing is obligatory, but it makes the whole thing much more fun and you’re more likely to get something you want.

Register here:

FAQs

  • This exchange is open to solo mums at any stage of the journey — considering, TTC, pregnant, or already raising your little one. You don't need to be a paid member of anything. You just need to be an Australian solo mum by choice (or on the path to becoming one).

  • This exchange is for Australian solo mums only — postage between AU and NZ adds cost and complexity that makes it hard to manage fairly. But if you're in NZ and would love to do something similar, email me at alisha@solomumsociety.com with the subject line "NZ Gifting." If I get enough interest before April 14, I'll set up a separate NZ-only exchange. No promises, but I'll do my best.

  • Around $30 for the gift itself, plus the cost of postage. Please don't stress about hitting exactly $30 — a little over or under is completely fine. The goal is something thoughtful, not expensive.

  • Elfster is a free online platform that manages gift exchanges. Once registration closes, I'll enter all participants into Elfster and it will randomly assign each person their match. You'll receive an email from Elfster with your match's name and a link to view their wishlist. You can also add items to your own wishlist so your gifter knows what you'd enjoy.

  • You don't have to, but I'd really encourage it. It takes about five minutes and makes the whole thing so much more fun for your gifter. Add 4–5 ideas at around the $30 price point — things you'd genuinely love. You can also note things you'd prefer not to receive (like if you have a fragrance allergy, or you have 47 candles already).

  • Please post by Wednesday April 30. This gives your match time to receive it before Mother's Day on May 10. Please allow for standard Australia Post delivery times in your state.

  • You can send an anonymous message through Elfster to ask them a question. Or trust your instincts — you're a solo mum buying for another solo mum. Think about what you'd love to receive on a day that's supposed to be about you. Something cosy. Something for you, not for the kids. You've got this.

  • You'll receive a confirmation email from me shortly after registering. Then on April 17, you'll receive an email from Elfster with your match. From there, it's up to you to browse their wishlist and find something lovely.

A note from me: The SMS Mystery Mama is a community-run exchange organised with love but without guarantees. Solo Mum Society coordinates the matching process and provides the platform to register, but we're not responsible for gifts that are lost, delayed, or not sent. We trust our community — and we ask you to participate in the spirit it's intended: with kindness, generosity, and the knowledge that you're gifting to a woman who is doing something remarkable. If something goes wrong, please reach out and we'll do our best to help.

Disclaimer: Participation in the SMS Mother's Day Secret Gifting is voluntary. Solo Mum Society acts as organiser of the matching process only and accepts no responsibility or liability for gifts that are not purchased, not posted, lost in transit, delayed, damaged, or not received. By registering, participants agree to purchase and post a gift to their matched recipient by the stated deadline. Solo Mum Society reserves the right to remove participants who do not fulfil their gifting commitment. All postage costs are the responsibility of the individual participant.